My favourite poem is the one that starts 'Thirty days hath September'
because it actually tells you something."
                        Groucho Marx (1890-1977)

Weather Watch: Fair and mild (1,2,3,4,5) with showers and a bit more humid (6,7). Atlantic hurricane, with heavy rains and stormy weather (8,9). Fair, warm, and humid (10,11,12,13,14,15,16) with more rain and showers in the northern parts of the Mid-Atlantic Region and Storms in the southern parts (17,18). Fair and cooler (19,20) with more showers, winds, and cooler temperatures (21,22). Fair and cool again (23,24,25,26,27,28,29) with yet more showers and possibly snow in the northern part of the region.

Tornado Watch: The Almanack sees tornado activity from the 6th to the 9th along the Central East Coast through New England.

Full Moon: the Full Moon in October will occur on the 14th at 3:02PM and is the Hunter's Moon for 2008. The Cree Indian Tribe called it Moon of Falling Leaves because so many trees lose the last of their leaves during this month. Other Native Americans called it Big Feast Moon because of the bountiful harvests and the many Fall celebrations that take place.

Special Notes: Take advantage of the many autumn celebrations across the Mid-Atlantic Region. Check local newspaper for ones to be held nearest you and make plans to attend with the whole family. Many have contests for the best scarecrow or Jack O' Lantern carving. This is a great opportunity to spend quality time with your children and help develop their imaginations and express their creativity (and your own, too!).

Holidays: Yom Kippur is celebrated on October 9th, Columbus Day falls on Monday, October 13th, and United Nations Day will be observed on Friday, October 24th. Have a safe and Happy Halloween on Friday, October 31st. Plan for early evening activities that will end by dusk. Be sure to have older children wear reflective clothing (or costumes!) after dark. Check all treats when the children return. On the home front, try to give sensible treats like sugar-less candies and gums, or nonfood alternatives like stickers, whistles, toy animals, etc.

The Garden: Rake way all dead grass. Shredded or mulched leaves, along with lawn clippings and dead plant stalks from the vegetable garden, make a fine addition to the compost heap. Add some fertilizer along with the new compost. Do not prune or fertilize any trees or shrubs. They need to go into a resting phase to prepare for the colder months ahead. Remember to leave flowers with seeds for the birds.

John Grubers' Thought for Today's Living:

"It's a wise man who knows him limitations but makes the most of his abilities"