When I consider every thing that grows
Holds in perfection but a little moment,
That this huge stage presenteth nought but shows
Whereon the stars in secret influence comment;
When I perceive that men as plants increase,
Cheered and checked even by the self-same sky,
Vaunt in their youthful sap, at height decrease,
And wear their brave state out of memory;
Then the conceit of this inconstant stay
Sets you most rich in youth before my sight,
Where wasteful Time debateth with decay
To change your day of youth to sullied night,
And all in war with Time for love of you,
As he takes from you, I engraft you new.

William Shakespeare, Sonnet 15

NOTES FOR THE SECOND WEEK OF LATE SPRING
THE TWENTY-THIRD WEEK OF THE NATURAL YEAR

The Rhubarb Pie Moon, full on April 28, wanes throughout the remainder of the period, entering its final phase at 12:15 a.m. on May 6. Rising in the middle of the night and setting late in the morning, this moon lies overhead before daylight.

Jupiter, in Pisces, is visible before sunrise in the east this month. Venus, lower in the east in Taurus, follows Jupiter in the morning twilight. Mars moves to Leo from Cancer, overhead at sundown and setting after midnight. Saturn, in Virgo throughout the year, follows Mars across the night sky, setting in the west just as Jupiter comes up in the east. The Eta Aquarid meteors are active on May 5 and 6.

The sun reaches a declination of 15 degrees on May 1; that’s a little over 60 percent of the way to summer solstice. By May 10, the sun has reached a declination of almost 18 degrees, about 85 percent of the way to summer solstice.

Since the moon may exert less influence on ocean tides and on human and animal behavior when it comes into its 2nd and 4th quarters, it might make more sense to perform routine maintenance on your livestock and pets on or about May 5 and 20. On the other hand, tidal lunar influences have been shown to be greater at full moon and new moon times. You might expect more trouble with your herd, spouse or children, therefore, on or about May 13 and 27.

Cool fronts are due to reach the Lower Midwest on or about May 2, 7, 12, 15, 21, 24, and 29. Frost is most likely to occur with the May 7 and 12 fronts. New moon on May 13 increases the chances for freezing temperatures with both of the weather systems that occur near that date. Full moon on May 27 could also contribute to cold and to unstable meteorological conditions. Tornadoes, floods or prolonged periods of soggy pasture are most likely to occur between May 8 and 14 and between May 17 and 24.

THOREAU REVISITED
When I first read the journals of the 19th century naturalist, Henry David Thoreau, I kept looking for something that wasn’t there.

Even though I was interested enough in his notes about nature, I wanted him to tell more about himself. I thought all his observations about the thickness of ice at Walden Pond or about the dates the asters bloomed were frivolous. I wanted him to talk, just once, about his most secret passions. I wanted him to stop hiding behind the natural world.

Then I started keeping my own notebook and found my history of the year was more important to me than many other kinds of history I'd encountered.

Starting from an old assumption that the course of the seasons can be a metaphor for the process of human life, I saw that the closer observation of that metaphor revealed personal parallels I hadn't thought about before.

Each entry in the notebook, the times of cardinal song, the measurements of leaves, the dates of blossom and petal fall, not only contributed to my idea of a grand design, but gave me insights into all the minor, isolated actions that I used to feel were meaningless.

The more closely I looked at what was happening in the woods, the more I understood the extent of the metaphor, the more I understood myself - and Thoreau.