July 11-17, 2011
All-conquering heat, oh, intermit thy wrath!
And on my throbbing temples potent thus
Beam not so fierce.
-James Thomson

Lunar phase and lore

The Touch-Me-Not Moon becomes completely full on July 15 at 1:40 a.m. Rising in the evening and setting in the morning, this gibbous moon is overhead in the middle of the night. Moving from Sagittarius into Capricorn next Wednesday, the moon enters Aquarius on Friday, Pisces on Monday are Aries the following Wednesday.

Planting of late-autumn root crops is favored in Capricorn and Pisces. Fishing should be most productive in the middle of the night, especially when the cool fronts of July 14 and 21 approach. Full moon is expected to increase the likelihood of crime and visits to hospital emergency rooms over the next weekend.

Weather patterns

Normal highs remain at their hottest of the year this week, and as the Dog Days progress, nights warm up one more degree. The period between July 13-15, however, brings cooler conditions in the 70s one-quarter of the years, with July 13 being known to see a high just in the 60s.

On the other hand, highs above 100 are more likely to occur on July 15-16 than any other days of the year.

Daybook
July 11: Aphid infestations increase dramatically throughout the field and garden in the continuing heat. When you hear the katydids at night, be sure you go out picking peaches the very next day.

July 12: Cicadas are out in force. Sycamores shed their bark. Some elms and black walnuts yellow in the heat. August’s boneset and white snakeroot are budding. When pokeweed has green berries, expect the Japanese beetles to be at their strongest in the soybeans and roses.

July 13: When teasel flowers along the roadsides and wood nettle blooms in the woods, then bagworms attack arborvitae, euonymus, juniper, linden, maple and fir. Root diseases stalk the soybeans and the wheat still standing in the fields suffers from rust, powdery mildew, head scab and glume blotch.
July 14: The day preceding the July 14 high-pressure system is often the coolest and wettest of July; however, once that front passes through, conditions are more likely to be dry than wet, and heat intensifies.
These Dog Days can bring on hot-weather salt deprivation. Increase the availability of loose salt to your livestock through the remainder of the summer.
July 15: Today’s full moon is expected to increase the chances for tornadoes, thunderstorms and hail associated with the mid-July weather system.
July 16: After full moon, conditions improve for all livestock maintenance and transportation. And the closer the lunar fourth quarter comes, the easier it may be to treat animals for parasites, inspect ears, check for skin diseases, shear, trim feet, wean and clip hair.

July 17: When morning birdsong diminishes and insect volume increases, then set out your collard, kale and cabbage sets for fall. Make corrective lime and fertilizer applications for your August and September seeding, too.
Almanac classics

Moving the Sow
By Norma Zizelman
Rockford, Ohio
My husband and I were moving a sow from one end of the barn to the other, and my husband told me: “Do not let her get out of that door!”
But the sow decided to go out anyway. And between my legs she went – with me on her back!

With me on backwards, out of the door we went into the yard. I did not get hurt, but my husband thought it was funny. He laughed then, and he still laughs whenever something is said about moving a sow.