"The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the
bottom of which you will always find forgiveness."
- Honoré de Balzac (1799—1850)

Mid-Atlantic Weather Watch: Dry and mild, then heavy rain (1, 2, 3, 4, 5); dry, then turning warm and slightly humid with isolated PM showers (6, 7, 8, 9, 10); dry again, near record warmth developing (11, 12, 13, 14); frequent PM showers and thunderstorms followed by cooler and more seasonable conditions (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20); frequent PM showers and mild (21, 22, 23, 24, 25); seasonable with occasional showers (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31).

Extreme Weather Watch: The Hagerstown Town and Country Almanack sees heavy rains in the Mid-Atlantic Region (3, 4, 5, 19, 20)

Full Moon: May’s Full Moon will occur on Friday, May 5th. Many flowers emerge and blossom during this month so many Native American tribes called it Flower Moon while the Huron tribes specifically chose to call it Budding Moon for the very same reasons! The colonial farmer called it Milk Moon because of the noticeable increase in milk produced by his dairy cows in the month of May.

Holidays: Cinco de Mayo is celebrated on Friday, May 5th. Mothers are honored on Mother’s Day, Sunday May 14th. Treat that ‘very special lady" to a nice dinner out, a sentimental card and/or nice flower arrangement, or just a telephone call to say, "I love you"! Memorial Day falls on Monday, May 29th. On this day, we honor those who have died in defense of our freedoms, who suffer from injuries suffered in combat, and to all those who are currently serving today. Their unflinching service and sacrifice protect our way of life every single day

The Garden: Once your last frost data has passed, warm season crops can be planted. When the ground temperatures reach 70 degrees Fahrenheit, it is safe to begin planting Okra, Pumpkin, Sweet Potatoes, Eggplant, Peppers, Peanuts, Watermelon, Cow Peas, Black-eyed Peas, Crowder Peas, Butter Peas and Butter Beans. With a little luck, you may begin to see the first fruit on your strawberries by late this month. The birds will enjoy them very much if you don't provide some protective netting over them! Newly-planted strawberries should have the blossoms picked off until they become well-established.

The Farm: Best for planting root crops (18, 19); weeding and stirring the soil (20, 21, 25, 26); planting above-ground crops (22, 23, 24); harvesting all crops (7, 8); best days for setting hens and incubators (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31); slaughtering and butchering meat (19, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26); harvest and store grains (12, 13, 14, 5, 15, 16, 17, 18; transplanting (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26); weaning of small animals and livestock (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14).

J. Gruber’s Thought For Today’s Living

"While the truth may be painful to hear today, the wise man will benefit from it tomorrow"