Every holiday has individuals who go bonkers over it. My favorite day of the year is Halloween. I love it because it is one of the last days of the year when people go outside and walk. It is also a family event with parents coming to your home with their children.

Some years ago I started doing an interview with Jon James on WMME (Moose Radio) in Augusta Maine. I am on the air with Jon and crew between 6:30am and 9:00am. I don’t know how it all got started but I mentioned that I give out “big” candy bars but didn’t say where I lived. Then, for whatever reason we decided to toss out a “secret password.” If you know the password you get triple candy bars. If you don’t have the word, you get one. Someone called the show with my address and the rest is history.

So, over the years what started out with 50 trick or treaters has become 450+ with 90% knowing the word. One year the password was “I love the Farmers’ Almanac.” The more passion, the more candy. At the end of that evening, two little brothers knocked on the door. When I opened it, they stared howling how much they “Love the Farmers’ Almanac,” while throwing confetti all over my front yard. They walked away with 36 candy bars.

I think the most I have given away is 1600 candy bars. This year I am ready for whatever comes my way. I have 2300 giant bars and another 600 small ones for the little ghosts who can’t fit a big bar into their jack-o-lantern. I was at a Spencer store recently. When I made a comment on what I spent on Candy, the young clerk said “are you the guy who gives out the gigantic candy bars? You are a legend…. everyone talks about you.

So, tonight I set up all the candy and then tomorrow morning I get on Moose Radio and relate the password. Principals in local schools make special PA announcements, teachers write it down for the little tykes, and then we welcome over 400 kids through the living room in 90 minutes or so. I also turn my garage into a haunted house for the brave ones who want to be scared. . .

So, are there other “legends” out there? Do you do anything unique on Halloween. If so, I’d love to hear about it. Or, share a photo. I’ll post a picture of what 2300 bars looks like and maybe a few of my guests Thursday morning.

Happy Halloween!

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by pgeiger
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One of my favorite Full Moons is in October. At 12:52am (Eastern) (earlier today) the Hunter’s Full Moon appeared. Named by Native American tribes, this month allowed longer and better hunting conditions. It was both lighter (brighter) and the ample leaves that fall from the trees quieted their movements. It allowed them to hunt deer, fox and others who moved around the woods and fields in the dark.

If you go to our home page you’ll find a neat video explaining the Hunter’s Full Moon. It is worth a watch.

This is also the time of the year that many people dry flowers. This is the technique to use:

Step 1 - Sort the Flowers

Spread newspaper over your work area. Carefully separate and sort the flowers into bunches.

Step 2 - Tie the Bunches Together

Cut a piece of string about 8 inches long for each bouquet. Tie a string around the stems of each bouquet so that the string is tight enough to hold the bunch together, but not so tight that it cuts into the stems.

Step 3 - Hanging the Flowers to Dry

Use the ends of the string to hang the bouquets, blossom side down, in a warm, dry place. The clothes rod is a closet works perfectly, but it needs to be a place that won’t be disturbed too much. Give the bouquets enough space so they don’t touch each other. Allow 4 weeks t dry (this is the hard part).

Step 4 - Arrange the Dried Flowers

After the blossoms have dried, untie the bouquets and carefully spread them on more sheets of newspaper. Handling the flowers gently, arrange them how you want them.

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by pgeiger
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Hello Peter, love your almanac. I have a question for you. The NOAA and Accuweather.com both predict a warmer winter with less snow for the Northeast due in part to La Nina. Your prediction calls for lots of snow and cold (which I hope for and love). Anyway do you still feel your outlook will prevail? PS: I live very near to Allentown Pa in a town called Schnecksville.

This is a great question and one I am getting on a regular basis. It certainly has been a warm fall unless you live in Denver. But, our predictions are done 2 years in advance. I think most of us want to see a winter and for those who sell clothes, snowblowers, ski resorts, it can never come too soon.

The 2008 Farmers’ Almanac calls for it being cold east of the Mississippi River and milder west. In some ways we agree with NOAA but not in the eastern US. Our weather map is below. Time will tell on this one. But, we have faith in old Caleb. Both he and the almanac have been around a long time.

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snow, warmer winter, snow predictions, skiing, Farmers’ Almanac

by pgeiger
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Many of us are under the impression that when a Moon is Full, it is full for the entire day. Actually, astronomers determine the moment of the full Moon based on the Moon’s position in relation to the Sun. When the Moon is exactly opposite in the sky to the Sun (180 degrees apart), it is deemed a full Moon. At that moment, the Sun is setting in the west and the Moon is coming up in the east. And, the moon’s disk is fully (100%) illuminated. Some hours before or after the moment of the full Moon, the Moon is ever-so-slightly out of round and it’s illumination is a mere 99.8% of full. Most folks refer to the Moon as full not only on the day it is actually full, but also on the day before since it is nearly impossible to see any difference with the naked eye.

We will have a Full Moon for October later this week. Do you know what we call the October Full Moon?? Stay tuned. I’ll even let you know the name and exact moment of “fullness” should you be a full moon perfectionist. If you hear the term Light of the Moon and Dark of the Moon. Light reflects the time a moon is a New Moon (completely dark) to the moment of a Full Moon (100% illumination). Dark of the Moon runs from the Full Moon to the New Moon when the light decreases. These terms are important when planting and doing other activities as outlined in our best day and gardening calendars.

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Full Moon, October Full Moon, Light of the Moon, Dark of the Moon, Farmers’ Almanac

by pgeiger
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Over the weekend one national network news reported on the rather dull foliage colors this year. Before it was over global warming was ending all future colors as we know it. Maybe? I’ll be the first to admit that we had a “disappointing” foliage in New England but I blame the drier conditions and lack of a sustained cold spell. We stick have an array of colors but compared the the best years…. it just isn’t. It has dipped into the 30s and there has been snow in the mountains. But, for the vibrant colors we need two things. The first is plenty of rain during the summer and the other is cold.

Colors come out when the chlorophyll that provides the green (the dominant color) all summer starts to break down. This happens when we have shorter days and cooler nights which tells the trees to shut off the flow of nutrients to their leaves. We have not had the usual cold night temperatures to make this happen and in some cases the leaves are dropping with changing color.

We have a foliage guide in the 2008 Farmers’ Almanac - best viewing times for all regions of the country. If you have a photo of your foliage, send it along. While it has been less vibrant , there is still some good viewing.

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foliage, global warming, temperatures, best viewing times

by pgeiger
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As we all know weather is the topic of conversation everywhere. Given the recent warm spell, the following statement/ question is most appropriate…… it certainly is on many minds.

My husband and I are in complete awe these days, because the weather in Washington DC has been totally unbelievable. It is going to be in the 80s and upper 70s this week. The temperature will go down to the mid 60s by the end of the week, and we have not had any significant rainfall for a number of days. The rain we had on Friday night did not ease the drought at all. What’s going on? I do not think we are going to have a very cold season or any significant snowfalls in 2008. What’s you take?

I am both appreciative and amazed by the stretch of warm weather. My oil dealer is not smiling but having warm weather in October is not totally unusual. Every day the national media talks about Global Warming, droughts, etc. We are all sensitive to the fact that it has been dry in the Southeast and West. The significant rains of last week can’t replace everything overnight. It isn’t possible. For that to happen we will need many days of slow absorbing rain. Years ago, we would worry if we got so much great weather in the summer and fall that we might pay for it this winter. The heat and drought is a real concern. But I have seen it before and I know it will happen again. I can’t base winter on what is happening in October. We have 60 days before winter arrives. I am sticking with the Farmers’ Almanac call for cold and snow on the East Coast. It is interesting to see the systems change. Look at Denver and the snows they have experienced. Should make for an interesting World Series. Pitchers may be throwing snowballs. My take is that it is too early to say that it won’t be cold and no snow for the winter. A lot will happen and I am as interested as anyone in seeing what develops.

My best advise is to open the windows and take in the pleasant temperatures while it is here. We may be longing for these days during the winter months.

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winter weather, warm temperatures, drought, October weather

by pgeiger
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The kick off for publicizing the 2008 Farmers’ Almanac started on August 27th but the publicity runs throughout the year. Last evening I had the pleasure of being on our local NBC affiliate WCSH - Channel 6. They have a well produced local news program called 207 (area code for all of Maine). I have always wanted to be a guest and it finally happened.

I was on with hosts Rob Caldwell and Kathleen Shannon and Scott Gleeson who is featured, with wife Tamara, in our Worst Wedding Weather Contest (pages 34 - 35). The background is that I had never, even attended a wedding with bad weather. The sun shines where I go (I like to think so). Even attended a wedding where I predicted sunshine. It rained the day before and that morning. I drove to the event and the skies cleared and not a single cloud until after the outdoor reception ended. So, when my friends asked about a certain day, I gave it two thumbs up.

This was May 22, 2004. Well it was 75 degrees on may 21st and sunny at 9am on the 22nd and then the skies opened and it rained, and rained and rained some more. The blue from the bridesmaids shoes ran and stained their feet, brides dress was muddy, it rained so hard the couple could barely hearthe minister who was standing 2 feet away. The final blow was when a sprinkler hose went off inside the tent. Everything was wet.

This event resulted in our Worst Wedding Weather Contest. So, we showed some of the footage hear the Scott’s commentary. He admits that it was truly a day to remember as will all the guests. We may get some of this footage on the site but it is a reminder that if you or a friend experienced Mother Nature at her ugliest during a wedding, go to our website www.farmersalmanac.com and tell us the story or read about other aspects of the contest.
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wedding, weather, Farmers’ Almanac

by pgeiger
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Between draughts in the Southeast and millions of people moving to the Southwest where water is already at a premium, there is not doubt in my mind that water will be the next great battleground. As concerned as we are about oil, consider a world with a shortage of water and what that means. I read a book called “Every Drop for Sale” It offers great inside into this crisis. Draughts come and go, but living in deserts and not just in the US will require care in how we use water. Those living in the northern states or Canada seem to have an endless supply of water but it is an emerging issue (practical and political) and there are things we can do to use it more efficiently.

Here are a few tips involving water:

1) If you have an older toilet , you can put a brick in the tank and it displaces water and you use less. Today’s toilets are set for more efficient use but if you have an oldie, it may not be a goodie.

2) Here is a good habit to start. Scrape dishes vs rinsing them before placing in the dishwasher. Only run the dishwasher when complete;y full. And, use the energy-saving drying feature or catch it before it dries - let it air dry.

3) Water your lawn or garden in the evening. This helps minimize evaporation and allows the water to soak the ground. Let the water run slowly so it will be fully absorbed.

4) Sweep your driveway vs. “hosing it down”. Both accomplish the same results with no loss of water.

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water conservation

by pgeiger
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One of the signs of a rough winter is an abundance of acorns. I have heard that this is the case this year except in my backyard. In today’s Portland Press Herald there is an explanation of something that has seemed odd to me. Instead of acorns there have been little white balls all over the yard. As it turns out these are these fuzzy balls are called galls - they fall off oak trees and protect harmless insects until they hatch in Spring.

They don’t harm the tree and the emerging insect looks like an ant with wings. The best news is that as adults, they don’t sting. So, if under your white oak, you are seeing lots of fuzzy tan balls, it is Mother Nature doing her thing for the insect world.

Yesterday, I mentioned the Farmers’ Almanac article on making bricks out of cow manure. Here is a photo of Ray Geiger making a concoction for bricks. The benefit was the “naturalness” of the ingredients and they weighed 1/20th as much as a clay brick and sturdiness. Not sure I know of any buildings constructed from cow manure but it certainly fits the “green movement”.

Here are a few earth friendly suggestions:

1) Best time to buy gas is in the morning or evening when the temperatures are cooler. You get more gas for the money. And, don’t top off the tank just to pay an even amount. The excess evaporates and adds to the pollution.

2) For wrapping gifts. Consider using extra wallpaper or going to a paint store and buying wallpaper ends. They can be attractive and less expensive than prepackaged paper. Or, use the comic sheets from the Sunday Paper to offer color and fun designs.

3) Speaking of leftovers, us leftover carpeting as car mats during the sloppy winter months. They can take the abuse of snow, sand and salt. Discard later and the car is clean.

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green movement, earth friendly, winter, galls, Farmers’ Almanac

by pgeiger
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We often say that the Farmers’ Almanac was green long before anyone talked about a greener world. You can go into the 1800 editions and find ways to do things smarter. In the early 1950s, we had a hint that encouraged folks to put a brick in a toilet tank to displace water and use less with every flush. Then, Ray Geiger and Ken Conner used the Farmers’ Almanac to highlight how to make bricks (the kind you build with) out of cow manure and  molasses. Some ingenious fellow in Maine decided you can actually make jewelry out of moose poop. Sounds a little crazy but these ideas worked!  There have been many odd and not so odd ways to utilize more unique ingredients for every day purposes. By doing this, we are able to utilize some resources that are plentiful and renewable rather than those that can run out. 

Today over 8,000 blogs reaching 5.6 million readers are all focusing in on ways to help the environment. It is being called Blog Action Day. Farmers’ Almanac and Farmers’ Almanac Television have many ideas on ways to help live life in a more green manner. We want to share these ideas and tips by sharing videos — go to http://www.farmersalmanac.com/blog/?p=66 .

Here are a couple suggestions - personal favorites:

1) This is the time of the year when most of us deal with leaves. Instead of raking an tossing, mulch them and allow to decompose on the lawn or put into a compost pile for later use. And, if you have a small yard, try a push mower - no gas, no fuse and better exercise. And, they cost under $100.

2) My Dad had a home with enormous radiators. If you have one as well, place a piece of aluminum foil behind each one. It will reflect more eat back into the room instead of allowing the wall to absorb it.

3) Dryers are huge energy absorbers. Check the lint basket and keep it clean. Also check the hose leading outside. If it seems to take longer to dry, this might be the culprit.

I would enjoy any suggestions you have on ways to live smarter. Sharing is what it is all about. And with the internet, one good idea in Kansas can reach Germany in a matter of seconds.

Technorati Tags: blog action day, Farmers’ Almanac, green, radiators, dryers, composting

by pgeiger
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