The Old Farmer's Almanac 2004 [2004 ed.] 1571982957, 9781571982957

Citation preview

IHSIDE: ^

^ No./ CCXII

AUT UMiN

For 16 Regions of ttie United States

PLANTING TABLES, ZODIAC SECRETS

W' ALSO FEATURING ASTRONOMICAL TABLES, TIDES, HOLIDAYS, ECLIPSES, ETC

SPECIAL

■

—very year, millions of Americans with widely ranging interests look to The Old m Farmer’s Almanac for its blend of prac^ F tical information, curious facts, entertaining stories, and reliable weather pre¬ dictions. If you’re a new reader, welcome! If you’re a longtime fan, welcome back! The Old Farmer’s Almanac is an American institu¬ tion. It’s the original, first published by Robert B. Thomas in 1792. Every year since then, it’s been im¬ itated but never equaled. Only here will you find cal¬ endar pages with the daily astronomical data that makes this Almanac a true calendar of the heavens. Nowhere else will you find such uncannily accurate long-range weather forecasts. And you need look no further for the planting schedules, tips, and zodiac ta¬ bles that tell you when to get your garden going, keep it growing, and put it to bed. In fact, only on these pages will you find all that and more—such as a year’s worth of tide tables, the best fishing days, recipes, puzzles, trivia, commonsense advice, and feature sto¬ ries on these topics; Consumer Tastes & Trends ♦♦♦ Our popular annual report on how we dress, live, eat, garden, play, work, and think—full of surprising news, fascinating facts, and uncanny predictions—will keep you in style and in the know all year long. Venus Touches the Sun ♦♦♦ One of the astronomical highlights of the year will be Venus’s transit of the Sun: No one alive has ever seen it! We explain the unique characteristics of Venus’s orbit that result in this rare spectacle, as well as where and when to view it. The Easiest-Ever Edible Garden ♦♦♦ No gardening ex¬ perience necessary! Anyone can enjoy the satisfaction of growing delicious asparagus, horseradish, and rhubarb with our simple, straightforward advice. Creatures That Live on Blood ♦♦♦ Facts and fallacies about three bloodsuckers that love to get under our skin—the vampire bat, the mosquito, and the tick. Where’s the Rain? ♦♦♦ With much of the country ex¬ periencing drought conditions now or in the recent past, this question has been on many people’s lips. In a special report, we explore the science of making rain, consider the circumstances that lead to drought, and look at the ways we use water. How to Feel Good All Over ♦♦♦ Quick and easy home remedies for some of life’s minor maladies. continued on back flap

»

Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2018 with funding fronn Kahle/Austin Foundation

https://archive.org/details/oldfarmersalmana0000thom_z3i3

Number Two Hundred and Twelve

THE

Old Eariner’s Almanac Calculated on a new and improved plan for the year of our Lord

Being Leap Year and (until July 4) 228th year of American Independence

Fitted for Boston and the New England states, with special corrections and calculations to answer for all the United States. Containing, besides the large number of Astronomical Calculations and the Farmers Calendar for every month in the year, a variety of

New, Useful, and Entertaining Matter. Established in 1792

by Robert B. Thomas

The goal of life is living in agreement with nature. -Zeno, Greek philosopher (335-263 B.C.)

Cover T.M. registered in U.S. Patent Office

Copyright 2003 by Yankee Publishing Incorporated 0078-4516

Library of Congress Card No. 56-29681

Original wood engraving by Randy Miller

Address all editorial correspondence to: The Old Farmer’s Almanac, DUBLIN,

2004

The Old Farmer’s Almanac

NH 03444 1

Contents The Old Farmer’s Almanac

Features and: Charts

Weather

I.

.!

I I '-"rtf,1

2004

i ■ ji

Forecasting the Almanac Weather .43. General Weather Forecast

Anniversary

About

144 A Tub of Truths

6 To Patrons

About Ice Cream

Amusements 176 Why George Washington Never Smiled

178 Here’s Looking at You!

Astronomy 78 Venus Touches

.122.

the Sun

U.S. Weather Regions fViap

Food

.123.

154 Winning Recipes

Regional Forecasts

156 Never Say No

124-139

to Zucchini

1. New England.124 2. Greater New York-

182 A Brief History of Napping

New Jersey.125 3. Middle Atlantic Coast 126

186 Winning Essays

4. Piedmont and Southeast

195 Maddening

Coast.127 5. Florida.128 6. Upstate New York ... 129

Mind-Manglers

162 The Juicy Art

204 Anecdotes &

of Making Wild Grape Jelly

Pleasantries

7. Greater Ohio Valley.. 130 8. Deep South.131

Gardener's Companion Special Sample

9. Chicago and Southern

PAGES gc1-gc32

Great Lakes.132 10. Northern Great PlainsGreat Lakes.133

♦ Plant an Heirloom Flower Garden

11. Central Great Plains .. 134

♦ Mum’s the Word

12. Texas-Oklahoma_135

♦ All About Houseplants

13. Rocky Mountains_136

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14. Desert Southwest_137 15. Pacific Northwest_138

:

and nnarel

16. California.139 (continued

2

on

page

Start every day right: Visit www.almanac.com.

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2004

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Contents (continued

from

page

2)

Husbandlry

Gardening

96 The Easiest-Ever

166 Gestation and

Astronomy How to Use This Almanac

Mating Table

Edible Garden

Nature

106 Creatures That Live on Blood

News

103 Frosts and Growing Seasons

104 Outdoor

10 Consumer Tastes & Trends

Weather

Planting Table

112 A Special

189 Gardening

Report: Where’s the Rain?

by the Moon’s Sign

Holidays

39 Aphelion, Earth at.42 Astronomical Glossary ... 84 Calendar Pages.44-71 Chronological Cycles.42 Conjunctions... 42,44-71,94 Day, Length of--40,44-70 Daylight Saving Time .39,54,55,66,67 Earthquakes, Predicting... 43 Eclipses.90 Key Letters 40,44-70,88,94,170-174 Meteor Showers, Principal 90 Perihelion, Earth at.42 Seasons .39,42 Time Corrections.170 Twilight (length of).92

Moon:

74 What’s So Special

Age.41,44-70 Astronomical Place 41,44-70 Fishing Days, Best.32 Full Dates, 2004-2008.... 90 Phases of.44-70 Rise and set times.. 41,44-70

About May 5?

Home Remed^^^^

140 How to Feel Good All Over

Planets, Visible: Calendar Pages.44-71 Calendars, 2003-2005 .. 208 Chronological Cycles.... 42 Eras.42 Farmer’s Calendar Essays . 45-71 Fishing Days, Best.32 Frosts and Growing Seasons.103 Holidays and Observances .72 Movable Feasts and Fasts.42 Religious Observances .45-71,72 Seasons.39,42

4

Astrological Timetable.. 190 Gardening by the Moon’s Sign.189 Moon’s Place in the Astrological Zodiac... 189 Secrets of the Zodiac.... 188

Catalog Emporium .... 24 Classified Advertising .. 197-201 Index to Advertisers... 202 The Old Farmer’s General Store .. 191-194 A Reference Compendium.209

Venus.78 Rise and set times.94 Symbols for.42

Stars: Risings and Settings.88 Transit Times.88

Sun: Declination.41,44-70 Rise and set times.. 40,44-70 Sundials, how to use.40 Sun Fast.40,44-70

Tides: At Boston.41,44-71 Calculating.41 Corrections.168 Glossary.92

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2004

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5

To Patrons Patterns, Predictions, and Percentages ver the past 211 years, this Al¬ manac has contained infor¬ mation on a variety of topics, but it is probably best known for its pre¬ dictions of the weather. It’s easy to un¬ derstand why: Everybody is interested in the weather. (How many times have you talked about the weather today?) And many people are genuinely fasci¬ nated by (or, we admit, skeptical of) our ability to forecast the weather with rea¬ sonable accuracy. For years, you’ve asked us how we do it. Now we’re go¬ ing to tell you. First, we don’t divine the weather by counting onion layers, measuring woolly-bear bands, or tabulating the acorns that squirrels sock away—al¬ though such phenomena may well be indicators of upcoming weather. Neither do we guess. That would be foolhardy, and anybody can guess. Our methodology for predicting the weather is scientific, state of the art, and—^this may come as a surprise—^not a secret. Mind you, as we have claimed for years, the formula from which it de¬ rives and which was devised by the founder of this Almanac, Robert B. Thomas, in or around 1792, is a secret and is locked in a black box here in Dublin, New Hampshire, and shall not be divulged in my lifetime. But this much I can tell you: Robert B. believed that sunspots, which are magnetic storms on the surface of the Sun, in¬ 6

fluence the weather on Earth. He didn’t originate the idea; it evolved after Galileo first noted sunspots in 1610. The notion that sunspots and other solar cycles could have a direct impact on our weather was dismissed by most of the meteorological community for years. More recently, the idea has been receiving serious consider¬ ation. For exam¬ ple, correlations have been found between solar ac¬ tivity and cool¬ ing and warming periods on Earth. Similarly, scien¬ tists now recog¬ nize that the solar Janice Stillman constant (amount (13th Editor since 1792) of energy that the Sun puts out) isn’t constant; it varies—minutely, but not insignifi¬ cantly over time. Just as important as solar science to our formula are two other scientific disciplines: climatology, the study of prevailing weather patterns, and me¬ teorology, the study of the atmos¬ phere. We believe that by comparing solar patterns and historical weather conditions with current solar activ¬ ity, weather trends and events can be predicted. You’ll notice that our forecasts (on pages 122-139 in this edition) em¬ phasize temperature and precipitation

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deviations from averages, or normals. To determine those, we use 30-year sta¬ tistical averages that are prepared by government meteorological agencies and updated every ten years. The mostrecent tabulations span the period from 1970 to 2000. All these methods enable our meteo¬ rologist, Michael Steinberg, to forecast the weather in defined regions of the United States and Canada up to 18 months in advance. Throughout the year, we monitor the forecasts, comparing the actual weather with our predictions. (Mike never up¬ dates the forecasts.) At the end of the year, we use a complex and proprietary formula to determine our accuracy rate. When all is said and done, the results are almost always very close to our tradi¬ tional claim of 80 percent. Weather pre¬ dicting is, after all, an inexact science. Far more predictable than the weather is the success you can have in your garden if you follow the tips and advice in our sister publication, The Old Farmer’s Almanac Gardener’s Com¬ panion. Each issue is loaded with time-

tested garden wisdom, ideas, and infor¬ mation for gardeners of all experience levels and gardens of all sizes. See for yourself! There’s a special sample edi¬ tion in the back of this Almanac. It’s our gift to you, with best wishes for a boun¬ tiful year. J. S., June 2003 However, it is by our works and not our words that we would be judged. These, we hope, will sustain us in the humble though proud station we have so bng held in the name of Your obedient servant.

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**For years, fashion was all about copying everyone. Now ifs all about customizing.. .for individual self-expression, ”

oo

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A f A C T OF I 1F E Every type of clothing will have electronic functions in ten years.

° TOP THREE FASHION THEMES FOR WOMEN

.

2 Metaiiic-siiwer anil broti2ei-g©iii fabrics/Basic black

3. Canvas and cargo ^nts/HIgMashion denim

TOP THREE FASHION THEMES FOR MEN

- --

Watch for harem

M Retro Warrior. This look is decid¬

pants, tunics with hanging gold coins as trim and as earrings, and waists wrapped with obis and scarves in bright pinks, oranges, midnight blue, and exotic eggplant, in fabrics of silk and chiffon.

edly not uniform, mnning from ammu¬ nition belts that clench overcoats closed to nostalgic World War n styles of the 1940s such as Eisenhower jackets and camouflage suits.

I Dream of Genie.

n ^ " »= Z.

X Future Ancients. Think of the Greeks and Romans: fabrics draped over one shoulder and sandals wrapped high up the calf. Scuba Giri. The wet look, in neopreen and spongy rubberized fabrics once reserved for wet suits, is the latest in sport fashions. No longer limited to black bodysuits, we’ll see rubberized floral-print minidresses, tunics, leggings, and pants. In addition, expect lots of zip¬ pers, playful faux logos, and blocks of color in fmity hues. IN/OUT

FOR WOMEN

Man and Machine. Gear and gadgets set the tone, and the look is motorcycle jackets; yellow-tinted architecture, or “statement,” glasses; Teflon-enhanced fabrics; and techno garments like the Scott eVest, a windbreaker with 22 pockets for all your stuff: phone, orga¬ nizer, pager, CD player—^you-name-it. Extreme Sports. Think surfing, scuba diving, tennis, and golf attire.

iW/OUT FOR MEN 1. Body^lttiiig f»siirts/Oversize T-shirts 2. Fabric colors m piiiMiiiteii Mmes^ pmnpkiii orange^ yellowish greens/ Neutral colors

1. Coiorfai castoitiiiei haniibags/De- ' 3. Snug Jackets with zippered seams/ signer bags with clunky hardware

10

Boxy suitcoats CONTINUED

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THE WHEEL-LESS WELCOME WAGON ¥he new neighborly “how-do-you-do” trend involves having communities con¬ nected by closed-circuit-like television channels. You move in, post your fam¬ ily’s photo so that everyone knows 12

you’ve arrived, and instantly you have information about schools, babysitters, and neighbors.

FASHIONS IN FURNISHINGS This year, the buzzword is eclectic. The mix won’t always match, but here’s what works:

M Combining formai mid-1800s an¬ tiques (Chippendale, Queen Anne) with traditionai 1950s furniture (womb chairs) and offbeat ethnic pieces. Mixing rustic artisan materiais (lots

of leather and handwoven fibers, old doors used as headboards for king-size beds) with sieek modem furniture and fun fixtures (think floor lamp shaped as a cactus). Lots more iow, iounge-y furniture, and furniture that serves duai purposes

(a modular chair that folds into a daybed).

THE OANAOIAN PERSPECTIVE Canadians are also mixing it up, with 18th-century antiques keeping company with 1960s shag rugs and sleek modem furniture. Other trends include: "Biobism’’ (think Karim Rashid’s

bubblegum blob couch) Hotei chic (luxury fabrics and rich

hues) Modern metaiiics combined with

dark woods (walnut, mahogany, teak) Boid 1960s coiors like hot pink and

lime green

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IN THE GARDEN **People are re-creating their outdoor garden rooms to suit thefamily*s changing lifestyle” -Bruce Butterfield, research director, National Gardening Association

EXOTIC SPECIMENS

A FACT OF LIFE ^ “ “ ^

Gardeners who don’t have time to compost their own stew of organic matter are buying compost tea at garden-center vending carts called SoilSoup Kitchens. '--'7

^

PLANT-BY-NUMBER GARDENS

::

With more homeowners timechallenged to dress up their landscapes, the latest trend—garden branding—is thriving. You choose a palette of colors and prearranged plants from companies like Proven Winners or Simply Beautiful.

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Your garden-in-a-box comes complete with a plant-by-number design sheet to help you properly place your mono¬ chromatic garden or prairie perennials.

m/mi 1. Wild anything“goes beds/Straight iri^ies of bulbs 2. Bold, mormchrciiiiatic tone^on^tone colors in flowers, garden furniture, and treilises/Pasteis 3. Tali, organic meadow grasses and plants that attract wiidlife/fraditionai, clieniioibrici lawns

.

4 Rowering shrubs/Boriiig iiiislies 5. Xeriscapes, rock gaidens, fishponds/ Watei^needf gardens

14

¥he latest horticultural craze, coming out of South Florida, is giant palms (with giant prices): A 20-foot-tall Borassus palm is going for $10,000 (crane cost not included), and a 40-pound coco-de-mer seed (just one seed) is sell¬ ing for $800. Take your pick from the 2,800 known palm species: enormous black-matted sugar palms, blue-leafed Bismarckians, and towering talipots— they’re all hot.

GOT-TO-HAVE GARDEN ACCESSORIES Antique toy sailboats to float in

backyard ponds Antique lawn sprinklers in figural

shapes (cowboy with a lasso that spins around his body) i Garden gnomes Architectural salvage, especially

drainpipes from old buildings, and old factory and locomotive gears ■ Millstones, original and reproduc¬

tion, from old grain-grinding mills

THE CANADIAN PERSPECTIVE^ in response to water shortages, the city of Vancouver is offering subsidized rain barrels to residents to catch rain for lawns and gardens. During peak sum¬ mer months, each barrel is expected to save some 1,300 gallons of water. CONTINUED

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**Kitsch is not a dirty word anymore.** -Terry Kovel, coauthor, Kovels' Antiques & Collectibles Price List 2003

CD

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^

A FACT OF LIFE

^

Art pottery i$ the collectible of the centfiry. Prices are expected to continue to rise for Roseville, Hampshire, and

rv*

expect that these will be big in the com¬ ing year: War toys and patriotic memorabilia ■ Space collectibles from the Apollo

Moon-landings Religious objects, especially irrev¬

erent items (such as the Jesus Christ ac¬ tion figure)

KITSCHY KEEPSAKES CC

ua

CD

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Sot the itch for collecting kitsch? Here are the best bets: ■ Black-velvet Elvis paintings ■ Gravel art ■ Niagara Falls paperweights Hawaiian tiki glasses I SheH-decorated picture frames

With people suddenly realizing how long it takes to handsew a seam, women’s antique piecework has be¬ come the rage. Sought-after items include handstitched samplers, em¬ broidery, quilts, and handwoven un¬ dergarments. Prices can range from $800 to $2,800 or more.

' Star Wars cookie jars

CATCH TM IF YOU CAN

: Plastic salt and pepper shakers in

Experts tell us that the markets for these items are heating up:

the shape of barnyard animals wearing overalls

STILL GOING I'^merica’s most collected brand of china is still Fiestaware. Discontinued Fiestaware items are almost too hot to handle: sectional relish tray, $300 to $400; turquoise onion-soup bowl, $8,800; two mixing bowl lids (yes, just the lids), a whopping $35,000.

MAKING NEWS Reflecting on current events, experts 16

HIGH TIMES FOR HANDIWORK

Old paper beer bags with advertis¬

ing logos H Strips of pictures of strangers in photo booths from the past Microphones from the 1930s

through the 1950s Cowboy bats worn by real cowboys ■ Farm tools, such as fencing grips,

hatchets, and staple pullers Vintage mystery novels by Agatha

Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Ray¬ mond Chandler CONTINUED

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2004

The Old Farmer’s Almanac

17

0N_I H I F A R M__ “Excessive groundwater pumping presents special problems for farmers. As the water table drops, it takes substantially more energy to get the water to the surface. This increase in costs has already led to the CD CD

conversion from irrigation to dry-land farming.** -Robert Glennon, author of IVater Follies: Groundwater Pumping and the Fate of America's Fresh Waters

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cial products (imitation bacon, soy milk, newspaper ink, tape), the humble bean is a miracle plant. Now soy diesel, which can fuel tractor engines without the use of sulfur as an air pollutant, may be its next big market.

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WHAT WILL THEY THINK OF NEXT? The Featherless Chicken. “Naked

chickens,” broilers without plumage, have less body fat and so are being promoted as more healthful by advo¬ cates. Critics are squawking about an¬ imal integrity, saying that a chicken in a farmyard should not look identical to a plucked chicken in a fridge. : The Tearless Onion. Scientists are

fine-tuning the onion enzyme that causes tears. The new onion won’t make you weep when you cut it. 9 The Heatless Jalapeho. Called

“Fooled You Jalapeno,” this red-hot pepper looks like the real thing but is without the sting.

WHATS NEW IN AGRICULTURE The Almighty Alfalfa. Now used both

as livestock feed and biofuel, alfalfa will be used to produce biodegradable plastic. The Secret Life of Soybeans. Al¬

ready used in more than 350 commer¬ 18

all about bran, but now its oil has been found to be rich in polar fats (thought to help battle cognitive decline and to lower body fat) and may soon appear in margarines, cookies, salad dressings, and frozen dinners. The Big O. Organic farming has hit

the big time. Annual worldwide markets are valued at $22 billion, with $8.8 bil¬ lion spent yearly in the United States. The New Red Meat. Watch for bison

to catch on as the new healthy alterna¬ tive to beef.

THE CANADIAN PERSPECTIVE More than a third of Canada’s farmers who are 55 years or older are fast mov¬ ing toward retirement. Those who have small farms (grossing under $100,000 annually) are being bought out by farm¬ ers under the age of 35 who are running large farms (grossing over $250,(XX) an¬ nually). As a result. Statistics Canada foresees a definite trend toward indus¬ trialized farming in the next decade. CONTINUED

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FOOD^FAAS ^‘Throughout this decade, it will he packaging innovation, more than the food or beverage itself, that truly defines convenience to customers.** -Bob Messenger, publisher of the food & beverage industry’s Food Trends Newsletter

A FACT

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Americans eat an average of 4.2 meals out every week. os

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tails dressed up with newfangled gar¬ nishes (vodka martinis topped with miniature electric-blue ice pops) The New Restaurant Chic: Fondue

dipping and sushi bars

THE NEW TAKEOUT: CUP-HOLDER CUISINE ^ ^ ^ " ^ Z “

With snacks now sold as travel-mug meals (soup in a cup, breakfast in a bowl), Americans are eating smaller portions in five or six meals a day instead of three. To satisfy cravings, around-the-clock storefront-size vending machines, called Shop 2000, are debuting around the country, offering snacks like chicken sandwiches and bottles of milk.

THE NEXT BIG CHEESE: CHOCOLATE How sweet it is! Exotic chocolates are the new affordable luxury. Today, highbred candy bars and bonbons (Guittard, Jamieson’s, Omanhene, Scharffen Berger) are sampled at chocolate¬ tasting events, with tasters challenged to identify 88-percent-pure cocoa-bean pedigrees from the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Ecuador, and Mexico.

MORE NEW TRENDS The New Ketchup: Salsa The New Coffee: Green tea ■ The New Bar Drink: Old-style cock¬

20

The New Power Lunch: Hearty bar¬

becue or a simple sandwich

A TRULY SUPER MARKET Grocery-store items will soon be en¬ coded with radio-frequency identifica¬ tion (RFID) tags. At the checkout, the items in your automated shopping cart will instantly be tabulated and the cost deducted from your debit card—with¬ out a wait. At home, your high-tech kitchen not only will take inventory of your new groceries but will communi¬ cate with the virtual brain in your frozen pizza to ensure the correct cooking time.

FOOD AS MEDICINE Wellness foods, called nutraceuticals, will be the hottest food category in the next five years. Powdered shark fin, vitamins, and herbs will be added to foods reputed to cure the sick, put mus¬ cles on the weak, and take pounds off the obese. Experts see no end in sight: Think mineral-enriched ice cream, omega-3-enhanced burgers, and St. John’s-wort in breakfast cereal. CONTINUED

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seniors are in softball and soccer leagues, and they’re having to compete with the kids for field time.

OUR MOST POPULAR PASTIMES THE NAKED TRUTH ^

Pon’t look now, but nudist tourism is at an all-time high, with membership in

1. Watching TV

2. On-line computing 3. Video games

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the American Association for Nude Recreation having grown 20 percent

PASTIMES GAINING IN POPULARITY Turkey hunting. With the comeback

“ s

over the last decade. Central Florida is the top destination, but the trend (and

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5.6 million from only 30,0(X) in the early

^

luxury resorts that invite it) is expanding to Atlanta and other locales. Who ’ s

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doing stuff in the buff? Affluent trend¬

of hunting in America.

setters over 30.

■ Needlepoint Up to 38 million women

FEELING SICK? GO AWAY!

are pulling yam these days, says the

¥he next prescription your doctor gives you may include a travel guide. Med¬ ical tourism is a way to make the most of your time off for a hospital visit by scheduling your stay in a hospital at a vacation destination and including time for taking in the sights after recuperat¬ ing. Look for travel councils to join with medical centers to promote hos¬ pitals with hospitality.

of the wild turkey—^up to an estimated 1900s—it’s the fastest-growing form

Craft Yam Council of America.

“ Bargain hunting. More Americans flock to flea markets than to baseball games, concerts, or golf courses.

ULTIMATE ADVENTURE Sungee jumping is now passe for the outdoor crowd. The latest adventure sport is canyoneering, which has come to the United States by way of Switzer¬ land, New Zealand, and Australia. The

22

SENIOR SPORTS

sport involves hiking down into

Seniors are participating in a wider range of physical activities (tai chi, ’

canyons and then swimming, climbing,

yoga, Pilates, luge, dogsledding). Many

stacles you encounter.

and wiggling your way past any ob¬

CONTINUED

ON

PAGE

26

• Creator of 10:13" and lOX" • Ph.D., U. Penn in biology Postdoctoral at Stanford • Author of 6 books and 35+ scientific articles

• Co-disco¥ered human pheromones In 1986 (Time 12/1/86; Newsweek 1/12/87)

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ATHENA PHER0Mr>y c 20 Fr. • Arrowbile, completed for testing, 1937 WeeK S bright 21 Sa. d $ © • KSSTsys • {L'. 22 D (l^umqMgestnM • Islamic New Year • C„ Eq ond beamish. 23 M. Pure Monday • d Q C. •• foiled, 1820' “When You Wish Upon .. 110.1 24 Tu. Shrove Tuesday • a Staf ’ recorded,'‘l95o ' • t *9!8 • This 25 W. ^£rt)OTelinestliap*(Xat^ • dcfC • one’s year of snow, Les Miserables mthor, 19.5 . 26 Th. Aa year of plenty. * Victor Hugo, bom, 1802 • I 8.6 nOl Italian government asked public for ideas r 27 Fr. on how to save the Leaning Tower of Pisa, 1964 • JOr

28 Sa. 29 D

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Baltimore and Ohio Railroad 18.9 vk apo. • incorporated, 1827 • I 7.7 •

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m lent • Sunday of Orthodoxy •

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squeamish!

If I have seen further, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants. -Isaac Newton, English physicist

2004

2004

■ The highest point in the state of Vermont is Mount Mansfield, a massive peak whose various buttresses and approaches take up parts of four different townships. The upper reaches of Mansfield are thought by the fanciful to look like the face of a man lying on his back with his head resting on the height and his feet in, roughly, Montreal. Thus, Mount Mansfield has its Forehead, its Nose, its Adam’s Apple. The summit is the Chin, which rises 4,393 feet above sea level. Or, rather, the summit’s el¬ evation was 4,393 feet. A couple of years ago, a revised elevation was published, based on new maps made with satellites and computers. Now Mount Mansfield stands at a httle over 4,395 feet. All these years, we were wrong about the height of the biggest mountain in the state. Here, surely, we have a rueful metaphor of man’s quest for the truth. “What do you know, for sure?” the old-timer asks his neighbor in the fa¬ mous joke, to which his neighbor, ev¬ idently a species of rural philosopher, replies, “Not a damn thing!” Yes, in¬ deed. If we are honest, most of us ad¬ mit that as we put on age and experi¬ ence, certainty becomes an ever scarcer commodity. More than that, certainty becomes a prize that, like some mysterious, hypothetical parti¬ cle in the most abstruse physics, eludes us the more, the more we seek it. One had thought that the moun¬ tains—grand and enduring as they are—constituted a solid piece of data. Not at all. We learn that if we keep looking for the truth, we will find more of it than we want or need.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac

51

2004

MAECH, The Third Month

Jupiter, at its year s maximum brilliance, comes to opposition on the night of March 3-4. Venus, growing brighter, reaches its greatest angular separation from the Sun on the 29th, setting more than four hours after sunset. Mercury is easily visible as the only “star” far below Venus in late evening twilight after the 14th, and optimal from the 20th to the 31st. Saturn is highest at nightfall and sets around 2:00 a.m., and Mars moves into Taurus. The Moon has wonderful close meetings with Venus on the 24th and Mars on the 25th. Late this month, all five bright planets are arrayed along the zodiac like a string ofpearls in evening twilight. Spring begins with the vernal equinox on the 20th at 1:49 a.m. EST.

O (I

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14th minute 1st minute 41st minute 48th minute

18th hour 16th hour 17th hour 18th hour

Times are given in Eastern Standard Time.

Day of Week

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

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52

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# Sets h. m.

5 35 5 36 5 37 5 38 5 39 5 41 5 42 5 43 5 44 5 45 5 46 5 48 5 49 5 50 5 51 5 52 5 53 5 55 5 56 5 57 5 58 5 59 6 00 6 01 6 03 6 04 6 05 6 06 6 07 6 08 6 09

Length of . D

•

Day of Year

For an explanation of this page, see page 40; for values of Key Letters, see page 170. High Tide Boston Light—A.M. Bold—P.M.

64 Ih

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in Hent • dhC • Tides {yl« C 5^ rides Elong. r\ Gr. Elong. 1 8.8 M. ■ high • V Gr. (19° E.) • V (46° E.) • I 7.7 Queensboro Bridge, the first 1 8.7 Tu. double-decker, opened in N.Y.C., 1909 * I 7.8 The seeds of great things Philosopher Rene W. are often small. * Descartes bom, 1596 • away.

2004

Farmer’s Calendar ■ Some days in March, the weather seems to want to show you everything it’s got, like a show-off kid. The sky changes with a kind of headlong speed that is almost cinematic: You’re watching a weather movie and the film is running on fast-forward. Blue sky and bright sun give way to gray clouds and quick, driving snow, which give way to more blue sky, which is followed by more snow. The little winter birds, chickadees and sparrows, are tossed about on the fresh wind, along with last year’s leaves. They blow by in streams, tumbling. You’ll have a whole day’s weather in half an hour, and because the month is March, that weather will be flamboyant: You’ll go through winter and well into spring, and back, and forth again, in the course of a single day. Maybe the crazy flux of days like these is owing to the season—the equinox, when Earth’s attitude toward the Sun puts the cold side of the year in uneasy balance with the warm. Again like a young person, talented but confused, the year can’t figure out what it wants to be from one day to the next, so it decides to be everything at once, all the time. The resulting drama is exciting for the onlooker. These are good days in which to be outdoors, as the rush and change overhead lift your spirits. But after a while, the spectacle wears you down. You begin to wish the day would pick a line and stick to it rather than go through the entire repertoire over and over. No chance. The year is young, and so is the kid, and both will go where they will go. You can ride along, but you can’t drive.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac

53

2004

APELL, The Fourth Month

The first week of April offers several notable sights: All five naked-eye planets remain simultaneously visible for the final time for many years to come. Mercury concludes its best evening apparition of the year. Venus, now unbelievably brilliant, floats near the famous Seven Sisters star cluster in Taurus. Mars, nearly 200 times dimmer than Venus, hovers to Venus’s upper left the entire month, both joined by the crescent Moon on the 23 rd. Jupiter has a superb month, brilliant to the naked eye and striking through a telescope. It is high up at nightfall in the east and reaches its apex more than halfway up in the southern sky at 10:00 P.M. The Moon joins it on the 29th.

O G

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7th hour 23rd hour 9th hour 13th hour

5th day 11th day 19th day 27 th day

Full Moon Last Quarter 9 New Moon D First Quarter

After 2:00 a.m. on April 4, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) is given.

Th. Fr. Sa. C M. Tu. W. Th. Fr. Sa. C M. Tu. W. Th. Fr. Sa. C M. Tu. W. Th. Fr. Sa. C M. Tu. W. Th. Fr.

54

5 26 5 24 5 23 6 21 6 19 6 18 6 16 6 14 6 12 6 11 6 09 6 08 6 06 6 04 6 03 6 01 5 59 5 58 5 56 5 55 5 53 5 52 5 50 5 49 5 47 5 46 5 44 5 43 5 42 5 40

B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B

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For an explanation of this page, see page 40; for values of Key Letters, see page 170.

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2004

APRIL hath 30 days.

Again the blackbirds sing; the streams Wake, laughing, from their winter dreams. And tremble in the April showers The tassels of the maple flowers. -John Greenleaf Whittier

Q

Dates, Feasts, Fasts, Aspects, Tide Heights

Fanner’s Calendar

Weather

i

All It is an equal failing to trust f 9.3 The 1 Th. Fools’ • everybody arid to trust nobody. I 8.7 Bread riot in / 9.7 Tides I 9.3 poet 2 Fr. Richmond, Va., 1863 110.1 9.9 claims 3 Sa. St. Richard of Chichester • ^ DayUght Saving Time . i ^. 4 C $alm • d Eq. begins, 2:00 ttiat Full Sec. of State Cohn 5 M. Pink v_y • Powell bom, 1937 Tides {• April’s cruel, 6 Tu. First day of Passover 5 stat. {lo.8 • Sahara Desert sand began 7 W. date3-d;W • falling in Switzerland. 2002 • but Eastwood elected 8 Th. Maundy Thursday• Clint mayor of Carmel, Calif., 1986 • HOW NASA introduced first seven 9 Fr. ©000 jTrtOap • astronauts to press, 1959 • ^hc S Trans-Canada Air Lines 10 Sa. Gidget premiered, 1959 * created by Parliament, 1937 • UlCC runs 10.7 11 C CaSiter • Orthodox Easter • d low • Tides . 9.1 and , ,, j Charles A. Gayler received flirty; 12 M. rEaster Monday • patent for fireproof safe, 1833 ' Tbomas Jefferson Ale wives run, she 13 Tu. O Vi • bom, 1743 • Cape Cod, Mass. • N.J. passed first law providing „.. / 9.9 has 14 W. state aid for public roads, 1891 • I 9.2 • rftKrr It does not always rain f 9.9 15 Th. 0©vi * when a pig squeals. • ^*des 9 5 • her Composer Henry „.. f 10.0 16 Fr. XT in inf. O/ * Mancini bom, 1924 * 9,9 raiHS, (y-on Minot’s Light in Mass, swept f 10.1 17 Sa. vi Eq. • away during storm, 1851 • * I 10.2 her First “washateria” 18 C ls(t a(. Casfter • opened, 1934 * breezes Great fire in Toronto » cool, 19 M. New • Eclipse ViJ © • started, 1904 p) Retailer Stanley / 10.4 and 20 Tu Viatoo • Marcus bom, 1905 • i^desj q g Ashes of Star T/ e/: creator. Gene 21 W. Roddenberry, journeyed into space, 1997 * SOmetimCS became first ship to complete trek i .'it 22 Th. Sirius across Atlantic solely by steam, 1838 • aOWW Igrlt 10.0 dirty!f apo. 23 Fr. St. George - dapo.‘dQd • 8.9 B. Thomas “La Marseillaise” 9.7 Is 24 Sa. Robert bom, 1766 • composed, 1792 • *' es 8.6 she 25 C 2nli af. Casfter ‘d high • dhd n „ , A new broom sweeps clean, but the 26 M. M. Murk * old brush knows all the corners. * nasty Babe Ruth Civil rights activist f 9.0 27 Tu Day, 1947 • Coretta Scott King bom, 1927 • t 8.1 • t)r 101-day voyage of balsawood raft , / 8.9 -r. 1947 • Tides \ nifty.'' 28 W. Kon-m/began, Prisoners liberated j / 9.1 • Tides { Or 29 Th. stat. • at Dachau, 1945 Louisiana joined Union 9.3 30 Fr. as 18th state, 1812 • Tides 9.2 • fifty-fifty^ a.m.

0

9

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Jewelry takes people’s minds off your wrinkles. -Sonja Henie, Norwegian figure skater

2004

2004

■ In the waste places beside the road, a moraine of sand and gravel, scraped off the road by the snowplows, accu¬ mulates over the winter. It’s a bitter, barren ground, a tiny desert. Nothing should be able to grow there. But on those unpromising roadsides, where they lie in the pale spring sun, little yellow flowers appear while in the woods the snow still lingers. The coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) comes up with the skunk cabbage. They are the first of the first flowers in the year. But though the skunk cabbage, by its look, is hardly a flower at all, the colts¬ foot is the real thing. It’s easy to miss the coltsfoot. You don’t look for a flower to grow in the sterile till that is its habitat. And it’s a small flower, a few inches high, with, at first, no leaves but only a spindly stalk. Odd brown scales like those of asparagus clasp the stalk, at the top of which the yellow pom-pom of a flower nods. The flower endures for a week or so. When it has gone by, the plant’s leaves appear. The size of your hand, and vaguely heart-shaped, the leaves give the plant its name; some¬ body thought they looked like a colt’s hoof or perhaps its track. That is no very compelling resemblance, to be sure, but the flower is a good mimic in another way. The coltsfoot’s bloom looks much like a dandelion; same yellow, same single flower made up of small radiating petals. But the colts¬ foot comes a good six weeks before the dandelion. For a moment, when you pass it clinging to its povertystricken heap of dirt, you think you’ve skipped ahead from April to June and missed the spring altogether.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac

55

9004

MAY, The Fifth Month

Venus attains its greatest brilliancy on the 2nd at magnitude -4.5. During this month, the evening star drops dramatically lower each evening at nightfall, as it speeds in retro¬ grade motion toward its momentous passage in front of the Sun early next month. Tele¬ scopes now show Venus as a dramatic, ever-larger crescent, lit from behind by the Sun. Mars and Saturn, both in Gemini and sinking lower each evening, float together the final half of the month. Look for the crescent Moon between them and Venus on the 21st in fading twilight. A total lunar eclipse on the 4th will not be visible from most of the United States and Canada.

O C

4th day 11th day 19th day 27 th day

Full Moon Last Quarter 9 New Moon D First Quarter

33rd minute 4th minute 52nd minute 57th minute

16th hour 7th hour 0 hour 3rd hour

Times are given in Eastern Dayiight Time. For an explanation of this page, see page 40; for values of Key Letters, see page 170. o^ ^ , 0)

qS

122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152

56

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Sa. C M. Tu. W. Th. Fr. Sa. C M. Tu. W. Th. Fr. Sa. C M. Tu. W. Th. Fr. Sa. C M. Tu. W. Th. Fr. Sa. C M.

Rises h. m.

5 39 5 38 5 36 5 35 5 34 5 32 5 31 5 30 5 29 5 28 5 27 5 25 5 24 5 23 5 22 5 21 5 20 5 19 5 19 5 18 5 17 5 16 5 15 5 15 5 14 5 13 5 13 5 12 5 11 5 11 5 10

0)

B B A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A

Sets h. m.

7 44 7 45 7 46 7 48 7 49 7 50 7 51 7 52 7 53 7 54 7 55 7 56 7 57 7 58 7 59 8 00 8 01 8 02 8 03 8 04 8 05 8 06 8 07 8 08 8 09 8 10 8 11 8 12 8 12 8 13 8 14

Length c of 3 c} V 00 tL. Day h. m. m. D D D D D D D D D D D D D E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E

14 05 14 07 14 10 14 13 14 15 14 18 14 20 14 22 14 24 14 26 14 28 14 31 14 33 14 35 14 37 14 39 14 41 14 43 14 44 14 46 14 48 14 50 14 52 14 53 14 55 14 57 14 58 15 00 15 01 15 02 15 04

18 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 18 18 18 18 18

Declina¬ tion of Sun O »

High Tide Boston Light--A.M.

15n .20 15 38 15 55 16 12 16 29 16 46 17 02 17 18 17 34 17 50 18 06 18 21 18 35 18 50 19 04 19 17 19 31 19 44 19 56 20 09 20 22 20 33 20 44 20 55 21 06 21 16 21 26 21 35 21 44 21 53 22N.02

91 9 10 lOJ 101 11 lU 111

D

12^2 12i U2

E

Bold--P.M.

2i 3^ 4i 5i 6i 1\

8^ lOi 11 111 \1\ \2\

li U 21

31 4 41 51 61

71 81

91

D

>>

Rises h. m.

4 ^05 5 18 6 35 7 55 — 9 18 11 10 39 2 11 552 3 4 12 ^52 1 40 5 2 16 6 71 2 45 81 3 09 9 3 30 3 50 10 101 4 10 111 4 31 4 54 12 — 5 22 11 5 54 11 6 34 21 7 22 31 8 17 4 9 18 41 10 23 51 11 A 29 6l 12 536 71 1 44 2 54 8 81 4 08 91 5 A 25

3

D Sets h. m.

E E E

E E — E E E E D D C B B B A A A A

4iU2 4 34 4 57 5 23 5 54 6 33 7 23 8 24 9 36 10 A51 12 A 06 1 18 2 26 3 32 4 37 5 41 6 45 7 49 8 53 9 54 10 51 11 A 40

A A B B C D D E E

Start every day right: Visit www.almanac.com.

12 A 22 12 57 1 26 1 51 2 14 2 35 2 57 3 A21

Place

Age

D

VIR

C

VIR

B

VIR

B

VIR

B

LIB

A

SCO

A

OPH

A

SAG

A

SAG

B

CAP

B

CAP

C

AQU

D

AQU

D

PSC

D

CET

E

PSC

E

ARI

E

ARI

E

TAU

E

TAU

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 0 1

E

TAU

2

E

AUR

—

GEM

E

CAN

E

CAN

E

LEO

3 4 5 6 7

D

LEO

8

D

LEO

D

VIR

C

VIR

B

VIR

9 10 11 12

2004

MAY hath 31 days.

My lilac trees are old and tall; 1 cannot reach their bloom at all. They send their perfume over trees And roofs and streets, to find the bees. -Louise Driscoll

Q

Dates, Feasts, Fasts, Aspects, Tide Heights

Farmer’s Calendar

Weather i

May Great Britain was 19.7 Glory! 1 Sa. Day • formed, 1707 • ^ I 9.9 Gr. 2 C 3^^' af. toter • (L Eq. • 9 Bro. Suns 3 M. Sts. Philip & James • the HdJTross • ini • the 4 Tu. Flower O * Eclipse d • d at ^ ^{11.7 ^ ^ • story. Cinco / The first dish 110.7 .. Rumors 5 W. de Mayo • stat. • pleaseth all. fj at Eurotunnel, a.k.a. “Chunnel,” / 12.0 r 6 Th. vA perie. • opened, 1994 • I 10.6 • e>J exhibit by “Group Bigfoot reported seen ./ j 7 Fr. ofFirstSeven” artists, 1920 • in Hollis, N.H., 1977 tnUHCler8 Sa. St. Julian of Norwich •d low •i945°^^’* boomers. 9 C 4ft af. Carter • c?oTn LweS 1671 Showery 10.9 r? common for and 10 M. O/ ttr + vA * hens to have pillows. * ^ 9.4 Glacier National Park, / 10.4 11 Tu. Mont., established, 1910 *1 9.3 • Three flowery, Maroney swam from Cuba Chilly with 12 W. OOvA • toS. Florida in 24.5 hours, 1997 Sandstorm in Pope John Paul II ^ . lightning 13 Th. N.J., 1866 ‘shot, 1981 •Saints 14 Fr. St. Matthias • d Eq. • 5 • {9I •• almost The prudent man does not I 9.5 hourly. 15 Sa. make the goat his gardener. * ^ 110.0 * 16 C legation ^. • d 9 d • ™es {io;2 • Summer heat 17 M. d at 9 • W stat. • 9 stat. • Tides { jq 3 • Masses feared end of world during I 9.4 18 Tu. passage of Halley’s Comet, 1910 •110.3 • makes First Jumping Frog Jubilee in school19 W. • Calaveras County, Calif., 1928 • . . A ,1 1 1 . Fountain pen kids 20 Th. Ascension • Orthodox Ascension • patented, i83o ^ Ci r? Wrestler/actor 21 Fr. U. apo. • O y ^ • Mr. T bom, 1952 • gripers— 22 Sa. Ct;fh»dd'(2*dbG*™es{'“:«. now .a. Botanist Carolus / 9.8 23 C icit S). at. • Linnaeus bom, 1707 * I 8.6 you’ll Day /^ tvi . / 9.6 need (Canada) • C5 O v * Tides | g 3 • 24 M. Victoria „ n j Daniel Goodwin climbed Chicago’s 25 Tu. M. Bede • Sears Tower using suction cups, 1981 * yOUT Tides {windshield 26 W. ^>ome are weatnemnse, .r.., f 9.2 • | g g WiperS. 27 Th. O If some are otherwise. • Tides “When a Man Loves a Woman,” I 9.2 28 Fr. by Percy Sledge, topped charts,, 1966 • 19.3 • ^leat. fy on Bartholomeu Dias, Portuguese discoverer 77 / 29 Sa. vA Eq. • of Cape of Good Hope, drowned, 1500 tsarly 30 C OTfjtt • JPentecosft • Orthodox Pentecost • peas 31 M. Visit, of Maiy • Day"(observed)» d at ^ • {H. 1 appear.

•

1

^1

2004

2004

■ The premises from which these monthly items issue include a house of the kind called a Cape Cod cottage. If you have spent much time in New England, you’ve seen these houses; perhaps you live in one. The Cape is the commonplace, vernacular housing of its era, the suburban ranch of by¬ gone days. It’s an oblong box, oneand-a-half or two stories, with a sim¬ ple, symmetrical floor plan based on a central hall with matching front rooms on both sides and a big kitchen in the rear. The outside of the house, in front, recapitulates the interior. There are two bays, each lighted by two win¬ dows, with the front entrance centered between them. Visually, the front en¬ trance is the focal point of the house. Visually, it is the focal point, but in every other way, the front entrance is irrelevant. Nobody enters or leaves the house by it; you come in by a door in the gable end. The front door is nearly a trompe I’oeil. It might be painted on the front of the house for aU the real use it gets. Once a year, around this time, I open the front door of this house just to prove to myself that I can do it. The door creaks open cautiously, stiffly, like an old man getting out of a car at the end of a long ride. 1 sweep the past winter’s accumulation of debris off the doorstep and close the door again. Closed it will stay. These fa¬ mous old houses with their front en¬ trances that are no entrances at all amount to a kind of sly architectural jest on the part of a people who ap¬ preciated the sly and took it wherever they found it.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac

57

2004_JUNE, The Sixth Month_ Venus crosses the face of the Sun on the 8th for the first time since 1882 (see “Venus Touches the Sun,” page 78). Doing so, it transitions from the evening to the morning sky, where it will remain for the rest of the year. This month of maximum sunshine could be titled “month of vanishing planets.” Jupiter alone remains conspicuous in the west at nightfall; all the remaining bright planets now sink into the Sun’s glare, joining the newly vanished winter constellations. Impossibly dim planet Pluto comes to opposition on the 11th in Ophiuchus; a large telescope is needed to see it. Look for the Moon to Join lonely Jupiter on the 23rd. Summer begins with the solstice on the 20th at 8:57 p.m. EDT.

O G

3rd day 9th day 17 th day 25th day

Full Moon Last Quarter 9 New Moon D First Quarter

20th minute 2nd minute 27 th minute 8th minute

0 hour 16th hour 16th hour 15th hour

Times are given in Eastern Dayiight Time.

153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182

58

Sets h. m.

Rises h. m.

1 Tu. 5 10 2 W. 5 10

A

3 Th. 5 09 4 Fr. 5 09 5 Sa. 5 09 6 C 5 08 7 M. 5 08 8 Tu. 5 08 9 W. 5 07 10 Th. 5 07 11 Fr. 5 07 12 Sa. 5 07 13 C 5 07 14 M. 5 07 15 Tu. 5 07 16 W. 5 07 17 Th. 5 07 18 Fr. 5 07 19 Sa. 5 07 20 C 5 07 21 M. 5 08 22 Tu. 5 08 23 W. 5 08 24 Th. 5 08 25 Fr. 5 09 26 Sa. 5 09 27 C 5 09 28 M. 5 10 29 Tu. 5 10 30 W. 5 11

A

A

A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A

8 15 8 16 8 16 8 17 8 18 8 18 8 19 8 20 8 20 8 21 8 21 8 22 8 22 8 23 8 23 8 23 8 24 8 24 8 24 8 24 8 25 8 25 8 25 8 25 8 25 8 25 8 25 8 25 8 25 8 25

ID

E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E

Length of Day h. m.

15 05 15 06 15 07 15 08 15 09 15 10 15 11 15 12 15 13 15 14 15 14 15 15 15 15 15 16 15 16 15 16 15 17 15 17 15 17 15 17 15 17 15 17 15 17 15 17 15 16 15 16 15 16 15 15 15 15 15 14

Sun Fast

0 >>

Declina¬ tion of Sun O »

High Tide Boston Light—A.M. Bold—P.M.

Rises h. m.

lOk lOi

6.^46

•

Day of Week

Day of Month

Day of Year

For an explanation of this page, see page 40; for values of Key Letters, see page 170.

22N.10 22 18 22 25 22 32 22 38 22 44 22 50 22 55 23 00 23 05 23 09 23 12 23 15 23 18 23 20 23 22 23 24 23 26 23 26 23 26 23 26 23 26 23 25 23 24 23 22 23 20 23 17 12 23 14 12 23 11 12 23N.07

18 18 18 17 17 17 17 17 16 16 16 16 16 15 15 15 15 15 14 14 14 14 13 13 13 13 13

D

Hi Hi 8 12 — 9 12i 1 10 H 11 1 2

3 4 5 6

7 8

9 10

lOi IH 12 12 121

H 2 2i

3i 4i 5 6

7 8 8i

91

D

ID

E

10

E

29 38 S33

E

2i

3i 12 Cil5 4i 12 47 5i 1 13 6i 1 36 ll 1 56 8i 2 16 9i 2 36 2 59 10 101 3 25 II2 3 56 — 4 33 12i 5 19 li 6 12 2 7 11 2i 8 14 3i 9 20 4i 10 26 5 11 A 32 5i 12 S39 6i 1 49 7i 3 01 8i 4 18 9i 5 39 7 ^00 10

E E — E D D D C B B B A A A A

Sets h. m.

3t^149 4 24 5 08 6 05 7 15 8 32 9 50 11 Ci06 12 U7 1 24 2 30 3 34 4 37 5 41 6 45 7 47 8 45 9 37

A A B B

10 21 10 58 11 29 11

8 H5

E

9 18 10 07 10 45 11 14 11 ^138

E E

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D Sets h. m.

3.U5 4 49 6 04 7 25 8 45

0)

CAP AQU

PSC

20 21

PSC

22

ARI

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

AQU

ARI TAU TAU TAU AUR GEM GEM CAN LEO

0 1 2

VIR

3 4 5

VIR

6

VIR

7

VIR

8

LIB

9

LEO LEO

SCO OPH SAG SAG CAP

10 11 12

13 14

2004

JULY hath 31 days.

How they shouted! What rejoicing! How the old bell shook the air, Till the clang of freedom ruffled, The calmly gliding Delaware! -Unknown

• Q 1 2

3 4 5

Farmer’s Calendar

• Dates, Feasts, Fasts, Aspects, Tide Heights

Q

Th. Fr. Sa.

Weather

Canada Day • (T perig. • Udes {j j 9 • Rocket’s Full runs First solo balloon flight around 7 Buck V-/ * ^ low • world completed, 2002 ^ Dog Days Idaho became /10.2 ; , St. Thomas • begin. • 43rd state, 1890 • 1 — glare.

C M. Tu.

5H) S). at. IP. • . d Wd • Warm A. Ashe won at /11.8 0©vi> • kl? aphelion • Wimbledon, 1975 • 110.3 and Pirate Capt. Kidd Fires in Quebec brought fl 1.4 r ■ 6 captured, 1699 * smoke to NE U.S., 2002 • 1 io.2 • Hammerfest, Norway (known as northernmost ^ >. 7 w. town in world), granted town status, 1789 • C c

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2004

The Old Farmer’s Almanac

123

Region 1 Forecast

New England SUMMARY: Winter will be two to three degrees colder than normal, on average. Expect especially cold temperatures from November through early January, with the coldest temperatures in mid-December. Temperatures from mid-January through March will be relatively mild. Snowfall and precipitation will be near nor¬ mal, on average. After widespread snowfall in late November and early December, expect below-normal snow through January. February will be a snowy month, and early March will be marked by heavy wet snow, at least inland. April and May will be much warmer than normal, on average, despite the chance for snow in the second week of April. The second half of May will be unusually hot. After a fairly normal June and July, August will be much hotter than usual, with oppressively high humidity in the first half of the month. Other hot periods will occur in early and late June and mid-July. Hot weather will continue in early September, with warm days in much of the month, followed by near-normal temperatures in October. September will be fairly dry, but October will have above-normal rainfall.

NOV. 2003: Temp. 40° (4° below avg. north; 2°

Chilly, rain. 26-30 Sunny, warm.

below south); precip. 4" (avg.). 1-4 Sunny, then rain with snow north. 5-17 Mostly cloudy, mild; showers. 18-21 Colder, sunny, then showers, snow showers north. 22-26 Rain to snow, turning very cold. 27-30 Chilly; heavy rain south, snow north.

MAY 2004: Temp. 61° (4° above avg.); precip.

DEC. 2003: Temp. 26° (7° below avg.); pre¬ cip. 2" (1.5" below avg.). 1-3 Cold; snow south, flurries north. 4-8 Cold, flurries. 9-11 Snow. 1220 Cold; sunny south, flurries north. 21-24 Sunny, milder. 25-28 Cold, then mild, snow to rain. 29-31 Cold. Burlington

3" (2" below avg. west; 1" above east). 14 Sunny, warm. 5-8 Warm, t-storms. Caribou 9-13 Showers. 14-17 Hot, then t-storms. 18-23 Sunny, cool, then hot. 24-31 Rain, then sunny.

JUNE 2004: Temp. 64° (1° be¬

avg.); precip. 3.5" (6.5" above avg.). 16 Partly sunny, cold, flurries. 7-8 Milder. 9-12 Heavy rain and snow. 13- \ 16 January thaw, rain. 17-21 Very cold; / snow showers. 22-24 Mild, showers. x 25-27 Snow north, then sunny, cold. Hartforj 28-31 Mild, rain.

low avg.); precip. 4.5" (avg.; 2" above east). 1-6 Showers north, sunny, hot south. 7-13 Cool; rainy periods. 14-19 Partly sunny, showers. 20-22 Rain, cool. 23-26 Hot, then t-storms. 27-30 Warm, showers. Boston 2004: Temp. 73° (2° above avg.); precip. 3.5" (2" below avg. north; 2" above south). 1-4 Sunny, warm. 5-9 Seasonable, rain south. 10-12 Sunny, hot. 13-18 Humid, t-storms. 19-24 Sunny, hot. 25-31 T-storms, then cooler.

FEB. 2004: Temp. 26° (1° below avg.); precip.

AUG. 2004: Temp. 75° (5° above avg.); precip.

4" (1" above avg.). 1-5 Cold; snow north, rain southeast. 6-11 Mild; rain south, snow north. 1218 Rain, then cold, snow. 19-23 Sunny, season¬ able. 24-29 Heavy rain south, heavy snow north.

4" (2" above avg. north; 0.5" below south). 1-5 T-storms. 6-15 Heat wave south, showers north. 16-18 Showers, cool. 19-22 Hot south, t-storms north. 23-31 T-storms, then sunny, warm.

MAR. 2004: Temp. 40° (2° above avg.); precip.

SEPT. 2004: Temp. 66° (3° above avg.); precip.

3.5" (0.5" above avg.). 1-2 Sunny, chilly. 3-7 Northeaster. 8-13 Partly sunny, seasonable; snow showers north. 14-17 Warm, then cold, rain to snow. 18-20 Sunny, seasonable. 21-25 Sunny and cold north, rain and snow south. 26-31 Rain, mild.

3" (1.5" below avg.). 1-3 Sunny, hot. 4-8 T-storms, then sunny; frost north. 9-12 Showers, chilly. 13-18 Sunny, very warm. 19-25 Very warm, showers. 26-30 Showers; warm south, cool north.

APR. 2004: Temp. 51° (2° above avg.); precip.

above avg.). 1-3 Heavy rain. 4-9 Chilly, showers. 10-14 Sprinkles and flurries. 15-19 Rain, warmer. 20-24 Sunny, cool. 25-31 Rain; snow north.

JAN. 2004: Temp. 23° (3° below

Y «

2.5" (1" below avg.). 1-7 Rain, snow. 8-12 Sunny, warmer. 13-19 Rain, then sunny. 20-25

Nov.

o

3 a3 Q.

Jan.

Feb.

Mar. Apr.

May June

July Aug. Sept. Oct

11

■ h

+7° Normal

.

-7°

124

Dec.

OCT. 2004: Temp. 54° (avg.); precip. 5.5" (2"

-

2

+ "

1

Start every day right: Visit www.almanac.com.

I

CD

O Normal

O 3

2

-

03

"

2004

Region 2 Forecast

Greater New York-New Jersey SUMMARY: The first half of the winter will be exceptionally cold, and the second half will have above-normal temperatures. Expect persistent cold from mid-November through early January, with other cold spells in late January and mid-February. Precipitation will be below normal, with near-normal snowfall. Snowy periods will occur in early December and mid- to late January. A northeaster in early March will bring heavy snow inland and mostly rain near the coast. After wet snow in early April, spring will come quickly, with temperatures in April and May averaging about three degrees above normal. Overall, the summer will be hot and wet, despite a dry June with near-normal temperatures. Temperatures will continue near normal in July, but heavy thunderstorms will bring double the normal rainfall. After thunderstorms in early August, expect the worst heat wave in several years, with oppressive heat and humidity into midmonth. September will be delightful, with warm days, comfortably cool nights, and plenty of sunshine. October will be warmer and wetter than normal.

NOV. 2003: Temp. 43° (2° below avg.); pre-

warm. 21-26 Showers. 27-30 Sunny, warm.

cip. 3.5" (avg.). 1-8 Showers, then sunny. 9-13 Warm, showers. 14-17 Sunny, seasonable. 18-23 Rain; snow north. 24-26 Sunny, cold. 27-30 Rain; snow north.

DEC. 2003: Temp. 29° (6° below avg.); precip. 2.5" (1" below avg.). 1-7 Cold, / snow, then sunny. 8-13 Flurries, then milder. 14-20 Partly sunny, very cold. 21-27 Milder, rain; snow north. 28- / 31 Sunny, cold.

MAY 2004: Temp. 63° (3° above avg.); precip. 4" (1" below avg. north; 1" above south). 1-4 Showers, then cool. 5-9 Hot, then t-storms. 10-13 Cooler. 14-17 Hot, then t-storms. 18-20 Sunny. 21-25 Hot; scat¬ tered t-storms. 26-31 Rain, then sunny.

*

JUNE 2004: Temp. 70° (avg.); precip. 1.5" (1" below avg.). 1-5 Sunny, hot. 6-13 Showers, cool. 14-20 Seasonable, showers. 21-24 Hot; scattered t-storms. 25-30 Sunny, warm.

JAN. 2004: Temp. 25° (4° below \ avg.); precip. 2" (1" below avg.). I- 6 Sunny, cold. 7-10 Rain and snow. II- 16 Very cold, then mild with rain. 17-21 Cold, snow showers. 22-28 Mild, then very cold. 29-31 Rain, milder.

JULY 2004: Temp. 75° (avg.); precip.

FEB. 2004: Temp. 32° (1° above avg.); precip. 3" (0.5" below avg.). 1-4 Snow turn¬ ing to rain. 5-9 Rain; snow north. 10-12 Sunny, mild. 13-19 Cold; sunny south, snow showers north. 20-25 Sunny, mild. 26-29 Heavy rain; wet snow north. MAR. 2004: Temp. 41° (1° above avg.); pre¬

7.5" (4" above avg.). 1-3 Sunny, warm. 4-10 Cloudy, cool, heavy rain. 11-18 Warm; heavy t-storms. 19-26 Sunny, hot. 27-31 Cooler, showers.

AUG. 2004: Temp. 79° (6° above avg.); precip. 4" (avg.). 1-3 Partly sunny, t-storms. 4-10 Sunny, hot, humid. 11-16 Hot, humid; scattered t-storms. 17-18 Cool, showers. 19-22 Sunny, hot. 23-28 T-storms, very warm. 29-31 Sunny, very warm.

cip. 3.5" (avg.). 1-2 Sunny. 3-7 Northeaster, heavy snow north and west. 8-12 Rain and snow showers. 13-15 Mild, showers. 16-20 Sunny, cold, then mild. 21-24 Cold, rain and snow. 25-31 Mild, rain, then sunny.

SEPT. 2004: Temp. 70° (4° above avg.); pre¬

APR. 2004: Temp. 53° (3° above avg.); pre¬

OCT. 2004: Temp. 57° (2° above avg.); precip.

cip. 2.5" (1" below avg.). 1-3 Sunny, warm. 4-7 Chilly, rain and wet snow. 8-12 Sunny, warm. 13-17 Showers, then cooler. 18-20 Sunny,

5" (2" above avg.). 1-5 Warm, t-storms. 6-15 Rain, then sunny, cool. 16-21 Rain, warm. 22-24 Sunny, cool. 25-31 Showers.

CD

CC

+7=

CD

Q.

E Normal

-7°

2004

r

■■

,

cip. 1" (2.5" below avg.). 1-4 Sunny, hot. 5-9 T-storms, then sunny, comfortable. 10-14 Showers, then sunny, cool. 15-21 Sunny, warm. 22-30 Very warm, showers, then sunny.

+4" 1

CD

O

w, . 1 i

Normal o'

-4" The Old Farmer’s Almanac

125

Regi

■

Forecast

Middle Atlantic Coast SUMMARY: The conning winter will be another cold one, but with less snow than last win¬ ter. Temperatures will average one to two degrees below normal, with well-below-normal temperatures from mid-November through mid-January, and near-normal temperatures from late January through March. The cold¬ est temperatures will be around the New Year, with other especially cold periods in early December and midJanuary. Precipitation will be below normal, and most places will also have below-normal snowfall. Southern parts of the region will get more snow than the north, with the best chances for accumulating snow in early December and mid-January. April and May will be wetter and much warmer than normal, despite the chance for a bit of snow after the first hot spell in early April. The summer will be hotter than normal, with near-normal rain in the west and above-normal rainfall in the east. Expect record heat in mid- to late June and almost anytime in August, which will be the hottest on record. September and October will be warmer than normal, with a rather dry September followed by a wet October.

NOV. 2003: Temp. 48° (1° below avg.); precip.

MAY 2004: Temp. 68° (3° above avg.); precip.

2.5" (0.5" below avg.). 1-4 Chilly, showers. 5-15 Warm, sunny, then showers. 16-19 Sunny, cooler. 20-26 Rain, then sunny, cold. 27-30 Rain, cool.

5" (1" above avg.). 1-5 Sunny, warm. 6-11 . ^ T-storms, then sunny, cool. 12-17 Warm, / humid, t-storms. 18-20 Sunny. 21-24 / Hot, t-storms. 25-27 Rain. 28-31 Sunny.

DEC. 2003: Temp. 33° (6° below avg.); precip. 3.5" (0.5" below avg. north; 1" above south). I- 4 Sunny, cold. 5-10 Very cold; snow. Baltimore II- 16 Sunny. 17-20 Mild, showers, then r sunny, cold. 21-31 Heavy rain, then sunny, / very cold.

JUNE 2004: Temp. 76° (2° above avg.); precip. 4" (avg.). 1-5 Sunny, hot. 6-12 Cool, showers. 13-19 Sunny, warm. 20-24 Sunny, record heat. 25-30 T-storms, then sunny.

JAN. 2004: Temp. 31° (3° below avg.);

JULY 2004: Temp. 78.5° (0.5°

precip. 1.5" (1.5" below avg.). 1-6 Sunny, cold. 7-10 Mild, then cold, rain turn¬ ing to snow. 11-13 Sunny, cold. 1416 Warm,t-storms. 17-21 Sunny, then rain and snow. 22-31 Sunny, A „ . .1 f: n03n0K6 then rain. /)/:

above avg.); precip. 5.5" (1" above avg.). 1-3 Sunny. 4-9 T-storms. 10-11 Sunny. 12-25 Humid, t-storms. 26-31 More comfortable, then t-storms.

FEB. 2004: Temp. 40° (3°

AUG. 2004: Temp. 81.5° (5.5° above avg.); pre¬

above avg.); precip. 2.5" (0.5" below avg.). 1-12 Mild, partly sunny, a few showers. 13-16 Sunny, cold. 17-23 Rain, then sunny, mild. 24-29 Rain.

cip. 4.5" (1" below avg. west; 1" above east). 1-3 T-storms. 4-16 Sunny, turning hot, humid. 17-22 Hot, humid, t-storms. 23-31 Very warm, t-storms.

MAR. 2004: Temp. 47° (1° above avg.); precip.

APR. 2004: Temp. 60° (4° above avg.); pre¬

cip. 2.5" (2" below avg. north; avg. south). 1-4 Sunny, very warm. 5-10 Sunny, comfortable. 11-14 Showers, then sunny, cool. 15-21 Sunny, warm. 22-25 Warm, t-storms. 26-30 Sunny, warm.

cip. 4" (0.5" below avg. north; 1" above south). 1-3 Sunny, hot. 4-7 Rain, cool. 8-11 Sunny, warm. 12-17 Rain, then cool. 18-20 Sunny, warm. 21-22 Rain. 23-30 Warm; sunny north, t-storms south.

OCT. 2004: Temp. 61° (2° above avg.); precip. 4" (0.5" above avg. north; 2" above south). 1-5 Warm, t-storms. 6-15 Rain, then sunny, cool. 16-21 Rain. 22-28 Sunny, then showers. 29-31 Very warm, t-storms.

3" (0.5" below avg.). 1-6 Chilly, showers. 7-19 Mostly sunny. 20-25 Chilly, rain and flurries. 26-31 Mild, rain.

o

I X—

Nov.

Dec.

Jan.

6

+ °

CD CL

E Normal .CD

6

-

126

Feb.

°

]f

1f

I

Mar.

Apr.

JL

SEPT. 2004: Temp. 73° (3° above avg.); pre¬

May June

■

July Aug.

Sept.

Oct.

2

+ "

31

t. i

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J

CD

O

Normal^' CD O CJ

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-

"

2004

■ Region 4 Forecast Piedmont and Southeast Coast SUMMARY: Overall, the winter will be colder than normal. Temperatures from November through mid-January will be four degrees colder than normal, on average, with temperatures from late January through March two degrees milder than normal, on average. Expect drier than normal weather in the north and wetter than nor¬ mal weather in the south, especially in the southeast. Snowfall will be above normal across the north, due to heavy snow in early December. Elsewhere, expect normal or below-normal snowfall. April and May will be warmer than normal, with near-normal rainfall in April, then heavy rains in the southeast during May. June will be dry, with near-normal rainfall in July and August. Temperatures will average a degree or so hotter than normal, thanks to the heat waves in mid- to late June, the middle of August, and late July. September will be near normal in both temperatures and rainfall. October will be warmer than normal, but with frequent rain, sometimes heavy. NOV. 2003: Temp. 55° (avg.); precip. 1.5" (1.5" below avg.). 1-5 Showers, then sunny, cool. 6-13 Sunny, warm. 14-17 Sunny, cooler. 18-22 Showers, warm, then cool. 23-25 Sunny, cold. 26-30 Showers, mild.

DEC. 2003: Temp. 41° (5° below avg.); precip. 4" (1" above avg. east; 1" below west). 1-3 Sunny; cold north. 4-8 Very cold; snow north, rain south 9-16 Sunny, very cold then sea¬ sonable. 17-20 Showers, mild, then cold. 21-27 Rain. 28-31 Sunny, very cold.

JAN. 2004: Temp. 39° (3°

Sunny, warm. 5-8 T-storms, then sunny, chilly. 9-11 Sunny. 12-16 Rain. 17-30 Sunny, warm.

MAY 2004: Temp. 71° (1° above avg.); precip. 6.5" (1" above avg. north; 5" above south). 1-2 Sunny, warm. 3-7 Warm, t-storms. 8-11 Sunny, cool. 12-15 T-storms. 16-23 Mostly sunny; scattered t-storms. 24-31 T-storms.

JUNE 2004: Temp. 76° (avg.); precip. 1" (3" below avg.). 1-7 Sunny, warm. 8-13 Sunny, cool. 14-19 Warm; scattered Savannah t-storms. 20-25 Sunny, very hot, humid. 26-30 T-storms, then comfortable.

below avg.); precip. 5" (0.5" be¬ low avg; 2" above southeast). 1-2 Rain; snow north. 3-6 Sunny, cold. 7-10 Warm, then rain turning to snow. 11-13 Sunny, very cold. 14-16 Rain, mild. 17-21 Sunny, cold, then warm. 22-25 Rain, mild. 26-31 Cold, then rain.

FEB. 2004: Temp. 46° (2° above avg.); precip. 5.5" (avg. north; 4" above south). 1-9 Rain, mild. 10-16 Sunny, cold. 17-27 Showers. 28-29 Heavy rain.

MAR. 2004: Temp. 55° (1° above avg.); pre¬ cip. 4.5" (1" below avg. north; 1" above south). 1-4 Sunny. 5-9 Rain. 10-13 Chilly; rain south. 14-19 Rain, then sunny. 20-24 Rain, chilly. 25-31 Showers, then sunny. APR. 2004: Temp. 65° (3° above avg.); precip. 4" (2" above avg. north; 1" below south). 1-4

JULY 2004: Temp. 80° (avg.); precip. 4.5" (avg.). 1-3 Sunny, warm. 4-17 Seasonable, t-storms. 18-23 Warm; t-storms north. 24-26 Hot; t-storms south. 27-31 Sunny, then t-storms.

AUG. 2004: Temp. 80° (2° above avg.); precip. 4" (2" above avg. east; 1" below west). 1-2 T-storms. 3-7 Sunny, warm. 8-15 Hot; sunny north, t-storms south. 16-21 Sunny, hot. 22-25 Heavy t-storms. 26-31 Sunny, then t-storms.

SEPT. 2004: Temp. 74° (avg.); precip. 3.5" (avg.). 1-4 Warm; sunny north, t-storms south. 5-10 Cool; sunny north, rain south. 11-16 Sunny, cool. 17-21 Sunny, warm. 22-24 Warm, t-storms. 25-30 Sunny, warm.

OCT. 2004: Temp. 66° (2° above avg.); precip. 6.5" (4" above avg.). 1-5 Warm, t-storms. 6-14 Cool, rain, then sunny. 15-24 Cool, rain. 25-31 Sunny, warm.

OJ

2

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a5

CL

E Normal

2004

II The Old Farmer’s Almanac

I

+4" CD O

Normal g-' o

-4"

3

127

Regi

■

Forecast

Florida SUMMARY: Winter will be wet and mild overall, with below-normal temperatures in December and January, and above-normal temperatures in February and March. The best chance for a freeze into central Florida is in mid-January, although we don’t expect any major damage. Other cold periods will be in early and late December and early January. Stormy weather will occur in the second week of March, with other especially rainy periods in early and late December, early January, and mid- to late February. Temperatures in April and May will be near normal in the south and slightly warmer than normal in the north. Expect near-normal rainfall in April, followed by a very wet May. The summer will continue wet in the south, but the north will be drier than normal. Expect the usual daily thun¬ derstorms scattered about most days in the summer, with widespread heavy downpours in June. The hottest tem¬ peratures will occur in mid-June and mid- to late August. Rainfall in September and October should be near normal, with near-normal temperatures in September and a warm October. NOV. 2003: Temp. 73° (5° above avg.); precip.

5-7 T-storms, warm. 8-11 Sunny, cool. 12-16 T-storms, warm. 17-30 Sunny, cool, then warm.

3" (0.5" below avg. north; 2" above south). 1-5 Warm, t-storms. 6-13 Sunny, warm. 14-16 MAY 2004: Temp. 75.5° (1° above avg. north; Sunny, cool north. 17-22 Warm; sunny avg. south); precip. 9" (5" above avg.). 1-4 north, t-storms south. 23-25 Cool Sunny, warm. 5-12 Partly sunny; scat¬ north, t-storms south. 26-30 Jacksonville tered t-storms. 13-18 T-storms. 19-31 Warm, t-storms. Seasonable; scattered t-storms.

DEC. 2003: Temp. 60.5°

JUNE 2004: Temp. 80° (avg.); precip.

(4° below avg. north; 1° below south); precip. 5.5" (3" above avg.). 1-4 Warm, t-storms. 5-11 Cool, rain. 12-17 Sunny, mild. 18-22 Rain. 23-29 Sunny, then rain. 30-31 Sunny, cool.

7" (5" above avg. south; 3" below north). 1-9 Partly sunny; scattered t-storms. 10-15 Mostly cloudy; heavy t-storms south and central. Miami 16-26 Very warm; scattered t-storms. 27-30 T-storms, cooler.

JAN. 2004: Temp. 59° (2° below avg.); pre¬

JULY 2004: Temp. 81° (1° below

cip. 3" (avg.). 1-7 Rain, then sunny, cold. 8-13 Rain, then sunny; freeze north and central. 14-19 Showers. 20-26 Sunny, mild. 27-31 Warm, showers.

avg.); precip. 7" (avg.). 1-7 Warm, t-storms. 8-11 Partly sunny. 12-23 Partly sunny; scattered t-storms. 24-31 Warm; scattered t-storms.

FEB. 2004: Temp. 67° (4° above avg.); pre¬

AUG. 2004: Temp. 81° (1° below avg.); precip.

cip. 5" (4" above avg. north; avg. south). 1-2 Rain. 3-8 Sunny, warm. 9-16 Showers, then sunny, cool. 17-19 Sunny, warm. 20-24 Sunny south, heavy rain elsewhere. 25-29 Sunny, then t-storms.

7" (2" below avg. north; 2" above south). 1-11 Partly sunny; scattered t-storms. 12-22 Scat¬ tered t-storms; hot north. 23-31 T-storms.

MAR. 2004: Temp. 68° (1° above avg.); pre¬ cip. 6.5" (4" above avg.). 1-8 Showers, cool. 9-14 Heavy rain. 15-21 Sunny. 22-31 Showers, then sunny.

APR. 2004: Temp. 72.5° (1° above avg. north; avg. south); precip. 3" (avg.). 1-4 Sunny, warm.

Normal

c I ■ ■

SEPT. 2004: Temp. 81° (avg.); precip. 6" (avg.). 1-15 Mostly cloudy, t-storms. 16-22 Partly sunny; scattered t-storms. 23-30 Mostly sunny, warm.

OCT. 2004: Temp. 79° (4° above avg.); precip. 6" (avg.). 1-9 Wairm; scattered t-storms. 10-18 Warm, t-storms. 19-21 Sunny, cool. 22-25 Warm, t-storms. 26-31 Sunny, warm.

fj

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128

+5"

Normal "S 09

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Start every day right: Visit www.almanac.com.

CD O

3

2004

Upstate New York SUMMARY: Expect a cold, snowy winter, with temperatures two to three degrees below nor¬ mal, on average, and well-above-normal precipitation and snowfall. Temperatures will be especially cold from the second half of November through mid-December, from late December to early January, and in most of midFebruary. Expect frequent snowfalls, with above-normal accumulations every month except February, which will have below-normal snow. Rain and mild temperatures in early April may bring flooding, but overall April and May will be warm with below-normal rainfall. The summer will be the opposite extreme of the winter, with temperatures averaging two to three degrees hot¬ ter than normal and well-below-normal rainfall. The hottest temperatures will occur in early June, in mid- to late July, and through most of August. September will start hot and end cool. Overall, the month will be mild and wet. October will also be wet, with near-normal temperatures. NOV. 2003: Temp. 38° (1° below avg.); precip. 3.5" (1.5" above avg.). 1-7 Partly sunny. 8-14 Warm, showers. 15-20 Rain and snow showers. 21-25 Very cold; heavy lake snows. 2630 Snow showers.

DEC. 2003: Temp. 20° (7° below avg.); precip. 2" (1" below avg.). 1-10 Very cold; heavy lake snows. 11-17 Partly sunny, flurries. 18-20 Very cold. 21-24 Partly sunny, mild. 25-31 Showers, then windy and cold with snow squalls. JAN. 2004: Temp. 17° (4° below avg.); precip. 4.5" (2" above avg.). 1-5 Cold; lake snows. 6-9 Mild; rain and snow showers. 10-13 Cold; oc¬ casional snow. 14-16 Rain, warm; flooding. 17- 21 Cold; snow showers. 22-24 Mild, show¬ ers. 25-31 Sunny, cold, then showers, mild.

FEB. 2004: Temp. 23° (avg.); precip. 3.5" (1" above avg.). 1 -5 Rain and ice. 6-11 Mild, show¬ ers. 12-16 Cold; snow showers. 17-23 Snow, then mild. 24-29 Rain and wet snow.

MAR. 2004: Temp. 31.5° (1.5° below avg.); precip. 3" (avg.). 1-5 Cold; snow showers. 6-11 Snowstorm. 12-17 Showers, mild, then cold. 18- 24 Snowstorm, then sunny, cold. 25-31 Mild, then rain, cooler.

APR. 2004: Temp. 47° (2° above avg.); precip. 2" (1" below avg.). 1-4 Rain. 5-12 Sunny, cool.

2004

then warm. 13-18 Showers, then cooler. 19-26 Showers. 27-30 Sunny.

MAY 2004: Temp. 59° (3° above avg.); precip. 3.5" (avg.). 1-7 Warm, sunny, then t-storms. 8-12 Showers, cool. 13-25 Showers, then sunny, very warm. 26-31 T-storms, then sunny, warm.

JUNE 2004: Temp. 65° (avg.); precip. 2.5" (1" below avg.). 1-5 Sunny, hot. 6-13 Showers, cool. 14-19 Sunny, nice. 20-24 T-storms, then sunny, warm. 25-30 T-storms, then sunny.

JULY 2004: Temp. 72° (1° above avg.); precip. 2" (1.5" below avg.). 1-6 Warm, t-storms. 7-12 Sunny, warm. 13-19 Very warm; t-storms. 20-26 Sunny, hot, humid. 27-31 Cooler, showers.

AUG. 2004: Temp. 74.5° (6.5° above avg.); precip. 5" (1" above avg.). 1-4 T-storms. 5-9 Sunny, hot. 10-27 Partly sunny; scattered t-storms, very warm. 28-31 Sunny, very warm.

SEPT. 2004: Temp. 65° (4° above avg.); pre¬ cip. 4.5" (1" above avg.). 1-3 Sunny, hot. 4-7 T-storms, then sunny, cool. 8-13 Chilly, show¬ ers. 14-23 Sunny, very warm. 24-30 Rain, turn¬ ing cooler.

OCT. 2004: Temp. 50° (avg.); precip. 4.5" (1.5" above avg.). 1-9 Showers, then partly sunny. 10-16 Sunny, chilly. 17-21 Showers, mild. 22-25 Sunny, cool. 26-31 T-storms, mild.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac

129

Regi

■

Forecast

Greater Ohio Valley SUMMARY: Winter will be two degrees colder than normal, on average. December and early January will be particularly cold, averaging about seven degrees below normal. Temperatures during the rest of the season will be a degree or two milder than normal, on average. Precipitation and snowfall will be near or slightly below normal. The heaviest snowfalls will occur early and late in the season, a few days before Thanks¬ giving, and in early April. Other than that early April snow, the month will be nice, with plenty of sunshine, above-normal tempera¬ tures, and below-normal rainfall. May will bring more of the same. The summer will be relatively hot and dry. Expect the hottest temperatures in mid- to late June and late July, and through much of August. September will continue warm and dry. October will start with heavy rain and be rainier and cooler than nor¬ mal, on average. NOV. 2003: Temp. 44.5° (0.5° below avg.); precip. 3.5" (avg.). 1-4 Showers, cool. 5-8 Sunny, warm. 9-12 Very warm, showers. 13-18 Sunny, mild. 19-23 Rain to snow, colder. 24-30 Cold, rain and snow showers.

DEC. 2003: Temp. 27.5° (7.5° below avg.); precip. 1" (2" below avg.). 1-9 Very cold; snow showers. 10-17 Partly sunny, then showers and ^^Indianapolis flurries. 18-24 Sunny, milder. ' 25-31 Rain turning to snow, then very cold.

JAN. 2004: Temp. 26° (3° below avg.); precip. 3.5" (1" above avg.). 1-7 Sunny, turning milder. 8-12 Showers, then sunny, very cold. 13-15 Heavy rain. 16-22 Rain, snow. 23-31 Rain and snow showers.

t. 2004: Temp. 34° (2° above avg.); precip. 3.5" (avg. east; 1" above west). 1-9 Mild, show¬ ers. 10-15 Rain turning to snow, then sunny, cold. 16-22 Mild, showers. 23-29 Sunny, then rain.

MAR. 2004: Temp. 42.5° (0.5° below avg.); precip. 3" (1" below avg.). 1-6 Snow north, rain south. 7-12 Cold, rain and snow showers. 13-19 Sunny, mild. 20-24 Chilly, rain. 25-31 T-storms, then sunny.

APR. 2004: Temp. 56.5° (3.5° above avg.); precip. 3" (1" below avg.). 1-6 Turning cold, rain to snow. 7-11 Sunny, nice. 12-19 Show¬

Nov.

Dec.

Jan.

Feb.

Mar.

Apr

ers, then sunny. 20-25 T-storms. 26-30 Sunny, very warm.

MAY 2004: Temp. 65° (2° above avg.); precip. 3.5" (0.5" below avg.). 1-7 Sunny, then showers. 8-11 Chilly; showers south. 12-16 Warm; t-storms north. 17-23 Warm, t-storms. 24-31 Sunny, seasonable.

JUNE 2004: Temp. 72° (1° below avg. east; 1° above west); precip. 3.5" (avg.). 1-6 Sunny, then t-storms. 7-14 Sunny, cool. 15-25 T-storms, then sunny, hot. 26-30 Warm; scattered t-storms.

JULY 2004: Temp. 76.5° (0.5° above avg.); precip. 3.5" (0.5" below avg.). 1-10 Sunny, warm. 11-24 Warm; scattered t-storms. 25-31 Sunny, warm. AUG. 2004: Temp. 79° (5° above avg.); precip. 2.5" (1" below avg.). 1-8 Showers, then sunny, hot. 9-18 T-storms, then sunny, hot. 19-27 Warm, t-storms. 28-31 Sunny.

SEPT. 2004: Temp. 72° (4° above avg.); pre¬ cip. 2" (1" below avg.). 1-4 Hot, then t-storms. 5-9 Sunny, nice. 10-13 Chilly, showers. 14-20 Sunny, warm. 21-24 Warm, t-storms. 25-30 Sunny, then t-storms.

OCT. 2004: Temp. 55° (avg. east; 2° below west); precip. 4.5" (2" above avg.). 1-7 Heavy rain, turning cooler. 8-15 Sunny. 16-23 Rain, then sunny. 24-31 Showers.

( Sept;

Oct. CD O

CD

Q.

E Normal

Normal"^* O)

.03

130

Start every day right: Visit www.almanac.com.

2004

Regi m

Forecast

V

Deep South SUMMARY: November through March will be a bit colder and drier than normal, with belownormal sno\A/fall in those areas that normally receive snow. November will be relatively mild, followed by a gener¬ ally cold December and January. Temperatures in February and March will be close to normal, on average. Janu¬ ary and Febmary will be the rainiest months, with the best chances for significant snow in the north in early December and in late January. April and May will be warmer and less rainy than normal, in general, although heavy thunderstorms in May will bring flooding to parts of the south. The summer will be close to normal, on average, with the usual heat, humidity, and scattered thunderstorms. The hottest periods will be in the latter halves of June and July. September and October will be warmer than normal with above-normal rainfall, especially in the north. NOV. 2003: Temp. 58° (4° above avg.); pre-

MAY 2004: Temp. 72.5° (1.5° above avg.);

cip. 3.5" (1" above avg. north; 2" below south). 1-7 Sunny, warm. 8-12 T-storms, very warm. 13-19 Sunny, warm. 20-23 Cool, rain; wet snow north. 24-30 Sunny, warm.

precip. 7" (2" below avg. northwest; 7" above southeast). 1-3 Sunny, warm. 4-11 T-storms, then sunny. 12-31 Partly sunny, warm; t-storms.

DEC. 2003: Temp. 41° (4° below avg.); precip. 3" (2" below avg.). 1-3 Sunny cold. 4-7 Cold, rain; snow north. 8-16 Sunny, turning milder. 17-21 Rain. 22-31 Showers, then sunny, very cold.

JUNE 2004: Temp. 77.5° (1.5° below avg. north; 0.5° above south); precip. 3" (0.5" below avg.). 1-6 Partly sunny, warm; t-storms. 7-16 Sunny, very warm. 17-24 T-storms, then sunny, hot. 25-30 Warm, t-storms. JULY 2004: Temp. 80° (avg.);

JAN. 2004: Temp. 37° (2° below avg.); precip. 5" (1" below avg. north; 2" above south). 1-6 Rain, then sunny, cold. 7-13 Rain; snow north, then sunny, cold. 14-21 Rain, then sunny. 22-31 Rain; snow north, chilly.

FEB. 2004: Temp. 44° (1° above avg.); pre¬ cip. 6.5" (2" above avg.). 1-5 Warm, showers. 6-8 Heavy rain. 9-12 Sunny, mild. 13-15 Showers, then sunny. 16-22 Rain, mild. 23-29 Sunny, then heavy rain.

precip. 3.5" (avg.). 1-16 Partly sunny, warm; scattered t-storms. 17-31 Partly sunny, hot, humid; scat¬ tered t-storms.

AUG. 2004: Temp. 81° (1° above avg.); pre¬ cip. 5" (1" above avg. north; 1" below south). 1-8 Partly sunny; t-storms south. 9-17 Partly sunny; scattered t-storms. 18-25 Partly sunny; t-storms north. 26-31 Very warm; scattered t-storms.

SEPT. 2004: Temp. 75.5° (1.5° above avg.);

1° above northwest); precip. 2" (2" below avg.). 1-4 Sunny. 5-10 Showers. 11-17 Sunny, sea¬ sonable. 18-31 Rain, then sunny.

precip. 4.5" (3" above avg. north; 1" below south). 1-7 Partly sunny, t-storms. 8-16 Sunny, warm. 17-24 Partly sunny; scattered t-storms. 25-30 Sunny, warm.

APR. 2004: Temp. 63° (1° above avg.); pre¬

OCT. 2004: Temp. 64° (1° below avg. north;

cip. 2" (2.5" below avg.). 1-3 Sunny, warm. 4-9 Showers, then sunny, cool. 10-20 T-storms, then sunny, nice. 21-30 T-storms, then sunny, very warm.

1° above south); precip. 6" (3" above avg.). 1-6 Mostly cloudy; scattered t-storms. 7-15 Sunny north, t-storms south. 16-20 Sunny. 21-25 Rain, cool. 26-31 Sunny, then t-storms.

MAR. 2004: Temp. 51° (1° below avg.;

2004

The Old Farmer’s Almanac

131

Regi

■

Forecast

Chicago and Southern Great Lakes SUMMARY: Winter will be cold, with temperatures three degrees below normal, on average. Temperatures will be very cold much of the time from late November through January, with the coldest periods in early December, from about Christmas to New Year, and again in late January. The first half of November, and the months of February and March, will be milder, with temperatures a bit above normal. Precipitation will be slightly above normal, due to a wet February, and snowfall will be near normal. The heaviest snowfalls will occur in late November, early and late December, and mid-January. April and May will be warmer than usual, with near-to above-normal rainfall. The summer will be hotter than normal, primarily due to an exceptionally hot August. Rainfall will be very close to normal, with the heaviest rains in July. September will be wet and mild, with heavy rain to close the month. October will also be wet, but with below-normal temperatures. NOV. 2003: Temp. 39° (1° below avg.); precip. 3.5" (1" above avg.). 1-6 Showers, then sunny. 7-11 Warm, showers. 12-19 Seasonable, showers. 20-25 Much colder; snow then sunny. 26-30 Flurries.

MAY 2004: Temp. 62° (3° above avg.); precip. 4" (1" above avg. east; 0.5" below west). 1-7 T-storms, warm. 8-11 Cool, showers. 12-24 Warm; scattered t-storms. 25-31 Sunny, warm.

DEC. 2003: Temp. 20° (8° below avg.); precip.

above avg.); precip. 3" (1" be¬ low avg.). 1-5 Sunny, hot. 6-14 T-storms, then sunny, cool. 15-19 Warm, t-storms. 20-23 Sunny, hot. 24-30 T-storms, then sunny.

JUNE 2004: Temp. 71° (1°

1.5" (1" below avg.). 1-9 Very cold; snow show¬ ers. 10-15 Partly sunny, flurries. 16-23 Turn¬ ing milder, flurries then sunny. 24-31 Much colder, snow. JAN. 2004: Temp. 15° (7° ^Milwaukel below avg.); precip. 2" (0.5" JULY 2004: Temp. 74° above avg.). 1-5 Sunny, cold. (avg.); precip. 5" (1" above avg.). 6-8 Mild, showers. 9-19 Cold, 1-5 Sunny, then t-storms. 6-10 Sunny, snow. 20-24 Mild, showers. nice. 11-17 Warm, t-storms. 18-21 Sunny, 25-31 Cold, flurries. nice. 22-24 Sultry, t-storms. 25-31 Partly sunny; scattered t-storms. FEB. 2004: Temp. 26.5° (1.5° above avg.); precip. 3.5" (2" above avg.). 1-4 Sunny, then rain. 5-10 Mild, showers. 1115 Cold, flurries, then sunny. 16-18 Rain and snow. 19-26 Seasonable; rain and snow show¬ ers. 27-29 Rain and snow.

cip. 3.5" (1" above avg. east; 1" below west). 1-4 Sunny. 5-13 Very warm, t-storms. 14-24 Hot, humid; scattered t-storms. 25-31 Sunny, comfortable, then hot.

MAR. 2004: Temp. 37° (avg.); precip. 2.5"

SEPT. 2004: Temp. 67° (3° above avg.); pre¬

(avg.). 1-10 Chilly, periods of snow. 11-18 Sunny, turning warm. 19-23 Rain and snow. 24-31 Mild, showers.

cip. 5.5" (2" above avg.). 1-3 Sunny, hot. 4-8 T-storms, then sunny, cool. 9-12 Showers, then chilly. 13-23 Warm, showers. 24-30 Sunny, then heavy rain.

APR. 2004: Temp. 52° (3° above avg.); pre¬ cip. 3.5" (0.5" above avg.). 1-7 Rain and snow, then sunny, chilly. 8-11 Sunny, warm. 12-16 Showers, then sunny, cool. 17-23 Heavy rain. 24-30 Sunny, very warm.

AUG. 2004: Temp. 78° (6° above avg.); pre¬

OCT. 2004: Temp. 49° (3° below avg.); precip. 3.5" (0.5" above avg.). 1-6 Showers, turning cool. 7-16 Sunny, cool. 17-22 Rain, cold. 23-31 Sunny, then rain.

2

+ " CD O

Normal I-’

2

-

132

Start every day right: Visit www.almanac.com.

"

2004

Region

10

Forecast

Noithem Great Plains-Great Lakes SUMMARY: Expect substantial variations this winter. Temperatures will be cold in the east, es¬ pecially in December and January, with below-normal snowfall in Wisconsin and above-normal snowfall in the Upper Peninsula. In Minnesota and the eastern Dakotas, temperatures will be a bit below normal, with near¬ normal snowfall. In the western part of the region, expect temperatures to be near normal through much of the winter, with a very mild March, but expect more snow than average. The coldest temperatures will occur just af¬ ter Thanksgiving and between Christmas and New Year. April will be colder than normal in the west but milder than normal in the east, followed by near-normal tem¬ peratures in May. Watch for heavy snow in mid-April. The summer will be hot. It will be relatively dry in the west, with above-normal rain in the east. September will be colder than normal in the west, with near-normal temperatures in the east. October will be cold, with heavy snow possible to close the month. NOV. 2003: Temp. 32° (1° below avg. east;

MAY 2004: Temp. 56° (avg.); precip. 1" (0.5"

1° above west); precip. 1.5" (avg.). 1-8 Mild, showers west. 9-12 Snow, colder. 13-16 Cold, snow, then sunny. 17-24 Cold, flurries. 25-27 Sunny, mild. 28-30 Very cold, flurries.

below avg.). 1-4 Showers. 5-12 Sunny, cool, then warm. 13-25 T-storms, cool. 26-31 Sunny, turn¬ ing hot.

DEC. 2003: Temp. 14° (5° below avg.; 1° be¬

west); precip. 3.5" (0.5" below avg.). 1-3 Sunny, hot. 4-8 Hot west, t-storms east. 9-16 Comfortable; scattered t-storms. 17-24 T-storms, warm, then cool. 25-30 Sunny, nice.

low west); precip. 0.75" (0.25" below avg.). 1-8 Snow showers, very cold. 9-12 Mild. 13-15 Showers east. 16-23 Sunny, mild. 24-31 Hur¬ ries, then very cold.

JAN. 2004: Temp. 8° (4‘ below avg.; 2° above west); precip. 0.75" (0.25" below avg.). 1-7 Sunny, mrning mild. ^ 8-16 Flurries, very cold. 17-22 Snow showers. 23-26 Sunny, very cold. 27-31 Windy; light snow.

FEB. 2004: Temp. 16° (avg.); precip. 1" (avg.). 1-9 Light snow, cold, then milder. 10-15 Hurries, then sunny, cold. 16-19 Sunny, milder. 20-29 Mild; snow showers.

JUNE 2004: Temp. 66.5° (avg. east; 3° above

JULY 2004: Temp. 75.5° (2.5° above avg.); precip. 3.5" (1" above avg. east; 1.5" below west). 1-6 T-storms east, sunny west. 7-14 Sunny, very warm. 15-25 Sunny, hot. 26-31 Hot; scattered t-storms.

AUG. 2004: Temp. 74.5° (3.5° above avg.); pre¬ cip. 4" (2" above avg. east; 1" below west). 1-10 Warm; scattered t-storms. 11-23 Hot; scattered t-storms. 24-31 T-storms, then sunny, cooler.

SEPT. 2004: Temp. 57.5° (avg. east; 3° below

above west); precip. 1" (0.5" below avg.). 1-8 Mild; snow showers. 9-12 Cold, flurries. 13-23 Sunny, mild. 24-31 Showers, then sunny, warm.

west); precip. 3.5" (avg. east; 1" above west). 18 Sunny, warm. 9-12 Chilly, rain. 13-21 Sea¬ sonable; scattered t-storms. 22-30 Sunny, cold, then milder.

APR. 2004: Temp. 44° (3° above avg. east; 3°

OCT. 2004: Temp. 40.5° (5.5° below avg.); pre¬

below west); precip. 2.5" (0.5" above avg.). 1-6 Cold, flurries. 7-9 Sunny, warm. 10-14 Heavy rain and snow. 15-19 Cold, flurries. 20-26 Sunny, very warm. 27-30 Rain.

cip. 2.5" (0.5" above avg.). 1-8 Cold, rain and snow showers. 9-14 Sunny, cool. 15-18 Showers. 19-25 Chilly, rain and snow showers. 26-31 Sunny, then snow.

MAR. 2004: Temp. 33.5° (3° above avg. east; 8°

YEAR SUBSCRIPTION ONLY $15!

1

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ET) 2004

Classified Advertising For advertising information, contact Marie Knopp, 203-263-7171. ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

YOUR OWN ELECTRIC COMPANY! Diesel gen¬ erators. Free brochures. Imperial-OFA, 507 Kins¬ man, Greenville PA 16125. 800-830-0498. ART

NORMAN ROCKWELL prints, posters. Catalog $4, refundable. Rockwell Gallery Collection, Box 1260F, Huntingdon Valley PA 19006. 215-969-5619. www.rockwellsite.com. E-mail: [email protected] ASTROLOGY/OCCULT

ASTROLOGY: FREE CATALOG. Books, tapes, tarot, spirituality. 800-500-0453 or 714-255-9218. Church of Light, www.light.org MRS. KING, spiritual reader, advisor, helps in matters of life where others have failed. Call 912-283-0635. FREE OCCULT CATALOG! Books, bumper stick¬ ers, jewelry, ritual items. AzureGreen, PO Box 48OFA, Middlefield MA 01243. 413-623-2155. Re¬ tail/wholesale. www.azuregreen.com MISS LISA, astrology reader and advisor. Extra¬ ordinary powers. Call for help with all problems. Waycross GA. 912-283-3206. SKEPTICAL about psychic services? We’re also tired of the nonsense. Experience the Difference with Psychic Source. Call 866-945-9562. Web site: www.psychicsource.com Entertainment only, 18+. MALEENA, GOD-GIFTED. Can reunite lovers. Guaranteed results with all situations. Free mini¬ reading. 757-549-9090. WITCH WORKS^'^. Empowered, moon-cultivated herbal potions, essences. PO Box 1839A, Royal Oak MI 48068-1839. 248-542-3113 or www.witchworks.com OCCULT CATALOG: complete needs. Herbs, oils, books, incense, etc. $3. Power Products, PO Box 442, Mars Hill NC 28754._

PSYCHIC SOURCE: a community of over 100 gifted psychic advisors connected by a common desire to provide caring, genuine insight and guid¬ ance. Call Psychic Source today, 888-967-0130. www.psychicsource.com Entertainment only, 18-I-. FREE LUCKY NUMBERS. Send birth date, selfaddressed, stamped envelope. Mystic, Box 2009-R, Jamestown NC 27282. SPIRITUAL ADVISOR. Help for all problems: rela¬ tionships, nature, money, jobs. See results in 3 days. Call Dewberry 800-989-1059 or 912-264-3259. ATTENTION: SISTER LIGHT, Spartanburg, South Carolina. One free reading when you call. I will help in all problems. 864-576-9397. EUROPEAN PSYCHIC READER and advisor guarantees help with all problems. Call Sylvia for one free reading. 864-583-5776. DEVELOP PSYCHIC AND OCCULT abilities. Learn by correspondence. Become a psychic, healer, spiritual advisor, counselor, magician, teacher. Metaphysical University, 2110 Artesia Blvd., Ad¬ missions B-264, Redondo Beach CA 90278-3014. 310-398-1638. E-mail: [email protected] FREE! ONE PERSONALIZED MAGIC spell! Tell us exactly what you need! EKSES, PO Box 9315(B), San Bernardino CA 92427-9315. SISTER HILLARY solves all impossible problems. Reunites lovers. Predicted over 500 successful marriages. 100% accuracy. Guaranteed results. 512-845-2053. POWERFUL SPELLS PERFORMED. Alexandria reunites lovers immediately. Reveals future love, fi¬ nance. One free reading. 423-593-4563. SISTER MOSES can remove bad luck, sickness, suffering. Restores love, luck, happiness. Guarantees help in 3 days. One free reading. 601-545-8972. BEEKEEPING EQUIPMENT

FREE MINI-READINGS. Psychic Diana has the ability to solve all problems. Removes spells and re¬ unites loved ones. Toronto, Ontario; 416-226-5418.

ROSSMAN APIARIES. Established 1936 and fam¬ ily-owned. Manufacturers of cypress beehives, pro¬ tective clothing, honey extracting equipment, honey containers. 800-333-7677. www.gabees.com

NEW ORLEANS PSYCHIC. Relationship special¬ ist. Guarantees to remove all negative obstacles in two days. 985-652-2969.

BEER & WINE MAKING

POWERFUL SPELLS performed by Gabriella. Spe¬ cializing in reuniting lovers. Guaranteed in two hours. 504-628-1260.

2004

FREE ILLUSTRATED CATALOG. Fast service. Since 1967. Kraus, PO Box 7850-YB, Independence MO 64054. www.eckraus.com/offers/fd.asp 800-841-7404.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac

197

Classifieds LEARN THE SECRETS of making great wines naturally using no chemicals. 770-469-8528 or www.atlantamall2000.com/winemaking.htm BOOKS/PUBLICATIONS/CATALOGS

BECOME A PUBLISHED AUTHOR. Publisher with 80-year tradition. Author’s guide to subsidy publishing. 800-695-9599. TREE BOOKLETS: Life, death, soul, resurrection, pollution crisis, hell. Judgment Day, restitution. Bible Standard (OF), 1156 St. Matthews Rd., Chester Springs PA 19425. www.biblestandard.com FAMILY FUN. 100-year-old book of children’s man¬ ners: “Coops and How to Be Them.” www.TheGoops.net END PROBLEMS WITH OTHERS FOREVER! Order two powerful booklets today: “How to Han¬ dle Difficult People” and “Your Power to Say NO”. $4. Newlife, PO Box 2230-SH, Pine AZ 85544. www.anewlife.org AMERICA’S BEST CHILDREN’S BOOKS: Beat¬ rix Potter, Americana, farm animals, wildlife, edu¬ cational. Catalog $5. Storytime, PO Box 203, Dry Run PA 17220._ GRACE LIVINGSTON HILL BOOKS! Free list. We have great L. Walker Arnold books! Call 800854-8571._ APPLYING FOR DISABILITY? Harassed, dis¬ criminated against, or injured at work? Scared? Confused? www.self-protection.info PO Box 3, Roselawn IN 46372 or 219-765-5019. BUILDING SUPPLIES

HARDWOOD PLANK FLOORING/WAIN¬ SCOTING. Premium Vermont hardwood custom milled by our experienced craftsmen. 802-823-7365. www.northeastwoodproducts.com BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

$400 WEEKLY ASSEMBLING PRODUCTS from home. For free information, send SASE to Home Assembly-FA, PO Box 216, New Britain CT 06050-0216._

RECORD VIDEOTAPES AT HOME! Easy $1,800.00 weekly income. Free start-up information kit. 205-663-9888. CMS Video Dept. 174, 210 Loma Square, Birmingham AL 35216-5439. EARN SUBSTANTIAL INCOME locating dis¬ tressed property. Earn big profits. No experience needed. Complete training provided. Unlimited earnings potential. Free information: 800-331-4555 ext. 7830. CLOTHING

FREE CARHARTT clothing catalog! Shrock-OFA, 507 Kinsman, Greenville PA 16125. 866-655-2467. “Saving you money $$$.” E-COMMERCE

RED FLANNEL WEBSITE DESIGN. Renovation, design, maintenance, shopping carts. Reasonable rates. Experienced. Service-oriented. Small busi¬ ness specialty, www.redflannelweb.com EDUCATION/INSTRUCTION

BRITISH INSTITUTE OF HOMEOPATHY. Home-study courses in herbology, clinical nutri¬ tion, homeopathy, Bach Flower Remedies, and more. Free prospectus. Call 609-927-5660. INDEPENDENT STUDY CAREER TRAINING program in Enhanced Medical Assisting with na¬ tional job placement. 888-354-4325. Web site: www.wholehealtheducation.com FARM & GARDEN

GREENHOUSES! Beautiful, strong, functional, do-it-yourself hobby/commercial-size kits and ac¬ cessories. 800-531-GROW (4769). Web site: www.GothicArchGreenhouses.com NEPTUNE’S HARVEST ORGANIC FERTILIZ¬ ERS: Extremely effective. Commercially proven. Outperform chemicals. Wholesale/retail/farm. Cat¬ alog. 800-259-4769. www.neptunesharvest.com CANNING SUPPLIES. Extensive selection. Canners, dryers, jars, ingredients, tools, books. Free catalog. 800-776-0575. www.kitchenkrafts.com

LET GOVERNMENT GRANTS/LOANS FI¬ NANCE your business, to $2,200,000.00. (Web site: www.usgovernmentinformation.com) Free recorded message: 707-448-0270. (KEI)

POND SUPPLIES. Barley straw and other products. Natural solutions for pond algae. Growers, distrib¬ utors, wholesale, retail. 315-531-8803. Web site: www.naturalsolutionsetc.com

FREE GRANTS. Home purchase, repair, educa¬ tion, business, $500 to $500,000. 800-306-0873. http://www.capitolpublications.com

JACOB SHEEP: Hardy, low maintenance. Excellent for wool, breeding. Resurrection Farm, Massachu¬ setts. E-mail us: healthed(a)comcast.net

EARN $400 TO $700 for 5 to 6 hours’ work. Free information. Send stamped envelope to “Off Air DJ,” Box 332, Big Bend WI 53103.

GREENHOUSE TUBING BENDERS. Bend steel tubing into smooth, gracefully curved greenhouse frames in seconds. 903-569-8541. www.lostcreek.net

198

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2004

Classifieds & RECIPES

ZUCCHINI, THIRTY RECIPES. $3. H. C. Ward, 645 N. Middle Rd., Newville PA 17241. PECAN DATE CAKE W/CARAMEL ICING. Scrumptious family recipe! $3.00 and SASE to Susie’s Recipes, PO Box 1552, San Marcos TX 78667-1552. YOU-MAKE-IT. Supplies for cheese to wine, beer to bubblegum, hot sauce and more! www.leeners.com MAKE YOUR OWN JERKY! East, easy, fun! Ex¬ cellent seasoning for beef, venison, buffalo. 800647-0996. www.pacificmountainfarms.com FUND-RAISING

MAKE GOOD MONEY for your school, group, or nonprofit organization selling The Old Farmer’s Almanac General Store® products to friends and neigh¬ bors. Great products sell themselves! Great prices! Great opportunity! Call today 800-424-6906. The Old Farmer’s Almanac Fund-Raising, 220 South Street, Bemardston, MA 01337. www.gbimarketing.com GARDENING & LANDSCAPING

DEER/CRITTERS BROWSING YOUR GARDEN OR SHRUBS? Stop ’em in their tracks! Cruelty- and chemical-free solution: www.Predator-Products.com JOHNSON NURSERY. Hardy fruit trees with antique and disease-resistant varieties. Free catalog! 888-2763187. Ellijay, Georgia, www.johnsonnursery.com GIFTS

GENUINE FREQUENCY FOODS™. Revolutionary advancement in quantum nutrition and heal¬ ing. Free affiliate program. 888-483-2283 ext. 22. (www.NPC.ubiquitousonline.com) Tupperware™ home business opportunities available. 877-2TUPPER. (www.my.tupperware.com/NPC) SPECIALIZING IN OBESITY, ARTHRITIS. Vitamin herbal products. New natural product Banaba for energy, weight control. Sunshine Vitamin Co., Box 10286, Oakland CA 94610. 510-465-2805. Free brochure. AMAZING DIABETES TEA used internationally, contains natural insulin, stimulates and detoxifies pancreas. Guaranteed. Toll-free 877-832-9369. www.diabetestea.com HELP WANTED

EASY WORK! EXCELLENT PAY! Assemble pro¬ ducts at home. Call toll-free 800-467-5566 ext. 12627. INSECT REPELLENT

BUZZ-OFF. Powerful insect repellent. Deet-free. All insects away. $10/4 oz. Lewey’s, 176 Amsden Rd., Corrina ME 04928; or 800-leweys-l (5393971); or www.4u2buzzoff.com INVENTORS/INVENTIONS/PATENTS

INVENTIONS/NEW PRODUCTS. ISC, America’s leading invention firm, helps submit to companies. Patent services. 1-888-439-IDEA. LABELS

BE LUCKY, BE HAPPY at theluckshop.com. Cu¬ rios, treasures for your joy, comfort, and fun.

FULL-COLOR LABELS for soaps, jams, jellies, honey, lotions, creams. Small quantities available. Free samples. 877-901-4989.

HEALTH & BEAUTY

MAINE RESORTS

AUTHENTIC TESTED FORMULAS. Liniments, salves, ointments from Grandma’s medicine chest. Alford’s, Box 339-OF, Middlesex NC 27557.

BAR HARBOR AND ACADIA National Park. 153 oceanview rooms. Atlantic-Oakes-by-the-Sea. Open year-round. 800-33-MAINE (62463). Web site: www.barharbor.com

OLD-FASHIONED, ALL NATURAL, quality health products since 1868.1 recommend them to my pa¬ tients. www.watkinsonline.com/DrSchultz or call 630-975-0512._ MIRACLE II SOAP. All natural. No chemicals. Cleans, detoxifies, rejuvenates body, soil, and plants! Free booklet. 888-879-7817. DIABETIC SUPPLIES. Medicare, most insurances (no HMOs) accepted with no cost to those qualified. Free shipping. 800-254-4667.

MISCELLANEOUS

JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES, friends, family, dis¬ cover facts society’s hiding. Free, confidential. Box 454, Metaline Falls WA 99153. Web site: www.macgregorministries.org CASH FOR 78-RPM RECORDS! Send $2 (refundable) for illustrated booklet identifying collectible la¬ bels, numbers, with actual prices I pay. Docks, Box 691035(FA), San Antonio TX 78269-1035. MUSIC/RECORDS/TAPES/CDS

HEALTH & FITNESS

WEIGHT LOSS. Send $10 and SASE. Farrar’s Hypnosis Advantage, Box 210562, Normandy MO 63121.

2004

SPIRIT FIDDLE. Old-fashioned fiddle/guitar CDs: Mother’s Day Waltz, Blue Jeans and Gingham, Cafe Music. Contact www.spiritfiddle.com or 603424-0814.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac

199

Classifieds MUSIC CDS, CASSETTES (Retail/Wholesale). Bluegrass, Celtic, Hammered Dulcimer, Civil War, Hymns, Railroad, Cowboy, Children’s, Christmas, more. www.QuinnMusic.com 828-668-4622.

MEET LATIN WOMEN! Beautiful Mexican-South American ladies seeking marriage! All ages. Free brochures! TLC, PO Box 924994, Houston TX 77292-4994.713-896-9224. www.tlcworldwide.com

NURSERY STOCK

PETS AND PET SUPPLIES

TREE/SHRUB SEEDLINGS direct from grower. Plants for landscaping, wildlife food and cover, tim¬ ber, and Christmas tree production. Free color cata¬ log. Carino Nurseries, PO Box 538AL, Indiana PA 15701. 800-223-7075. www.carinonurseries.com

HIGH-FASHION DOG PRODUCTS: hats, har¬ nesses, collars, leashes, bandanas. Hundreds of sat¬ isfied customer photos, www.udogu.com

OF INTEREST TO ALL

BUILD UNDERGROUND HOUSES, shelters, greenhouses, root cellars affordably. “The $50 & Up Underground House Book” tells how. 75,000 sold! 800-328-8790. www.undergroundhousing.com WORRIED YOUR SPOUSE or loved one has a sex¬ ual addiction? Need direction? Call 800-354-7902. PHOTOS COPIED: Restorations, reprints. Send S ASE to BIG FOTO, PO Box 521, Cataula GA 31804. PREPAREDNESS AND SURVIVAL catalog. $3. C. F. Resources, PO Box 405, Kit Carson CO 80825. 719-962-3228 (9-5 MT). www.cfamilyresources.com or www.selfrelianceresources.com FREE CASH! Wealthy families unloading millions in grants! Any purpose! Anyone eligible! Bless¬ ings, PO Box 647, Poway CA 92064 (444). HOW TO MAKE A WEDDING go smoothly. Find out who pays for what in this value edition. Send $12.00 to B. Baird, PO Box 4694, Baltimore MD 21212. www.thecoolpages.com/infonet/suite2079397 TWO-HOUR WEDDING-PLANNING VIDEO. $19.95. Learn from the professionals! Free coupon and discounts, www.idoinfo.com ORGANIZATIONS

FREE INFORMATION! UNMARRIED Catholics. Large membership. Unlimited choice. Established 1980. Sparks, Box 872-FlO, Troy NY 12181. PERSONALS

ASIAN BRIDES! WORLDWIDE! Friendship, ro¬ mance, lifemates! Color photos/details: P.I.C., PO Box 4601-FA, Thousand Oaks CA 91362. 805-4928040. Web: www.pacisl.com DIAL-A-MATE LIVE TALK and voice personals. 10,000 singles call every day! Try it Free! 800-2345558.18+._ IT’S FREE! Ladies talk to local guys. It’s new, fun, and exciting! Call 800-485-4047. 18-I-. MEET NICE SINGLES. Christian values. Free info. New catalog $3.00. Singles, Box 310-OFA, Allard TN 38504. 931-879-4625.

200

AUTHENTIC MAINE COON KITTENS. Gor¬ geous, affectionate, confident, furry, healthy, reg¬ istered purebred. Call 603-424-0814 or go to www.redflannelcattery.com POULTRY

GOSLINGS, DUCKLINGS, GUINEAS, chicks, turkeys, bantams, quails, pheasants. Books, med¬ ications, equipment. Hoffman Hatchery, PO Box 129,Gratz PA 17030._ FREE CATALOG. Baby chicks, ducks, geese, turkeys, game birds, Canadian honkers, wood ducks. Eggs to incubators. Books and supplies. Stromberg’s, Pine River 45, MN 56474-0400. Phone: 800720-1134. www.strombergschickens.com GOSLINGS, DUCKLINGS, chicks, turkeys, guineas. Picture catalog $1. Pilgrim Goose Hatchery, OF-04, Williamsfield OH 44093. REAL ESTATE

GOVERNMENT LAND now available for claim. 160 acres/person. (www.usgovemmentinformation.com) Free recorded message: 707-448-1887. (4KE1) LET THE GOVERNMENT PAY for your new or existing home. lOO-i- programs. (Web site: www.usgovernmentinformation.com) Free infor¬ mation: 707-448-3210. (8KE1) RELIGION

FREE 72-PAGE BOOKLET examines scriptures about being saved. Clearwater Bible Students, PO Box 8216, Clearwater FL 33758. SEEDS & PLANTS

LOVE IN BLOOM. Northern hardy heirloom seeds. To order, contact http://bunnynh.tripod.com/ or PO Box 744, Henniker NH 03242._ DEPOT FARM STAND. Family-owned and -oper¬ ated since 1976. Specializing in rare and unusual perennials, fresh produce, specialty foods, and coun¬ try gifts, www.depotfarm.com THE ORIGINAL “Grow Your Own” seed company. Tobacco, medicinal plants, tropicals, and more. Free catalog. E.O.N.S., Dept./FA, PO Box 4604, Hallandale FL 33008.954-455-0229. www.eonseed.com

Start every day right: Visit www.almanac.com.

2004

Classifieds FREE CATALOG. Top-quality vegetable, flower, and herb seeds since 1900. Burrell, Box 150-OFAC, Rock Ford CO 81067.

AFRICAN HEALER. Guarantees to solve all prob¬ lems. Specializing in spiritual cleanings. Call for Free reading. 866-375-3518.

COMPARE AND SAVE: SEEDS, BULBS, PLANTS, herbs, extracts, supplements, oils, books, horticulture supplies, mycology supplies, and other related items, www.pjtbotanicals.com Catalog $3.00 U.S., $6.00 International. P.J.T. Botanicals, PO Box 49, Bridgewater MA 02324.

GIFTED HEALER. Solves all problems, troubles, bad luck, love, life. Removes evil influences, nature problems, brings back lovers to stay, good luck, money. Uncle Doc Shedrickrack, Hwy. 48, 7905 Bluff Rd., Gadsden SC 29052. Call 803-353-0659.

VEGETABLE TRANSPLANTS. Quality green¬ house vegetable transplants shipped direct from growers since 1947. Call 229-776-3790; e-mail: [email protected] SPIRITUAL ADVICE

TREES & SHRUBS

CATALOG FREE! Tree seedlings. Wholesale prices. Flickinger’s Nursery, Box 245, Sagamore PA 16250. 800-368-7381. WEATHER VANES

SPIRITUAL HEALER SOPHIA helps all prob¬ lems: love, luck, money, health, marriage, and hap¬ piness. Free reading. 334-688-1709.

WEATHER VANES AND CUPOLAS. 50% off sale. America’s largest selection. Free catalog. Immediate delivery. 800-724-2548. Web site: www.weathervaneandcupola.com

REVEREND GINGER, INDIAN HEALER, works miracles, guaranteed in hours. Specializing in re¬ uniting the separated. Call 504-463-3358.

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

SISTER DENISE, spiritual reader, resolves all prob¬ lems in life. Love, business, marriage, nature, bad luck. Guaranteed results. 678-455-0170. SPIRITUAL HEALER

EVANGELIST ADAMS, spiritual healer and advi¬ sor. Are you suffering with bad luck, love, marriage, sickness, and finances? Immediate results. 770622-9191._ SISTER NINA, spiritual healer and advisor. Wor¬ ried, sick, marriage. Have bad luck and evil sur¬ roundings? 24-hour results. 770-650-7177. SISTER DIVINE, spiritual healer, reunites lovers. Solves all matters: love, business, finance. Removes evil spells. Guaranteed results in 24 hours. 251479-7775.

FREE CATALOG of Classics Illustrated comics. 1940s-1970s. Philip Gaudino, 49 Park Ave., Port Washington NY 11050._ PSYCHIC NICOLE BERRY helps with all prob¬ lems. Reunites lovers. Aura cleansing. 99% accu¬ rate. Immediate results. Call 281-987-7360.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac classified rates: $18.50 per word (15-word minimum per insertion). Payment required with order: MasterCard. Visa, AmEx, and Discover/NOVUS accepted. For Gardener’s Companion rates, Web classi¬ fieds, or additional information, contact Marie Knopp: 203-263-7171; fax 203-263-7174; or e-mail to [email protected]. Write to: Marie Knopp, Gallagher Group, PO Box 959, Woodbury, CT 06798. The 2005OW Farmer’s Almanac closing date is May 12, 2004.

Get the Facts on www.almanac.com Visit the on-line home of 77ie Old Farmer’s Almanac for all your information needs. Create your own personal version of the home page, adjusted for your precise location. • • • • • •

Free electronic newsletter sign-up Long-range and five-day weather forecasts Gardening information Recipes Advice | and lots, lots more 1

teokj

Stop by for a visit! 2004

The Old Farmer’s Almanac

201

Index to Advertisers 194 AA Cabins, 800-983-6559, www.aacabins.com gc25 AccuWeather, Inc., 814-235-8600,

gc29 Gorilla Glue, 800-966-3458, www.gorillaglue.com 192 Edward R. Hamilton, Bookseller, 800-677-3483,

www.erhbooks.com/fhg 192 Happy Valley Ranch, 913-849-3103, www.happyvalleyranch.com 149 Hearing Help Express, 800-782-6897, ext. 15-346 194 Hearthside Quilts, 800451-3533, www.hearthsidequilts.com 191 Hitchcock Shoes, Inc., 800-992-WlDE (9433), www.wideshoes.com 81 Hydro-Sil, 800-627-9276, www.hydrosil.com 76 Institute of Children’s Literature 73 The International Library of Poetry, www.poem.com 192 Invention Submission Corporation, 888-439-IDEA (4332) gc3 Jackson & Perkins Company, 800-854-6200, www.jacksonandperkins.com 193 E. C. Kraus, 800-841-7404 35 The Leader Co., Inc. gc29 Lehman’s, 888-438-5346, www.lehmans.com 24 Lid’l Dolly’s, 800-983-6559, www.98dolly.com 24 Lighthouse Depot, 800-758-1444, www.Ihdepot.com 38 Lloyds Hearing Aid Corp., 800-323-4212, www.lloydhearingaid.com 192 Log Home Resource Center, 800-441-1564, www.loghomeresources.com 151 Long-Term Care Quote, 800-587-3279, www.ltcq.net gc28 Mantis ComposT-Twin, 800-366-6268 gc29 Mantis Tiller/Cultivator, 800-366-6268, www.emantis.com 193 Medicool, 800433-2469, www.medicool.com 93 Micron Corporation, 800-456-0734, www.microncorp.com 193 Monroe Hearing Aid Co. 192 Murray McMurray Hatchery, 800456-3280, www.mcmurrayhatchery.com 192 The Music Bam, www.themusicbam.com 33 Neutrolox gc27 Nostalgia Merchants, 877-731-2453, www.nostalgiamerchants.com 194 The Old Farmer’s Almanac calendars, www.almanac.eom/go/wcal2004

www.accuweather.com 85 Active Health Labs, 800-600-0612, Dept. D190, www.activehealthlabs.com 101 Agora Health Books, 888-821-3609, code PD91 192 American Steel Span, 800-547-8335 24 Arsco Manufacturing Co., Inc., 800-543-7040 23 Athena Institute, 610-827-2200, www.athenainstitute.com gc32 The Beautiful Music Company gc5 Bee-Alive Royal Jelly, 866-783-6877 193 Bierhaus International, 888-273-9386 193 Burrell Seeds, 719-254-3318 gc27 Celestial Products, 800-235-3783, www.mooncalendar.com gc28 Colorblends, 888-847-8637, www.colorblends.com 99 ComposTumbler, 800-880-2345 191 The Conestoga Co., Inc., 800-987-2264, www.bigbangcannons.com 165 Continental Quest/Research Corp., 800-451-5773, offer #OFA-04 gc5 CosmeSearch, Inc., 800-811-4430, www.cosmesearch.com 24 Country Curtains, 800-876-6123, Dept. 33803, www.sendcatalog.com 3, gc23, gc27 Country Home Products, 800-520-2525, www.drfieldbmsh.com;www.drpowerwagon.com; www.drchipper.com 93 Coverit.com, 888-288-2359, www.coverit.com 175 Craftmatic Adjustable Beds, 800-840-7447 83 Crystal Clear, 845-754-8696, www.johnellis.com 193 Diabetic Support Agency, 800-595-0228 37 Dairy Association Co., Inc., 802-626-3610, www.bagbalm.com 36 Dawn Bible, 800-234-DAWN (3296), www.dawnbible.com in DeepRock, 800-333-7762, op. 8526, www.deeprock.com 24 Deltec Homes, 800-642-2508, www.deltechomes.com gc31 The Old Farmer's Almanac Gardener’s Companion, gc28 Diamond Farm Book Publ., www.diamondfarm.com 800-895-9265, ext. 220, www.almanac.com 33 Dr. John’s Research gc31 The Old Farmer’s Almanac General Store Fund-Raising gc27 Duncraft, 800-593-5656, www.duncraft.com Pi'ogram, 800-424-6906, www.gbimarketing.com, gc12 Maria Duval www.almanac.com 19 Electric Mobility Corp., 800-662-4548, ext. 9680 110 The Old Farmer’s Almanac replicas, 800-895-9265, 191 Electronic Ed. Tours, www.electronictours.net ext. 220, www.almanac.com/go/WHREOFAE 27 Essiac Canada International, 613-729-9111 196, 237 The Old Farmer’s Almanac subscriptions, 8 Eamily Labels, 800-441-2945, www.familylabels.com 800-895-9265, ext. 220 161 EC&A www.almanac.com/go/WASEOFAE 91 Featherspring International, Inc., 800-628-4693, 11 Greek Direct, LLC, 800-281-6420, ext. CC656, www.featherspring.com www.oreck.com gc21 Florida’s Best, 800-735-8912, www.jltindustries.com 191 Palmer Industries, 800-847-1304, www.palmerind.com 193 Fn 192 Petcare Animal Hospital, www.extendedyears.com gc23 Gooseneck Hitch, 888-313-6311, 5 Premier Bathrooms, 8(X)-578-2899 www.gooseneckhitch.com gc19 Prolific, 800-519-7871, offer #903

202

Start every day right: Visit www.almanac.com.

2004

21 Prosora, 800-530-2471, promotion #902 gc23 Prostate Rx, 888-772-2741, www.prostaterx.net 191 Psychic Source, 800-967-0113, www.psychicsource.com 15 Puranol, 800-417-2891, promotion #901 37 RandobLabs 192 RainWise Inc., 800-762-5723, www.rainwise.com 109 Rare Serials, 724-349-4455, www.rareserials.com 17,31 Rush Industries, Inc., 516-741-0346, www.mshindustries.com 93 Sinclair Pharmacal Co., Inc., 800-649-4372, www.boroleum.com 29 SkinZinc, 800-759-6982, risk-free trial code 343, www.skinzinc.net gc28 Stokes Seeds, 800-396-9238 www.stokeseeds.com 25 Stoner Inc., 8884STONER (478-6637) www.invisibleglass.com 191 Sun-Mar, 800461-2461, www.sun-mar.com 25 SunPorch Stmctures Inc., www.sunporch.com (Web code OFA) 7 SunSetter Products, 800-876-8060, ext. 4194, www.screen-room.com 102 Taylor Manufacturing Co., Inc., 229-985-5445, www.peasheller.com 13 Tempur-Pedic, Inc., 888-702-8557 87 Thomson Education Direct, 800-572-1685, ext. 3770, www.edudirect-usa.com, ID# AA2S93S 193 TimberKing Inc., 800-942-4406, ext. FA5, www.timberking.com 89 Tresco Publishers, http://www.trescocorp.com

143 United Research Publishers,

ANSWERS

TO

Green Thumb Jumble 1. green beans 2. asparagus 3. radishes 4. dirt 5. endive 6. nectarine 7. vines 8. avocado tree 9. romaine lettuce 10. iris 11. English ivy 12. thyme 13. yellow tomatoes

www.unitedresearchpubs.com

gc28 Van Bourgondien, 800-622-9997, www.dutchbulbs.com

First-letter message: GARDEN VARIETY

192 Vantage Press 159 Vortine, 866-291-2589 194 Walnut Hill Forge, 800-274-7364, www.gratewalloffire.com

gc27 White’s Detectors, 800-349-5606, www.whitesdetectors.com gc29 WoodPrairie Farm, 800-829-9765, www.woodprairie.com 8, 25 Woodstock Soapstone Co., Inc., 888-6648188, www.gasstove.com;www.woodstove.com

Mystery Message “Hard work spotlights the character of people: Some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don’t turn up at all.” -Sam Ewing (American writer, 1921-2001)

3 Woodland Power Products, Inc., 800-255-7100, www.cyclonerake.com 167 The Xandria Collection, www.xandria.com 167 Yankee Magazine, 800-2884284, ext. 3001 8 Yesteryear Toys & Books Inc., 800481-1353, www.yesteryeartoys.com

2004

Charades man, hat, tan, Manhattan

The Old Farmer’s Almanac

203

Amusements

A sampling from the hundreds of letters, clippings, and e-mails sent to us by Almanac readers from all over the United States and Canada during the past year.

How and Why Dogs Were Created (cats, too) Courtesy ofW. O., Poultney, Vermont

■ Perhaps you would enjoy reading what the scholars of the Dead Sea Scrolls might have discovered to be an addition to the Book of Genesis. It has been in our family for years and goes like this: Adam said, “Lord, when I was in the garden, you walked with me everyday. I do not see you anymore and I am lonely. It is difficult for me to remember how much you love me.” God said, “I shall create a companion for you who will always be with you and shall reflect My love for you. His love shall be unconditional; regard¬ less of how selfish, childish, or unlovable you may be, he will ac¬ cept and love you.” God created an animal for Adam, and it was good. And God said “Because I

204

have created this animal to be a reflection of My love for you, his name shall be a reflection of My name, and you will call him dog.” The dog lived with Adam. Adam was comforted. The dog was content and wagged his tail. Then it came to pass that Adam’s guardian angel came to the Lord and said, “Lord, Adam has become filled with pride; he struts and preens and has come to believe that he is worthy of adoration. He has learned from the dog’s devotion that he is loved, but he has no humility.” And the Lord said, “I shall cre¬ ate another com¬ panion for him who will see him as he is and re¬ mind him of his limitations, so that

Amusements

An Inspiring Example of Human Resourcefulness A (supposedly) true story, courtesy of I. A,, Hancock, New Hampshire

■ Last spring, after stopping for drinks at an illegal bar, a Zimbabwean bus driver found (two cities in this South African country) had escaped. They were nowhere to be found. Not wanting to admit his incompetence, to say nothing of his time at the bar, the driver went to a nearby bus stop and offered everyone waiting there a h'ee ride. He then de> livered these passengers to the mental hospital, telling the doctors and nurses that the “patients” were very excitable and prone to rather bizarre fantasies. The deception wasn’t discovered for almost three days.

he knows he is not worthy of adoration and will become humble.” So God created the cat. The cat did not obey Adam, and when he gazed into the cat’s eyes, Adam was reminded that he was not the supreme being. He learned humility. Adam was greatly improved. God was pleased. So was the dog. The cat did not care one way or the other.

How to Bake Four-andTwenty Blackbirds in a Pie Courtesy ofF. B., Pound Ridge, New York

■ Can you really, as in the old song, have live birds fly out of your freshly baked pie? Sure, according to an old book of recipes titled The Italian Banquet, which came out in 1516, 276 years be¬ fore The Old Farmer s Almanac first appeared (1792). Here’s how to do it: Line a deep dish with a sturdy piecrust, and cut a hole “the size of your fist” in the bottom. Fill with flour, heap¬ ing it up into a mound, and cover with a

top crust. Cut a few slits for ventilation, and bake until the crust is set. When cool enough to handle, turn the “pie” out of the dish and, through the hole in the bottom, scoop out the flour. To serve, simply pop a few birds up through that hole in the crust, and return the pie to the dish. Voila! A pie with live birds! How festive! (Incidentally, 24 birds is probably an excessive number. Maybe start with two or three?)

Love-and-Marriage Questions With answers supplied by various New Jersey elementary-school children, picked at random. Courtesy ofF. P., West Caldwell, New Jersey

QUESTION: How do you decide whom to marry?

ANSWERS: You got to find some¬ body who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should

205

Amusements

keep the chips and dip coming. -Alan, age 10

do on a first date that was turning sour?

No person really decides before they grow up who they’re going to marry. God decides it all way be¬ fore you, and you only get to find out later who you’re stuck with. -Kirsten, age 10

ANSWER: I’d run home and play dead. The next day, I would call all the newspa¬ pers and make sure they wrote about me in all the dead columns. -Craig, age 9

ANSWER: It’s better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them. -Anita, age 9

QUESTION: When is it OK to QUESTION: What is the

kiss someone?

right age to get married?

ANSWERS: When they’re rich. -Pam, age 7

ANSWER: Twenty-three is the best age because you’ve known the person forever by then.

The law says you have to be 18, so I wouldn’t want to mess with that.

-Camille, age 10

QUESTION: How can a stranger tell if two people are married?

ANSWER: You might have to guess based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids. -Derrick, age 8

-Curt, age 7

The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It’s the right thing to do. -Howard, age 8

QUESTION: Is it better to be QUESTION: What would you

QUESTION: How would the world be different if peo¬ ple didn’t get married?

ANSWER: There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn’t there? -Kelvin, age 8

QUESTION: How would you make a marriage work?

ANSWER: Tell your wife that she looks pretty even if she looks like a truck.

single or married?

-Ricky, age 10

The Three Worst Puns of 2003 Courtesy of G. P., Nelson, New Hampshire

Mahatma Gandhi, as everyone knows, walked barefoot most of the time, which pro¬ duced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate very little, which made him rather frail, and with his odd diet, he suffered from bad breath. This made him a— ready?—super callused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis. Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly, but when they lit a fire in the craft, it sank, proving once again that you can’t have your kayak and heat it, too. A group of chess enthusiasts checked into a hotel and were standing in the lobby discussing their recent tournament victories. After about an hour, the manager came out of the office and asked them to disperse. “But why?” they asked, as they moved off. “Because,” he said, “I can’t stand chess nuts boasting in an open foyer.” 206

Start every day right: Visit www.almanac.com.

2004

Amusements

■ Some people may object, but a quick way

FACT: It is impossible to lick your elbow. -courtesy ofF. P., West Caldwell, New Jersey

Two Additional Ways to Hypnotize a Chicken Plus, by popular demand, the reason why anyone would want to do so.

Editor’s note: The following suggestions

are representative of the many that have steadily trickled in since 1985, when we published an article describing the three principle methods of hypnotizing a chicken: the oscillating-finger method, the sternum-stroke method, and, of course, the old chalk-line method. (If you missed the article, you can find it by searching on our Web site, www.aliiiaiiac.com.) ^

■ Lay the chicken on its side on the ground, move your hand in front of its beak to get its attention, and sud¬ denly draw an arc in the dirt with your finger. It ^ will lie there for several | seconds or even a few minutes.

to hypnotize a chicken is to lay it on its back, grab a wing, and then spin it. Never fails. -R.R.S., Waco, Texas

WHY wouuyyou want to hypnotize A CHICKEN? ■ It seems to me that lots of people have no idea why someone would want to hypno¬ tize a chicken. Well, when I was a young¬ ster, we would hypnotize chickens on the chopping block in order to eliminate the need to have your hand anywhere near the swinging hatchet. -H. K., via e-mail

Hey, Maybe Things Aren’t So Bad After All Courtesy ofR.D.H., Los Angeles, California

In 1895, it took perhaps 260 hours of the average American worker’s time to amass enough money to buy a one-speed bi¬ cycle. Today, an aver¬ age American worker can buy one of higher qual¬ ity for less than eight hours of ^ work. In other words, lots of stuff is cheaper today.

-5. R., Grand Rapids, Michigan

Share Your Anecdotes and Pleasantries Send your contribution for the 2005 edition of The Old Farmer’s Almanachy January 30,2004, to “A & P,” The Old Farmer’s Almanac, P.O. Box 520, Dublin, NH 03444; or send e-mail to [email protected] (Subject: A & P). □U 2004

The Old Farmer’s Almanac

207

February

January s

M

T

5 6 7 12 13 14 19 20 21 26 27 28

W

T

F

s

S

M

September 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

T

F

S

s

M

T

T

W

F

S

s

M

T

W

T

F

s

1 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 28 29 30 31 26 27 28 29 30 31 30

W

T

F

S

S

M

T

W

T

F

1 2 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 15 16 17 18 19 20 22 23 24 25 26 27 29

S S M T W T F S s M T w T F S 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 14 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 21 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 28 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 28 29 30 31

June

Ma!i

April

March

February

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

2 9 16 23 30

T

1 2 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 27 28 29 30 31 29 30 31 December November October

January M

W

April

March

1 1 2 3 4 5 1 1 2 3 4 8 9 10 11 12 8 6 7 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 14 16 17 18 19 14 13 15 12 15 11 13 14 9 10 15 15 16 17 18 9 10 11 12 13 22 23 24 25 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 27 28 29 30 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 30 31 August July June May

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

S

T

2003

August

July

1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 1 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 3 4 5 6 7 8 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 10 11 12 13 14 15 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 17 18 19 20 21 22 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 29 30 31 24 25 26 27 28 29 27 28 29 30 31 December

November

October

September

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 28 29 30 26 27 28 29 30 31 January S

2 9 16 23 30

M

T

W

T

March

February F

S

S

M

T

W

T

F

S

S

M

T

1 2 1 2 3 4 5 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 20 21 22 23 27 28 29 30 24 25 26 27 28 29 27 28 31 May

June

T

W

April F

S

S

M

T

W

T

F

S

1 2 3 4 5 10 11 12 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 17 18 19 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 24 25 26 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

July

August

1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 28 29 30 31 26 27 28 29 30 29 30 31 31 September

October

1 2 3 2 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 9 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 16 23 25 26 27 28 29 30 30

208

November

December

1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 10 11 12 13 14 15 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 17 18 19 20 21 22 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 24 25 26 27 28 29 27 28 29 30 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 31

Start every day right: Visit www.almanac.com.

2004

v' ■■

\

S p e cl a 1,

Bookstore

S u p p

e m’e n t

A Reference Compendium compiled by Mare-Anne Jarvela

Weather A Table Foretelling the Weather Through All the Lunations of Each Year, or Forever.210 Safe Ice Thickness.210 Winter Weather Terms.... 211 Snowflakes.212 Weather Phobias.212 Windchill.213 Is It Raining, Drizzling, or Misting?.213 Cloud Definitions.214 Atlantic Tropical Storm Names for 2004.214 East-Pacific Tropical Storm Names for 2004.214 Retired Atlantic Hurricane Names.214 International Weather Symbols.215 Heat Index °F (°C).216 The UV Index for Measuring Ultraviolet Radiation Risk.216 Richter Scale for Measuring Earthquakes .. 217 Temperature Conversion Scale.217 The Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) for Measuring Volcanic Eruptions.217 Beaufort Wind Force Scale.218 Fujita Scale (or F Scale) for Measuring Tornadoes... 218 Torro Hailstorm Intensity Scale.219 Weather History.219

Calendar Phases of the Moon.220 Origin of Full-Moon Names.220

2004

When Will the Moon Rise Today?.221 Origin of Month Names... 221 Origin of Day Names.222 Solar Eclipse Dates (2004-2024).222 How to Find the Day of the Week for Any Given Date.223 Easter Dates (2004-2008)... 223 Triskaidekaphobia Trivia .. 223 The Animal Signs of the Chinese Zodiac.224 Glossary of Almanac Oddities.225

The Garden Sowing Vegetable Seeds .. 227 A Beginner’s Vegetable Garden.227 Traditional Planting Times.. 227 Growing Vegetables.228 Vegetable Gardening in Containers.230 Fertilizer Formulas.231 Manure Guide.231 Soil Fixes.231 Soil Amendments.231 pH Preferences of Trees, Shrubs, Vegetables, and Flowers.232 Lawn-Growing Tips.233 Herbs to Plant in Lawns... 233 A Gardener’s Worst Phobias.233 Growing Herbs.234 Flowers and Herbs That Attract Butterflies.236 Flowers That Attract Hummingbirds.236 Shrubs and Trees to Plant for the Birds.238 Food for the Bird Feeder .. 240 Plant Resources.241

Cooperative Extension Services.242

Household Makeshift Measurers.243 Hand Thermometer for Outdoor Cooking.243 Miscellaneous Length Measures.243 Body Mass Index (BMI) Formula.244 Calorie-Burning Comparisons.244 How Much Do You Need? Floor Tiles.245 Asphalt Shingles.245 Wallpaper.246 Bricks.246 Exterior Paint.246 Lumber and Nails.247 Table of Measures.248

The Kitchen Freezer Storage Time.249 Freezing Hints.249 Herb Companions in the Kitchen.250 Preserving Herbs.250 Pan Sizes and Equivalents ..251 Substitutions for Common Ingredients.... 252 Vegetable Weights and Measures.252 Fruit Weights and Measures.253 Substitutions for Uncommon Ingredients.254 Can Sizes.254 The Party Planner.255

Lasting Words The Golden Rule.256 Famous Last Words.256

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Special Bookstore Supplement

209

Weather

T

A Table Foretelling the Weather Through All the Lunations of Each Year, or Forever

his table is the result of many years of actual observation and shows what sort of weather will probably follow the Moon’s entrance into any of its quarters. For example, the table shows that the week following September 14, 2004, will be very rainy, because the Moon becomes new that day at 12:29 p.m. EDT. (See the Left-Hand Calendar Pages 44-70 for 2004 Moon phases.) EDITOR’S NOTE: Although the data in this table is taken into consideration in the yearlong process of compiling the annual long-range weather forecasts for The Old Farmer’s Almanac, we rely far more on our projections of solar activity.

Winter

Summer

Time of Change Midnight to 2 a.m.

i Fair

Hard frost, unless wind is south or west

2 A.M. to 4 A.M.

j Cold, with frequent showers

Snow and stormy

4 A.M. to 6 A.M.

i Rain

Rain

6 A.M. to 8 A.M.

1 Wind and rain

Stormy

8 A.M. to 10 A.M.

1 Changeable

Cold rain if wind is west; snow if east

1 1

i Cold with high winds

10 A.M. to noon

1 Frequent showers

Noon to 2 P.M.

i Very rainy

Snow or rain

2 P.M. to 4 P.M.

j Changeable

Fair and mild

4 P.M. to 6 P.M.

f Fair

Fair

I Fair if wind is northwest; rain i if wind is south or southwest

6 P.M. to 10 P.M.

10 P.M. to midnight

Fair

1

1

Fair and frosty if wind is north or northeast; rain or snow if wind is south or southwest Fair and frosty

This table was created 170 years ago by Dr. Herschellfor the Boston Courier; it first appeared in The (Old) Farmer’s Almanac in 1834.

Safe Ice Thickness"^ Ice Thickness

Permissible Load II Ice Thickness

3 inches .Single person on foot 4 inches.Group in single file 7/2 inches.Passenger car (2-ton gross) 8 inches .Light truck (2‘/4-ton gross) 10 inches.... Medium truck (314~ton gross)

Permissible Load

12 inches.Heavy truck (8-ton gross) 15 inches . 10 tons 20 inches . 25 tons 30 inches .70 tons

36 inches .

110 tons

Solid, clear blue!black pond and lake ice

■ Slush ice has only half the strength of blue ice. ■ The strength value of river ice is 15 percent less.

210

Start every day right: Visit www.almanac.com.

2004

Weather

Winter Weather Terms

Winter Storm Outlook

Whiteout

■ Issued prior to a winter storm watch. An outlook is issued when forecasters believe that storm conditions are possible, usually 48 to 60 hours before the beginning of a storm.

■ Caused by falling and/or blowing snow that reduces visibility to zero miles—typi¬ cally only a few feet. Whiteouts are most fre¬ quent during blizzards and can occur rapidly, often blinding motorists and creat¬ ing chain-reaction crashes involving multi¬ ple vehicles.

Winter Storm Watch ■ Indicates the possibility of a winter storm and is issued to provide 12 to 36 hours notice. A watch is announced when the specific timing, location, and path of a storm are undetermined. Be alert to chang¬ ing weather conditions, and avoid unnec¬ essary travel.

Winter Storm Warning ■ Indicates that a severe winter storm has started or is about to begin. A warning is is¬ sued when more than six inches of snow, a significant ice accumulation, a dangerous windchill, or a combination of the three is expected. Anticipated snow accumulation during a winter storm is six or more inches in 24 hours. You should stay indoors during the storm.

Heavy Snow Warning ■ Issued when snow accumulations are ex¬ pected to approach or exceed six inches in 12 hours but will not be accompanied by significant wind. The warning could also be issued if eight or more inches of snow ac¬ cumulation is expected in a 24-hour period. During a heavy snow warning, freezing rain and sleet are not expected.

Blizzard Warning ■ Indicates that sustained winds or fre¬ quent gusts of 35 miles per hour or greater will occur in combination with consider¬ able falling and/or blowing snow for at least three hours. Visibility will often be reduced to less than % mile.

2004

Northeaster ■ Usually produces heavy snow and rain and creates tremendous waves in Atlantic coastal regions, often causing beach ero¬ sion and structural damage. Wind gusts as¬ sociated with these storms can exceed hur¬ ricane force in intensity. A northeaster gets its name from the strong, continuous north¬ easterly ocean winds that blow in over coastal areas ahead of the storm.

Sleet ■ Frozen or partially frozen rain in the form of ice pellets that hit the ground so fast that they bounce and do not stick to it. However, the pellets can accumulate like snow and cause hazardous conditions for pedestrians and motorists.

Freezing Rain ■ Liquid precipitation that turns to ice on contact with a frozen surface to form a smooth ice coating called a glaze.

Ice Storm Warning ■ Issued when freezing rain results in ice accumulations measuring Vi inch thick or more. This can cause trees and utility lines to fall down, causing power outages.

Windchill Advisory ■ Issued when windchill temperatures are expected to be between -20° and -34°F.

Windchill Warning ■ Issued when windchill temperatures are expected to be less than -34°F.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Special Bookstore Supplement

211

Weather

Snowflakes

S

nowflakes are made up of six-sided crystals. If you look carefully at the snowflakes dur¬ ing the next snowstorm, you might be able to find some of the crystal types below. The basic shape of a crystal is determined by the temperature at which it forms. Sometimes a snowflake is a combination of more than one type of crystal.

CAPPED COLUMNS

NEEDLES

SPATIAL DENDRITES

(also called tsuzumi crystals) occur when the temperature is 25°F or less.

(long and thin but still sixsided crystals) occur when the temperature is 21° to 25°F.

(irregular and feathery crys¬ tals) occur in high-moisture clouds at 3° to 10°F.

COLUMNS

0 PLATES

STELLAR CRYSTALS

(dense crystals, act like prisms) occur when the tem¬ perature is 25°F or less.

(mirror-like crystals) occur under special weather con¬ ditions.

(beautiful, delicate crystals) occur under special weather conditions.

Weather Phobias Object Feared Object Feared I 1 Name of Fear ■ Name of Fear Homichlophobia. .Fog Ancraophobia... .Wind Hygrophobia .... .. Dampness, moisture Anemophobia... .Wind Keraunophobia.. .... Lightning, thunder Antlophobia .... Lilapsophobia ... . Hurricanes, tornadoes Astraphobia. .... Lightning, thunder Nebulaphobia ... .Fog Auroraphobia... .Northern lights, Nephophobia ...,.Clouds southern lights Ombrophobia...,.Rain Brontophobia ... .... Lightning, thunder Pagophobia. .Frost, ice Ceraunophobia.. .Thunder Phengophobia... .... Daylight, sunshine Cheimatophobia .Cold Chionophobia... .Snow Pluviophobia ...,.Rain Cryophobia.. Extreme cold, frost, ice Psychrophobia....Cold Thermophobia....Heat Frigophobia .... .Cold Fleliophobia .... .Sun, sunshine Tonitrophobia ... .Thunder

212

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2004

Weather

Windchill

A

wind speed increases, the air temperature against your body falls. The combination of cold temperature and high wind can create a cooling effect so severe that exposed flesh can freeze. (Inanimate objects, such as cars, do not experience windchill.)

To gauge wind speed: At 10 miles per hour, you can feel wind on your face; at 20, small branches move, and dust or snow is raised; at 30, large branches move and wires whistle; at 40, whole trees bend. TEMPERATURE (^F) Calm 5 10 15 E. 20 o 25 u u AIk 30 tf) 35 O 40 Z 45 50 55 60

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

31 27 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 19 18 17

25 21 19 17 16 15 14 13 12 12 11 10

19 15 13 11 9 8 7 6 5 4 4 3

13 9 6 4 3 1 0 -1 -2 -3 -3 -A

7 3 0 -2 -4 -5 -7 -8 -9 -10 -11 -11

1 -4 -7 -9 -11 -12 -14 -15 -16 -17 -18 -19

"-5. -10 -13 -15 -17

-11 -16 -19 -22 -24 -26 -27 -29 -30 -31 -32 -33

Sii

.

421 —22 —23 ^24 t25 -26

K U1

S

H

—5 -10 -15 -20 -25 -30 -35 -16 -22 -28 -34 -22 -28 -35 -41 -26 '—32 -39 -45 —29 '-35 -42 -48 -31 ;''-37 -44 -51 —39 -53 -^34-' ;M8 -55 —36 -43 s —50 -57 '451 -58 -45 :-52 -60 , —54 -61 ****39 “4H C55 -62

%

-j? /

-

'

^0 -46 -47 -53 -51 -58 -55 -61 -58 4so! 467

-52 -59

—68 -.71 -73 -62 -76 -64 171 -78 ^5 -72 -79 -67 'r74 -68 —75 -82 -69 -76 -84

Frostbite occurs in 15 minutes or less. EXAMPLE: When the temperature is 15°F and the wind speed is 30 miles per hour, the wind¬

chill, or how cold it feels, is -5°F. For a Celsius version of the Windchill table, visit WWW.almanac.com/weathercenter.

-courtesy National Weather Service

Is It Raining, Drizzling, or Misting? iNTENSITY

(per sq. ft. per sec.)

DiAMETER OF DROPS (mip)

Cloudburst

113

2.85

4.0

Excessive rain

76

2.4

1.6

Heavy rain

46

2.05

0.6

Moderate rain

46

1.6

0.15

light rain

26

1.24

0.04

Drizzle

14

0.96

0.01

NUMBER OF DROPS

(in. per hr.)

Mist

2,510

0.1

0.002

Fog

6,264,000

0.01

0.005

2004

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Special Bookstore Supplement

213

Weather

Cloud Definitions High Clouds (bases starting at an average of 20,000 feet) CIRRUS: Thin feather-like crystal clouds. CIRROCUMULUS: Thin clouds that appear as

small “cotton patches.” CIRROSTRATUS: Thin white clouds that re¬ semble veils. Middle Clouds (bases starting at about 10,000 feet) ALTOCUMULUS: Gray or white layer or patches

NIMBOSTRATUS: Dark, gray shapeless cloud

of solid clouds with rounded shapes. ALTOSTRATUS: Grayish or bluish layer of clouds that can obscure the Sun.

layers containing rain, snow, and ice pellets. Clouds with Vertical Development (high clouds that form at almost any altitude and

Low Clouds

reach up to 14,000 feet)

(bases starting near Earth’s surface to 6,500 feet)

CUMULUS: Fair-weather clouds with flat bases

STRATUS: Thin, gray sheet-like clouds with

low bases; may bring drizzle and snow. STRATOCUMULUS: Rounded cloud masses that form on top of a layer.

and domeshaped tops. CUMULONIMBUS: Large, dark, vertical clouds with bulging tops that bring showers, thunder, and lightning.

Atlantic Tropical Storm Names for 2004

East-Pacific Tropical Storm Names for 2004

Alex Bonnie Charley Danielle Earl Frances

Gaston Hermine Ivan Jeanne Karl Lisa

Matthew Nicole Otto Paula Richard Shary

Tomas Virginie Walter

Agatha Bias Celia Darby Estelle Frank

Georgette Howard Isis Javier Kay Lester

Madeline Newton Orlene Paine Roslyn Seymour

Tina Virgil Winifred Xavier Yolanda Zeke

Retired Atlantic Hurricane Names

T

hese storms have been some of the most destructive and costly; as a result, their names have been retired from the six-year rotating hurricane list.

NAME Celia .... Agnes ... Carmen .. Eloise.... Anita .... David.... Frederic.. Allen ....

214

YEAR RETIRED I CQQB .1970 .1972 .1974 .1975 .1977 .1979 .1979 .1980

YEAR RETIRED IIname

Alicia.. .1983 Elena.. .1985 Gloria . .1985 Gilbert. .1988 Joan... .1988 Hugo .. .1989 Diana.. .... ;.1990 Klaus.. .1990

Bob. Andrew.. Opal. Roxanne . Fran. Mitch.... Floyd.... Keith ....

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YEAR RETIRED .1991 .1992 .1995 .1995 ....1996 .1998 .1999 .2000

2004

.

W e a t h e r

International Weather Symbols Weather Conditions

Sky Coverage

o 0

light drizzle steady, light drizzle f

no clouds one-tenth covered two- to three-tenths covered

intermittent, moderate drizzle

0 0

steady, moderate drizzle

3

half covered

3

six-tenths covered

3

seven- to eight-tenths covered

intermittent, heavy drizzle

four-tenths covered

❖

steady, heavy drizzle

nine-tenths covered

•

O

light rain

•

completely overcast

••

steady, light rain

High Clouds

• •

intermittent, moderate rain

• •• • • •

—)

steady, moderate rain

cirrus cirrocumulus

A

intermittent, heavy rain

cirrostratus

Middle Clouds

steady, heavy rain

altocumulus *

** * -X-

light snow

z_

altostratus

steady, light snow Low Clouds intermittent, moderate snow

—

stratus

steady, moderate snow *

*

*

* * *

A V

stratocumulus

-

intermittent, heavy snow steady, heavy snow

Vertically Developed Clouds

hail freezing rain V

(8>

sleet tornado

I

dust devil

R

2004

cumulus

^

cumulonimbus

1 ©

Imph)

(km/h)

calm

calm

1-2

1-3

dust storm %. . i.-, '

A

3-8

4-13

fog

\_

9-14

14-23

\_

15-20

24-33

_

21-25

34-40

k_

55-60

89-97

Lk_

119-123

192-198

thunderstorm , lightning

0

^

Wind Speed

)C

s*

nimbostratus

hurricane

f

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Special Bookstore Supplement

215

Weather

Heat Index °F (°C) RiLATIVE HUMIDITY (%)

; 45 100 (38) 98 (37) 96(36) o o

SO

S5

60

^_L_._li_-■

65 --

-

- -_

70 -

75

'. .

..

80

i...' .....^.^..

109 (43) 114(46) 118(48) 124 (51) 129 (54) 136 (58) 105 (41) 109 (43) 113(45) 117(47) 123 (51) 128 (53) 134 (57) 101 (38) 104(40) 108(42) 112(44) 116(47) 121(49) 126 (52) 132(56)

94(34)

97 (36) 100(38) 103(39) 106 (41) 110(43) 114(46) 119(48) 124(51) 129(54)

Ul oe

92(33)

94(34)

96(36)

99(37) 101 (38) 105 (41) 108(42) 112(44) 116(47) 121(49)

s

90(32)

91(33)

93 (34)

95 (35)

97 (36) 100(38) 103(39) 106 (41) 109(43) 113(45)

Ul 11.

88(31)

88 (31)

89 (32)

91 (33)

93 (34)

95(35)

98 (37) 100(38) 103 (39) 106(41)

Ul

86(30)

85 (29)

87 (31)

88 (31)

89 (32)

91 (33)

93 (34)

95 (35)

97 (36) 100(38)

84(29)

83(28)

84(29)

85 (29)

86 (30)

88 (31)

89 (32)

90 (32)

92 (33)

94(34)

82(28)

81(27)

82 (28)

83(28)

84(29)

84 (29)

85 (29)

86(30)

88 (31)

89 (32)

81(27)

81(27)

82 (28)

82 (28)

83 (28)

84(29)

84 (29)

UU o

mm

1

80 (27)

80 (27)

80 (27)

EXAMPLE: When the temperature is 88°F (31°C) and the relative humidity is 60 percent, the

heat index, or how hot it feels, is 95°F (35°C).

T

The UV Index for Measuring Ultraviolet Radiation Risk he U.S. National Weather Service daily forecasts of ultraviolet levels use these numbers for various exposure levels:

UV Index Number

Time to Burn

Exposure Level

Actions to Take •*3

1

0,1,2 3,4

Minimal 1j

1

Low

60 minutes 45 minutes

Apply SPF 15 sunscreen 1

1

5,6

11

Moderate

1

30 minutes

Apply SPF 15 sunscreen; wear a hat

1 7,8,9

High

15-25 minutes

^

1 10 or higher

Very high

10 minutes

Apply SPF 15 sunscreen; wear a hat

j j

1

Apply SPF 15 to 30 sunscreen; wear a hat and sunglasses Apply SPF 30 sunscreen; wear a hat, sunglasses, and protective clothing

“Time to Burn” and “Actions to Take” apply to people with fair skin that sometimes tans but usu¬ ally burns. People with lighter skin need to be more cautious. People with darker skin may be able to tolerate more exposure.

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2004

Richter Scale for Measuring Earthquakes Magnitude 1

Possible Effects

...Detectable

R E F

only by instruments

2 _____ Barely detectable, even near the 135 (57)

epicenter 3 . *..... Felt indoors

126 (52) 131(55)

4 ...Felt by most people; slight damage

117(47) 122 (50) 127 (53) 132(56)

5 .Felt by all; minor to moderate

110(43) 113(45) 117(47) 121 (49)

damage

102 (39) 105(41) 108(42) 112(44)

6 .Moderate destruction

96 (36)

98(37) 100(38) 103 (39)

90 (32)

91 (33)

93 (34)

95(35)

85 (29)

86(30)

86(30)

87 (31)

7 ... Major damage 8 .Total and major damage -devised by American geologist Charles W. Richter in 1935 to measure the magnitude of an earthquake

Temper•ature Conveirsion Scale .4