Seasons pursuing each other,

the plougher ploughs, the mower mows,

and the winter grain falls in the ground. – Walt Whitman

The First Week of Late Fall

The Moon, Planets, Stars, Shooting Stars

On November 1, the Robin Migration Moon entered its second quarter. On the 8th, a total lunar eclipse will occur before dawn, and the moon will be completely full at 6:02 a.m. Rising in the late afternoon or evening, and setting before sunrise, this moon will pass overhead in the middle of the night. Rising in the late afternoon or evening, and setting before sunrise, this moon will pass overhead in the middle of the night.

Venus, in Libra, is too close to the sun to be visible this month. Mars remains in Taurus, still leading Orion out of the east after dark, preceded by Jupiter in Pisces, which will be overhead by midnight. Once again, Saturn remains in Capricorn, visible at dusk.

Late Autumn brings back Orion as an easy marker of sky time. By 11 p.m., he has emerged from the east, following a cluster of seven stars, the Pleiades and the red eye of Taurus, Aldebaran. A few hours before dawn, all those stars have moved to fill up the southern sky.

The Taurids Meteor Shower peaks this year on Nov. 4-5, but the full moon will make viewing difficult. Look for these shooting stars in Taurus as it precedes Orion out of the east.

Weather Trends

The first front of November is ordinarily one of the gentler systems of the month, but the full moon on Nov. 6 is likely to strengthen the month’s second high-pressure system, sharpening the divide between Middle and Late Fall, bringing much harsher conditions. As the percentage of cloud cover increases, winds gradually reach their winter levels, suggesting that November’s second week will be a chilly one.

Zeitgebers: Events in Nature that Tell the Time of Year

Late Fall, a four-week transition period of chilly temperatures, gray skies and killing frosts, often arrive this week. Witch hazels still bloom, however, and forsythia sometimes puts out a second flowering if the year is mild.

 Fall raspberries usually decline. White mulberry trees often turn yellow overnight. Chances of a thunderstorm virtually disappear until February. Red fruits stand out on the flowering crabs and the hawthorns. Bright coralberries shine through the fading undergrowth. Indoors, mature aloe plants sometimes send up flower spikes. Christmas cacti are budding.

Most migratory birds have left the region by this point, but you may spot a Mourning Warbler, a Myrtle Warbler, a Bonaparte’s Gull, a Forster’s Tern

and an American Woodcock heading south.

In the Field and Garden

The upcoming full moon, the end of Daylight Saving Time, erratic behavior from deer in estrus and the likely arrival of the first cold fronts of the month create “perfect storm” conditions for bad weather and problems on the road and on the farm.

Prepare mulch for November protection of sensitive vegetables, perennials and shrubs. Wrap new trees with burlap to help them ward off winter winds. Complete fall field and garden tillage before the November rains.

Transplant perennials, shrubs and trees. Cut your wood, fit storm windows and gather late wildflowers for winter bouquets. Gardeners should put in spring bulbs and dormant roses.

Test the soil and mow the lawn for the last time. Dig manure into the garden. Plant next year’s sweet peas and spinach. Set garlic cloves for spring. Seed the very last winter wheat. Fertilize trees and shrubs when their foliage is down: leaf drop should be complete on most plantings except late oaks, silver maples, forsythia and Osage orange. Start paperwhites and amaryllis bulbs for holiday blossoms (and selling).

 Consider making Thanksgiving cards by hand. Include them in your farmers market displays. Woodburn designs on your dry gourds. Shine your gourds that have not dried to make them more appealing for holiday decorations. Then move your Indian corn to market for Thanksgiving sales.

Mind and Body

Some studies suggest that November is the worst month of the year for depression. The radical change in leaf cover, the increased cold and cloud cover and the approach of the holidays can bring on severe bouts of Seasonal Affective Disorder, and the S.A.D. Index rises through the 70s all week, reaching 83 by Nov. 8. As you begin to feel a little down, take action right away: exercise, eat moderately, go outside more often and be especially nice to everyone.

 

Almanack Literature

Lost in a Stormy Night in June

By Lou Beard, Shelby, Ohio

It was one of those terrible hail and rainstorms when the temperatures drop 10 degrees or more in minutes. It was so scary that we would check out the window every five minutes to see if there was a funnel cloud or a wall cloud.

We have three rescued Basset hounds that lovingly share our home. One of them is named Jasmine Irene, and she is the matriarch over the young one, Mary Frances. We also have an older handsome gentleman Basset named Todd. He plays the role of boss and settles them down when they get too playful. He has also been known to salute the American flag.

On this particular dark stormy night with pouring-down rain and thunder pounding in the distance, the matriarch, Jasmine Irene, was acting so strange that I thought she was very ill.

She would not come to my husband or me. She would pace back and forth from the sunroom to the living room and would not stop. She was talking to me with her undertone little voice and her quivering mouth. It was so scary to watch her. We thought something terrible was going to happen, maybe a tornado or something that was going to rip our home apart and all of us with it.

We headed for the basement for protection. But Jasmine Irene would not go. By that time, we knew something was very wrong. We started counting dogs, one was missing.

Oh my God, Little Mary Frances was gone! We looked in every room and the garage but no Mary Frances. Then, all of a sudden, Jasmine started barking and running toward the outside door like a frantic mother that had lost her child.

We still don’t know how Mary Frances got out, but she did and was on the other side of the fence by the creek in the storm, trembling from the ice-cold rain and hail that was beating down on her. We could not hear her, but Jasmine Irene could. We rescued our poor little mud-covered, soaking wet and terrified Basset pup from the storm. Since then, no escape routes are in her future.

ANSWERS TO LAST WEEK’S 

SCKRAMBLER

IENWS SWINE

NIDE DINE

NNBGEI BENIGN

ENINAC CANINE

OIECMBN COMBINE

NGISCON CONSIGN

NEPI PINE

CREENIL RECLINE

ENILEDA ADELINE

NEIOOHSNM MOONSHINE

THIS WEEK’S RHYMING SCKRAMBLER

NWONK    OEZN    AOELN

ENOBMORT

UONWNKN

EONRP

OESTN

NOWGR

EEEONHPLT

IODSWN

Copyright 2022 – W. L. Felker