Oct. 13-19, 2014

And memory makes the summer doubly pleasant,

In all my autumn dreams

A future summer gleams,

Passing the fairest glories of the present!

-George Arnold

Lunar phase and lore

The Hickory Nutting Moon wanes throughout the period, entering its final phase on Oct. 15 at 2:12 p.m. That moon reaches apogee, its weakest position furthest from Earth on Oct. 18.

Rising in the evening and setting near midday, the moon will pass overhead close to dawn, contributing to making early morning a favorable time for fishing and for scouting for wild beasts – especially as the barometer falls in advance of the Oct. 17 cold front. The moon’s fourth quarter is auspicious planting spring bulbs, most notably under Cancer from Oct. 13-16.

Best lunar grain harvest conditions, as well as the most propitious lunar times for clipping hair, trimming hooves, worming livestock and having surgery, should occur between now and Oct. 23 as the moon wanes.

Weather trends

The Oct. 13 cold front almost always brings in a chillier and more dramatic sub-season of autumn known as “middle fall.” This high-pressure system can be expected to bring rain or snow and nights in the upper 20s in the North and upper 30s in the South. Oct. 12 is the first day that snow has a 5-10 percent chance of falling in the lower Midwest.

Chances for freezing temperatures continue to grow as the October fronts advance. Lows in the 20s or 30s are most likely to occur on the mornings of Oct. 19-20, with the latter date carrying the highest chances for a freeze so far this season. Chances for snow increase at the approach of a secondary system on Oct. 20.

The natural calendar

Oct. 13: Almost all the black walnuts, hickory nuts, acorns and Osage fruits have fallen, tempting squirrels to leave the high branches.

Oct. 14: In the cooler, wetter nights, crickets and katydids are weakening. Only a few swallowtails and fritillaries visit the garden, and just a few fireflies glow in the grass.

Oct. 15: Light frost starts to touch down at higher elevations along the 40th Parallel. Deer rutting season has opened in many areas. Cattails and thimble plant seed heads begin to break apart, announcing leaf-turn of the maples.

Oct. 16: Wild cucumber fruits are dry and empty. Wild asparagus yellows by the  roadsides. The final sedum blossoms are closing for the year.

Oct. 17: The last raspberries redden in the sun. The last daddy longlegs hunt in the flowerbeds. At night, crickets fill in for the silent katydids.

Oct. 18: St. Luke’s Little Summer, a traditional time in Europe for clear, dry weather, starts today and ends Oct. 28. Something of a parallel exists on the western side of the Atlantic: October’s average daily precipitation in the lower Midwest declines noticeably towards the end of the month.

Oct. 19: Silver maples seem to be untouched by the radical shift in the season; they hold until the nighttime temperatures go into the teens. Dogwoods will be pink, magnolias gold, oaks red-orange for a few days longer. Beneath them, privet and spicebush will remain strong for another two weeks.

In field and garden

Oct. 13: More than three-fourths of grapes and fall apples are ordinarily picked by this date.

Oct. 14: The Muslim feast of Eid Al-Adha (the Festival of Sacrifice) takes place between today and Oct. 16. Consider selling kids and lambs to this market.

Oct. 15: When the night temperature is starting to drop below 50, feed sugar or corn syrup to hives that need it.

Oct. 16: The heaviest time of Halloween market sales begins today. And by this date, a light frost has struck every town in the area 90 years in a century.

Oct. 17: Dahlia, gladiolus and cama bulbs should be dug and stored with care before November’s deep freezes.

Oct. 18: You may want to set up your own impromptu roadside stand for your Halloween crops. Some people use the “honor system” and have their customers serve themselves and put money in a locked container.

Oct. 19: The dark moon will lie overhead during the middle of the day, favoring daytime hunting for squirrels and rabbits, and for deer with a bow and arrow. Since the moon will be “below the country” near midnight, raccoons and opossums could be moving more at that time.

Almanac classics

Seen Any Good Roosters Lately?

By Bob Christiansen

Our farm buildings were laid out in a circle around a sizeable area we called “The Lot.” The Lot was big enough even large trucks could easily circle around in and back up to loading chutes.

The only livestock that roamed The Lot were the chickens, which included one mean rooster that delighted in attacking and flogging me when I was only about three years old, during this summer of my story. Every time I ventured out into The Lot, here he would come, jumping onto my shirtless back and spurring me and flogging me.

On this particular hot summer day, my father and an older, retired carpenter were removing the cupola from the roof of this large two-story barn, covering the opening and re-shingling the barn.

Now, I never liked heights (still don’t). Yet, when crossing The Lot, minding my own business, here comes the rooster. As fast as my three-year-old legs would take me, across The Lot I ran, up the tall extension ladder, up on the roof, not stopping until I had my arm hooked around and hugging Dad’s knee. What a laugh the old carpenter had at my dread fear of that rooster.

That rooster did meet his comeuppance later that long-ago summer. My dad was grinding feed for our cattle in the feed shed with a hammermill. Once again, the rooster attacked, attaching himself to my bare back. And, of course, I ran into the feed shed to my dad, with the rooster still attached and flogging.

Unfortunately for the rooster, within my dad’s reach was his wooden grain paddle – very much like a canoe paddle, which he used to move reluctant grain down the chute of the mill. Wielding the paddle like a giant fly swatter, one smash and the rooster lay kicking his last.

What a relief to me – never again would I have to cross The Lot looking over my shoulder in caution and fear. Dad carried the rooster to the house and handed it to my mother with, “Here’s your Sunday dinner.” That old rooster was as tough in death in the pot as he had been in life, I can attest, but who cared? He was gone from my life!

Poor Will’s Almanack for 2015

The new 2015 edition contains “Bill Felker’s Essays,” “Data on the Planets,” “Stars and Shooting Stars,” “New Names & Phases of the Moons,” “Notes on the Twelve Seasons of the Year,” “Calendar of Flowering Plants,” “The S.A.D. Stress Index,” “The Allergy Index,” “Peak Activity Times for Livestock, Fish & Game,” “Holidays for Farmers & Homesteaders,” “The Weather Daybook” and “Almanack Literature” (reader stories).

For a signed copy, send $20 (includes shipping and handling with First Class Mail) to: Poor Will, P.O. Box 431, Yellow Springs, OH 45387. Add $3 for Priority Mail (2- to 3-day shipping). Or, order online at www.poorwillsalmanack.com