Editors' Musings
April 19, 2016
You’re invited to our LIVE Pink Moon Show this Thursday evening, April 21, 2016!
We, your Almanac editors, are hosting a free, 45-minute broadcast devoted to you, our Almanac community, and the Full Moon of April.
This year, the April Full Moon is at “apogee” or furthest from the Earth, but you’ll see it all vividly through SLOOH’s giant telescope in the Canary Islands, Spain, where there are dark skies!
Pretty cool. Sit in your own home. The lens of your eyes will be enhanced by the lens of a... more
November 30, 2015
Every December, we cook up a storm for the annual Almanac Christmas party. Here are photos of the holiday table—and recipes. Can you tell that we love to bake and cook?
This year, we hosted a holiday afternoon tea; the table was loaded with sweets, breads, and decorative tea cups. Here are a few of the holiday recipes:
Buche de Noel
Cranberry Punch
Christmas Fruit Cookies
Cranberry Scones
Are you hosting any holiday parties or gatherings this year? We’d love to hear what you’re cooking. Please... more
November 10, 2015
This is Part II of my aurora-viewing adventure with Almanac astronomer editor, Bob Berman. I hope this gives you a taste of what it’s like to see the Aurora Borealis.
The tour got off to a spectacular start on night #1, March 17, thanks to the arrival of a burst of solar radiation that excited the northern lights to levels of display seldom seen before. We were at Cleary Summit, outside Fairbanks, Alaska, and what we saw was truly otherworldly.
Maybe this is a good place to reiterate that this... more
November 9, 2015
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to see the Northern Lights (aka Aurora Borealis), I had the opportunity to spend 6 days in Alaska with famed Almanac Astronomy Editor Bob Berman. I will try to bring the experience alive for you—with photos!
Let me start out my saying that an Alaskan visit is about more than the Northern Lights: sled dog rides, hot springs soaking, geothermal plant and pipeline visits, the World Ice Carving Championships, an arctic greenhouse visit, a moose sighting, a... more
July 1, 2015
Every January, the members of my community garden have a potluck supper, during which we thumb seed catalogs and order for the coming season.
To this day, I do not know what possessed me to raise my hand to get “put down” for two ounces of scarlet runner beans.
Only later in spring, standing on my patch of soil with the glossy bean seeds in my palm, did I pay attention to the fine print in the catalog: “Need trellis, fences, or pole; will grow to 10–12’.”
Ten to twelve feet?
What was I ... more
April 10, 2015
At breakfast, I sit near my backyard window and listen to birds’ sweet songs in the morning light.
Did you know that birds are one of the best cues to the length of a day? The changing daylight has a hormonal trigger in birds, and starts them whistling.
Our wooded backyard draws all kinds of birds; my favorites are the tiny jeweled hummingbirds who are attracted by our bee balm and other plants. (On the gardening page, you can find our guide on best shrubs and trees for birds as well as best... more
December 9, 2014
For the past four months, we’ve shown you photos of clouds that might remind you of a certain object, character, or creature. This month, we decided to be a little different.
You’re looking at a typical “mackerel sky,” so named because its wavy striped pattern resembles the markings on certain mackerel fish. This photo was taken from our Almanac office in Dublin, New Hampshire; you can see the church steeple next door and the American flag in our town center.
Several proverbs are related to... more
November 18, 2014
It’s amazing how invisible water vapor can condense into tiny water droplets or ice particles, gather together, and form visible clouds.
It reminds us that clear air is not empty, but is instead full of substance.
Sometimes clouds will transform into familiar shapes, which often last only a few minutes. Finding these transient recognizable forms is called nephelococcygia. To learn more about this pastime, see our first cloud post.
This month, we have posted a photo of another interestingly... more
October 2, 2014
Clouds are always changing shape. Occasionally, they’ll morph into a familiar form, such as an animal, plant, or man-made object.
If you like to watch clouds, we invite you to look at the photo here and tell us what recognizable shapes you see. This particular cloud was spotted from the parking lot of The Old Farmer’s Almanac on one fine summer day.
(We’ve enjoyed the imaginative comments about our past postings. Thank you, everyone! Keep them coming and have fun!)
To learn about this popular... more
September 15, 2014
If you like to look for familiar shapes in clouds, you’ve come to the right spot.
Every few weeks, we will invite you to tell us what recognizable shapes you see in a cloud photo, such as a sailboat, tree, or horse.
To learn about this popular pastime, take a gander at our previous blog post on clouds here.
In the meantime, we think that you will have fun with this next photo, submitted by Annie Allemani. (Thank you, Annie!) Can you spot a familiar form? Please post your thoughts below.
Thank... more
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Your Old Farmer’s Almanac editors occasionally share our reflections, advice, and musings—and welcome your comments!
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