12/12: new (to me) old wives' tale

Chris heard from our neighbors that you can "predict" the winter by looking at persimmon seeds.  Not having grown up in a place where persimmon trees thrive, this isn't a piece of local lore I had come across when young.  But now that I live in very close proximity to several persimmon trees, I had to give it a try!  Thanks to the internet, I learned how the prediction works:  you cut open a persimmon and then split a seed lengthwise along its seam.  If the sprout inside the seed looks like a knife, the winter will be cold; if it looks like a spoon, the winter will bring a lot of snow; if it looks like a fork, the winter will be mild.  Chris and I tried two seeds, and both of them seemed to have "spoon" sprouts inside of them.  We'll see if the winter bears out this prediction....