Aug. 29-Sept. 4, 2011
How rich in color, before the big show of the tree foliage has commenced, our roadsides are in place in early autumn – rich to the eye that goes hurriedly by and does not look too closely – with the profusion of goldenrod and blue and purple asters dashed in upon here and there with the crimson leaves of the dwarf sumac.
-John Burroughs

Lunar phase and lore

The Monarch Butterfly Moon enters its second quarter at 12:39 a.m. Sept. 4. As the monarchs start their journey to Mexico, other insect activity increases, as well, and spiders weave more webs to capture the more reckless bugs.
Rising late in the morning and setting before midnight, the waxing crescent moon moves overhead in the afternoon, telling fish and dieters to bite at that time, especially when the cool front of Sept. 2 approaches.

The growing moon encourages growth on all kinds of plants. Consider sodding the lawn, and get ready to put in winter rye as the moon waxes. Sept. 1-2, when the moon lies in Scorpio, will offer ideal lunar conditions for those activities.

As August begins, the sun begins to speed up its apparent descent, its declination falling half again as fast as it did a month ago.
By the start of the second week of August, it will be one-third of its way to autumn equinox.

The Piscid meteors fall through Pisces, in the southern sky, an hour or two after midnight throughout the month.

Plan to look for shooting stars when the moon is dark - the first week and the last week of this month. The Alpha Aurigid meteors pass through on or about Sept. 23.

Weather patterns

This first weather system of September is typically a gentle one, and late summer continues throughout the central and southern states for the next few days. Chances for precipitation are low both before and after this first September high, and they continue low until the approach of the next ridge of high pressure.

In spite of the mild nature of this front, it does reflect the gradual transition to fall, and brings one chance in a hundred for a light frost.

The stars

At bedtime, find Perseus rising out of the northeast, the Great Square filling the eastern sky, Cygnus the Swan overhead, Hercules and the Corona Borealis in the west, and the Big Dipper low in the northwest.

Taurus and the Pleiades are up by midnight, and they stay in the dark sky until middle spring. At dawn, Orion is almost due south, the Great Square is setting and Regulus, the planting star of April, is climbing in front of the sun in Leo’s sickle.

September special occasions

Sept. 5: Labor Day

Sept. 12: Harvest Moon Festival, Chinese celebration of the year’s harvest

Sept. 29-30: Rosh Hashanah

Sept. 28: Navaratri/Navadurgara, a Hindu feast that honors the goddess Durga. Female animals are typically not used for this celebration. The size of the lamb can vary widely, depending on the number of people served. Slaughter usually takes place toward this end of the holiday period.

The number of Hindus in and around urban areas of the United States is estimated to be more than 5 million. Lambs born in the late winter and spring may be suitable for this market.

Daybook

Aug. 29: Purple pokeweed berries shine through the undergrowth. Hickory nuts are lying on the woodland paths. Burs of the panicled tick trefoil hang to your stockings. White vervain is gone, and the flowers of blue vervain climb to the top of their spikes, measuring out the last days of August.

Aug. 30: Red, white and purple phlox and violet Resurrection lilies disappear quickly this week of the year. The tall loosestrife, which began its season in the middle of June, has completed flowering. Wood nettle has gone to seed, and August’s menacing ragweed is becoming old and empty. Along the freeways, the umbels of Queen Anne’s lace, so bright through middle summer, are contracting and darkening.

Aug. 31: Autumn plantings of lettuce, spinach, turnips, beets and radishes should be well developed by now. Most first and second plantings of beans have been harvested. Pumpkins are almost full size, some turning. Winter squash is almost mature.

Sept. 1: As the winter months approach, the percentage of available sunlight declines. Since sunlight is an effective germicide, be alert for the gradual increase in the possibility of disease in the months ahead.
When possible, keep barn doors open, so that the sunlight can come directly into the barn without passing through glass, helping to produce vitamin D and aiding in the assimilation of calcium and phosphorus in your herd and flock.
Sept. 2: The cool front that is due near this date should be milder than average because of the low power of the moon.

Sept. 3: On the other hand, the waxing moon should load potatoes, tomatoes, squash, beans, corn and every other field and garden vegetable to the very top with moisture during the first week of September. Wild plums and the last of the summer apples should be fat as can be as the first of the field corn matures and soybeans start to shed their leaves.

Sept. 4: The Monarch Butterfly Moon enters its gentle second quarter today. Take advantage of this favorable lunar time for working closely with livestock, children, clients and significant others.