"Spring being a tough act to follow, God created June." - Al Bernstein

Mid-Atlantic Weather Watch: Showers, cooler (1, 2) turning fair and warm (3, 4, 5); more showers, mainly in the southern part of the region (6, 7) with fair and hot weather (8, 9, 10, 11). Scattered storms (12, 13), turning fair and hot again (14, 15, 16); severe storms (17, 18, 19) returning, yet again to fair and hot temperatures (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25) with more Storms in the north (26, 27, 28)’ fair and very warm (29, 30).

Tornado Watch: The Town and Country Almanack sees possible tornado activity in the Mid-Atlantic Region from the 14th to the 18th of June.

Full Moon: June’s Full Moon will occur on Monday, June 17th. Because roses start to show their gorgeous blooms at the beginning of the month, it has been called ROSE MOON and also Strawberry Moon because the first strawberries of the season become ripe for the picking (and for the eating!).

Special Notes: Summer officially starts with the Summer Solstice that occurs on Friday, June 21st. Honor your favorite student this month when he or she graduates from high school or college. This is a major milestone so mark the achievement with a special event or memorable gift.

Holidays: Display ‘Old Glory’ on Flag Day, Friday, June 14th! To be sure that you are displaying it properly. Father’s Day is Sunday, June 16th. Do something really nice for the guy who a) paid for 4 years of college, b) paid for a really nice wedding, c) helped you finance that new (fill in the blank), or d) All of the above!

The Garden: Transplant when the rainy season starts but remember that working in the garden when plant leaves are wet can spread many diseases. If you have to divide plants, give them a chance to recover from having their roots disturbed by keeping them in the shade for at least a week. Tick-proof your yard this summer. Deer are likely to bring ticks into your space so plant species that deer do not eat like the thorny barberry, bugleweed, forsythia, foxglove, and most needle-leaved conifers. As the temperature starts to rise, lawns should be getting 1.5 inches of water a week. If Mother Nature is stingy, water deeply once or twice a week but NOT daily. Here’s a good tip: spray the underside of your mower with a thin coating of vegetable oil to prevent grass from sticking. And always remember that when working outside in hot sun for any prolonged period of time, be sure to take salt tablets, drink plenty of water, and take frequent breaks in the shade.

The Farm: Best for planting root crops (1, 28, 29); weeding and stirring the soil (2, 3, 4); planting above-ground crops (5, 6); harvesting all crops (15, 16, 17); the best days for setting hens and incubators (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25); the slaughtering and butchering of meat (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9); transplanting (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9); the weaning of all small animals and livestock (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24); harvesting and storing grains (1, 2, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)

J. Gruber’s Thought For Today’s Living

"If all of our today’s held as much hope as our tomorrows, what wonderful memories we would have of all our yesterdays"