Sept. 24-30, 2012

There are forces in the woods, forces in the world, that lay claim to you, that lay a hand on your shoulder so gently that you do not even feel it: not at first. All of the smallest elements – the direction of a breeze one day, a single sentence that a friend might speak to you, a raven flying across the meadow and circling back again – lay claim to you, eventually, with a cumulative power.

-Rick Bass

The Cobweb Moon waxes throughout the week, becoming full on Sept. 29 at 10:19 p.m. Rising in the afternoon and setting in the early morning, this moon moves overhead in the middle of the night.

Lunar position favors midnight fishing or noontime hunting this week, especially as approach of the Sept. 29 and Oct. 2 cool fronts push down the barometer. The moon’s passage through Pisces Sept. 27-29 nurtures fresh plantings for fall and spring.

The season of light frosts deepens in Ohio, Indiana and southern Michigan; Sept. 24 and 27 carry a 15 percent chance of a mild freeze – the greatest chance since May 10. On Sept. 26, chances for a high below 70 degrees are better than 50 percent, the first time that has happened since May 4. Average temperatures now start to fall at the rate of 4 degrees per week.

Hackberry trees and catalpas blanch in the sun; patches of yellow mottle the tulip poplars and locusts; blush appears on the sweet gums and red maples; box elder leaves shrivel and fall. The tree line is no longer dusky and worn; it’s coming alive with October color, has a bold, truly autumnal look.

 

Patches of deep scarlet in the sumac and Virginia creeper highlight the changes in the tree line. There are streaks of amber on the lindens, ginkgoes, tulip trees, locusts, mulberries and osage orange.

Sept. 30, 2012: Harvest Moon Festival – Chuseok is often observed by Korean-Americans and others of Asian descent who may appreciate the availability of lambs or kids for their celebrations.

Sept. 24: Put in your viola and pansy seeds now for spring flowers. Sow the bachelor button seeds; the sprouts should overwinter and give you blue for May and June.

Sept. 25: The shrill calls of crickets and katydids, which reached their peak in August and September, now bring us to frost time and peak leafturn time. The slowness of their pace as the nights grow colder reflects the weakening of the sun’s power.

Sept. 26: Complete autumn culling now before supplements become necessary. Animals that can be kept at relatively low cost in the summer turn out to be much more expensive as pastures become dormant.

Sept. 27: If you suffer from seasonal affective disorders, begin your S.A.D. journal now. The day’s length has fallen from approximately15 hours at summer solstice to fewer than 12. No detail is too small to mention in this journal; you will see how things fit together in a year or two.

Sept. 28: Except for the most precocious plants of second spring (species which blossom for a second time in the same year), the last plants that grow to maturity within the temporal limits of this place are in the process of bearing fruit.

Sept. 29: Today’s full moon increases the chances for colder weather and light frost as September comes to a close.

Sept. 30: Dogs and cats can spread their fleas to sheep, goats and other livestock. Keep your pets free of parasites throughout the fall to come, and that is especially important if you will have new lambs and kids in winter.