Nov. 15-21, 2010
The maple leaves are down, the oak leaves are leathery in texture and color and the tamaracks stand like golden flames in the damp hollows. And now, deep into autumn, the witch hazels come to bloom.
-Hal Borland
Lunar phase and lore

The Sundog Moon waxes until it becomes full on Nov. 21 at 12:27 p.m. Passing through Pisces to enter Aries on Nov. 16, the gibbous moon enters Taurus on Nov. 19, Gemini on Nov. 21 and Cancer on Nov. 24. Full moon on Nov. 21 may be accompanied by increased incidents of seasonal stress, a higher incidence of crime and more difficulties with chronic ailments. Managers should expect a little more trouble from their employees, and troubled relationships could become much more troublesome.

Feed the lawn and pasture as the moon waxes or wanes: fall is a better time than spring – the winter’s rain and snow, freezing and thawing, will gently work the fertilizer through the soil. Mulch the wet perennial beds to prevent drying and cold damage.

The moon will be overhead in the night this week, making the second-best lunar time for fishing and hunting (midday) the easiest and warmest time to be looking for food. Midnight snackers, however, will be sorely tempted by the evil Little Debbie Devil Squares, especially as the barometer is dropping prior to the arrival of the Nov. 20 and 24 cold fronts.

Weather patterns

Chances for cold weather increase as this week progresses. Sixties occur 30 percent of the time on Nov. 19-20, but then are almost unheard of by Nov. 23. Typical afternoons warm only to the 40s or 50s, with highs in the 20s or 30s becoming more and more common.

Nov. 21 and 24 are the coldest days of the period, each carrying a 35 percent chance for high temperatures hovering near the freezing mark. Although snow is relatively rare this week, rain is especially heavy on Nov. 23 – showers or all-day rains occur on that date 65 percent of all the years. Other days have a 30 percent chance for precipitation.

Daybook

Nov. 15: In warmer years, garlic mustard has grown 4-5 inches tall, its leaves wide and bright. Chickweed has come back all along the paths, and cress has revived in the pools and streams. Skunk cabbage has pushed up all over the swamp, some plants even opening a little.

The low sun sets the new plants glowing like they glow in April. Along river banks, the water is rippled blue, black, green and brown, tree branches tangled in reflections.

Nov. 16: As the Nov. 16 high-pressure system approaches, expect milder conditions at first, but an increased chance for rain or snow. Although today’s system can be relatively gentle, sometimes it brings highs only in the teens or even 20s as far south as Kentucky.

After the front moves through, favorable harvest conditions typically follow: Nov. 18 is one of the drier days of this month in the Midwest.

Nov. 17: Even though late fall is here, cabbageworms still eat the cabbage. Some years, houseflies still get in the back door. Crickets sing in the milder afternoons and nights. A few butterflies hunt for flowers. Grasshoppers are still common.  Small tan moths, such as the first to emerge in March, play in the sun.

Nov. 18: If you have goats, now is the time to be building kidding boxes and a holding box for disbudding kids, completing fall vaccinations and trimming feet. If you are treating your herd for mites, get all the goats at once, since mites are contagious.
Nov. 19: The normal rutting period for whitetail deer is under way, and most automobile accidents involving deer occur in the last weeks of November.

Nov. 20: The cycle of the Nov. 20 weather system causes milder conditions before its arrival and increased chances for precipitation. This is a front that carries up to two or more inches of snow across the northern states four years in a decade. After the system comes through, it can be followed by single digits in the North, and a hard freeze deep into the South. As the weather becomes colder, watch for declines in livestock milk production that are not related to feed changes or drying off; these declines could be due to health or other stress factors. Maintain good ventilation in the barn and watch for problems from overcrowding.

Nov. 21: The Sundog Moon is full today, increasing the chances for inclement weather and stress.

Countdown to early winter

By the time you notice all of the following zeitgebers (a German word for time keeper or marker), early winter could well be here:
•Budding Christmas Cacti
•The opening of climbing bittersweet
•Juncos at the bird feeder
•The fall of the last maple and the burning bush leaves
•A killing frost on your tomatoes
•Poinsettias in the supermarket
•Sparrow hawks appear on the high wires, scouting the fields for prey

Living with the seasons

Cold weather and heart disease do not mix. If you have problems with your heart, be especially careful of undertaking strenuous exercise during the more inclement months of the year.
If you have high blood pressure, the cold can be even more dangerous. And the lengthening nights may cause a change in hormonal levels, which may contribute to heart attacks and strokes.

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