June 11-17, 2007
The exuberance of June … It began at daybreak with the chirping and chattering of birds close at hand and in widening circles around us. And then, what greater wonder than the rising of the sun? Even the nights, as yet without insect choirs, were alive. Fireflies against the mass of trees were flashing galaxies which repeatedly made and unmade abstract patters of light, voiceless as the stars overhead ...”
-Harlan Hubbard The astronomical outlook The Daddy Longlegs Moon wanes until it becomes the new Firefly Moon at 10:13 p.m. on June 14.
The Lyrid meteors will be visible June 14-16, but only at the rate of about one every six minutes. Even though those shooting stars will be few and far between, the dark moon will favor the sighting of at least one. Look for the Lyrids after midnight, at the western edge of the Summer Triangle in Lyra.
Summer solstice occurs on June 21 at 1:06 p.m. Between June 20-22, the sun holds steady at its solstice declination of 23 degrees, 26 minutes, and the day’s length remains virtually unchanged.
Early risers see the sky the way it will look in late September: the Milky Way overhead, the Great Square covering most of the southeast and huge Cygnus the swan shifting west and following bright Vega. June’s Corona Borealis will be setting, and the first sign of winter, Aldebaran of the constellation Taurus, will have just emerged in the northeast.
The weather Now the daily odds for heat continue to rise, and chances for highs in the 80s and 90s reach almost 80 percent. Skies are clear to partly-cloudy almost all the time, and chances for rain hold relatively stable at around 30 percent – except for June 20, when chances jump to 55 percent.
The seasons At the end of early summer, the days are the longest of the year, and milkweed beetles appear for Milkweed Blooming Season. The mild nights encourage Giant Cecropia Moth Emerging Season; the hot days bring on Monarch Butterfly Caterpillar Season.
Across the countryside, the last week of early summer ripens Golden Wheat Season. Garden seasons include Great Blue Hosta Season, Gooseneck Season and Russian Sage Season. Damselfly Season and Lizard’s Tail Season are open by the water. Elderberry Blooming Season, Yellow Sundrop Season and Black-Eyed Susan Season are visible from the freeways.
Enchanter’s Nightshade Season joins Honewort Season in the dark woods. Chigger Season, Mosquito Season and Tick Season make outside activities more challenging.
The farm calendar Ninety percent of the soybeans are typically in the ground this week, as Japanese beetles begin to threaten all kinds of crops and flowers. Six to eight leaves have emerged on field corn. Tobacco is three-quarters transplanted, and strawberries are half-harvested.
This is the earliest week for starting the second cut of alfalfa, and the first cut is about three-quarters complete. Commercial broccoli and squash harvests, as well as the cherry picking, are underway and 10 percent of the winter wheat is ripe. Thistles go to seed as corn borers eat the corn and the very earliest soybeans bloom.
Best times for fishing The following weekly guide to lunar position shows when the moon is above (Best times) or below (Second-best) the country and, consequently, the period during which fish and game are typically most active.
Date – Best – Second-Best
June 9-14 – Mornings - Evenings
June 15-21 – Afternoons - Midnight to Dawn
Almanac literature
The Unflinching Duck
By Doris Mae Kaster
Fairland, Ind.
One evening, a friend of mine called to say that something had gotten hold of their pet duck and had torn a big hole in its skin. Since I had ducks, she thought I’d know what to do.
I went to take a look at the duck. They had her in a box with water and food, which she was totally ignoring. She was just lying there with her head down, defeated.
I decided the opening should be closed somehow, and the duck might be all right as long as it didn’t get infected. So, after a call to a veterinarian friend of ours, I proceeded with white thread and needle to stitch a tear from breast to thigh.
That duck lay perfectly still while the operation went on, never even flinched once.
When I finished, I put her back into the box and she stood up on both feet, took a drink of water and quacked as if to say, “Thank you.”
She healed fine, and went on to lay eggs and live a good duck’s life for several years.
Last week’s Scrambler In order to estimate your Scrambler IQ from last week’s column, 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.
ODOBR – BROOD
UECRD – CRUDE
EDUD – DUDE
EUFD – FEUD
ODOF – FOOD
WELD – LEWD
OMOD – MOOD
ERPUD – PRUDE
EDRU – RUDE
LUDELA – ALLUDE
This week’s Scrambler DWERSH
DOONS
UDENCLOC
EUEDLD
EEUDND
LUDEE
XCLDEUE
ULCNIED
ERPULED
OEUDRTRP |
