In the gardens, purple crocuses appeared – quite suddenly – and in the hills, small shoots of green rose among deadened stalks and branches. I sensed a rising feeling, a welling up, an expansiveness that filled up the dead spaces left by winter. — Stephen Altschuler

Astronomical Information

The Great Groundhog Moon wanes throughout the period, passing lunar perigee, its position closest to Earth on March 2, entering its final quarter on March 6 at 8:30 p.m. and then becoming the Robin Mating Chorus Moon on March 13 at 5:21 a.m. Rising in the middle of the night and setting in the middle of the day, this moon passes overhead in the morning, encouraging creatures to be more active at that time, especially as the March 5 cold front approaches. 

Three major planets rise in the east before dawn this March. First comes Jupiter, with Saturn close by, and then Venus appears just before the sun. 

Weather Trends

Major March weather systems usually cross the Mississippi River on March 2, 5, 9, 14, 19, 24 and 29.  In 2021, lunar perigee on March 2, so close to full moon on February 27 is likely to bring severe weather to the first week of the month, rains in the South, snow in the North. Full moon on March 28 and lunar perigee on March 30 will likewise cause meteorological disruptions for the end of the month. New moon on March 13 is expected to foster mid-March storms. 

Zeitgebers

(Events in Nature that Tell the Time of Year)

Lupine leaves push out of the ground beside the snowdrops and aconites. The earliest blue squills blossom. Red maples flower. Crocus buds are opening, beginning the countdown to the last hard frost seven weeks away. Day lily spears are strong. Flocks of robins continue to move north, even in the coldest springs. When enough robins have arrived, they begin their mating chorus half an hour before sunrise. 

Countdown to Spring

• One week to early daffodil season and silver maple blooming season 

• Two weeks to the first wave of blooming woodland wildflowers and the very first cabbage white butterflies

• Three weeks until golden forsythia blossoms in town and skunk cabbage sends out its first leaves in the wetlands

• Four weeks until the blooming of Middle Spring wildflowers in the woods

• Five weeks until American toads sing their mating songs in the night.

• Six weeks until the Great Dandelion and Violet Blossoming begins

• Seven weeks until azaleas and snowball viburnums and dogwoods flower

• Eight weeks until iris and poppies and daisies come into flower

• Nine weeks until the beginning of clover bloom in yards and pastures

• Ten weeks until the first orange day lily opens

In the Field and Garden

This is the earliest week along the 40th Parallel for planting most hardy vegetables directly in the garden. Oats, spring wheat, and ryegrass can also be put in for quick vegetative cover. 

Fertilizer spread on lawn and field this month should have tine to dissolve in the ground before April or May planting. As the moon darkens, take extra care of your animals: trim feet, worm, and treat for fleas and ticks.

Some studies indicate that coyote activity increases as barometric pressure rises and decreases when the barometric pressure falls. Coyotes may be less active in rainy weather (barometer falling) or when the wind is especially strong (between cold and warm fronts). 

Do late pruning on colder afternoons. Remove old rhubarb and asparagus stalks, cleaning out around the beds, digging in well-rotted manure. Uncover and fertilize strawberries. Cut off tips of young black raspberry branches, and remove old canes.

Complete the spraying of fruit trees. Mites, scale, and aphid eggs will mature quickly when the temperatures climb above 60 degrees. The insects will be more easily controlled by dormant oil spray the closer they are to hatching. Inspect trees for winter damage. Remove dead and dying limbs.

Climate change may increase the likelihood of wet weather late into the spring. Plan ahead for early soil preparation and planting.

Almanack Classics

The Attacking Rooster,

By Shirley Crawford, Washington Court House, Ohio

Some people might think that roosters are harmless or that they are not capable of attacking a person, but some roosters will attack. Between the age of three and five, I had several such experiences.

Our family used to live in a farmhouse that had no bathroom, so when anyone needed to use the bathroom they had to go outside to an outhouse.

Every time I would go out to the outhouse, this rooster would chase me. It would fly up and peck at my head. No matter how fast I ran, he would catch me.

I was so afraid of this rooster. I remember telling Mom and my siblings about how this rooster was attacking me, and they would just say, “Oh, he won’t hurt you.” 

No one realized just how afraid I was of that rooster…or maybe they did.

After having several attacks from this rooster, we moved three miles away to another farmhouse. This farmhouse had a bathroom in it, but I was still afraid to go outside because the rooster moved with us.

Not long after we had moved, my father was talking to my mother at the dinner table. My father said that the rooster was gone and that he hadn’t seen it for a while. He went on to say that maybe a wild animal killed it. While listening to this conversation, my eyes must have gotten really big. I never said a word, but I was shouting inside, “Thank you, God! Thank you, God!”

Many years have passed since all this happened. I look back now and wonder if something killed the rooster that liked to attack or if my parents got rid of it. Both of my parents are dead now. I should have asked them before they passed on. Maybe I am not supposed to know. This way I might think someone was paying attention to a scared little girl who was afraid of a rooster.

Poor Will Needs Your Stories!

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Answers To Last Week’s Sckrambler

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.

PACHEL CHAPEL

SELICH CHISEL

CKELCHU CHUCKLE

RUMBLEC CRUMBLE

NKCRIE CRINKLE

MIDELP DIMPLE

IALTSD DISTAL

BIRDELB DRIBBLE

LOAASTC COASTAL

LERRAC CARREL

This Week’s Rhyming Sckrambler

EREB

AREY

REIT

EEAHDR

RIMA

ETRA

EREV

REILAVAC

EARPAPDIS

ERETNULOV

EEERRV

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 Copyright 2021  - W. L. Felker