April 23-29, 2012 Phlox mark Late Spring, And Sedum, Ginger Miterwort and Mustard, Bellwort, Celandine. -Hepatica Sun
Lunar phase and lore
The Frog and Toad Mating Moon waxes throughout the final week of April, entering its second quarter at 4:58 a.m. April 29. Rising in the morning and setting in the evening, this moon will move overhead, calling all frogs and toads to mate and fish to bite in the afternoon, especially as cool fronts of April 24 and 28 approach the area. Planting of flowers and vegetables that will produce their fruit above the ground is favored in Cancer on April 26-28. Lunar stress on humans and animals should be relatively light as the moon moves into its second quarter.
Weather patterns Late spring arrives this week, the warm weather creating unmistakable markers in the progress of spring. Among those landmarks: April 26 and 30 record freezing temperatures less than 5 percent of the time, the first time that has happened since late September.
After April 22, chances for snow drop below 5 percent. Chances for a cold day in the 30s or 40s fall to only 10 percent April 22, then plummet another 8 percent on April 26.
Beginning April 27, highs in the 90s become possible, and the chances for a high in the 80s pass the 20-percent mark. The chances for a high above 70s degrees are now 50/50 or better for the first time this year. April 29 and 30 are usually the mildest days this week, with April 30 bringing a 90 percent chance for highs above 60 degrees for the first time since late September. The driest days this time of year are April 26 and 27, each with just a 20 percent chance for rain. The wettest days are April 29 and 30 – both carrying a 55 percent chance for precipitation.
Early spring’s crocus and henbit leaves yellow in the grass as the growing canopy turns the hillsides of late April green. Along the freeways daisies, yellow sweet clover, meadow goat’s beard and parsnips flower.
Red and white clover blossom in the pasture. Blackberry and elderberry bushes bloom in the hedgerows.
Daybook
April 23: Spring rains and humidity can increase the risk of internal parasites. Make use of stool sample analysis to ensure that drenching has been effective.
April 24: Bass move to the shallows to feed and mate. April 25: The high leaf canopy is beginning to fill in, casting shade on the flower and vegetable garden. Scarlet tanagers appear in the woods; meadow parsnip, wood betony, honeysuckle, buckeye and red horse-chestnut flower.
April 26: Antlers are growing on deer as the commercial radish harvest begins in Northern states. Ducklings and goslings are out on the lakes and rivers. Dandelions go to seed.
April 27: Average high temperatures reach 70 along the Ohio River as cutworms and sod webworms work the cornfields all across the central and southern parts of the nation.
April 28: Today brings the first cool front of late spring, the season during which the canopy closes over most of the yards and woods of the United States.
When the mercury climbs after frost, consider shearing the ram’s scrotum in preparation for even hotter weather ahead. Air temperatures in the 80s can lower fertility in all mammals, and 90s can make the ram infertile for weeks.
April 29: As you mulch your new garden plants, consider recent scientific findings that suggest the color of the mulch or soil can influence the development of your crops.
Ground that is brick red – or bricks themselves – seem to encourage growth. Red also discourages nematodes. Orange mulch is associated with bigger turnips.
Almanac literature
Double Take Back in 1991, two readers sent two different takes on the same joke for Poor Will’s Country Humor Contest. Theodore Maddox from Marion, Ind., sent this version:
“On the second day of school, the teacher gave the students several rules to abide by. One rule was that if they needed to go to the bathroom, they were just to hold up two fingers.
“Later on, a little boy raised his arm and waved it around and caught the teacher’s attention. When she asked him what he wanted, he said, ‘Teacher, holding up two fingers don’t help a bit. I still need to go to the bathroom!’”
And Mary Mersereau sent this version from Montgomery, Mich.: “The first day of school, the kindergarten teacher told her class: ‘If anyone has to go to the bathroom, hold up two fingers.’ “After a quiet moment, one little boy asked, ‘How will that help?’” |
