Once again, it is that time of year when the Persimmons ripen and the weather forecasters come out of hiding for missing their forecasts. With nature, herself, providing the necessary prognostication, formal training is out the window and all that is needed is a sharp knife to know what kind of winter to expect.
There are several different varieties of wild Persimmons that call Texas home. I believe this is the Common, or Eastern Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana L.). The fruit is slightly smaller than a golf ball and very astringent until "mushy" ripe. The woods -- especially along the edges of open areas -- are full of them. Birds and other wildlife distribute the seeds which must pass through the alimentary canal in order to germinate.
The fruit contains several seeds and you sometimes find those seeds in piles where some larger animal, such as a feral hog, made a meal of the fruit and left a deposit to be washed by the rains until nothing but the seeds remain.
I sliced open three of the seeds to see if the forecast was consistent. You can see the results above.
Folklore says that the shape of the kernel inside the seed is an indicator of the type of winter to expect. A fork indicates a mild winter whereas a spoon indicates heavy snows. The seeds this year are in the knife configuration which predict frigid winds that will cut like a blade. It looks like we are in for a cold and windy winter.
Last year we had a "spoon" shape and winter was extremely wet. Given the fact that we are in an area where it usually isn't cold enough to snow I have to say the forecast was on-the-money. I'm betting it will be a dry and colder-than-normal winter here this year.
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