When white clover flowers, the main homey flow begins for many hives. A major increase in the average daily amount of sunlight now occurs throughout the country. Fruit trees are budding in the Central Plains, the Northeast, the Northwest and Rocky Mountains. The Great Lakes region is transplanting commercial cabbage. Cambodia, Thailand and Laos immigrants celebrate the New Year through April 15. Throughout the country's midsection, black and gray morel mushrooms come up at this time of month. Lunar tidal influence swells by April 15, and perigee (the moon is closest to Earth), on the 16th increases chances of a killing frost throughout the northern half of the United States. (Countryside)
It has been years since I thought about commercial cabbage growers. Had a friend in college who farmed, and his cash crop was cabbage. He was contracted to the cannery in the area. He is the only person I knew who grew more than a family's use.
The return of daylight saving time brings a 6 percent first-week spike in fatal car crashes. I knew it wasn't good for us!
"Barbie is 60! Since her first appearance at the American Toy Fair in New York City on March 9, 1959, Barbie has held 200-plus jobs, including surgeon, game developer and CEO, run for president six times and inspired countless artists and musicians. She even has her own Instragram feed and a special episode of "The Toys That Made Us" on Netflix. (Parade Magazine). Wonder if she has a special membership card to AARP?
Apollo 8, first trip around the moon: Dec. 21, 1968; 7:51 a.m. Orbit altitude: 118.82 miles. Duration: six days, three hours, 42 seconds. Orbits: 10 revolutions. Distance: 579,606.9 miles. Landing; Dec. 27, 1968, 10:52 a.m., Pacific Ocean. In 1968 as the world prepared for Santa's trip around the world, three men became the first in the world to make a trip in orbit around the moon. It was the first time man would lay eyes on the dark side. The crew would take on a 20-hour sleepless orbit that was filled with tasks including tracking landmarks, navigation and photography. Six telecasts were conducted during the mission: two while coasting between the earth and moon, known as translunar trajectory; two while orbiting the moon and two in transit toward the Earth. These transmissions were telecast worldwide and in real time to all five continents. Apollo lunar missions used a free-return trajectory. While it limited the area on the moon they could reach, it added a safety net for return, using the earth's atmosphere to pull in the craft without needing all functional systems.
Apollo 8 tested not only the network tracking the spacecraft in the Earth's orbit but also in lunar orbit. In a telecast on Christmas Eve, the astronauts showed the world the first images of the lunar surface while reciting line from the Bible's Book of Genesis. Crew: Frank Borman, commander; William A. Anders, lunar module pilot; James A. Lovell Jr., command module pilot. (Southern)
The magnolia tree is showing color and a few flowers. Since it is the last of March, I hope it will be safe. Henbit is blooming -- the purple stuff that takes over your yard and garden. The birds are comical. They scratch around in garden waste, throwing things around, then pick up a piece, discard it, do this several times, then fly away with suitable nest building material. This goes on all day, all kinds of birds.
The peas show no signs of germination. A shivering daffodil told me that the Eldorado Garden Club's annual truckload plant sale is good to go. She was too cold to tell me when, just the middle of May. Save some of your garden money!
For all you old hippies, or younger wish-I-had-of-been hippies: Jay-Z, Dead & Company and the Killers (must admit I never heard of the latter two groups) will headline one of the 50th anniversary shows commemorating the groundbreaking Woodstock festival this summer. The Woodstock 50 Music and Arts Fair will take place Aug. 16-18 in Watkins Glen, New York. If you were there, or were too young for the first, might look into it. Music and Arts Fair sounds a mite calmer that the original.
From "Frank & Ernest" (Andrews McMeel Syndication) this poem for all of you pollen sufferers: "Ahh, spring! A time of growth, a time of green, a time for birdies to be seen. A time of hope across the land. AAH-CHOO! A time for hankies close at hand."
How to tell the last frost date for your area: It is 2-5 days after you plant your garden.
• Elizabeth Woodworth lives in Harrisburg.
