WOOLY WORMS ARE STILL A HOT TOPIC

Everyone talks about the weather, but no one does anything about it. Who said that? Regardless, the weather is always a topic of conversation. And during the golden days of autumn, the conversation is generally favorable. Most everyone likes fall, even the allergy sufferers who are sneezing and wheezing while the leaves drop to the ground.

Another big weather topic at this time of year is winter forecasting. Everyone, it seems, has a pet way of determining exactly how bad or how mild this next winter will be. Some folks swear by persimmon seeds. Others rely on the Old Farmer's Almanac.

And who hasn't heard about El Nino? This Pacific Ocean weather engine has been more and more in the news, and it has been blamed for everything from drought to monsoons.

Lost in the shuffle during all this autumnal weather prognostication is the National Weather Service. Although this agency has become more and more sophisticated in forecasting, particularly when severe weather is coming, it still can't tell for sure what this winter will be like.

Which is probably why woolly worms and persimmon seeds will continue to be hot topics of conversation well into the 21st century.