To the editor:
In Monday's column, Gordon Baird seemed surprised at the mild weather we are experiencing ("Fishtown Local" column, the Times, Feb. 6).
I am going to assume he was never taught to tell the forecast signs of winter Mother Nature gives us in and around September.
Mr. Baird, and anyone else that wishes to take note: As you look around you in the early- to mid-fall, take note of those scrawny scrub oak trees that leave those piles of brown chewed-up leaves all over your yard, driveway and street.
The earlier those trees begin to shed their leaves, especially if they are bare by the end of October, the more mild the winter. If they keep their browned-out leaves into January and February, you can count on the winter being cold and harsh.
Between Gloucester and Rockport, there is a small grove of these oaks growing in a north-south corridor that hold their leaves longer than most others in the area. If you were to stop and take a temperature reading, you will probably find a 10-degree difference; it is always colder in that corridor.
Our creator designed those trees in a like manner as we humans. I'm sure you would not want to be standing around bare when winter officially begins. Well, likewise for the trees — they do not just stand around naked if the winter is going to start out cold and blustery. It's a simple indicator that has been 90 percent to 95 percent accurate over the past decade.
Pay attention to how God designed the natural, and you will never again be surprised by the severity, or mildness of our winters.
GERALD MAHIEU
Langsford Street, Gloucester
