The berries of the briar-rose

Have lost their rounded pride,

The bittersweet chrysanthemums

Are drooping heavy-eyed.

The cricket grows more friendly now,

The dormouse sly and wise….  – Alice Carey

The Moon: The Pumpkin Moon reached perigee, its powerful position closest to Earth, on Oct. 26. It becomes full on Oct. 28. This is the last of four supermoons for 2023. The Moon will be near its closest approach to the Earth and may look slightly larger and brighter than usual.

The Sun: By the end of October, the night will have gained approximately 45 minutes from its length on Oct. 1, leaving only 10 ½ hours of daylight.

The Planets: Moving into Virgo during November, Venus continues to rise after midnight, crossing the sky until dawn. Jupiter in Aries, travels the sky through the night, setting in the west before dawn. Saturn in Aquarius sets in the west before midnight. Mars is not visible this month. On Nov. 3, Jupiter will be at Opposition, its closest position to Earth, and it will be at its brightest of the year.

The Stars: Looking along the northern horizon after dark, you should be able to find the Big Dipper lying along the horizon. To its west (to your left as you face north), giant Hercules follows the Corona Borealis. To the east (to your right), Castor and Pollux appear as the night progresses.

Weather Trends: Highs are usually in the 50s or 60s, with the odds for 70s about one in four. The danger of frost remains similar to that of the third week in October; about one night in three receives temperatures in the upper 20s or lower 30s. But by this late in the season, the chances of a hard freeze have risen past 50 percent, and the odds get better each night for killing lows, especially around full moon and perigee this week.

The Natural Calendar: This week is the hinge of autumn and initiates the most dramatic period of leaf fall. Throughout this final stage of the natural year, the landscape becomes fully primed for the new signs and seasons to come.

Goldenrod flowers darken and turn to downy tufts. Pokeweed berries shrivel and fall. Wingstem turns brittle from the cold. Knotweed withers. Jerusalem artichokes yellow, stalks collapsing. Dahlias blacken.

Sandhill cranes depart their northern nesting grounds in Michigan, the first formations reaching the Ohio Valley sky just days before the Sun enters Sagittarius in November. The last monarchs sail over the last roses. The last black walnuts and Osage fall. The last raspberry bushes and apple trees give up their fruit. The last autumn violets and dandelions often go into dormancy.

Milkweed and white snakeroot seeds scatter. Christmas cacti flower. Bittersweet and euonymus open. Asian lady beetles take shelter in bark and siding. Deer mate in the night. Wings of the hosta and lilies droop and melt. Black privet berries and rose hips appear as their foliage thins. Winter wheat sprouts and greens the fields.

The last warblers and swallows leave the region now, along with almost every butterfly except the cabbage whites. 

In the Field and Garden: Soil temperatures usually fall into the middle 50s, and earthworms go a little deeper into the ground to avoid the cold. Divide peonies, lilies and iris, and then plant crocus, daffodils, tulips, snowdrops and aconites. Complete fall pruning in October’s remaining mild weather. Spread manure on the field and garden: wait until all the leaves have fallen to feed trees, perennials and shrubs. Dig onions; cut flowers and herbs for drying. Get your woodpile covered, too.

Mind and Body: As cloud cover increases, the mornings become colder and the wind speed approaches winter levels. Inclement weather makes the addition of paperwhites and amaryllis bulbs a wise choice in order to create an indoor blooming season with which to counter the radical changes of Late Fall and Early Winter. And bedding plant season can begin in a month or two; there is time to purchase a grow light, planting medium and seeds with which to nurture new sprouts for the New Year.

Almanack Classics

How to Get a Splitting Headache

By Ms. S. Evelyn

My husband and I both worked. The first thing he did in the morning was go to the basement, out the door, and take the dogs for a 20-minute walk. When he returned, he would come to the front door, ring the doorbell several times, pound on the house and want in RIGHT NOW.

This particular morning when he rang, I was in the bathtub. I hopped out at once. I was holding a washcloth in front of this 150-pound mass of muscle and was laughing at the sight of my nudity.

Instead of my husband at the door, however, it was a neighbor wanting a ride to work. I was really paralyzed to see him. I just stood there, and the neighbor kept saying: “Go back, Go back!” and motioning with his hands.

Later on, I called the neighbor’s wife for some sympathy, saying I was ashamed to be laughing. She thought it was the best joke she had ever heard. The incident caused me to have a splitting pressure headache the rest of the day.

ANSWERS TO LAST WEEK’S SCKRAMBLER

LUECITER            RETICULE 

EUPL            PULE

AEULPM            AMPULE

LOMCELELU           MOLECULE

LCDRIIEU RIDICULE

LEBUTISVE VESTIBULE

UFEL             FUEL

OFOL FOOL

LOPO POOL

LWME MEWL

THIS WEEK’S RHYMING SCKRAMBLER

PHTHIDGNO

GNODGDIN

EHDATSORGN

LNOGLFEI

OONGLB

PPGGNNOI

NEEOVNSG

NOGG

RPNOG

GNOS

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. Yes, you are a genius.

Copyright 2023 – W. L. Felker