---

   With the millions of dollars of equipment used by various entities, both private and public, one would think weather predictions would be more accurate. I have found a system with a much higher accuracy rate than all the professional weather forecasts. All a person needs to do is look around at the wildlife and livestock.

   Female deer will go to their fawns and stay with them during a storm. In the mornings, while sitting on porch drinking a cup of coffee, I can watch the does as they come and go. Most mornings, they will go to their fawns, let them nurse, and move away, leaving the fawn to spend the day alone. If a storm is approaching, they will go to their fawn, nurse, and bed down with them to shelter the babies from the weather.

   Cows are another good predictor of weather. On a normal day, a herd of cattle will be spread out, eating or laying around being lazy. When a storm is approaching, they will gather in a tight group. They will even predict the direction of the approaching weather front. The whole herd will be facing away from the storm. A couple of days ago, the weather app on my computer informed me that rain would begin at 9:27 a.m. I thought that was rather precise and I doubted it would happen. A short time later, I needed to leave the house. As I passed the neighbor’s place, I noticed his cows were spread over a large area, grazing peacefully. Looking at the clock on my dashboard, I noticed it was 9:27. I did not think it was going to rain and the cows knew no rain was coming.

   The most accurate weather predictor we have is Billie, the dog. I think he can feel the changes in barometric pressure long before a storm hits. A few hours before a thunderstorm in the summer or blizzard in the winter, he becomes uneasy, pacing around the house. As a storm approaches, he will seek shelter, usually in the walk-in shower. He usually tries to get my wife and me to join him. I am not sure if this is for our protection, or he feels he would be safer with us in the shower with him. Needless to say, we do not all go stand around in the shower during storms.

   During more intense storms that are accompanied by high winds, thunder, and lightning, he will go to my office in the basement. There he can look out of the windows and watch the storm while being snug on the couch. If the storm gets even worse with hail and high winds, he will do his best to get us to join him in the storage room in the basement. When storms become this intense, he is usually successful at getting my wife to join him. She hates severe weather as much as the dog.

   For the people whose job it is to tell us what the weather is going to be, I have a few suggestions. The first would be to get a window. If they were to look out of their window and see that it is sunny and clear, do not tell me it is going to rain at 9:27. I have a window and know they are wrong. It is 9:27 and not raining. Secondly, rather than buying millions of dollars’ worth of electronics, buy a herd of cows to put outside of the aforementioned window. Lastly, get a good dog. They will let a person know when and how severe a storm will be. They will also comfort a person if they choose to go hide in the shower with them.

---