Recently I mentioned a cat that was caterwauling during the Full Lunar Eclipse. Here is a comment about animals and Full Moons.

Hi there, saw your question about animals acting weird during an eclipse.  My daughter is doing a science project to see if the phases of the moon affect animal behavior.  In her case she is tracking how many times her dog, a Westie, barks for no apparent reason during the night, then will compare it to the phases of the moon.  Have you gotten any feedback to your question, or have any info about how the moon affects animal behavior?

So,  do animals act differently during a full moon? From all I’ve read, people behave differently. Do you have a cat or dog and are they more agitated during a Full Moon? The next Full Moon will be on March 21st  Love to get any feedback. It may take several moons to come to a conclusion. But, if you have an animal and want to comment, Contact me at pgeiger@farmersalmanac.com.

Tomorrow, you can vote for the couple experiencing the worst weather Mother Nature offers. Go online to www.farmersalmanac.com.

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We are all trying to live healthy and responsible lives. Whether you believe we are in Global Warming or that the Earth is going through climate cycles, we all need to do our part. So, in the 2008 edition we carry an article that addresses greenhouse gases.  (page 52),  where we mention replacing conventional bulbs with bulbs that carry the Energy Star label. In the case of light bulbs, many states have been encouraging and may soon outlaw conventional bulbs in favor of compact fluorescent bulbs.

Yesterday we  learned that if one of these bulbs is broken, mercury is released and the clean up is difficult. Don’t panic. There is about 5 milligrams of mercury in a bulb compared to the old mercury thermometers which contained 100 times that amount. The difference is that if a bulb breaks mercury gets into the air and can remain in the carpet.. If a bulb breaks don’t vacuum it. That lifts mercury into the air you breath. The best advise I have heard so far is to open windows in your home for a few hours. Then pick up pieces and put them into a sealed glass jar. Apparently, mercury eats through a plastic bags over time. 

Don’t use these bulbs in children’s rooms or places where they might get broken. The bulbs are still a good idea but as we learn more about the dangers, we will share them with you.  Look for a recycling center in your town that takes burned out bulbs. More to come.

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On Friday,  we will begin the process of selecting the couple who experienced the worst weather during their wedding. Since we released the 2008 edition last August, we have been accumulating some terrific stories about hardships that have lead to beautify bonds between couples.  We have narrowed the field from 500 to our Top 10.

The winning couple will enjoy a 7 day cruise on a Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship. Second place receives a gift certificate for LL Bean merchandise  and the 3rd couple will enjoy a romantic dinner for two. But, it starts with America voting for their favorite  February 29th and ends on St. Patrick’s Day.

Submitting entries for the contest  ended on Valentine’s Day. But this morning I received a story that typified what some couples in love have had to do to tie the knot even in the worst of conditions. Keep in mind that this entry was submitted too late to be included in the judging but it gives you a sense of the hardship couples have had  to overcome when Mother Nature is not smiling. Enjoy this love tale.

Royal & Adeline Kraeger

19 February 1972

Due to a winter storm that came in overnight I decided to leave for church early.  It was an interesting trip since I had to drive 17 miles to the church.  Upon my arrival I realized the bride had not arrived.  I called the brides house to confirm how late she may be.

Adeline informed me she had two feet of snow in the roads and there was not going to be a plow.  I called the town barn and told them I was getting married today and needed that road opened.  They informed me it would be several hours.

I decided my 1970 Dodge Challenger was my best option and headed out to rescue my bride.  About two miles from her house I buried the challenger in a snowdrift/whiteout up to the top of the door.  I was able to exit the car and found a farmhouse with some young men to assist with digging out my car.

It didn’t take long to realize I wasn’t going any further by car.  I asked for directions cross lots so I could proceed on foot and was told by the boys they would try to break a trail with their snowmobiles.

When I arrived at the bride’s house cold and wet, she told me “you can’t see me before the wedding, don’t you know it’s bad luck?”  I didn’t bother to mention that the current weather, the way I arrived and the situation I was in at that time wasn’t exactly “Good Luck”. Some how I was able to convince her to leave her mother behind, put her wedding gown in a garbage bag, and accompany me back to my car so we could go to the church. 

By the time we got to the church a small group of people were waiting.  The bride changed in the choir loft and I tried to clean up in the sacristy, my hair looked like a mop.  All through the services people continued to arrive.

At the end of the wedding we knew we were not going to be able to get to the reception, so we decided to go to a nearby restaurant.  They were short on food and my Uncle said he had a bag of feed in his car for weight and would go to a nearby country store for supplies.  They bought out the store and brought their loot to the restaurant for preparation.

An unusual wedding feast was held, we had a jukebox for musical accompaniment, and plenty of advice was given as to the future of our marriage.  The bride’s family was able to get out with the promise to return home within one hour, because the weather hadn’t let up yet and the plows would not be back until tomorrow.

My wife and I had to stay at the Holiday Inn in
Rome, NY for the first night of our honeymoon.

I always prayed that if this wasn’t the woman for me, God would give me a sign.  Here it is 36 years later and we just never know.

Check out our home page on Friday and cast your vote for the best of the worst weather or the worst of the best wedding experiences. When it comes to weather, love is blind.

by pgeiger
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One of my favorite sayings is:

The trouble with weather forecasting is that it’s right too often for us to ignore it and wrong too often for us to rely on it.

– Patrick Young

Weather is that ever moving, ever changing beast. Whether it is the Farmers’ Almanac or your local weatherperson, we all try to “hit the big storms” and prepare you for the inevitable.  It doesn’t always happen. But, this morning I ran into 2 people who told me they plan vacations by the Farmers’ Almanac. Once person has been doing it for 2 years. The other has planned vacation time by us for the last 19 years. I don’t know if we are 100%, but both were very excited to tell me about it.

So, with winter still here and dreams of summer in our minds, be sure to use the Farmers’ Almanac to make your plans. If you have the 2008 edition, you are set. We only  post 2 months of future weather on our site, but you can download three months of future weather by going to www.farmersalmanac.com . Then click “shop”. There is a small fee but it is worth the effort or so I am told.

Happy planning!

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Yesterday, I put a drawing with hands coming out of the snow on my blog. Our local paper carried an article that does winter one better. George Sovas, age 57, (Naples, Maine) decided to help his ex by cleaning snow and ice off her roof. He put a ladder against the home and started to chip ice away at the edge. It was a metal roof which encourages snow to slide off with the greatest of ease. Well it did. In the process George was knocked backwards and driven head first into the snow with his arms pinned to his side and his butt and legs sticking out of the ice/ snow.

He kept his “cool”. He is a snowmobiler and outdoorsman. For over 2 hours he struggled to get free. First he blew on the snow to melt enough to move his nose to get air. Over time - I mean 90 minutes - he finally got his hand to his pocket and called 911. But, that was not the end of it. The police could not just pull him out. They had to send for shovels and carefully extricate him for his surroundings. 

A sore neck and back, George’s  body temperature had dipped to below 94 degrees as he was transported to the local hospital.  Yikes - I have fallen off a roof and been wedged into snow but always heads up. You can actually see George on video by visiting the website of www.wcsh6.com. There is a link to the story on their home page today (Feb. 22). What would you or I have done for 2 hour head first . Don’t even want to go there.

Here is a message from someone asking about animals and the total lunar eclipse:

I was reading your website about cats sleeping with noses up before a storm. I’ll have to watch my cat to see if that happens. But I did want to mention something weird that happened last night as we were outside watching the total lunar eclipse. Right at the moment the last sliver went dark and the eclipse was complete, we heard a cat a few doors down start caterwauling very loud. It lasted for a few minutes. It could have been a coincidence, but the timing was so unusual. I was wondering if you had heard about any other cat or dog reactions to the eclipse.Thanks,Marie

We have done stories on cats and dogs reacting before an earthquake but never an eclipse. Has anyone else noticed unusual animal activities during the total lunar eclipse??  It makes sense that an animal might notice the sky darkening… anyone??  Let me hear form you at pgeiger@farmersalmanac.com.

Have a safe weekend. Stay away from snow covered roofs.

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Spectacular!

The Lunar Eclipse came right on schedule and lasted a full 51 minutes. Living in Maine, the skies are not as bright at night as large cities. The darkened Full Moon made the stars shine last night. It was a treat to be repeated in December 2010.

At the start of the Farmers’ Almanac ‘08 release we said that New England and the Great Lakes would get “pounded” with snow. We also indicated that lots of snow would come out of Colorado. I think I saw that there was some snow outside of Los Angeles last month. But, the sheer number of storms and mixture with heavy rain has made ‘07 -’08 a winter to remember.

The following came from a Chicago area friend and captures my feelings:

Unfortunately, I don’t see the winter weather pattern changing too soon. But, the sun is out later and the temps are beginning to creep up ever so slowly.

Technorati Tags:
lunar eclipse, full moon, weather pattern, Farmers’ Almanac

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Clear skies permitted, tonight will be a real treat. February 20th  is the Full Snow Moon, so named by Native Americans for a month that sees it’s share of snow. It is also  cold enough that what is on the ground stays there.  Because deep snow limited hunting it was also referred to as the Full Hunger Moon.

As mentioned in a previous blog, most of us in North and South America have a ringside seat for a total eclipse of the Moon. It starts at 8:45pm (Eastern) and goes into totality from 10:00pm to 10:51pm. Plus, the Full Moon is full at exactly 10:21pm. So during the eclipse the Moon will be at its absolute fullest. Expect to see a colorful show.

If your children are on school vacation, this might be an event  worth watching. The next Lunar eclipse will be in 2011.

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We’ve all read about the weird weather throughout the US this winter. And, yes, no snow in NYC counts as “weird”. New England got a taste of winter this week. Schools in New Jersey closed because of rain and ice. In Maine we started with 5 inches of snow on Wednesday afternoon and ended with several inches of rain as the thermometer hovered in the 28 - 32 degree range. The result was the Ice Storm of the Century. I know the century is new and we had another “Ice Storm of the Century” in 1998. But, when you live in Northern New  England and it is cold, no power is an issue.

In some ways we were the victims of our own predictions. The Farmers’ Almanac said we’d get “pounded” this year. And, in the 53 years we have been located in Maine this is only the second time that the Farmers’ Almanac and Geiger (our parent company) could not open. Wednesday night trees were touching power lines setting off small fires along the road. We were down and stayed off line until last night when the crews from Central Maine Power Company put in a new transformer. As with any natural disaster, the unsung hero’s are the power crews who work without rest until all power is restored. In a heavily treed state like Maine, that is  tough work. Congratulations and thank you to the women and men who climb poles and do the work in the worst of conditions. The same can be said of those we saw on the national news doing the same after the tornado destruction.

At the peak 80,000 homes in Maine lost power. 48 hours later, about 10,000 are without power. In a future blog I hope to share the beauty of Maine under Ice.

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My Managing Editor, Sandi Duncan, lives n New Jersey. But, because of technology, we can work as editors, communicate with readers, connect with our friends at Farmers’ Almanac Television and do it with incredible speed and efficiency. We can do all this as long as the “systems” work.

In the 2006 Farmers;’ Almanac we dealt with the frustrations of scheduling service - phone, appliance repair, contractors, etc. The article took us through the trials and tribulations of getting a company to schedule and show up for an appointment ……and the consequences when they do not.

Fast forward to 2008 and Sandi’s DSL line is down which means no internet. The company that services this promised to be there Monday between 8am - 5pm, then 8am to 7pm, then Tuesday between 8am and 5pm and now we are into Wednesday - same story. The wait is bad enough but the hours of being put on hold and the frustration of not being able to move up the “chain” is unfortunate and regrettable. Sandi is not the first person to run into it because we heard from some people who told us they had to remain at home from 8am - 5pm and did so for 5 days (taking off from work).

In ‘08, this is absurd. Please read the article. Note our Service First Agreement. If you are kept waiting 30 minutes or more, we indicate that you are owed something for your troubles. I am not sure what happens when they are 2 - 3 or more days late. When you edit an almanac, the internet is your best friend. This isn’t a lawn tractor that might get used in three months. Shame on this service provider. You may hear more on this and the name of the vendor another day.

Here is the link

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                                                                                February 20 - 21

North and South Americans will have a ringside seat for a Total Eclipse of the Moon. The eclipse will be visible for the Eastern two-thirds of the United States and all of South America.

The eclipse magnitude is 1.111, with a total phase of slightly less than an average duration of 51 minutes. Each lunar eclipse is slightly different. The exact blend of reds and oranges vary depending upon how much dust we have in our atmosphere at the time and  how deeply  the Moon enters the umbra of the shadow. The Moon will pass through the  southern portion of the Earth’s shadow, which means the lower edge  will probably glow orange or red, while the upper part of the Moon should be shaded with a dark gray or chocolate hue.

Here is the timetable. The Moon will enter penumbra at 7:35pm, Moon enters umbra at 8:43pm; Total eclipse begins at 10:00pm; Middle of eclipse at 10:26pm with the total eclipse ending at 10:51pm. All of this takes place on February 20th. Finally, the Moon leaves umbra at 12:09am and the penumbra at 1:17am on February 21st.

This will be our last total  lunar eclipse for almost three years. So, be sure to find your spot for the best visibility and bring the family along. This will be a treat.

by pgeiger
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