July 15-21, 2013 Simple attention to the details of nature, as always, helped me keep in sight both my center and my life’s destination and purpose, which was to live skillfully and mindfully each step of the journey. -Stephen Altschuler
Lunar phase and lore
The Sweet Corn Moon, coming into its second phase at 10:18 p.m. July 15, waxes throughout the week, becoming completely full July 22 at 1:15 p.m. Rising late in the day and setting early in the morning, this moon is overhead well after dark.
Lunar dominance of the night, especially toward the end of the week, should enhance nighttime fishing and snacking. The best fishing of all should occur as cool fronts approach before the July 14 and the July 21 cool fronts (but not after these weather systems). The moon’s position in Scorpio (July 16-18) and Capricorn (July 20-22) may help seeds of autumn grains and vegetables sprout a little better. The full moon, according to some, brings more moisture to fruits and vegetables.
Weather trends
Nighttime lows typically remain in the 60s, but chilly 50s occur an average of 10-15 percent of the time. Rain is a bit more likely this week than it was last week as chances for showers rise over the next seven days from between 20-30 percent to between 35-40 percent.
Daybook
July 15: The moon enters its second quarter today, a time when lunar stress is at its lowest. July 16: Pokeweed gets green berries as Japanese beetles reach major levels in the soybeans. Out in the fields at night, fireflies put on some of the best shows of the summer. Along the rivers and lakeshores, this year’s goslings and ducklings are almost fully grown.
July 17: Woolly bear caterpillars prophesy winter when they cross the backroads this week. In town, gardens show their Asiatic lilies, tea roses, bergamot, coneflowers, midseason hosta, gay feather, yarrow, helianthus, guara and all the annuals. The second cut of alfalfa is often half-complete along the 40th Parallel.
July 18: Prepare for August seedings of alfalfa, smooth brome grass, orchard grass, tall fescue, red clover and timothy.
July 19: More than half the corn will be silking in the heat of the Dog Days, and two-thirds of the soybeans will be in bloom. Summer apples will be one-fourth picked. Blueberries and elderberries will be ripening. A few peaches will be ready in the bottomlands. July 20: When morning birdsong diminishes and insect volume increases, then collard, kale and cabbage sets are often planted for fall, and tobacco topping gets under way.
July 21: Late summer’s burdock blooms. Tall blue bellflowers, pale violet bouncing bets and pink germander color the waysides. Water hemlock and arrowhead blossom in the swamps. Round galls swell on the goldenrod. Fruits of the Osage orange are two-thirds grown, heavy enough to drop in a storm. |
