Daily Calendar for Thursday, May 18, 2023
Question of the Day
If morning glories are such an invasive weed in some places, why can’t I get them to grow here in Maine?
Pure stubbornness on the part of the flower, no doubt. Here are some tips. First, if you’re starting from seed, try soaking the seeds for 24 hours in warm water. Another trick is to take a file and nick the end of each seed before you plant it. A layer of glass or clear plastic over the seed tray will help maintain the humidity. Keep the seeds warm (70 to 75 degrees F) until they germinate, which can take up to two weeks. Then keep them in a sunny location and make sure they don’t outgrow their pots before you get them outside. Morning glories are notorious weeds in places such as Bermuda (they are, after all, a tropical plant). Although they’ll grow in poor soil and low-moisture areas, they prefer moist, rich soil. They don’t like a lot of nitrogen. Lawn fertilizers, manure, fish meal, bonemeal, and composted peas and beans are all high in nitrogen, so avoid using them near your morning glory vines.
Advice of the Day
Crush the seeds of sweet cicely and use them as a polish for wooden furniture.
Home Hint of the Day
When you use the fan over your cook stove, be sure to open a window elsewhere in the house, too. This will give the fan a greater supply of air to blow, so it will be more effective.
Word of the Day
Lenticular Cloud
Lenticular clouds are only seen around mountains. These strange clouds are easy to spot, because they look like flying saucers or a stack of pancakes. Their most interesting characteristic is that they don’t move. Winds blow right through them, while other clouds are swept away.
Puzzle of the Day
What subject do witches like best?
Spelling.
Born
- Bertrand Russell (philosopher & mathematician) –
- Frank Capra (director) –
- Perry Como (singer) –
- Pope John Paul II –
- Brooks Robinson (baseball player) –
- Reggie Jackson (baseball player) –
- George Strait (country singer) –
- Tina Fey (writer & actress) –
- Jack Johnson (musician) –
Died
- Elizabeth Montgomery (American actress ) –
- Elvin Ray Jones (renowned jazz drummer and member of John Coltrane’s quartet who also played alongside Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, and Miles Davis) –
- Wayne Allwine (voice of Mickey Mouse for over 30 years) –
Events
- Montreal, Quebec, founded–
- Masses feared the end of the world during passage of Halley’s Comet–
- U.S. Selective Draft Act passed–
- Tennessee Valley Authority created–
- TWA was first airline to fly the Douglas DC-2 aircraft–
- Aviator Jackie Cochran became the first woman to exceed Mach 1–
- Apollo 10 spacecraft launched from Cape Kennedy–
- India became world’s sixth nuclear power–
- A magnitude 5.1 earthquake causes the cataclysmic eruption of Mount St. Helens, killing 57 people.–
- Law passed to remove Confederate flag from South Carolina statehouse–
- Randy Johnson made history by becoming the oldest major league player (at age 40) to throw a perfect game. Cy Young was previously the oldest to pitch perfection at 37–
Weather
- Major Arkansas River flood, Wichita, Kansas–
- Violent Lake Michigan storm wrecked several ships–
- Oklahoma experienced major floods–
- 116 degrees F at Death Valley, California–