Feb. 5-11, 2018

There had been other signs of the turn of the seasons: the faint odor of skunk in the air … And the stench of the cattail marsh … It was a smell like the aroma of the skunk; overpoweringly sweet, penetrating and impossible to get rid of. And then in the distance could be heard the sound of a flock of blackbirds arriving, a rustling sound like the wind in the leaves of the cottonwood.

-Paul Gruchow, Journal of a Prairie Year

Almanac horoscope

The Frolicking Fox Moon, entering its last quarter at 10:54 a.m. on Feb. 7, wanes into apogee (its position farthest from Earth) on Feb. 11, and it then becomes the new Ducks-Scouting-for-Nests Moon at 4:05 p.m. on Feb. 15. Rising after midnight and setting in the afternoon, this moon passes overhead (its most influential position) in the morning.

The sun: The pace of spring quickens as the sun reaches 40 percent of the way to equinox by Feb. 12. On that day, sunset is almost an hour later than it was at winter solstice. Sunrise is a little more than half an hour earlier.

The planets: Jupiter and Mars remain the morning stars this week.

The stars: Traveling with Jupiter and Mars, find Cygnus, the Swan (shaped like a cross) quite close to them, forecasting summer (since it is part of the Summer Triangle of stars).

The waning moon, reaching apogee on Feb. 11, has dissipated all the power it held almost two weeks ago. Seasonal stress is likely to lighten because of weakening lunar position, contributing to increased chances for optimism and cheer.

Even though clouds often continue to deprive the human brain of the benefits of sunlight, the length of the day complements the slowly improving temperatures, and the Seasonal Affective Disorder Index dips more frequently into the moderate (but still troubling) 50s and 60s (out of a possible 100) when the moon lies in its weaker phases.

Weather trends

Feb. 11 ushers in the third major cold wave of the month, and this is typically the last severe front of winter. By Feb. 14, chances for highs in the 20s or below fall to only 10 percent, and by Feb. 15, chances for spring warmth above 50 degrees jump to 40 percent per day – the highest so far this year.

This change is so dramatic on regional weather charts that it can easily be called the beginning of early spring, a six-week period of changeable conditions during which milder weather gradually overwhelms the cold. This year, however, the new moon on Feb. 15 is likely to delay the arrival of that season.

The natural calendar: Markers of early spring include the sporadic blooming of dandelions in sunnier lawns, the increasing activity of water striders and small moths on warmer days, the running of maple sap (as new moon and early spring arrive together), the nesting of cardinals, the nighttime mating of salamanders in shallow pools and the courtship of raccoons.

Other important steps in the progress of the month include the first wasp and the first fly investigating the warmth of a south wall.

Field and garden

Under the dark moon, spray trees with dormant oil when temperatures rise into the upper 30s or 40s. In garden ponds, algae is growing thicker, a sign that thaws accumulate in water as well as in the soil. Purchase seeds and prepare landscaping, garden and field maps, including plans for double-cropping, intercropping and companion planting.

Fish, game, livestock and birds: Doves begin mating calls before dawn, joining the titmice and the cardinals. Red-winged blackbirds migrate north to the wetlands. Striped bass often start to bite (more than likely with the moon overhead in the morning as the barometer falls before the cold fronts of Feb. 11 and 15).

Schedule routine livestock maintenance and foot clipping before new moon (on Feb. 15). Clip your fingernails in preparation for lambing and kidding. As early spring approaches later this month, watch for your mare to come into estrus.

Marketing notes: Feb. 16 is Tet, Vietnamese New Year and Chinese New Year (the Year of the Dog). The Chinese market is often strong throughout the winter, favoring sheep and goats in the 70-pound live-weight range. And plan ahead to serve the graduation cookout market – college graduations can start as early as the first week in April and extend into the middle of June.

Almanac classics

Bruce and the Gelding

By Dawn Shovar

Montezuma, Ind.

In the summer of 1997, I got the idea that I needed to have a few chickens around the place, like Grandma used to have. I decided on Bantams, and it wasn’t long until I found a little red rooster I called Bruce and two little red hens, Lucy and Ethel.

Being from a 4-H project and having been shown at the county and state fairs, they were tame and used to being handled. If you wanted to pick them up, they would just lie down on the ground in front of you, and you could pick them up and handle them easily.

A couple of months after they settled in, they finally learned that there were really good things outside on the ground to eat. However, about that time came the meeting with the horse.

Poor Bruce! He must have thought the horse walking toward him was a funny-looking person, and he lay down in front of the gelding. The result was a broken leg, just above his foot and below the “chicken leg” part.

I called my vet, and being a good sport, he agreed to try to set the leg. His first question was, why didn’t I just have Bruce for supper? The next statement was that he wasn’t sure how a chicken’s foot worked below the “chicken leg” part, but at least he had the good foot to compare it to.

He got the leg fixed up with a splint, and after about four rewraps, the leg turned out good as new. Bruce ended up living a long life and having a lot of chicks, and I still have 14 of his offspring.

However, there were no chicks while he was in his splint. Lucy and Ethel wouldn’t have anything to do with him!