Woolly Bear Caterpillars

The other day Nate and I found a really cool caterpillar on our front steps. Fearful that the little critter would freeze over the winter we brought it inside to see if it would like to make a cocoon. I looked up our new friend on the internet and learned that it is a woolly bear caterpillar, and that the creatures actually hibernate over the winter. So after observing its scurryings we let it go so that it could find a nice warm rock to sleep under. I guess the woolly bear caterpillar is a one of the most prevalent in the United States (I'd never seen one - but that may be because I'm from Colorado. I don't think too many bugs can take the altitude.) Legend has it that you can predict the severity of the winter from the woolly bear's coloring. If the caterpillar has more black than orange it's going to be a cold winter. If the caterpillar has more orange than black it's going to be a mild winter. It looks to me like Nate and I are going to have a pretty nice winter. I think we found a really good-looking caterpillar. We sure hope he survives the winter. Come Spring we'll start looking for him in his grown-up stage - as the Isabella Tiger Moth.