Feb. 2-8, 2015

What light is tenderer

Than this of early February

At 5:05 p.m. or so,

Just trying brightness out?

-John Updike

Lunar phase and lore

The Skunk and Opossum Moon, full on Feb. 3, reaches apogee, its position furthest from Earth, on Feb. 6 and enters its last phase at 10:50 a.m. on Feb. 11. Rising in the evening and setting in the morning, this moon will pass overhead after midnight, encouraging skunks, opossums and raccoons to wander in search of mates, especially as the cold fronts of Feb. 3, 6 and 11 approach.

As conditions permit, plan to prune trees while the moon lies in Leo and Virgo throughout most of the period.

Weather trends

The second barometric high of the month arrives near Feb. 6 and generally reinforces the cold. The next three days frequently bring dangerous weather to the nation’s midsection and produce some of the most frigid mornings of the entire year.

Precipitation typically is low after this high-pressure wave crosses the country. The third cold wave of the month, ordinarily the last severe system of late winter, arrives near Feb. 11, bearing a high chance for precipitation and sunless skies. And as this system moves east, the odds for milder weather become substantial.

The natural calendar

Feb. 2: Today is Groundhog Day. Groundhogs usually do not emerge on this day in the lower Midwest. They have, however, been seen at the arrival of earliest spring in mid-February.

Feb. 3: When tulip foliage emerges from the ground in the Ohio Valley, then horned owlets hatch in the woods and sweet corn is coming up along the Gulf coast. Redbuds and azaleas are in full bloom in Georgia. In the lowlands of Mississippi, swamp buttercups are open; violets and black medic, too.

Feb. 4: Find Jupiter shining close to the rising, late third- quarter moon.

Feb. 5: Tap maple trees throughout the month. Expect sap flow to increase as the warm fronts of early spring begin (after Feb. 15).

Feb. 6: In warmer microclimates, bluegrass revives and starts its seeding cycle.

Feb. 7: Cardinals began their mating calls before dawn in the last week of late winter. Now, if the weather is mild, they are in full song by 8 in the morning, sometimes singing all day.

Feb. 8: As the February thaws bring moisture and warmth from the Gulf of Mexico, they also bring the pollen from early spring wildflowers and trees. Mountain cedar, acacia, smooth alder, bald cypress, American elm, red maple, white poplar and black willow start to pollinate.

In field and garden

Feb. 1: Plan to start the cabbages, kale, collards and other greens indoors in flats as soon as possible.

Feb. 2: When the first knuckles of rhubarb emerge from the ground, then it’s time to plant onion sets and seed cold frames with spinach, radishes and lettuce.

Feb. 3: Take cuttings to propagate shrubs, trees and house plants; they should do well as the days lengthen.

Feb. 4: Frost seeding of dormant pastures and lawns may be started this month.

Feb. 5: In February, the ground usually approaches 35 degrees below the Great Lakes, the temperature at which earthworms become active again. Within a week or so, you will see them crossing roads and sidewalks in the lukewarm rains. That will mean the pastures are starting to grow again.

Feb. 6: Check your mulches, and protect precocious growth of bulbs and perennials from hard freezes still to come at the end of the month and the first week of March.

Feb. 7: Apply fertilizer to trees and shrubs. Also plan and prepare your container garden for early vegetables and flowers, and check the pH in your lawn.

Feb. 8: Birthing season has begun for ewes and does bred in early autumn.

Almanac literature

Great American Story Contest entry

‘Who Made This Pie?’

By Lester Rea

Madison, Ind.

In June 1941, my aunt had just got married. I was just 8 years old and so glad to get a new uncle. He was lots of fun to be around, My uncle had never been to our house for a meal, and my mom and dad invited them to a Saturday dinner.

My mom decided to make fried chicken with all the trimmings. She was also going to have both rhubarb and cherry pies, as we had an abundance of both here on the farm.

My aunt and uncle arrived that morning, and I had time to show my uncle my animals. I had chickens rabbits, ducks and my goat. By then another aunt and uncle had come for dinner. With my mom, dad, brother, myself and aunts and uncles, we had a total of eight for dinner.

Mom had cut the pies and placed the pieces on pie plates. She told me when everyone was done eating I could serve the pie. My new uncle told me he wanted rhubarb because it had been years since had had rhubarb pie.

We were all eating our pie. All of a sudden my new uncle wrinkled up his face and said, “Who made this pie?”

At that point my mom hit the panic button, saying, “I did. What’s the matter?” She repeated this several times. It became deadly quiet as everyone tried to see what was wrong. My aunt was seated next to him and jumped up to help him.

At this point, his face began to straighten up and, in a booming voice, he said, “It’s delicious, and I want another piece!” My aunt and my mom could have crowned him.

This uncle and aunt came to our house many, many times through the years. When Mom served the pie, we always heard, “Who made this pie?” My mom would counter with “I did. It’s delicious. Have another piece!” Most of the time my uncle did.

Today, more than 73 years later, this incident is still locked in my memory. My wife and I still reside on the farm and the old house still stands, thanks to repair work by our son, John, and we still have the table where Mom served pies. Sometimes when I glance at that table, I can hear: Who made that pie?

Winners of the Great American Almanac Story Contest will not be announced until all selected entries appear in this column.

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.

FATER – AFTER

NAGERL – ANGLER

RABEL – ABLER

AEBNR – ABNER

DREIA – AIDER

RAMLEB – AMBLER

REWSNA – ANSWER

CARE – ACRE

DAREL – ALDER

TALENR – ANTLER

This week’s Scrambler

LAEBTR

GARTGARB

LUCVETR

XEETR

ESEDRT

TROFMOC

ERTNCCO

STASRE

DVRTIE

KNAFRTURF

SINTER

For your autographed copy of the 2015 Poor Will’s Almanack, send $20 (includes S&H for First Class mail) to: Poor Will, P.O. Box 431, Yellow Springs, OH 45387; add $3 for Priority mail. Or, order online at www.poorwillsalmanack.com

Listen to Poor Will’s “Radio Almanack” on podcast any time at www.wyso.org