I'll Take My Cow Over Your Weatherman Any Day

We've come to rely on our forecasters quite heavily in this technological day and age. Every day at six and six we turn on the TV and wait for the suit-clad men and women to tell us what kind of plans we can make for the weekend.

Borrowed from Anne Slaughter's Flickr Page

But ages ago, before television, radio, seismographs, and all those other fancy gadgets, what did people rely on? You got it. Nature. Nature has been doing this for eons. Trust the animals and trees. They know what they're talking about (figuratively, of course). You know that earthquake we had in D.C. just a week ago? Us humans had no clue it was coming, right? Well, the animals did. The National Zoo reported many strange behaviors just before the quake from numerous species.

Ok, so an earthquake is a pretty big thing. Let's stick to something more common: rain. It's bright and sunny out, the breeze is cool and comfortable, and you're getting ready to go hang out in the hammock for the remainder of the day. You look outside and all those lovely cows are laying down. Not a one is standing. No big deal, right? Wrong. Pack up that hammock and get ready to close your windows. Rain's a-comin'.

Don't have a cow handy? Check out the maple tree in your front yard. If the leaves are turned (you'll see the paler backside), there's a good chance it's going to rain.

My mom's dog Lindsey freaks out when a storm is coming. She could care less about a simple shower, but hours before a thunderstorm, she'll hide in the bathroom and refuse to come out. She gets this look in her eye like she's convinced the world is going to end. My stepdad's dog follows him around literally all day if a storm is brewing. Funny thing is, my mom's other dog Howie could care less.

And then there's the age-old adage "Red sky at night, sailors delight. Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning." There's a reason that saying has persisted for centuries. It's very accurate.

The Farmer's Almanac offers 5 more fun ways that nature predicts the weather. Check them out. And let me know if you have any little tricks to use nature as a weather forecaster!