March 15-21, 2010
Up from the sea the wild north wind is blowing
Under the sky’s gray arch;
Smiling, I watch the shaken elm boughs, knowing
It is the wind of the March.
-J.G. Whittier

Lunar phase and lore

The Golden Goldfinch Moon, new on March 15, waxes crescent throughout the week, entering its second quarter on March 23 at 7 a.m. Afternoons (when the moon is overhead) will offer the best lunar fishing conditions this week; and they’ll offer the best solar conditions, too, since the sun will have warmed the shallows and will have called the fish in to look for your bait.

This is Big Lunch Week. Why? The moon will be above you in the afternoon, but if you have a good, balanced lunch, you’ll be ready to resist the Little Debbie that appears out of nowhere at 3 p.m.
This is one of the finest lunar weeks of the year for early planting of flowers and vegetables that will produce their fruit aboveground. Even if you don’t have grow lights indoors, you should be able to plant your seeds in flats and then take them outdoors during the day when the sun is warm.

Many people seed peas and potatoes on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17. You could do that, too. After all, the moon will be perfect.
If you scan the horizon an hour or so before sunrise, you will see the stars of Capricorn in the southeast. In the south, find Sagittarius, and then Scorpius, easily identified by the red star, Antares, in its center. West of Scorpius is the boxy Libra.
West of Libra is Virgo, marked by Spica, the brightest of the western stars. A star wheel, available at many bookstores, can make finding all these sky objects relatively easy.

Weather patterns

Although chances for highs above 50 remain about the same as those of last week (between 35-45 percent), March’s third week shows a definite decrease in the likelihood for highs in the 20s. March 18 brings the greatest chance for frost in the entire month – a full 90 percent chance.

March 20 is typically the wettest day of the week, with a 60 percent chance for precipitation and the most thunderstorms since autumn. March 21 is the driest, with just a 25 percent chance. It also brings the most sun of any day in the third week of March: 70 percent of those days are clear to partly cloudy.

Spring equinox arrives at 1:32 p.m. (EDT) on March 20. Also on that day, the sun enters the stars of Aries. But even though the equinox arrives, middle spring – a four-week period spanning most of April – is still waiting for the passage of cold fronts on or about March 19, 24 and 29.

Almanac daybook

March 15: Today is the first day of the Golden Goldfinch Moon, the moon that colors the finches and brings golden daffodils to bloom in most of the nation. Zeitgebers for this week include the spiraling of the male titmouse in his mating ritual, the early courting calls of the flicker and pileated woodpecker, cardinal song moving up to about 7:15 a.m. (EDT) and the beginning of the robin chorus before 7 a.m.

March 16: As the sun warms the south side of your house and barn, carpenter bees become active, drilling holes in your soffits, and cabbage butterflies come looking for the cabbage plants you just set out in the garden.

March 17: When you see bees and butterflies, you know that bass and sunfish are moving to spawn in shallow waters. Today is St. Patrick’s Day: don’t forget to plant your peas.

March 18: Put in spring wheat, seed tobacco and set out pansies, cabbages, kale, collards and Brussels sprouts as the moon continues to wax. This week begins the 7.5-month season of Buzzard Time in the lower Midwest. If you can’t see the buzzards, you can know they are here because you will find wolf spiders in the pastures.

The box elders, silver maples and red maples come into bloom. The first magnolia flowers can be pushing from their soft hulls, and the first pussy willow gets its pollen.

March 19: Beginning today and lasting through March 30, the second major March storm period increases the threat of tornadoes in the South and sudden blizzards in the North.

March 20: Today is equinox, the time that Ohio and Indiana comfrey leaves reach two inches long. Illinois motherwort swells into clumps, and Tennessee henbit is in full bloom. Lambs quarter, beggar ticks, pigweed and amaranth sprout, and the first periwinkle petals unfold throughout Pennsylvania.

March 21: As pastures green and grow, transition goats, especially the kids, slowly to the new grasses. Watch for wild onions to change the flavor of their mother’s milk. Keep feet clipped, especially when the ground is wet.

In the barn, watch for algae to form in watering containers as the weather warms. Odors may increase, too – you may want to lime the floors after cleaning.

Living with the seasons

If you have had a serious or chronic illness through the winter, be especially good to yourself as spring arrives. Although it is easy to associate April with love and flowers, the fact is that next month brings a radical shift in the appearance and feel of the world – and change can bring stress, which can complicate physical and mental conditions.

Remember that club sales can account for almost half the sales of kids and lambs. If you have lambs or kids, don’t pass up the chance to meet the needs of this market.

Predators such as coyotes and even bears are becoming more common, and they account for significant losses among commercial livestock producers and hobbyists. Think about including a guard animal (dog, donkey or guinea fowl) in your spring plans.
Don’t forget your fishing journal as the spring deepens. Fish are creatures of habit; once you figure out what they are doing at a certain time of year, in a certain place, in a certain lunar phase, with a certain kind of bait, you can expect them to do likewise the following year. Of course, you can use a journal to track your livestock, significant other, children and parents, too.