Late fall means earliest sunsets begin Monday in Clark County

The Almanack Horoscope

For the Final Week of Late Fall

Moon Time: On December 3, the Paperwhite Moon is full at 10:47 a.m. and it reaches perigee, its position closest to Earth, that day, as well. This is the only "Supermoon" (full at perigee) of 2017.

Sun Time: On December 2,, the Sun reaches its earliest setting of the year in Clark County, and it continues to set at the same time for 12 days.

Planet Time: Venus and Saturn in Ophiuchus are not visible this month. Mars, moving retrograde into Libra, lies low on the eastern horizon with Jupiter before dawn.

Star Time: Orion is the most obvious of all the star groups, and around him cluster some of the easiest stars to identify. Leading Orion into winter is red Aldebaran, the eye of Taurus. In front of Taurus, the seven sisters of the Pleiades lie almost in the center of the sky. Above the Hunter's raised arms, Capella is the largest light in Auriga. Above and behind Orion, Castor and Pollux, the brightest stars of Gemini mark the east. Trailing along in the southeast is Sirius, the giant Dog Star.

Weather Time: The December 3 Front: The first high-pressure system of December is normally one of the less violent fronts of the month. This year, however, full moon and lunar perigee on the 3rd should bring a fierce arrival to Early Winter.

The December 8 Front: The high pressure system that typically arrives at the end of December's first week is a major pivot for severe weather in the Miami Valley. A secondary front often increases the assault on your homestead between the 11th and the 13th.

Zeitgebers: Events in Nature that Tell the Time of Year: When sunset reaches its earliest time of the year, the brittle leaves of the pear trees fall. This is the time during which the second bloom of forsythia flowers ends, when witch hazel blossoms wither, and the last of the golden beeches, the willows, osage and oaks come down. But even though this is one more week of endings, it is not a week of stasis. Spruces are growing new needles. Caraway and henbit sometimes flower

in the Sun, and a dandelion or a periwinkle opens in scattered fields and lawns.

Farm and Garden Time: Try to complete harvest of corn, soybeans and sugar beets before the arrival of Early Winter. In greenhouses and sunrooms, tomatoes sown in July will be getting ripe as December approaches.

Marketing Time: December brings feast days to Christians, Jews and Muslims alike. On December 1, Sunni Muslims celebrate Muhammad's Birthday, and Shia Muslims celebrate it on the 6th. The Jewish feast of Hanukkah takes place between the 12th and 20th, and, of course, Christmas is December 25.

Mind and Body Time: The danger of Seasonal Affective Disorder increases as the winter period of solar stability (December 5 – January 8) begins, keeping the days short and the amount of available sunlight. Be out of doors as much as possible to maximize exposure to light.

Creature Time (for fishing, hunting, feeding, bird watching): The moon is overhead in the late evening (its most powerful time) this week. Fishing and hunting, however, could be done at the second-best lunar time, the late morning and early afternoon. If you are bird watching, set out additional feeders for suet and fruit as well as for seeds and grains. Keep track of the types of birds that arrive in your yard. Be ready for late and early migrants.

Journal

On a recent trip to see the last color of autumn, I paid attention to the way I missed home and summer, and I thought about what caused the discomfort at leaving both behind.

Since my wife died five years ago, I have tried to understand how to come to terms with home. I have become overly attached to the place where I live and to my story contained in its rooms and gardens. It is hard for me to go away.

On the other hand, once I am on the road and look closely at the different landscapes, I like the freedom and take comfort in what I find. I do not become detached so much as I befriend the new space and time.

Spring and summer have always been my favorite seasons, and I miss them now. But when I am too sad to see the leaves come down or too fearful of abandoning the safety of my yard, the grip is too strong.

Homesickness comes from holding on and from being held too much. Befriending is an open acceptance of what appears on the other side of home. Each pole is a mentor. Each year, I learn from autumn and the road not to hold summer and my home too close and to make friends with the cold and absence.

OTHER POOR WILL’S ALMANACK COLUMNS

Fall welcomes the Apple Cider Moon, Leonid meteors

Daylight Saving Time comes to an end

First chance for snow flurries

Full moon could bring frost

Peak leaf color begins