When all the snowy hill  And the bare woods are still, When snipes are silent in the frozen bogs, And all the garden garth is whelmed in mire, Lo, by the hearth, the laughter of the logs, More fair than roses, lo, the flowers of fire! — R. L. Stevenson

Astronomical Data and Lore

The Stell Moon, entering its final quarter at 4:37 a.m. on January 6, reaches perigee (its position closest to Earth) and becomes the new Snow Flea Moon at 12:00 a.m. on Juanary 13. Snow fleas are among Deep Winter’s most common insects where snow covers the landscape.

Rising in the morning and setting in the afternoon, this moon passes overhead in the middle of the day, stimulating the appetites of beasts, fish and people – especially at the approach of the January 10 cold front. 

By this week of January, sunset is already taking place 20 minutes later than it did at the beginning of December. It will continue to occur later in the evening until June 24, on which date it reaches its latest setting time.

Weather Trends

 The first two major cold fronts of January (usually arriving near the 5th and the 10th) strengthen the intrusion of Deep Winter into the Lower Midwest, and the period between January 8 and 12 is one of the main storm windows of year. Not only are blizzards most likely to occur at this time, but below-zero morning lows are most likely to occur. Lunar perigee on the 9th and new moon on the 13th are likely to intensify the cold.

Zeitgebers (Events in Nature that Tell the Time of Year)

Zeitgebers for this week include the increasing frequency of cardinal and titmouse song in the morning, the occasional call of a blue jay, the appearance of pileated woodpeckers at feeders as nesting time gets underway, the cracking of a few pussy willow catkins, the falling of the prickly sweet gum seed balls, and an allergic response by some people to pollen from pine trees. 

In the woods, white-tailed bucks in their gray winter coats start to drop their antlers. In Florida, bougainvillea, flame vine, geranium, Hong Kong orchid tree, Jasmine and powder puff are in bloom. Citrus, avocados and papayas should be ready to eat. 

The Countdown to Spring

• One week until owls and foxes mate and the Big Dipper’s Merak and Dubhe, pointers for the North Star, are positioned east-west after dark.

• Two and a half weeks until the traditional January Thaw time and blue jays give their bell-like mating call. Bluebirds return from their brief vacation in the South.

• Three weeks until cardinals start to sing before dawn. Flies and cabbage butterflies sometimes hatch on indoor plants.

• Four weeks until doves join the cardinals, and maple sap is running

• Four and a half weeks until the first red-winged blackbirds arrive in the wetlands

• Five weeks to the very first snowdrop bloom and the official start of early spring

• Six weeks to major pussy willow emerging season

• Seven weeks to crocus season in town and snow trillium season in the woods

• Eight weeks to the beginning of the morning robin chorus before sunrise

• Nine weeks to daffodil time

• Ten weeks to the major wildflower bloom

Mind and Body: Seasonal Stress Alert!

The S.A.D. Index that measures seasonal stress on a scale from 1 to 100 reaches its lowest point of the week (78 out of 100) on January 5, but it then begins to rise, climbing slowly throughout the period, thanks to the approach of lunar perigee on January 9 (rating high of 96) and then the advent of new moon on the 13th (with a slightly lower reading of 93). In all, S.A.D. is more likely this week than at any other week of the winter. For full S.A.D. statistics, consult Poor Will’s Almanack for 2021.

In the Field and Garden

The moon will be dark all week, perfect (according to lunar tradition) for pruning: take out suckers, dead and crossing branches. 

New Moon on January 13 is the last early date for seeding bedding plants. Plant two flats or containers of bedding plant seeds for sprouting under lights. The new moon and full moon, lunar perigee, as well as the entire third quarter of the moon, may be related to abortions in weaker animals, as well as to early birthing. 

Get extra feed ready to help warm your livestock: the middle of January one of the worst storm periods of the year. If you have rabbits in pens outside, be sure that their bedding and their fur has not been soaked by wet storm winds. 

January 11 is Plough Monday, the traditional beginning of the farm season. Celebrate with a big meal and time with seed catalogs!

Almanack Classics

Dirty Work

by William Eklor

A farmer was returning to the house from the barn one summer afternoon when he heard his two small children, a girl of about six, and a boy of four, arguing. The two were fussing quite loudly over some small thing when suddenly the little girl called her brother a pig, pushed him to the ground, and then spit on him.

The farmer rushed over, grabbed his daughter under one arm, picked up his son, wiped him off, quieted his tears, and then sent him into the house. 

As soon as the boy was gone, the farmer sat his daughter on his knee and told her very seriously that the devil must have made her do it, and that as the devil was always looking for an opportunity, she should always be careful never to give the devil an opening to practice his dirty work.

The little girl thought for a minute, and then said: “Well, maybe the devil did make me call my brother a name, and maybe the devil did make me push him down into the dirt.

“ But,” she added, “spitting on my brother was my own idea!”

***

This Week’s Rhyming Sckrambler

FYFSCRU

SCMMUY

EDESY

NTYASH

EEASHWN

RRYSHE

HELLSY

HAPREYS

MEASY

NESTYR

Copyright 2021 - W. L. Felker