Take Stock in August,

Count your Days.

Measure the Harvest,

The Hours of Sunlight.

 Celtus

 

The Dog Days ordinarily continue this week of the year, the daily possibility of highs in the 80s and 90s remaining near July levels. However, August 3, 4, and 5 are the last days of the summer on which there is a 40 percent chance of highs in the 90s, and chances of highs in the 80s are steady at around 50 percent.

Cool days do occur 15 to 25 percent of the years, and afternoons only in the 60s are occasionally recorded between August 2 and 11. Morning lows are typically in the 60s, although one fourth of the nights carry temperatures in the middle 50s. Lunar perigee and the new moon early this week will contribute to pulling the mercury to the 50s or below in many areas along and above the 40th Parallel.

 

The Natural Calendar

The stability of Deep Summer begins to deteriorate throughout the whole nation. The advance of winter is seen first in lower night-time temperatures, and then, not long afterward, in lower daytime highs.

Asiatic lilies and day lilies disappear in the garden as red, white and purple phlox time unfolds. Blueweed, white vervain, motherwort and white sweet clover end their seasons. Petals of the hobblebush darken. Parsnip heads, honewort pods and sweet cicely pods are dry enough to split and spill their seed. A few inches above last year’s layer of leaves, the foliage of spring’s ginger, waterleaf, and bloodroot lingers as a low, intermittent canopy, replacing the common chickweed that dominated the forest floor in spring.

The transition to Late Deep Summer, like the transition from Late Spring to Early Summer, intensifies the effect of heat, humidity and landscape on the mind and body. Those who have trouble with high temperatures often tend to stay indoors too much and experience mid-year S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder) 

In the Field and Garden

Make corrective lime and fertilizer applications for August and September seeding. Keep carrots, oats, bran, iodized salt and good greens on hand to invigorate bucks as the breeding season opens.

As the moon waxes after the 4th, set out cabbage, kale and collard sets.  Seed the lawn. Check the weight of animals scheduled to be bred and adjust feed as needed.

 Don’t let your ducklings get heat stroke. Keep them in the shade and have plenty of water available. If a duck is panting, s/he may have heatstroke.

Many ethnic holidays occur in the autumn: think about selling lambs and kids to these markets: 

The Almanack Journal

The Pulse of the Earth - High Pressure Systems

Major high pressure systems cross the United States an average of once every five to six days, and 60 to 65 systems pass through the Ohio Valley in a year. Fronts move more quickly in the colder months; October through March can bring up to eight waves of high pressure every 30 days. The warmer months between April and September are more likely to have six or fewer fronts; June, July and August sometimes only produce two or three significant systems.

This regular pulse that characterizes the planet’s atmosphere was first recorded in detail by 16th century almanackers. It still forms the basis for annual predictions in today’s commercial almanacs, and can be used by anyone who keeps a weather journal to gauge the likelihood for rain or sun, heat or cold on any given day.

Within the rhythm of the earth’s breath across the countryside, there are seasonal shifts that occur at certain predictable intervals. The fifth front of the year, for example, is often followed by pleasant weather,  the January thaw. The last high pressure bank of January is also relatively mild, bringing a warm-up near Groundhog Day. Early Spring, when pussy willows start pushing out and snowdrops bloom, arrives after the eleventh cold front of the year near February 15.

Every season turns on a specific weather milestone which develops at a specific time and is predictable within a couple of days. Changes in plants, animals and even people keep pace with those events and can be measured by them. The weather year unfolds then as a dynamic metronome, a resource of cadence and balance.

ANSWERS TO LAST WEEK’S SCKRAMBLER

CQATUI    ACQUIT

TIFBE      BEFIT

ADTIM    ADMIT

WOBTIRSP    BOWSPRIT

ITPMRA    ARMPIT

ESCLO-NKTI CLOSE-KNIT

BBCKAIT    BACKBIT

TPKCCOI    COCKPIT

DIDNAB    BANDIT

MMCTOI    COMMIT

 

 

THIS WEEK’S RHYMING SCKRAMBLER

VIDROCE    

ECROFREP    

SERCOURE    

ENDEROS    

RRCRSOUE    

CCNOOURSE    

EEONFCR    

HEAROSESE    

ODNIERS   

ERCOURSID    

In order 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. 

Copyright 2024, W. L. Felker