July 3-9, 2017

Look at this beautiful world, and read the truth In her fair page; see every season brings New change to her of everlasting youth- Still the green soil, with joyous living things Swarms – the wide air is full of joyous wings.

 

-William Cullen Bryant

Almanac horoscope

Moon time: The Sweet Corn Moon waxes throughout the week, reaching apogee (its position furthest from Earth) on July 6 and becoming completely full on July 8 at 11:07 p.m. Rising late in the day and setting in the early morning, this moon passes overhead in the middle of the night.

Sun time: At 5 a.m. on July 3 the Earth reaches aphelion, the point at which it is about 153 million kilometers (its greatest distance) from the Sun. Aphelion occurs almost exactly six months from perihelion, Earth’s position closest to the Sun (about 148 million km).

Planet time: Moving retrograde, this time into Taurus, Venus leads Orion (as well as Sirius, the Dog Star) into the morning.

Star time: In the late evenings of middle summer, the teapot-like star formation of Libra lies in the south, followed by Scorpius and its red center, Antares. Sagittarius, the Archer, follows the Scorpion in the southeast. Above the Archer, the Milky Way sweeps up toward Cassiopeia in the north.

Shooting star time: The Southern Delta Aquarid meteor shower begins on July 8 and continues through August 19. The meteors of this shower cross the sky at the rate of about 20 per hour. To find them, look south in the vicinity of Aquarius and Pisces. The moon will be most favorable for meteor sighting during July’s first and fourth weeks.

Weather time

The July 6 front typically brings more corn tassel rains and Independence Day thunderstorms. Temperatures remain hot after its passage, and the Dog Days typically begin as the July 6 weather system moves east. Full moon on July 8 and new moon July 23 are likely to coincide with storms.

By July 14, the corn tassel rains have just about ended, and chances for significant precipitation drop quickly. Temperatures have been in the 80s and 90s throughout most of the country, but the period between July 13-15 can bring cooler highs in the 70s and, sometimes, even in the 60s.

Zeitgebers: The blueberry crop thins out now, and summer apples are about half-picked. Milkweed pods appear on 

the milkweed, so check your calendar and start counting: Those pods should burst in about 80 days, when the first maples are turning.

Timothy is bearded with seeds, and rose of Sharon starts to bloom. Stag beetles appear on your porch. Pokeweed has green berries, so expect the Japanese beetles to be at their strongest in the soybeans, ferns and roses.

Listen for morning birdsong to diminish and insect volume – especially from cicadas – to increase. That’s the time to put out your collard, kale and cabbage sets for fall. Thistledown floats across the fields, and the cones of the staghorn sumac redden. Woolly bear caterpillars are on the prowl, ready to forecast winter.

Field and garden time

The harvest of winter wheat is usually well underway across the lower Midwest, and the canola harvest has begun in the North. The first ears of field corn are silking, and detasseling operations have begun in seed cornfields of the Midwest. As summer warmth continues to build, remember that water consumption requirements for livestock are between 2-3 times that of dry food. High protein feed that contains salt will add to an animal’s need for liquid.

Hogs kept inside need plenty of ventilation and sometimes a good hosing-down to keep them cool. Heat also increases the risk for poor air quality in the barn.

Mosquitoes that spread West Nile virus are especially dangerous to you and your animals; check your property for mosquito breeding areas. Efficient manure management always cuts down on flies that attack all of your livestock.

Pastures of clovers and cool-season grasses stressed by drought early in the summer can suffer more severely during stagnant July weather. Consider developing annual pastures next year that can serve as a supplement to your perennials.

Some homesteaders use silage corn for grazing as pastures go dormant. As the Dog Days intensify, keep an eye on your animals after you have transported them to county or state fairs. Be sure they have plenty of attention, feed and water, especially at full moon, perigee and new moon.

Marketing time: Plan your goat and sheep breeding schedule for next year’s Easter Market. Roman Easter is April 1, and Orthodox Easter is April 8, and demand is usually strong starting several weeks before the feast day.

Mind and body time

The Almanac horoscope favors lower cholesterol throughout the month. Some studies suggest that cholesterol levels may dip about 10 percent, even up to 50 percent, in midsummer.

Creature time (for fishing, hunting, feeding, bird-watching): The moon will be overhead in the night this week, making that the most favorable lunar time for fishing. The cool front of July 6 often brings more activity in the water, but then the Dog Days settle in with little strong barometric activity until the July 14 cool front approaches.

As July deepens, listen for a change in the volume and quality of morning birdsong. Watch for the first swallow migrations to begin. Robins will soon disappear, taking their fledglings with them, until early autumn.

 

Almanac classics

 

Nanny and the Lamb

By Bob, Bonnie & Shirley Applegate Washington, Iowa Mother Ewe No. 9 gave birth to two boy lambs at the barn. They were white, and one was bigger than the other. The big one started to push off the little one. Bob and Bonnie carried the little lamb to the goat shed so he could suck on a nanny goat. In a few days, the lamb just would follow them to the shed.

In a short time, the lamb found an extra-wide space in the fence, and he crawled through the holes to get to the nanny goat. He also found an open space under the loading chute at the barn, and he would go by himself to the goat shed and get breakfast, dinner and supper.

We watched him many times go across the yard by himself, “baaaing” all the way.

The black nanny would come out of the shed and answer him. He crawled through the fences and would eat, crawl back out and go back to the barn 300 feet away. If it was hot out, he would stop in the shade of a piece of machinery and rest a while.

As time went along, the lamb grew, and the hole in the fences got so the white lamb could not squeeze through – so he just stayed with the goats and finished growing up. The black nanny did a real good job of raising him!