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January 2020
"Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors,
and let every new year find you a better man."
Benjamin Franklin (1705—1790)
Mid-Atlantic Weather Watch: Windy, very cold, lake-effect snow (1, 2, 3) with more snow (4, 5). Fair and very cold (6, 7, 8) with Nor’easter, heavy snow (9, 10, 11); fair and bitter cold (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17) with more snow in the southern part of the region (18, 19); fair and very cold
again (20, 21, 22); windy, lake-effect snow (23, 24, 25) turning fair, not as cold (26, 27, 28, 29, 30) with more lake-effect snow (31).
Full Moon: The first Full Moon of 2020 will occur on Friday, January 10th. Often referred to as Wolf Moon (because of the increased boldness of wolf packs venturing closure and closer to their camps looking for food), it has also been called Hunger Moon by many Native American tribes because of the scarcity of food at this time of
year,
Special Notes: The 2020 Hagerstown Town and Country Almanack is its 224th edition, continuously published since its first appearance in 1797! While it is the second oldest almanac in the United States, it is the ONLY almanac in America that is still published by heirs of its founder, John Gruber. He and his partner and son-in-law,
Daniel May, would be proud to see their almanac continuing to provide detailed, and now more refined weather forecasts and accurate astronomical data proven to be vital to the agricultural success in the region. It is our commitment to continue improving our look, the accuracy of our weather forecasts, and offering useful information and inspiration to help one
survive in today’s world. In that way.
Holidays: New Year’s Day in 2020 falls on Wednesday, January 1st. The birthday of famed civil rights activist leader, Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929) is celebrated on the third Monday of January. This year, it is Monday, January 20th. This great leader must be remembered on this day for the great social changes he brought
about in this country and for the ultimate sacrifice he made pursuing unity and racial harmony which still eludes us today.
The Garden: Mulch landscape beds for winter if you haven't already (and if the weather allows). Mulching prevents erosion, protects against soil freezes and thaws, and helps retain moisture - all particularly beneficial over a dry winter. There are many different types of mulch. You can even recycle your cut Christmas tree and use
the branches to cover perennials!
The Farm: Best for planting root crops (16, 17); weeding and stirring the soil (12, 13); planting above-ground crops (27, 28); harvesting all crops (2, 4, 20, 21); the best days for setting hens and incubators (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17); the slaughtering and butchering of meat (1, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29,
30, 31; transplanting (1, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31); the weaning of all small animals and livestock (1, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28); harvesting and storing grains (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
J. Gruber’s Thought For Today’s Living
"The next twelve months offer a world of promise; it all depends on each of us and how much we are willing to give of ourselves to help make it a better world"
Index of Past Month's Entries
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