June 14-20, 2010
Where does the sun rise and set throughout the year, how does the light change and how do the shadows play? We should observe the seasonal drama of the air, its heat and cold, its moisture and color, its fragrances. We need to know which way the winds blow, and what dust or pollen they carry.
What birds, beasts, insects and wild plants are native to the area? What crops thrive there? What bushes and flowers and trees blossom in that place, and when? What creatures sing? The answers to those questions help reveal where we actually live.
-Scott Russell Sanders
Lunar phase and lore The Cherry Pie Moon waxes throughout the week, bringing all kinds of cherry pies when it enters its second quarter at 11:30 p.m. June 18.
The moon will be best for fishing (but worst for dieting) when it moves overhead in the afternoon this week. The afternoons in advance of the June 15 and 23 cool fronts should encourage the most bites on your bait and Twinkies.
Continue planting as much as you can throughout the week. Vegetables planted now could be ready for harvest in late summer and early fall. This third week of June is an especially favorable time for putting in perennials and annuals purchased from nurseries. It is also a good time to dig and give away plants that have overgrown their boundaries in your garden.
As the moon approaches its second quarter, it will lie at its weakest position of June’s first half. Take advantage of this time to move livestock to the fair or to market, to take a vacation and to see the dentist or doctor.
Summer solstice occurs on June 21 at 7:28 a.m. (EDT). Between June 19-23, the sun remains at its solstice declination of 23 degrees, 26 minutes, and the day’s length remains virtually unchanged. Between June 9 and July 3, the day’s length varies by no more than five minutes in most of the nation.
Weather patterns Sunny skies are the rule for the last third of June: clouds dominate less than 20 percent of the time, and that makes this period one of the brighter ones in the whole year. Daily chances for rain throughout this period of the month are 30 percent except on June 25-26; those two days are some of the driest of the entire year, carrying only a 10 percent chance for precipitation.
High temperatures rise into the 80s at least 60 percent of all the afternoons, and climb above 90 on 20 percent of the days. Cooler conditions in the 70s or even the 60s are most likely to occur on June 23-24.
Daybook June 14: Strawberry season winds down in the lower Midwest, but it begins in earnest throughout the northern United States and southern Canada.
June 15: Between June 15-19, average temperatures climb their final degrees, reaching their summer peak near solstice. Indian hemp and wild petunias come into bloom to announce that peak.
June 16: Corn-borer time is here. Check your corn. Then, clip your goats to keep them cool. Today is usually the earliest date for beginning the second cut of alfalfa. Lizard’s tail is flowering along the banks of rivers and lakes, just as damselflies appear.
June 17: Commercial broccoli and squash harvests are under way. Canadian thistles go to seed. Bamboo grass has fresh growth, and July’s wood mint is budding. Blackberries have set fruit.
June 18: Poison ivy has green berries. The first touch-me-nots and the first thimble plants are budding. Wild garlic and euonymus atropurpureus, the burning bush, are blooming. Rugosa roses are coming in, accompanied by black-eyed Susans, wild petunias and hobblebush.
June 19: June 19-26 are the longest days of they year, the sun remaining at its highest declination of the summer. Strawberries are almost all picked along the Ohio River.
June 20: The first soybean flowers appear – just when 10 leaves have emerged on each stalk of field corn. The first monarch butterfly caterpillar eats the carrot tops. Damselflies and daddy longlegs are everywhere. Mosquitoes, chiggers and ticks have reached their summer strength. Long black cricket hunters hunt crickets in the garden.
Countdown to middle summer By solstice, average highs have reached the low 80s throughout the region, with typical lows in the 60s.
After June 21, normal highs climb one degree, reaching the middle 80s in almost every part of the lower Midwest.
Typical lows rise one degree as well, bringing nights close to the middle 60s. When middle summer begins on June 27, average highs reach their hottest level – and they remain there through July.
If you notice depression increasing during the summer months, you may be suffering from summer seasonal affective disorder (S.A.D.), a condition usually associated with winter. A number of factors, however, such as disruption of routine and the negative effects of heat can contribute to emotional downturns throughout the greenest months of the year.
Some people get especially embarrassed about their bodies during the summer, when they can’t hide behind the camouflaging effects of sweaters or coats. Summers can also bring economic challenges when vacation or camp costs get out of hand. And if you hibernate by the air conditioner to escape heat and humidity, you could end up with cabin fever – just like in January.
Last week’s Scrambler
In order to estimate your Scrambler IQ, award yourself 15 points for each word unscrambled, adding a 50-point bonus for getting all of them correct. If you find a typo, add another 15 points to your IQ.
EZGAINO – AGONIZE
ARELEZI – REALIZE
ZIEHTPASMY – SYMPATHIZE
MEPAHSIZE – EMPHASIZE
PYHTONEIZ – HYPNOTIZE
ZEOAIERRGN – REORGANIZE
EZIGOLOPA – APOLOGIZE
MONRAHZIE – HARMONIZE
IZETRAPNO – PATRONIZE
ZOCONIME – ECONOMIZE |
