Why does a Woolly Worm cross the road?

Why does a woolly worm cross the road? I’m not sure it does make it across the road, but I’ve seen many of them from my bike lately, catching the sunshine on the pavement of our county roads.

As morning temperatures dip, reflecting the coolness of Autumn, these orange and black creatures seem to seek the warmth of the sun-soaked pavement. Or maybe they are just out going for a stroll?  Their sunbathing comes at great risk, however.  I may easily dodge them on my bicycle, but its doubtful a grain truck or pickup would be so conscientious.

Wooly worms are fascinating little creatures. They follow an interesting life cycle on their way to transformation. Upon hatching from their eggs on plants, they begin eating and shedding their skin, up to six times as they grow. As caterpillars, with their distinct “woolly”, bearlike appearance, they have the capacity to overwinter in their full-grown state by producing a type of antifreeze in their system to survive the cold temperatures. They will hunker down under a log or other protective surface and wait for spring, some eventually spinning their silk cocoon to enter the pupal stage during winter, others overwintering as caterpillars and not pupating until spring.

Once in the cocoon, it’s just a matter of a few weeks until the transformation is complete and they emerge as the Isabella Tiger Moth. They live in their adulthood for a few more weeks until the life cycle begins anew as they mate, lay eggs and die.

The lore of the woolly worm has long been associated with predictions about winter.  The amount and placement of the various hues of orange and black on their coats is interpreted to mean something about the coming colder months.  More black coloring and a harsher winter lies ahead.  Black on the ends, and winter’s early and late months will be more severe than the middle, represented by orange.

A few years back, as I was riding the county roads, there was an abundance of woolly worms out on the pavement. I haven’t seen that many at one time again, but I do always see some this time of the year. I think one thing is certain, wooly worms, like most other creatures know without a doubt that winter is coming. Somehow their life cycle and constitutional makeup is a harbinger of just this truth.  They are another of God’s creative signs to pay attention to the changing seasons.

© Daniel M. Cash 2025

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Filed under Christian Faith, Cycling, Passageways, Seasons

Ministry Mondays with Meg Podcast

This week I was honored to be the guest on “Ministry Mondays with Meg” – a podcast from my friend and colleague Rev. Dr. Megan Biddle. We talked about 35 years of ministry, writing, teaching, chaplaincy and pastoring. We discussed my three books: 8 Questions Jesus Asked; The Changing Church and Dakota Dreams and Hoosier Homeland.

It was a fun conversation and I invite you to give it a watch/listen. Just follow the link:

https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/ministrymondayswithmeg/episodes/Dan-Cash-e39v77j

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Filed under Christian Faith, Community, Leadership, Ministry, Pastors, Seasons, What I Am Learning, writing

There is Only One King

This past Saturday (October 18, 2025), according to some news sources over 7 million Americans joined together at over 2,700 protests held across the United States on what was called “No Kings Day II” (*No Kings Day I was held June 14, 2025). These individuals met in common bond around the concern that the current Presidential Administration is working to subvert democracy and moving at a fast clip in an autocratic direction more common to a dictator or king than what the United States Constitution proscribes for the Executive Branch of our government.

While I was not able to join the local protest due to another obligation, I had loved ones and friends who did participate. Consistent with what has been reported elsewhere, they said the local protest was peaceful, non-disruptive, and made up of people from varied age groups, ethnicities and political allegiance. In other words, it was a gathering held in the spirit of other American protests over the years, acting on the rights of free speech and independent thinking. It was not, as some critics claimed, an anti-American or non-patriotic act of disobedience – there being a distinct difference between disagreement and disobedience.  

It seems to me that if over 7 million Americans were willing to give up some of their Saturday to attend and participate in such a protest, there is a significant amount of dissatisfaction being registered concerning the actions of our current Executive and his administration. In short, many people (maybe most people?) are not happy with the autocratic acts of a president who continues to circumvent congressional oversight, and overreach on judicial precedents. Many people are worried about the direction the country is heading and the unwillingness of the other branches of government to act as a check and balance on an out-of-control president.

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Filed under Christian Faith, Leadership, Ministry, Pastors, Uncategorized, What I Am Learning

Book Update: Dakota Dreams and Hoosier Homeland

Dear Reader: If you have purchased a copy of my book “Dakota Dreams and Hoosier Homeland” I say “thank you!”. The book, released on September 19th, has produced a fair number of sales in these early days, and I am grateful. If you have yet to purchase a copy, I invite you to do so. You will find it an easy read of just 115 pages in the historical fiction genre, exploring the period of homesteading in the American west. Both paper back and e-reader versions are available here through Amazon.

In this world of writing and self-publishing, I am not very good at the marketing and self-promotion part. Like most writers I prefer to let the work speak for itself. Nonetheless, I know that one must encounter something multiple times in our over-messaged world today before determining to act. So, if you’ve thought about checking out the book, here’s a gentle nudge to prompt you.

For those who have, or will, read Dakota Dreams and Hoosier Homeland, I would invite you to offer a review on Goodreads. You can do that through this link.

Frequently Asked Questions: Here are my responses to some of the most frequently asked questions I have received about the book, for those inclined to read a little further.

Why did you decide to write a book like this, in the historical fiction genre?
The idea for this book lived in my head for a couple of years before I ever began writing it. I am a reader of both history and fiction, and sometimes historical fiction. For example, I find Theodore Roosevelt’s time in the Dakotas to be fascinating, and I have read quite a bit about it.
I knew I wanted to explore my Grandfather Clyde Cash’s Dakota homesteading story, but I did not have very many facts to build on. So, I began to research the period of history in which it took place, pulled together the family anecdotes I knew of, and created a story I hope in some way reflects the challenge of that period.

Is this a book about you, your experiences in the Dakotas?
While the book is about my grandparents, Clyde and Anna Cash, there is no doubt it became a way for me to reflect on my own somewhat recent experience in the Dakotas. While it has now been close to three years since I lived and worked there, I needed a way to process the experience and was finally ready to do so. Clyde and Anna’s story became a means of doing just that.
So, if you were curious about “what happened” or “why did Dan come back to Indiana”, this is your chance to read between the lines a little and draw your own conclusion. For my part, the book is now closed on that brief chapter of my life, including it’s disappointments and discoveries.

Do you have any other books in the works?
Someone who loves to write always has another idea or two incubating, and this would be true of me. I’m not ready to promise anything by name just yet, but I am continuing to work on a ministry leadership book I’ve been developing over recent years. I also have another historical fiction idea I’m anxious to explore and see if it my grow into a book.
The writer side of me does it for the enjoyment, certainly not the financial rewards! I always appreciate hearing from readers who like my work, or feel some connection to it.

Have you written anything else?
Yes, I have co-authored two earlier books, 8 Questions Jesus Asked, and The Changing Church, both Judson Press publications. You can learn more about those books on the “Books by Daniel Cash” section of this site. I also somewhat regularly blog post here at danielcash.org and write, and occasionally share a podcast through my Substack page.

If you have not yet subscribed to this page, I invite you to consider doing so. Thank you!

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When a Walnut Falls

When a walnut falls, it is . . .
           A sure sign of the autumnal genesis.
           A probable dent in an unlucky car.
           A chore for neighbors whose lawn hosts its sire.

When a walnut falls, it can be . . .
           A hazard to the cyclist who dodges it on the shared path.
           An invitation to the boy who finds it.
           A meal to be stored by the industrious squirrel.

When I was a kid, we took five-gallon buckets into the woods to pick up the walnut harvest.  Dad then scattered our collection across the #3 limestone of the back drive where he parked his truck. Driving across the hulls daily freed the hard inner shells to later be picked up and cracked open, revealing a meaty snack.

When a walnut falls, it is . . .
           A portent of winter to come.
           A provision of nutrients in a fallow season.
           A promise of next generation sapling, tree, wood, furniture and trim.     

When a walnut falls, it is . . .
           An invitation to ponder.
           A sign to observe.
A contribution to consider.

When a walnut falls, it is . . .
           A prompt for a poem.
           A drumbeat in nature.
           A deposit from above.       

© Daniel M. Cash 2025


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