By BILL FELKER June 8-14, 2015 The exuberance of June … began at daybreak with the chirping and chattering of birds close at hand and in widening circles around us. And then, what greater wonder than the rising of the sun? Even the nights, as yet without insect choirs, were alive. Fireflies against the mass of trees were flashing galaxies which repeatedly made and unmade abstract patterns of light, voiceless as the stars overhead … -Harlan Hubbard Lunar phase and lore
The Hummingbird Moon wanes throughout the period, becoming the new Firefly Moon on June 16 at 9:05 a.m. Rising in the middle of the night and setting in the middle of the afternoon, the moon will move overhead after sunrise, stimulating fish and dieters to eat. The cool front of June 15 increases the likelihood that angling will be best after breakfast as the barometer falls. Lunar planting conditions are best in fertile Taurus (June 12-14). Weather trends
The second week of June always brings an increase in the likelihood of highs in the 90s, and the average percentage of afternoons in the 80s now rises above the average percentage for 70s for the first time in the year. Highs in the chilling 60s are rare, occurring just 5 percent of days. This week also brings more sunshine than almost any other week so far in the year: 85 percent of the days have at least partly cloudy skies. The natural calendar
June 8: Young toads plod across the forest floor. White-spotted skippers, tiger swallowtails and red admirals sample the garden. June 9: Wild multiflora roses often start to fade now, and the first bindweed goes to seed. Chiggers bite near this date; their season lasts through August in the North, well into autumn in the South. Most deer have been born. June 10: Cherries become ripe enough for pie, and their season lasts through the end of the month. June 11: June brings the year’s high tide, the sun’s declination remaining within two degrees of solstice all month. June 12: Pollen from grasses reaches its peak in the central portions of the United States. June 13: Chigger and wood tick seasons are in full swing almost everywhere in North America by now. Sidedress the corn, cut summer cabbage and broccoli. Pick all the remaining peas, and compost the vines. June 14: The high noon of the year has arrived, marked by the opening of black raspberry season and goose molting season. In field and garden
June 8: Blackberries are in full bloom in the Northwest at the same time the canola and winter wheat crops are about ready to be harvested in the Midwest. June 9: Plan to put in the last of the pickles, corn, soybeans and hot-weather vegetables (like tomatoes, squash, eggplant and peppers). June 10: Look for tent caterpillars in your trees. Hunt the bean leaf beetles eating holes in your bean leaves. Spray for potato leaf hoppers, which are hopping in the alfalfa (and the potatoes). Don’t let the corn borers party in the corn. June 11: Rose chafers and two-spotted spider mites eat your rose bushes. Japanese beetles begin to attack almost everything. Cucumber beetles destroy cucumber and melon vines. June 12: The dark moon is especially favorable for detasseling early corn, for beginning the winter wheat harvest and for completing the first cut of alfalfa and for starting the second cut. June 13: Six to eight leaves have usually emerged on the field corn. Strawberries are about half-harvested in the Ohio Valley. North of Sacramento, the wheat is darkening – just like it is in the lower Midwest. June 14: Try to time your harvest as the barometer is rising after cool fronts pass over your property. And, in general, middle June produces more dry days than early or late June. The first week of July brings more danger of grain lodging because of the Corn Tassel Rains. Almanac literature Rooming in Hershey Great American Story Contest entry By Graham Robertson Westminster, Md. When I mentioned to my wife that I submitted a bottle lamb story (which appeared in the last issue of sheep! magazine), she asked if it was the Hershey story. Hmm, I forgot that one – so here it is: A ewe gave birth to triplets and one, Blue, was very small – about 5 pounds, and unable to nurse unassisted. Seems the next day we were to attend a company seminar at Hershey, Pa., and we had no one to tend the lamb for us. I decided to take it with us, with the bottles, formula plus towels. We checked into the exclusive Hershey Hotel, had the lamb in a small cardboard box and slipped the box in through a side door, up to our room, so we did not have to go through the lobby. It was not making any noise to give it away. I attended my seminar, and my wife would periodically tend and feed the lamb. You can bet this was the first and only time the Hershey Hotel “roomed” a sheep. Winners of the Great American Almanac Story Contest will not be announced until all selected entries appear in this column. Last week’s Scrambler In order to estimate your Scrambler IQ, award yourself 15 points for each word unscrambled, adding a 50-point bonus for getting all of them correct. If you find a typo, add another 15 points to your IQ.
SUOICARG – GRACIOUS SSPCAIOU – SPACIOUS AUAIOUDCS – AUDACIOUS FLLCSAAIOU – FALLACIOUS APARSCIOU – RAPACIOUS LFTRTSIAUOI – FLIRTATIOUS AAUOISCPL – PALACIOUS SUIOACRAV – VORACIOUS EIAIUOSCCFF – EFFICACIOUS SOUICAUQOL – LOQUACIOUS This week’s Scrambler
YFICAP PTRFYIE YFIOMLL DIFYOM LLLUAYB IFYNGAM FFRTYOI GLRFOIY YBANDTS IAAKLL
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