The mature ashes had turned their corroded bronze colors, and fiery patches were appearing on the sun-dried tops of the other canopy trees: dark red for black and red oak; violet for white oak; scarlet for red maple and scarlet oak; green gold for beech; red gold for sugar maple; red yellow for black cherry. — David Rains Wallace

The Moon and the Meteors

The Hickory, Black Walnut and Pecan Nutting Moon, entering its final quarter on September 28, wanes throughout the period, becoming the new Travelling Toad and Frog Moon on October 6 at 6:05 a.m. and reaching perigee, its position closest to Earth on October 8 at 12:00 p.m. Rising before dawn and setting in the evening, this Moon passes overhead in the middle of the day, encouraging creatures to be more active at that time, especially as the high-pressure systems of October 2 and 7 approach.

The Orionid meteors fall through Orion every night after midnight in October. Best viewing should be during the first weeks of the month while the moon is dark.

Weather Trends

Weather history suggests that the cold waves of Middle Fall are likely to cross the Mississippi River on or about October 2, 7, 13, 17, 23 and 30.

October’s pattern of frost-threatening days will be like that of September’s. New Moon on October 6, within two days of lunar perigee, will bring more than a 50 percent chance of frost to states across the northern half of the United States. Full moon on October 20 repeats those chances of a freeze and brings the first chance of an early blizzard to the West and an increased likelihood of a late hurricane in the Caribbean.

September 30 and October 1 each bring a 45 percent chance of highs in the 80s, but that is the last time this year that chances will rise so high. Most of the days in the period will be in the 60s or 70s, with the latter predominating. On October 4, however, a ten percent chance of highs only in the 40s occurs for the first time since May 25, and the new moon on the 6th is likely to bring light frost to northern counties. Precipitation is lightest on the 28th (just a 15 percent chance of showers on that date); the rest of the days this week rain comes 30 percent of the time. 

Zeitgebers

(Events in Nature that Tell the Time of Year)

Spicebush is yellowing as box elders are shedding. The toothed leaves of beggarticks darken to purple overnight. 

Pods of the Eastern burning bush are opening; hawthorn berries redden; wild grapes are purple. Milkweed pods burst in windy, rainy nights

Peak leaf color typically occurs in late September along the Canadian border; the best color occurs during early to middle October in most states above the Ohio Valley.

Streaks of scarlet have appeared on the oaks, shades of pink on the dogwoods throughout the Midwest and East. 

Mind and Body

The S.A.D. Index, which measures seasonal stress on a scale from 1 to 100, rises sharply through the first week of October, reaching a troublesome high of 48 on October 6. The coming radical changes in the foliage, the disappearance of flowers, the morning chill and the lengthening night all combine with lunar phase to create an abrupt end to the best period of the year for seasonal balance.

In the Field and Garden

Five years in ten, a light frost has struck most parts of the lower Midwest by this date.

All around the region, leaves have turned yellow on most of the soybeans; they blend right in with the full-blooming goldenrod. In a typical year, farmers have cut two out of every three ears of silage corn.

Halloween crops have come to town. Fall apples and grapes are half picked, and the great pear, cabbage, and cauliflower harvests are underway.

Sow next spring’s garlic under the dark moon. Mark your calendar to harvest that crop in the second or third week of June.

Twenty percent of the winter wheat has ordinarily been planted by today, 20 percent of the soybeans cut. In many years, all dry onions have been harvested by today. 

This week is an excellent period for digging root crops and for cutting gourds, winter squash, and pumpkins. 

ALMANACK CLASSICS

The Nicest Thing Anyone Ever Did For Me by Eleanor Gnandt, Wellington, Ohio

During World War II, my boyfriend, George, was called into the service. My parents had agreed that if he got a leave after his radio training, we could get married. One Saturday in late September, I got a letter saying that he would be home Tuesday. Arrangements were made for a formal wedding. We had a sit-down supper for 200 guests on Thursday. That Sunday he left Cleveland for San Francisco.

At Thanksgiving, he called asking me to join him in California. We were both very young and had never been away from home, but I left by bus. George had several days leave for the time I was supposed to arrive. 

During the war, civilians were “bumped” from transportation to give service men the room. I had been traveling for five days and only got to Salt Lake City because of “bumping.” There were two women who were also heading west, and we got acquainted. We all got put off the bus at the same places and began talking, wondering how long it would be before we got to San Francisco. We spent all our days and nights in the bus stations when we weren’t riding.

Finally, when this one bus was announced, some nearby sailors who recognized our predicament grabbed our luggage, took us by the arm and told the driver: “This is my wife,” and got us on the bus. When we got to San Francisco, they left us.

My husband had met every bus for five days and had only a few hours to spend with me and get me settled in a room before returning to the ship. Without those sailors overhearing us talk, and coming to our rescue, I would not have seen my husband. That was one of the nicest things that could have happened to a young woman, away from home for the first time, scared and alone.

Poor Will pays $5 for unusual and true farm, garden, animal and even love stories used in this almanack! Send yours to Poor Will’s Almanack at the address listed below.

ANSWERS TO LAST WEEK’S SCKRAMBLER

To estimate your SCKRAMBLER IQ, award yourself 15 points for each word unscrambled, adding a 50-point bonus for getting all of them correct. If you find a typo, add another 15 points to your IQ.

AMENDMENT      DAMENTNEM

COMMANDMENT TEDNNAMMMOC

CONCEALMENT   CEALTNEMCON

COMMITMENT     MMOCTTIMEN

DEVELOPMENT   EEEDVLOPTMN

IMPRISONMENT  PRIISMMOENTN

ENGAGEMENT    EEGGANTNEM

ENFORCEMENT  EENNFORMETC

INDICTMENT     IINNDCTTME

GOVERNMENT    TNEMNREVOG

THIS WEEK’S RHYMING SCKRAMBLER 

CAPLISMITA

LISMAICOS

MSICILOHTAC

HODISMMET

THERANISMUL

BOLISMATEM

MMMIICCOEASLR

TIRIPSUALISM

MSILAIRETAM

MMMSINUCO

Bill Felker’s Poor Will’s Almanack for 2022 is now available. In addition to weather, farming and gardening information, reader stories and astronomical data, this edition contains 50 essays from Bill’s weekly radio segment on WYSO. For your autographed copy, send $22.00 to Poor Will, P.O. Box 431, Yellow Springs, OH 45387. Or order from Amazon or from www.poorwillsalmanack.com.

Copyright 2021 – W. L. Felker