May 1-7, 2017

 

Out of its little hill faithfully rise the potatoes dark green leaves, out of its hill rises the yellow maizestalk, the lilacs bloom in the dooryards. -Walt Whitman

 

Almanac horoscope Moon time: The Mock Orange Moon, enters its second quarter on May 2 at 9:42 a.m.,  and it waxes throughout the first third of the month, becoming full on May 10 at 4:42 p.m. Rising in the afternoon or evening and setting before sunrise, this moon shines gibbous through the night.

 

Sun time: The night continues to shorten quickly as summer nears. On May 9, the sun reaches three-quarters of the way to solstice.

 

Planet time: Venus continues to ride Pisces as the morning star in the east. Mars keeps its position in Taurus, close to the western horizon at dusk, almost touching red Aldebaran on May 7 (Aldebaran being the twinkling red object).

 

Star time: If you check the stars at about 10 p.m., they will tell you the danger of frost is almost past. Arcturus still hangs a little to the east of the center of the sky, but as that star shifts into the west, it pulls the chances for a freeze with it.

 

Zeitgebers

 

The center of late spring is already closing the forest and woodlot canopy. Sycamores, osage, cottonwoods and oaks are leafing out, and white mulberries and buckeyes blossom.

 

Along the sidewalks, purple iris, orange poppies, sweet William and florescence of bridal wreath spirea and snowball viburnum have appeared. The delicate Korean lilacs join the fading standard lilac varieties, and bright rhododendrons replace the azaleas.

 

Serviceberry trees have small green berries. In the alleys, scarlet pimpernel comes in beside the thyme-leafed speedwell . Daisies unravel, and the bells of the lily-of-the-valley emerge from their green  sheaths.

 

Wood hyacinths and star of Bethlehem are at their best. Columbine is open on the cliffs, and Solomon’s seal, false Solomon’s seal, bellwort, wild phlox, trillium grandiflorum, wild geraniums, golden Alexander, wood betony, early meadow rue, swamp buttercups, ginger, Jacob’s ladder, water cress and golden seal are blooming.

 

White garlic mustard and sweet Cicely still dominate the deep woods; violet sweet rockets increase throughout the fields and glades.

 

Weather time

 

With the arrival of the second major high pressure system of the month, there is a slight possibility of a return of Lilac Winter, and frost is frequent around May 8. The period of May 8-14 historically brings more storms to the nation than any other period, except the days between May 17-24.

 

The May 12 front is one of the last frost-bearing fronts to move across the nation. Although gardens in the North are not immune to a freeze throughout the entire month of May, the greatest danger of loss from low temperatures recedes quickly as this high moves out over the Atlantic.

 

Farm and garden time

 

When you see tea roses and privets blooming, then you can plant your tomatoes with hardly a thought for a damaging freeze (but keep protection handy), and when the high tree line is alive with green and golden budburst, then plant your soybeans.

 

The waxing moon and rising soil temperatures this late spring invite commercial cabbage planting and completion of the planting of oats and other spring grains. Asparagus is fresh for cutting as it shoots up in the sun throughout the northern states, and strawberry time spreads across the Ohio River, setting fruit throughout the region.

 

Marketing time: Father’s Day is June 25. Plan to have strawberries and raspberries ready to sell – maybe tomatoes, too!

 

Mind and body time

 

A positive natural horoscope for everyone this week: As seasonal affective disorders disappear, most people find late spring one of the most pleasant times of the year. Low seasonal stress leaves your mind and body free to focus on summer projects.

 

Dieting may be much more successful than it was in the winter, and fitness resolutions made in May are typically easier to keep than those made in the dark time of winter. Spring lethargy is the downside of fine May weather, however, so be prepared to deal with indifference toward school or work.

 

Creature time (for fishing, hunting, feeding, bird-watching): The moon moves overhead in the afternoon this week, improving your chances for catching fish during that time.

 

When the barometer begins to fall in advance of the May 7 and 12 cold fronts and the wind blows from the south, fishing and scouting for wild turkeys should get even better. Birders may sight willets, nighthawks, Eastern kingbirds, catbirds and a great wave of all kinds of warblers and vireos.

 

Almanac classics

 

Bucky

 By Eugenia Herrmann Redkey, Ind. I have indoor/outdoor cats. They prefer to be out during the summer months and if one wants in, it scratches at the back door.

 

One warm night, I was watching the late news and heard the usual scratching. I went to the door, looking down to see which cat it was – only there was no cat. Instead, there was a deer standing on my back steps, and it acted like it was more than willing to come into my house. Needless to say, I closed the screen door, saying, “Now what do I do?” First I tried to call my neighbors who have exotic animals, but I had no success. Then I called the town marshal. Upon his arrival, I politely asked if I was hallucinating or was there really a deer in my yard? He laughingly said that if I was seeing things, then he was too, because the deer was real.

 

I tried to keep the deer occupied while he went and got the neighbors out of bed. Upon their arrival, they told me that Bucky had been a bottle-fed deer, raised in the house and totally used to hearing and seeing the TV. It was probably the reason he wanted to come into my house. Bucky made several unexpected visits to me and my neighbors over the years. It was always fun to get to see him, and I surely wished I had taken a picture of the owner guiding Bucky back home by banging a feed bucket around his neck.