I’m not sure what you did this week, but I couldn’t help notice while leafing through the Farmer’s Almanac “Gardening by the Moon Calendar” that for 2017, May 2 to 5 was “a barren period.” It was, however, a fantastic time “Favorable for killing plant pests, cultivating or taking a short vacation.”
I happened to do just that.
(1) I extinguished a stink-bug, although it was actually inside wreaking havoc flying around my kitchen ceiling light and not in the garden — but I am 87.9 percent certain that his full intention was to head that way.
(2) I cultivated some family time and friendships. Maybe not the soil the Farmer’s Almanac was referring to, but nevertheless it was still the act of cultivating.
I didn’t work in the short vacation, but seriously, who doesn’t like a calendar that actually prods you to take a mini-vacay?
Their gardening calendar is based on the phase and position of the moon and the recommended dates are always weather permitting, but I believe the little yellow Farmer’s Almanac, published continually since 1818, can be useful in many situations.
For instance, every weekend the husband and I compare and coincide our desires to have play time, observe the Sabbath and complete the ever-present “to-do list.” This weekend the conversation will go something like this:
Great Husband: “Hey Jan, I know we have a busy weekend — do we have anything else planned this weekend — Is there anything you want to do? Besides us going to The Creek on Saturday night at the 4 p.m. or 5:30 service to greet, worship and lean in to Dr. Ajai Lall’s (of the Central India Christian Mission) preaching, to Mount Pleasant’s 8:45 a.m. Sunday service to soak up Josh Howard’s (also of the mission) teaching and then back to The Creek at Shelby Street for the 11 a.m. service/Sunday School?”
Fantastic Wife: “Well, I sure wanted to help you clean out that back garage, but the Farmer’s Almanac said May 6 to 8 is a favorable time for sowing hay, fodder crops and grains. Plant flowers. Excellent time for planting corn, beans, peppers and other above-ground crops. Why?”
Great Husband: “I knew you have plans to go to the Garden Celebration at the Johnson County Fairgrounds on Saturday morning, which is perfect since the Farmer’s Almanac say’s May 6 to 8 is great time to plant flowers… so I thought I’d go turkey hunting with a buddy while you’re there.”
Quiet pause.
Fantastic Wife: “Well, that sounds like a great plan … although I was just reading and want to make sure you DO realize the next best day for hunting is not Saturday, but Tuesday, May 10th — there’s a full moon.”
Great Husband: “Yes, thanks for pointing that out. And did you realize that after you purchase that truck-load of plants and garden accessories that you bring home every year from the Garden Celebration that the Farmer’s Almanac also duly noted that it’s also coincidentally the best day to “Bake, cut firewood and wax the floors.”
Fantastic Wife: “I really don’t understand the words you just used, but have fun hunting!”
(Note: To my husband when you read this at 5 a.m. Saturday while drinking your Morning Thunder Tea, I kind of forgot to remind you that everyone is invited to the junior high and high school Crave Celebration at The Creek at Franklin Road on Sunday at 6 p.m. for a Central India Christian Mission celebration — we can bring fresh turkey.)
