Nov. 1-7, 2010
Leaves fall in gentle swirls to the ground,
wind-borne, speeding past the eaves,
they whisper sounds as though self-willed,
somersaulting, chasing one another.
-Han Yu (9th Century A.D.)

Lunar phase and lore
As nights grow colder throughout November, the songs of the crickets grow more and more sluggish, warning of sleet and chill to come. High in the afternoon skies, the ice crystals of wispy cirrus clouds create “sundogs,” solar reflections increasingly common during the last days of the year.

Following the cycle of the year, the Cricketsong Moon becomes the Sundog Moon at 11:52 p.m. Nov. 5. Rising after midnight and setting in the late afternoon, this moon will lie overhead throughout the middle of the day, entering Virgo on Nov. 1, Libra on Nov. 3, Scorpio on Nov. 5 and Sagittarius on Nov. 7. Lunar position favors harvest throughout the period.

Start your amaryllis bulbs and paperwhites, plant trees, shrubs and your spring bulbs and seed your bedding plants for 2011 when the moon is in Scorpio, or anytime after the new moon.

The moon’s position overhead between late morning and early afternoon will contribute to increased feeding and activity for fish and game at that time. As the barometer falls before the arrival of the Nov. 3 and 7 cold fronts, midday angling and hunting should be more productive, but dieters may fall more easily to the lure of fried Twinkies.

Daylight Saving Time ends at 2 a.m. on Nov. 7. Set your clocks back an hour before you go to bed on Saturday, Nov. 6.

Venus lies in Virgo this month, rising before sunup from the east. Saturn also moves with Virgo throughout November. Unlike the brightest star of Virgo, Spica, Saturn does not twinkle. Find Jupiter in the western half of the sky after sundown in Aquarius. Mars in Ophiuchus will be hidden by daylight throughout the month.

Weather patterns

Late fall almost always arrives this week. High temperatures reach up to 60 most often on Nov. 8, but the coldest days of the period – Nov. 6, 7 and 11 – almost always see 40s or 50s. And the autumn rains typically arrive: Nov. 5 has a 60 percent chance for rain or snow, and Nov. 9 has a 50 percent chance.

Nov. 6 carries a 20 percent chance for flurries, the highest so far this season. Totally overcast days usually occur more than half the time, and the nightly odds for frost are at least 50/50.

If strong storms occur this month, weather patterns suggest they will happen during the following periods: Nov. 2-5, 14-16 and 22-27. Full moon on Nov. 21 and new moon on Nov. 5 increase the likelihood of a late hurricane coming ashore along the East Coast or a powerful, snow-bearing cold wave moving across the Plains.

Daybook

Nov. 1: Late bulbs, garlic, shrubs and trees can be planted under the dark moon. Also during this time, bring in oregano, rosemary, parsley and thyme for winter seasonings. Stake weaker shrubs and trees.

Nov. 2: As November arrives, frost often moves well into the border states and the odds increase for cold throughout the week ahead. Nov. 3 ushers in the snow season for the central states, flurries or accumulation becoming at least a 10 percent possibility per day between that date and spring.

Chances for a thunderstorm virtually disappear until February in the lower Midwest, but all-day rains increase.

Nov. 3: Thin the woodlot and fencerows as the moon wanes, but leave plenty of protection for your animals. Early November is an excellent time to plant extra shade around the farm and yard throughout the South and border states.

Nov. 4: Tomorrow’s new moon should intensify the arrival of November’s second cold front. Expect flurries or even several inches of snow across the North.

Nov. 5: Only three weeks remain before Thanksgiving. Arrange for local markets to handle your turkeys.

There is also enough time to advertise what you have in local papers.

Nov. 6: Beginning at this time of month, the percentage of daily sunlight drops quickly and the wind blows a little harder, rising to its winter levels.

Nov. 7: In the Mid-Atlantic states, expect frost with the first high-pressure system of the new season. Average temperatures now fall about one degree every two days.

Transition to late fall

During this transition time to late fall, mums keep blossoming in the perennial garden. In the fields and woods, the last autumn violets are still blooming beside a few last chicory, Queen Anne’s lace, thyme-leafed speedwell, mallow, the final asters and one or two stalks of goldenrod.

Wild geranium, thistle and cinquefoil can be growing back. Sometimes a parsnip is ready to bloom. Garlic mustard, sweet cicely, Virginia creeper, burdock, red clover, waterleaf, ground ivy, celandine, sweet rocket, dock and leafcup have also revived, looking ahead six months to middle spring.