Living in the Old Farmer's Almanac: June 2013

Farmer's Calendar

Rather than rely on supermarket fare, many folks prefer to raise their own chickens for eggs or meat. The number of people who own chickens in urban areas has been growing steadily in recent years. In response, several towns and cities, including Las Angeles and New York, have changed their ordinances to allow small-scale chicken farming in residential areas.

Farming chickens means that you have control over the quality of your produce and the happiness of your hens. You can give your flock fodder that is free from chemicals and additives and provide lots of room for them to run about. Chickens that allowed to forage in the yard will add slugs, bugs, grass, and weeds to their menu, resulting in highly nutritious, great-tasting eggs with bright orange yolks and thick, firm whites. The poultry also create high-nitrogen droppings, which, when aged, are an ideal organic plant food.

As a bonus, these feathered friends are great pets that entertain for hours with their whimsical antics.

If you would like to raise a few chickens, talk shop with backyard farmers--they are sure to have tales and tips to tell. Also, check food regulations before turning your dreams into reality: You don't want to run "a-fowl" of the law.

SKY WATCH ☆ A striking vertical line of bright planets form near the sunset point some 40 minutes after sunset on the 1st. Jupiter, at magnitude -1.9, is closest to the horizon; Venus, at -3.8, is int he middle; and Mercury, at -4.0, Stands highest. Mercury is just a scant 10 degrees above the horizon, so the spectacle requires an unobstructed skyline for viewing. The thin 2-day-old crescent Moon hovers to the lower left of Mercury and Venus on the 10th. Look for the Moon, due south at nightfall, next to blue Spica on the 18th and below Saturn on the 19th. Jupiter disappears behind the Sun in a conjunction on the 19th. Summer arrives with the Solstice at 1:04 A.M. on the 21st.

Weather

Squall

time,

then

it's

fine.

Flashes

and

crashes!

First

it

rains,

then

it

pours;

graduations

have

to

move

indoors.

Brides

and

grooms

exchange

their

vows;

lightening

glows

inside

each

cloud.

5 June - 34 tornadoes wound through Ark., 1916 (Luis' birthday)