May 11-17, 2015

The foolish fears of what might pass

I cast them all away

Among the clover-scented grass,

Among the new mown hay,

Among the hushing of the corn

Where drowsy poppies nod,

Where ill thoughts die and good are born

Out in the fields with God.

-William Wordsworth

Lunar phase and lore

The Hummingbird Moon, new on May 17 at 11:13 p.m., waxes crescent throughout the week, becoming the bright half-moon of its second quarter at 12:19 p.m. May 25. Rising in the morning and setting at night, this moon passes overhead in the afternoon, making the periods of after-lunch through after-dinner the most promising lunar times for fishing.

Cool fronts arriving near May 21 and 24 are expected to cause the barometer to fall before they reach this area, and the lower barometric pressure usually enhances the power of the moon to influence angling. Lunar planting conditions are ideal in the fields and gardens, especially in Cancer through May 22.

Weather trends

The days surrounding the May 20 cold front are historically some of the most turbulent of the month, often marked by rain, tornadoes and high winds.

The May 20 system also brings the threat of frost to the northern tier of states, but it typically spares tomatoes and eggplant below the 40th Parallel. The May 24 high-pressure system is usually the last frost-bearing front to Wisconsin and Minnesota gardens, and the days following its arrival are unseasonably cold one year out of three. Freezing temperatures are rare, however, in the Ohio Valley.

The natural calendar

May 11: This is the best time of all for blue forget-me-not, watercress, wild geranium, swamp buttercup, late winter cress, white spring cress and the wild purple phlox.

May 12: Mayflies are out along the water. Bullfrogs call. Minnows and chubs have turned a reddish-gold for their mating seasons.

May 13: In the garden, white and yellow cabbage butterflies spiral above the kale and cabbage. Crappie fishing peaks in the shallows as the sun nears three-quarters of the way to summer solstice.

May 14: Mountain maples, lilacs and wild cherries flower. Poison ivy – like the Virginia creeper and wild grapes – develops to a third of its June size. Rose of Sharon and the green ash finally begin to leaf.

May 15: When azaleas lose their petals, daisies, clematis and the first cinquefoil open all the way, the first strawberry ripens and swallowtail butterflies visit the star of Bethlehem and bleeding hearts.

May 16: The last quince flowers fall, and lilacs decay. Locust flowers open as the high canopy slowly closes in.

May 17: Morel season has ended in the Appalachians but is still strong in Wisconsin and Michigan, and at higher elevations in the far West.

In field and garden

May 11: Since the moon may exert less influence on animal behavior when it comes into its second and fourth quarters, one might perform routine maintenance on livestock and pets today (when the moon enters its fourth quarter), or about May 25.

May 12: Spitbugs grow in the shelter of swamp parsnips, announcing that the first cut of hay will soon be under way.

May 13: Flea time has begun for pets, a sign that insect activity is nearing the economic threshold on the farm.

May 14: Lunar perigee today will increase the power of the mid-May cold front, making frost more likely above the Ohio Valley.

May 15: Corn is almost half planted in a typical year, and a fourth of the crop has emerged. Carpenter bees continue to arrive, looking for nesting sites; seal and caulk your siding on cool mornings.

May 16: Red clover is usually flowering in the pasture. Alfalfa is budding; some farmers are cutting it to control weevils. Migrant workers move north.

May 17: New moon day; plant every summer seed you have. Even the most tender flowers and vegetables can be put in within the next week.

Almanac literature

Great American Story Contest entry

Life on the Farm: 1950s

By Mary (Stachler) Koch

St. Marys, Ohio

I grew up in the 1950s. Life on the farm was hard, but us seven children still found time to have fun. Sometimes when the cows were out in the field, we would try to get on them and ride them. They didn’t like that at all.

We didn’t have running water in the house until 1955 or 1956. With no running water, we had to use the outhouse, and toilet paper was an old catalog. In the winter you didn’t take long going to the bathroom. Every Saturday, we got our weekly bath in the big washtub. On Saturday evenings, we went to town. There, they had a drawing for kids up to 12 years of age, and there was a straw pile that had money and candy in it.

I remember when I was 15 years old my grandfather died. That morning, my uncle was leaving and my grandfather said he would be there when he got back. He died before my uncle got home.

Back in those days, the deceased could still be shown at home. The casket had a net over it to keep the flies away. This was the first time I had ever seen a dead person.

I wondered what it would be like to touch him, so I pulled up the net and touched. He was so cold and stiff. To this day, I still neither touch nor kiss those in the coffin.

Winners of the Great American Almanac Story Contest will not be announced until all selected entries appear in this column.