Jan. 31-Feb. 6, 2011
Spring is not yet at hand, but there is change, and there are subtle stirrings here and there, if we forget the calendar and listen.
-Hal Borland

Lunar phase and lore
Across the Southwest, Texas Bluebonnets announce the blooming of the desert, an event that is paralleled by the rising tide of Jessamine across the South and the gradual advance of late winter across the North.

Fittingly, Jessamine Moon becomes the Bluebonnet Moon on Feb. 2 at 9:31 p.m. Rising in the early morning and setting in the evening, this moon will be overhead in the middle of the day, making lunchtime the most favorable time for fishing.

Angling should improve as the Feb. 3 cold front approaches, but both meteorological and piscatorial conditions will deteriorate after the arrival of that high-pressure system.

The dark moon enters Aquarius on Feb. 1, Pisces on Feb. 4, Aries on Feb. 6 and Taurus on Feb. 9. As the moon waxes, calling out the bluebonnets in the Southwest, seed all the bedding plants you hope to set out in May and all hardy vegetables you hope to put out in March or April. Lunar position in Pisces on Feb. 4-5 will be the most auspicious days of all for that activity.
Since the moon may exert more influence on ocean tides and on human and animal behavior when it is new and full, you might find it harder to talk with your family, to transport animals or to perform routine maintenance for your livestock on or about Feb. 2 and 18.

Major cold waves are due to reach the Lower Midwest on or about Feb. 3, 6, 11, 15, 20, 24 and 27. Storms are most likely to occur on Feb. 3, 6-9, 14-18 and 24-25.

Daybook

Jan. 31: The Groundhog Day thaw typically gets under way today, the second major breakdown of the winter’s cold. This thaw is the harbinger of more dramatic warming in the year’s seventh week.

If the weather is in the 30s or 40s, and the clouds give way a little, you may hear their first spring vocalizations of cardinals about half an hour before dawn (between 7:15 and 7:45).

Feb. 1: In the gentle, wet nights around Groundhog Day, you may catch the first whiff of spring skunk. In the daytime, pick new mint leaves in the woods. In western Mexico, monarch butterflies have begun their journey north – they should arrive at your garden in May or June.

Feb. 2: During the most gentle winters, the first snowdrops blossom in protected microclimates. Sassafras root can be dug now before the sap begins to flow. And Feb. 2 is only the second day of the year in which there is a 25 percent chance for a high in the 50s (Jan. 16 was the first day).
Flies and bees come looking for skunk cabbage when temperatures warm to 50 degrees, and moss grows just a little in the sun.

Feb. 3: Depending on the year and your location, killing frosts could be over for the year in six to eight weeks. Always plan to have some plants ready to go into the ground early. Many years, they will survive and give you a bonus harvest.

Today is Chinese New Year (The Year of the Rabbit) and the Chinese market is often strong after the Harvest Moon Festival (Sept. 23 this year) and throughout the winter, favoring goats and sheep in the 60- to 80-pound live-weight range.

Feb. 4: If you frost-seeded your lawn or pasture before the arrival of the first major cold front of February, the seeds could be covered with snow under the waxing moon in Pisces, a great combination.

Feb. 5: Now there is one hour more daylight in most locations in the lower Midwest than on Dec. 26. But today through Feb. 8 are some of the coldest days of the month – each carrying a 40 percent or better chance for highs just in the 20s. In spite of all that, the moon continues to be favorable for the seeding of bedding plants and the taking of cuttings from mother plants.
Feb. 6: First crocus, aconite, daffodil and tulip foliage has emerged in average years. Snowdrops came up in the warm days back in early January; their white tips blend with the snow. Garlic planted in late November has pushed out of the ground; cloves set in early October are already several inches high.

Almanac literature
Playing Horse
By Bill Bidlack
Oakwood, Ohio
When I was a young boy, I lived on a farm north of Oakwood, Ohio. There were seven kids in our family and I was the youngest.
My youngest sister was just two years older and we played together a lot. We didn’t have TV or any of the other stuff kids have today, so we made up a lot of games.

The REA electrical power line didn’t come through until 1939, so I guess we were poor in that regard. Fortunately, we had cousins who lived just across the fields from us and we would get together and play some games that we were familiar with. The boy was my age and the girl was the same age as my sister, so it worked out well.

Not too long ago, I was reading an article in the paper about a lady who was recalling some of her playtimes as a youth.

One game we played was called “Old Dead Horse ... Out Behind The Barn.” As you might guess, it was an original game. And it was brought on by a real-life experience.

One of Dad’s Belgian mares had died trying to give birth to a foal. Back in those days, if you lost a large animal you just called the fertilizer plant out of Brunersburg and they would send a truck to get the deceased animal.
When we four kids would get together, we would play that game. My old coaster wagon was the fertilizer truck and we would take turns being the unfortunate animal. I don’t remember what we finally did with the “carcass,” but it was sure an interesting time in our lives!