"The trees are in their autumn beauty,
The woodland paths are dry,
Under the October twilight the water Mirrors a still sky."
William Butler Yeats (1865-1939)

Mid-Atlantic Weather Watch: Fair and mild (1, 2) with heavy rain, storms in the southern part of the region (3, 4, 5); fair and cool (6, 7, 8) with more showers mainly in the south (9, 10). Fair and cool again (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16) with yet more showers in the south (17, 18, 19). Cloudy, cool (20, 21, 22, 23) with rain and possibly snow in the north (24, 25, 26); fair and colder (27, 28, 29) with more rain and some snow in the north (30, 31).

Full Moon: October’s Full Moon with occur on Wednesday, October 24th. The name traditionally given to October’s Full Moon is Hunter’s Moon because of the extra light it provided many Native Americans who were able to extend their hunt for food into the early evening. It was also referred to as Moon of Falling Leaves and Yellow Leaf Moon and by the Cree Tribe because many of the trees lose the last of their leaves during the month and because of the many leaves turning that color during October. It also been known the Big Feast Moon because of the bountiful harvests and Fall celebrations going on at this time.

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!). National Fire Prevention Week in 2019 is October 7-13. Make sure all basic items such as flashlights, fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, and escape ladders are functional and ready to go if needed. Remember to get your flu shots early this year!

Holidays: Columbus Day falls on Monday, October 8th and United Nations Day is celebrated on Wednesday, the 24th. Halloween falls on Wednesday, October 31st.

The Garden: One last effort at weeding will help to improve the appearance of your garden throughout the winter. Any weed that you can eliminate from the garden this Fall will possibly prevent thousands of weed seeds from sprouting in the garden next Spring! Mulching Fall planted perennials will keep the soil warmer longer, allowing root growth to continue. The longer your house plants were allowed to remain outside in the Fall, the more shock they will go through when they are finally moved indoors. If you haven't brought them in yet, do it now!

J. Gruber’s Thought For Today’s Living:

"Keeping one’s eyes, ears, and mind open but mouth closed often leads to a more thorough understanding of life’s problem."