The sign of the grasshopper

-Grasshopper-

Grasshoppers have been manically jumping about and covering the yard, making it necessary to put my hands up when I walk outside for fear of having my eye put out. After the little frost we had Saturday morning, I realized I should pay heed to their activity, reading it as a sign of changing weather.

I cleaned out the woodstove flue and stacked some firewood and kindling inside. This might seem ridiculous, as we're still having very warm days, but I looked back to notes from last year and we had a winter storm on Oct. 26, not even two weeks after having a high of 90. In 2019, there was a frost Oct. 12 and freezing drizzle on Nov. 11. 

I was thinking we had another couple of weeks before we had a frost. What good is it to keep notes if I don't refer to them? I've been planting flowers like I was setting up a botanical garden. Maybe subconsciously I knew what the grasshopper flutter was about and I've been giving them something to eat before winter comes.