A bad sign in Florida

While in Florida last week I went running a few times. I encountered the most curious thing while running - my feet were crunching things while I was running on the sidewalks.

 

Do you know what kind of tree that is? I've seen them all over the area where my mom lives but just assumed it was some Florida-ish tree. And then I noticed what I was stepping on...

Can you see them? I'll blow the picture up a bit...

 

Acorns!! I had NO idea those trees were oak trees! I've been visiting my mom in Florida for 12 years and I don't remember ever seeing an acorn. This year they're everywhere!

 

So why is this so undesirable in Florida? Because when the oak trees in Florida drop this many acorns, it means they're in for a pretty cold winter. (Gotta fatten up the little critters and get an extra layer of warmth on them.)

And so far those trees have done a great job at predicting the weather. Florida has had colder than usual temperatures for the last few weeks - and winter has just begun. Of course this means that the rest of the south can expect cold weather. (Maybe Ohio too? We've had colder than usual temps too.) 

I'm starting to begin to understand how the Farmer's Almanac can predict weather for an entire winter. Crunching on acorns means don't expect to get a tan while you're vacationing in Florida this winter!