Nov. 23-29, 2009
So the fruit of the naturalist’s observations is not new genera or species, but in new contemplations still ...
-Henry David Thoreau
The astronomical outlook The Sandhill Crane Migration Moon enters its second quarter on Nov. 24 at 4:39 p.m., and it continues to wax throughout the week, becoming full on Dec. 2 at 2:30 a.m.
The rising of Orion after 9 p.m. continues to be the most dramatic event of the late autumn evening. The seven sisters, the Pleiades, and the constellation Taurus precede it.
The day’s length loses another 10 minutes this week. By the end of November, the day is just 15 minutes shy of its shortest span, and sunset is within two minutes of its earliest setting time of the year. On Nov. 30, the sun’s declination reaches 21 degrees, 37 minutes, just a little less than 90 percent of the way to winter solstice.
December weather As November draws to a close, normal lows drop well into the 20s almost everywhere in the lower Midwest, except for counties along the Kentucky border, where they remain near 30 degrees. Normal highs are typically in the middle 40s now except, of course, along the Ohio River where they are still close to 50.
Weather history suggests that cold waves usually reach this region on or about Dec. 2, 8, 15, 20, 25 and 29. Precipitation usually occurs prior to the passage of each major front.
Severe weather is most likely to occur during the following periods: Dec. 1-3, 24-26 and Dec. 31-Jan. 1. It is probable that full moons on Dec. 2 and 31 will bring stronger-than-average storms to the United States.
Almanac daybook Nov. 23: Most of the lilac and forsythia leaves are down. Only the Japanese honeysuckle and the bamboo leaves remain green. Hydrangea flowers are pale and brittle.
Nov. 24: Remnants of garden hostas have dissolved into the mulch. Artichoke leaves are twisted and stiff. Some Osage fruit is developing blackish patches, a sign of the approach of December. Throughout the weeks ahead, the landscape becomes browner as fallen foliage settles and comes apart.
Nov. 25: Compensating for the lack of blooming flowers and green leaves are the pale champagnes of the field grass and goldenrod, the russets of the Japanese knotweed, the red honeysuckle berries and red rose hips, the white sycamore bark and the purple raspberry stalks.
Nov. 26: In the woods, second spring, the resurgence of the undergrowth, is halted by November’s most bitter weather.
As the weather becomes more challenging, separate your thinnest pregnant ewes now and give them a little extra attention in order to improve their condition and reduce risk of abortion. And remember that whatever precautions you take with your livestock should be taken with your pets and family.
Nov. 27: The most stubborn leaves fall. The heads of thimble plants explode in the winds. Bearded thistles are sagging, angelica breaking apart, asters coming undone. Leafcup is blackened by the cold. Dock, garlic mustard and dame’s rocket are limp. Seed wings still hang from the box elders.
Nov. 28: Sandhill cranes fly over the region between now and the first week of December. Listen for their shill cries high above you.
Nov. 29: From this point forward, growth, even among the winter plants like purple deadnettle, ground ivy, dock and dandelions, is almost imperceptible, and the cold does away with all their November progress.
Mind and body clock The Seasonal Affective Disorder Index (which measures on a scale of 1-75 the forces that contribute to S.A.D.) climbs into the 60s this week, increasing the likelihood of depression and irritability in those susceptible to such disorders. Full moon on Dec. 2 is expected to cause a dramatic rise in S.A.D. symptoms.
Fish, game, livestock and diet The moon will be overhead after dark this week, making the second-best lunar time (when the moon is below this part of the planet) more comfortable for fishing and more legal for hunting. Be especially careful of before-bed snacking during the period, especially as the cold fronts of Nov. 29 and Dec. 2 approach.
Fishing and hunting guide Although successful fishing is influenced primarily by the type of bait used and the location of the bait in the water, the times of day, month and year are also significant.
Lunar position has been shown in some studies to be a contributing factor to fish and game activity, but the approach of weather systems (high-pressure systems typically preceded by low-pressure systems) is usually a more decisive factor than the moon, in influencing fish to bite and animals to feed.
In addition to the moon and the weather, water temperature and other seasonal factors play a role in how fish respond to your bait. One of the best ways to measure those factors is to keep a journal of conditions and of what is happening during your outings.
An almanac may be helpful in making you aware of what is going on in nature. This is especially true for hunting, since conditions in the fields or woods have a direct impact on creatures living there. For both fish and game, however, your personal observations, connected to your results in the wood or on the water, form the true baseline for future activities.
Almanac literature
Pony for Sale
By Peggy Johns
Defiance, Ohio
Smokey didn’t like us.
Dad saw a pony-for-sale sign, and since the kids had been hoping for a pony, he stopped to inquire. He saw a young girl riding a small horse, and she seemed to be handing him well.
Okay for the kids, he thought. He bought the pony.
The first day Tim went out to pet Smokey, that pony nipped him on the shoulder. That fixed it for Tim.
It was almost winter, and we had a small shed for Smokey to go into, but he would not go in. We pushed and pulled. He just would not go in.
We took him back to his pen and Dad bought straw bales made a tall shelter on the west side to protect Smokey from the west wind. That horse stood on the outside of the bales, enduring the wind and snow.
In the spring, Smokey seemed to have simmered down. So Myla, 12 years old, said she’d try to ride. When she was on, that horse took flat out across the field.
He stopped on the other side and began to rear and buck, Myla hanging on for dear life. Dad ran across that field at top speed to save her!
We sold Smokey the next week, and no one cried.
The Almanack will pay $3 for any original, unusual animal or family story. Send your tale to: Poor Will, P.O. Box 431, Yellow Springs, OH 45387. |
