May 2012

"A mother is a mother still,
The holiest thing alive”
Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834)

Mid-Atlantic weather watch: Storms, some severe in the southern part of the region (1). Fair and warm (2,3,4,5) with showers and storms (6,7). Fair and warm again (8,9) with more severe storms coming from the south (10,11). Fair and rather warm (12,13,14,15,16) turning cloudy and not so warm (17,18,19,20). Very warm with more storms from the south (21,22,23), remaining warm with showers in the north (24,25). Fair and very warm (26,27,28,29) with more showers in the north and storms in the south (30, 31).

Tornado Watch: Watch out for tornado activity in the Mid-Atlantic Region on May 10th and 11th.

Full Moon: the Full Moon for May will rise on Saturday, May 5th at 10:35 PM EST. With so many flowers blooming after those April showers, the Full Moon of May has naturally become known as the Flower Moon. The Huron Indians called it the Budding Moon for similar reasons. Farmers called it the Milk Moon because of a noticed increase in milk produced during this month.

Holidays: Cinco de Mayo is celebrated on Saturday, May 5th. Mothers are honored on Mother’s Day which is celebrated on Sunday, May 13th. The smallest gesture of a nice card, bright flowers, or a nice dinner out will tell her just how much she means to you. Memorial Day falls on Monday, May 28th. Celebrate the start of the 2012 summer season but do not forget those who have served and are still serving in our armed forces. We owe them all so much for what they have done in the past and more importantly, what they continue to do today and in the future to protect our way of life.

The Garden: Before you start mowing the grass again, let it grow a little taller than the recommended growing height before cutting. This will give the lawn a jump-start and make it stronger. Set the mowing deck to trim the grass back one-third, and then gradually lower it to the proper height for the specific type of grass. Now is the time to set out colorful annuals like geraniums, impatiens, marigolds, petunias, and zinnias. Trim up hedges and shrubs to shape and tighten them with new growth. Most flowering shrubs will respond to a light trimming at this time of year but don’t trim away too many of the emerging buds or you won’t have as many flowers. For the vegetable gardener, check when the ground temperatures reach around 70 degrees Fahrenheit and then go ahead and plant. It will be safe to begin planting Okra, Pumpkin, Sweet Potatoes, Eggplant, Peppers, Watermelon, Butter Peas, and Butter Beans.

J. Grubers' Thought for Today's Living:

“Send your son into the world with good principles, a good temper, a good business education and habits of industry; then he will work his way”

Index of Past Month's Entries