April 2-8, 2018

Wind's rune in the aspens,

pale flame of dawn,

the April promise of new moon and evening star,

the robins' matins and far,

the solitary whippoorwills, song sparrows’ threnody,

the pewee's pensive cry ...

-August Derleth

Almanac horoscope

The Golding Goldfinch Moon wanes throughout the week, reaching apogee (its position farthest from Earth) at 12:32 a.m. and entering its final phase at 2:17 a.m. on April 8. Rising at night and setting in the morning, this moon brightens the predawn sky.

On April 10, the sun reaches a declination of 7 degrees, 53 minutes, about 65 percent of its way to summer solstice.

As you look to the southwest after sundown, find the giant evening star, Venus, low on the horizon. The dark early mornings in April bring the Summer Triangle deep into the center of the sky, and the Milky Way accompanies Cygnus, Lyra and Aquila, stretching from Sagittarius due south to Capella in the north.

The Great Square is coming up over the eastern tree line. Boxy Libra is setting in the southwest, and Arcturus, the corn-planting star, having traveled across the heavens through the night, precedes the Corona Borealis into the west.

Weather trends

By the time the April 2 front moves to New England, average air temperatures start to rise 1 degree every three days instead of early spring’s 1 degree every two days. And as the April 6 front approaches, the chances for frost briefly diminish and chances for highs in the 70s or 80s increase dramatically across the country.

Lunar apogee on April 8 makes mild temperatures even more likely. Precipitation, however, often puts a stop to field and garden planting.

The natural calendar: Crab apple and cherry blossom time begins in the lower Midwest and the East, and it usually lasts into the last week of the month. Buckeye leaves are coming out. Crocus, snowdrop and aconite seasons end except along the Canadian border. The seasons of wood hyacinths, scillas, daffodils, pushkinias, windflowers and glory of the snow take their places.

Early tulips are open. May apples are up and spreading their wings. Trees are in full flower throughout the Central Plains, the Northeast, the Northwest and the Rocky Mountains. In the Southeast, all the grasses are coming into bloom.

Field & garden

The field and garden day is increasing at the rate of two minutes per 24 hours. As the moon wanes, dig in new strawberry, raspberry and blackberry plants. Dust roses lightly as new leaves emerge.

Put in early sweet corn, head lettuce and peas. During this fourth lunar quarter, destroy tent caterpillars as they hatch and plant all your remaining root crops. Weeds are taking over the garden; the moon’s fourth phase favors removing them.

All across the country, farmers seed oats and spring barley. Field corn planting is underway throughout the South and the central states. Cotton planters plant cotton along the Gulf. In the Great Lakes region, commercial cabbage transplanting is underway.

Marketing notes: Between April 13 and 15, immigrants from Cambodia, Thailand and Laos celebrate New Year’s Day. The Asian market often favors lambs and kids in the 60- to 80-pound live weight range.

Fish, game, livestock and birds: Haying often begins in several states by the end of April; transition animals slowly from last year’s old hay to this year’s fresh hay.

House wrens migrate as windflowers bloom. Bluegills and rock bass look for worms. They are most likely to feed as the April 6 and 10 cold fronts approach, especially in the morning when the moon is overhead.

Science of spring fever

Studies show that by the end of March, many people report a complex of symptoms that creates the broad strokes of spring fever: a higher energy level combined, oddly enough, with a lack of ambition, decreased need for sleep, reduced appetite, alleviation of depression, a sense of comfort, amiability, warmth and renewal.

While these reactions were once thought to be purely psychological, evidence is accumulating that they are the effects of adjustments in the body’s internal chemistry to environmental cues.

It is hypothesized that the increasing amount and intensity of sunlight after spring equinox is processed by the brain through the eyes, transmitted to the pineal gland in the cerebrum, which reduces its secretion of melatonin, a hormone that influences mood and energy levels.

The price one pays for ignoring the messages of the pineal gland may, in fact, lead to springtime depression. Researcher Dr. Norman Rosenthal suggests, reasonably enough, that if you see other people outside enjoying the spring, you may experience a heightened sense of loneliness and of being left out.

The physiological nature of spring fever can, in effect, be a two-edged sword. A study by Matthew Keller has found that people who spent more than 30 minutes outside in the springtime experienced an elevated mood, while those who spent fewer than 30 minutes outside actually had a negative reaction to spring.

Keller asserts that most people spend up to 95 percent of their time indoors, so their chances of really feeling good about spring or experiencing the positive effects of spring fever are greatly reduced.

Almanac classics

Wimpy the Runt

By Eugenia Herrmann

Redkey, Ind.

My father was a butcher at an Ohio packing plant during World War II. Frequently, he would bring a “runt” pig home for my mother to feed out, either for our own consumption or for resale.

One runt that arrived was a pint-sized piglet named Wimpy. He was really small and young. At the same time, our Springer spaniel dog had puppies, and before anyone realized it, she had adopted the pig to nurse alongside her puppies.

Wimpy was totally happy with his adoption and grew quickly. He became attached to the dog, following her everywhere, including going on hunting jaunts with her. More than once, the neighbors called my mother to tell her that Wimpy was caught in a fence somewhere. Mom would have to go rescue him and bring him home.

Weaning Wimpy became a major problem, however. He was the size of the dog and still wanted to nurse. Mom would keep the dog in the house and try to keep Wimpy in the barn, but to no avail. The climax occurred when Wimpy tore down the screen door trying to find his “mommy.”

Regrettably, Wimpy was one young piggy who had to go to market early.