Sept. 17-23, 2018

Although we talk so much about coincidence, we do not really believe in it. In our heart of hearts we think better of the universe, we are secretly convinced that it is not a slipshod, haphazard affair, that everything in it has meaning.

-J.B. Priestly

The Jumping Jumpseed Moon waxes throughout the week, reaching apogee, its position farthest from Earth, at 7:54 p.m. on Sept. 20 and becoming completely full on Sept. 24 at 9:52 p.m. Rising late in the afternoon and setting after midnight, this fat, gibbous moon passes overhead in the middle of the night.

Autumn equinox occurs (and the sun enters its middle autumn sign of Libra) at 8:01 p.m. on Sept. 22. Within several days of that moment, the night is about 12 hours long almost everywhere in the continental United States.

Venus slowly fades away in the far west as September comes to a close, and Jupiter replaces her as the most prominent Evening Star, low on the horizon after sundown. These are the last evenings this year during which you can see both Jupiter and Venus close together in the west.

As September wanes, the Milky Way moves across the center of the sky at bedtime, Cepheus (shaped a little like a house) comes directly overhead and the Big Dipper hugs the northern horizon. Summer's familiar constellation, Sagittarius, has now moved to the far southwest. The less distinctive star group of Capricorn has taken its place due south, followed by gangly Aquarius.

Weather trends

Equinox parallels a drop in heat as well as in averages. Days in the 90s disappear after Sept. 22, and even 80s will be gone in only three weeks. The chances of an afternoon in the 50s or 60s this week double over those odds last week – to 40 percent.

The season of light frosts deepens; Sept. 24 and 27 even carry a 20 percent chance of a mild freeze, the greatest chance since May 10. On Sept. 23 and 26, chances of a high below 70 degrees are better than 50 percent, the first time that has happened since May 4.

The natural calendar: In the northern half of the United States, the first tier of trees, including the ashes, cottonwoods, box elders, hickories and locusts, turns quickly after equinox. Poison ivy, sumac and Virginia creeper color the fencerows red and gold.

Aster slowly blossoms start to disappear; their departure parallels leaf fall, the end of the insect season, the end of the spider web season and an acceleration in bird migration. Crab apples are thinning. Milkweed pods burst.

Seasonal stress will continue to be low during the first part of this week. Even though the average amount of cloud cover per day has increased to a third of its November potency and the day’s length keeps on shortening, the weather is usually pleasant, and the moon is early in its second quarter.

As full moon approaches, however, your body and mind, your children and your animals may begin to give you trouble. If you work in law enforcement or health care, expect even more trouble on full moon day itself.

Field and garden

Now as the moon wanes, put in spring bulbs, divide perennials, shrubs and trees. The sugar beet, pear, cabbage and cauliflower harvests commence near this date in the Great Lakes region. In Wisconsin, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon and Washington state, the cranberry harvest begins, berries darkening in the cooler weather.

The first winter wheat is planted in northern counties as the season of killing frosts begins. Tobacco harvest is just about complete as the day's length falls below 12 hours. Seventy percent of silage corn is typically cut, 10 percent of corn for grain, 15 percent of the soybeans. Fall apples and grapes are half-picked.

Marketing notes: Sept. 23-25 is the Harvest Moon Festival. This festival, also called Chuseok, is often observed by Korean-Americans and others of Asian descent.

Fish, insects, livestock and birds: Fish and game become more active as the moon moves overhead in the evenings, especially as the cold fronts of Sept. 20, 24 and 29 approach. Monarch and swallowtail butterflies often become more numerous and visit the last flowers in the afternoon sun.

After equinox, some poultry owners turn on a low-wattage light bulb in the chicken house in order to counter the effects of shortening days on egg production. Since the best market for fresh eggs occurs between Nov. 1 and the end of February, you may wish to experiment with trying to keep your hens laying.

Almanac classics

The Ancient Roman's Outhouse

By Naomi Bliss

(Naomi was close to 70 years old when she had this experience. Few “senior moments” can compare with it.)

Back in about 1970, I visited the United Kingdom and enjoyed many tours. I saw many walls, roads and buildings constructed by the Romans, who occupied the country from 43 A.D. until the early 400s.

One day in a small town, the entire tour bus had the same urge, and the guide directed us to a rectangular stone building. He announced proudly, “This structure is exactly the same as when it was erected by Roman soldiers.”

I fell into one of the two long lines that formed, a mixture of men and women in each line. It was apparent the building had two restrooms. As I neared the destination, I noticed the beauty of the building, which acclaimed the super skill of the stonemasons.

I was just behind a man that entered the outhouse in my line. He seemed to have trouble closing the door, and eventually he came out shaking his head.

I pushed open the wooden plank door and entered a windowless stone room about 7 feet by 4 feet. I glanced about for a light. None existed. With the door still open, I looked for the toilet.

There it was! A stone slab on the stone floor, about 1.5 feet long and a foot wide. It had been chiseled out to form a bowl. In the center was a 6-inch hole. On either side of the hole, cut into the stone, were two large footprints. Overhead was a water tank with a pull hanging down.

I considered that:

•I wore three layers of clothing, the top layer a pair of slacks

•I carried a handbag

•The door did not latch

•I would need to hold it closed

•With the door closed, the room was dark as night

•The waiting line was growing restless

I tried … And no, I didn't succeed, but I was determined to do something. So I pulled the leather string to the water reservoir. It worked perfectly; a profusion of water was emitted. The small room was sprayed with a flood. I was soaked to the hide.

Wet? Yes. But the urge was gone.