April 16 - Apalachicola National Forest near Sopchoppy, Fl
We attended a festival in the town nearest us today. The name alone was enough to grab our interest. It was a "Worm Gruntin Festival" and it looks like the whole town turned out for it. "Just what is worm gruntin?", you may ask. We certainly had no clue but were told from a fellow camper here " it's a big event".
Worm grunting is a technique for calling earth worms out of the earth so they can be gathered and used for fish bait. For years, accounts of the
practice were dismissed as superstition or coincidence. How could someone armed only with a stick and piece of iron be able to command earth worms the way the Pied Piper commanded rats? Then a Vanderbilt University biologist named Kenneth C. Catina looked at worm grunting and discovered its secret. The noise worm grunters
make sounds like moles. And, moles enjoy worms
at least as much as fish do. So the worms instinctively flee above ground, where moles are least likely to go.
practice were dismissed as superstition or coincidence. How could someone armed only with a stick and piece of iron be able to command earth worms the way the Pied Piper commanded rats? Then a Vanderbilt University biologist named Kenneth C. Catina looked at worm grunting and discovered its secret. The noise worm grunters
make sounds like moles. And, moles enjoy worms
at least as much as fish do. So the worms instinctively flee above ground, where moles are least likely to go.
Well, take a look-
This guy takes a stake, pounds it into the ground, then takes a piece of metal with ridges on it and kind of saws it back & forth across it. It makes a
kind of grunting sound. It vibrates the earth and the worms come out of the ground. This is the 14th annual festival. On the schedule you will find lots of games and contests for children and adults, live music by popular local bands (4), many vendors of food, crafts & local specialty items culminating with the Worm Grunters' Ball in the evening. In small towns across the USA, there are all kinds of neat things to see and enjoy. You gotta love this life that allows us the freedom to attend them.
After a ride around the country side to check out campground option to move to, we found a nice
one which may be our next home. Here's a sneak
preview.
one which may be our next home. Here's a sneak
preview.
That's all for now. I am trying to blog more often so we'll see how it goes as long as I have wifi signal. To all my RV friends and fellow bloggers, stay safe. To PA family & friends, all my love and I will be in PA the 2nd week in May.
