Spring will happen tomorrow at 5:58pm, and that night there will be a full moon, and it will be a supermoon. Our chances of a good viewing of March's full moon, called the Full Worm Moon, are considered poor. Supposedly the name of the Full Worm Moon comes from the ground softening enough for earthworm casts to reappear, inviting robins and birds to feed, a true sign of spring - this from the Old Farmer's Almanac.
The first Almanac wouldn't have had this information, it was published in 1792. That was before earthworms came to North America.
There are only two native worms in Ontario, although there are 19 known species. That makes 17 varieties of invasive worms. The 'earthworms' we are familiar with arrived from Asia and Europe about two hundred years ago in the ballast of ships. A square meter of soil can support 2,000 worms. Studies are finding that they are predators of native seeds. They 'devour' the leaf litter layer much more rapidly than native decomposers. Our native plants and insects rely on a thick protective layer of decaying leaves.
Here are a few worm jokes:
What do you call it when worms take over the world? Global Worming!
Two silk worms challenged each other in a race It ended in a tie.
What's the difference between Donald Trump and a worm? One of them is a slimy, loathsome creature incapable of complex thought, the other one actually shows up when it rains.
This Donald Trump joke popped up along the way:
A man died one day and went to heaven. As he stood in front of St. Peter at the Pearly Gates he saw a huge wall of clocks behind him.
He asked, "What are all those clocks?"
St. Peter replied, "Those are lie clocks. Everyone on earth has a lie-clock. Every time you lie the hands on the clock will move."
"Oh," said the man as he pointed at one of them, "Whose clock is that?"
St. Peter replied, "That's Mother Teresa's. The hands have never moved, indicating that she never told a lie."
"That's incredible, " said the man.
St. Peter pointed to another clock, "That's Abraham Lincoln's clock. The hands have moved twice, telling us that Abe only told two lies in his entire life."
The man was impressed, and then asked, "Where's Donald Trump's clock?"
St. Peter said, "His clock is in Jesus' office. He's using it as a ceiling fan."
