"September blow soft till the fruit's in the loft."
                     Anonymous

Mid-Atlantic Weather Watch: Storms in the North with showers in the South 1,2,3). Fair and cooler (4,5,6,7) with more showers and STORMS (8,9,10). Fair but warmer (11,12,13,14) with the possibility of an Atlantic hurricane (15,16,17). Storms and much cooler weather (18,19,20) turning fair and mild (21,22,23,24,25,26,27). The month ends with showers and cooler temperatures (28,29,30)

Tornado Watch: Watch for tornado activity in the Mid-Atlantic Region from September 15th to the 18th.

Full Moon: September's full moon is most famously known as Harvest Moon. It is the full moon that falls closest to the Autumnal Equinox at a time when the moon rises soon after sunset on several successive days. According to tradition, the extra light from the moon during that period gave the farmer more time to finish up his chores and bring in the harvest. In 2008, the Autumnal Equinox occurs on September 22nd at 4:13AM EST. The closest Full Moon to occur was on September 15th and is therefore, the Harvest Moon of 2008. It has also been referred to as Full Wort Moon. The word "wort" originates from the Old English word, wyrt, which refers to plants, particularly herbs. Witches and natural healers would gather herbs at this time of year, stocking up for the Winter months ahead.

Special Notes: Those with allergies should keep an eye on local daily pollen counts and plan medication dosages accordingly. Sign up for free allergy alerts at www.pollen.com/alert.asp. Start preparing for Winter by caulking windows and applying weather stripping. Be sure to servicing your furnace and clean the chimney.

Holidays: Labor Day falls on the first Monday, September 1st and Citizenship Day is on Sunday, September 17th. Religious holidays observed this month include Rosh Hashanah on Tuesday, September 30th.

The Garden: Remember that Fall is for planting! Plant cabbages, peas, fennel, cauliflower, lettuce, Swiss chard, onions, leeks, Chinese peas, and endive crops for late autumn harvest. Also, try cabbage, lettuce, beets, turnips, spinach, radishes, collards and broccoli; be sure to water thoroughly after planting. Plant spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils, hyacinths, and tulips 6 to 8 weeks before the first frost. Start moving houseplants indoors.

John Grubers' Thought for Today's Living:

"Every person has two educations - one that he receives from others and one more important which he gives himself"