A katydid got in the kitchen yesterday. I noticed it when I was going out the door.
Many of our summer nights are filled with the clamor of katydids. This time of the year they are on the downhill slide.
One night a couple of weeks ago Matt said they sounded like they were out of wind because their calling was so sluggish.
When we filmed our Sunday night video we heard one hollering in daylight when they normally wait for dark. Earlier today I was walking down to Corie’s and I heard another one hollering as the sun was shining brightly.
All my life I’ve heard the old folklore about the first frost being six weeks from the first time you hear katydids. I’ve never believed that since we often hear them the last week of July and our first frost is usually up in October.
David Boy left a comment on our Sunday video saying he had heard the first frost will be six weeks from the first time you hear a katydid in the daytime. Have you ever heard that piece of folklore?
Six weeks from the day Matt and I heard the katydid will be October 17 which is about our average first frost date. I’ll have to remember to see if the folklore holds true.
Tipper
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I haven’t heard any Katydids that I know of. But today when emptying my buggy at Walmart. I saw this tiny little green thi g sitting on the front top of the buggy. when I put the buggy in its parking spot, the bug was still there, so I took pictures of it. and Googled it. said it is a kattydid. this was about 1:00 in the afternoon. so although it didn’t make any sound , I think im going to mark it on my calender about the frost. that will be interesting. oh, I guess you have figured out that I was raised in the city (Atlanta) so I don’t know much about things like katydids and cicadas, never heard of them until last year. and I am falling in love with all of this. I have been here in this little town in NW Ga since 1982, but was always working and not noticing much. but I moved into this little apartment, and wow, all kinds of insects and critters all around me. I Google everything lol. I’m like a kid in a candy shop. im 88 and love it all. learning so much.
Did anyone see any comments on today’s post?
Brenda there were several comments. Thank you for letting me know you can’t see them. Sorry for that technical glitch.
Miss Tipper, I hear the katydids 365 days a year. Oh no, that’s my ears buzzing, til I’m spinning in my boots. For all those in need, for all the families who’ve lost loved ones, have illnesses or are caring for their loved ones who are ill, I pray to God to bring you comfort and mercy to get through each situation with His healing, graces, love and care. Have a beautiful, blessed and wonderful day today, tomorrow and always. J
I could hear a katydid just outside my bedroom window yesterday. But I haven’t heard him this morning. That was Monday September the 8th. One thing I have missed this year, and I don’t know why, are my whippoorwills. We had an exorbent amount of cicadas so that may be the reason. But every year I’ve always had at least two. I love to hear them. Bad crazy as it may seem, I love to hear the cicadas also!
I agree with you 100% about puddings! That was the dessert we could always count on when I was a kid. We always had plenty of fresh cow milk and plenty of eggs. And in the summer and abundance of fruit. And momma always put up a lot of fruit also. And one wonderful sweet dessert we could always count on was homemade ice cream! I sure do miss those days. I was born in the 40s so everything that mother made was always made from scratch. And it was so good! I don’t cook much anymore but when I do I also cook my food from scratch. Box pudding? My grandmother would flip over in her grave! LOL. I of the old ways.
Prayer for Granny….
I haven’t noticed the katydids, but I do love to hear the cicadas doing their mating calls. They leave their old suits hanging on my wood border or the brick and I see the little tunnels where they made their way to the surface from their long sleeps, and see them drying from their emergence, waiting to join the others in the tree branches, nature truly is amazing and wonderful. I wish your Mother good health and a speedy recover from what is ailing her.
Will we or will we not have our first frost October 17? That is the question to prove folklore correct! I’m saying yes!
Praying for good days ahead for your mama.
Everyone have a wonderful day.
We have Cicadas here that come about the same time your katydids come. Ours are really on the wane now too and are getting weaker each day. It’s funny to listen to them in the evening as they are “getting ready for bed”. They go full blast & the just start to peter out, almost like when a person is dozing off in their big recliner watching t.v. & then they wake up with a startle & are awake again going full blast again. Then they slow down quieter, are jarred awake again & that goes on until they all go to sleep.
Tipper–According to folklore, it is possible to listen to katydids and determine the air temperature. They slow down as the nights get cooler. If you want to try the formula, count the number of chirps in a minute, subtract 40, divide the result by four, and then add 60. Or, unless you are a mathematical whiz, just look at a thermometer!
Reading the blog and watching the channels is such a breath of fresh air. I truly think you all were put on this earth to pull us away to stop and smell the roses; ponder God’s creatures and creations; provide prayer partners so we can pray for each other’s needs and just give us all a little slice of calm.
Linda, I couldn’t agree more!!
Growing up, always heard 3 months till frost when Rose of Sharon bloom. It still makes me sad when I see them start knowing summer will be over soon.. I know now at 68 time just fly’s. please remember my husband Ron his health has gone down this year and they can’t find out why. God only knows. prayers to all!
Charlotte, I will pray for Ron. I’m sorry he is sick and hope they can find out what’s going on.
Never heard the six weeks after hearing in daytime. In southeast KY the one we used was first frost would be 90 days from first night you heard them sing. As you say, that would always be sometime in October, probably in the first half. And that was reliable.
I think we have one or two left at night up here; they sound kind of lonely. The one winter predictor I have noticed to be somewhat accurate has to do with the number of foggy mornings in August corresponding to the number of snows in winter. I can’t say it’s a one-to-one correspondence, but I have noticed that foggy Augusts are followed by snowier winters. Of course, in our area, it wouldn’t take much snow to be more than we’ve had in recent years!
I hadn’t heard that before about the Katydids. I’ll listen out for them Katydids during the day and mark it on my calendar to see if it holds true for my neck of the woods in NC.