Sharp Predictions

It was a 'brisk" MINUS 25 below zero at 7 am here in the wilds of Vermont.
I checked on the cows early this morning and all was well with them.

However, the pump head was frozen.  I shoveled out an area until I found the extension cord to the heating tape and discovered that the weight of the snow had disconnected the 2 cords.  I plugged it back in and in 30 minutes the pump was warm and I could pull the handle up.

Then the pump nozzle exploded into 2 pieces and almost took my knee cap off.
I went to the local hardware store to get a replacement part and finally got water to the herd.

I hoped for an easier experience later in the day when I returned again for the evening watering.

So.........later....
As I slowly drove down the road this afternoon to water the herd, I noticed something fall out of a tree on the side of the road ahead of me.

It looked like a big snowy birds nest may have been knocked loose out of its branch by the storm of last week and finally fell out onto the snow bank and then slid onto the road right in front of me .

However, as I drove by the snow covered "nest" it moved......and started walking........

I hit my brakes and stopped.

Granted, I needed a distraction from the latest disaster at the farm, but not a weird one that I couldn't explain.

I grabbed my camera and started following it.

As it walked, the snow dusted off it and it became more obvious what this unusual creature was.  I looked up into the nearby trees to see if any more of these "nests" were going to fall out of the sky and into the snow banks below.

After I made sure my new friend was safely off the road, I continued to the farm and watered my cows and chatted with a few folks who stopped by.  I told them of the unusual creature who fell out of the sky and into the snowbank.
Their eyes widened as I told the story.  I was thinking they thought I had gone off the deep end, considering the events of the last 7 weeks, but no...... instead they told me............there is a saying in these parts of Vermont that "if porcupines fall out of trees in February, then cows will be out on grass by May."

and.....

That if you actually SEE porcupines fall out of trees you are supposed to eat picnic eggs, (otherwise known as deviled eggs in civilized areas) so that the hay fields will have higher yields.

Ok, I admit to being gullible.....but..... I DO know that my cows need lots of hay in the winter, and I will do everything in my power to make that happen so of course I came home and told my bizarre story.  

Next thing I know my 94 year old housemate is boiling eggs and mixing Miracle Whip.

She takes this porcupine-falling-out-of-tree thing very seriously!

The fields in this area WILL have high yields and sweet grasses!!!!

And I got to eat real picnic eggs in February, all thanks to a very unusual meeting with a solitary porcupine who fell out of a tree.

Move over Punxsutawney Phil, theres a new boy in town and his predictions are geared towards farmers!!!