So, we have already had a complete month’s rain with the storm earlier this week. Now imagine that was snow, we would be shoveling out for a week.

Plan for winter now, so that you don’t get caught in the cold in January. But how do you plan months ahead of time?

Take a look at the 2023 Old Farmer's Almanac, in it is a forecast from November this year until October next year. If you had a copy of the 2022 Almanac laying around, you would see that the rain this week was forecast over one year ago.

It sounds crazy that they can predict the weather fourteen months in advance better than the local NYC weather people can for next week. Truth be told, out of all the Almanacs we sell, 90 percent are for the weather forecast, but the Almanac has so much more.

I admit, their planting charts can be a little intimidating, but there is useful information everywhere in the Almanac, like on page 228.

Page 228 is the best fishing days and times. Not many an accomplished fisherman will know that early morning is always a good time, but some days are better than others. Each month the best days for fishing are after the new moon and before the full moon.

If you are fishing in a tidal area, the best times are an hour before or an hour after a high or low tide. Also check the wind, if it is blowing from the west, the fish will bite better than a breeze from the north or east.

One page later in the Almanac is an animal husbandry guide.

In an average year, you could have around 24 new bunnies compared to one foal.

There is also a chart of best days in 2023. Best days for what you may ask?

Here are just a few of the cat- egories, Begin a Diet, Bake, Quit Smoking, Paint, Plant in the ground, Plant above the ground (in pots), Graft, Get Married, Ask for a loan and even Color Hair or Perm Hair.

So now you can avoid those bad hair days.

The chart will show the best planting days, but another article will show you which perennials are the best for our area, especially if you are looking to attract pollinators and hummingbirds.

Of course we know about milkweed, Joe Pye weed and foxglove, but what about earlier or later blooms. Some coneflower varieties and black eye Susan's can continue to bloom into September to not only brighten the garden but keep the bees and butterflies happy as well.

Even the hummingbirds are still around right now as we had one in the showroom over the weekend. I guess he was looking for a quick meal before taking that long flight to Florida.

My point is that the Old Farmer's Almanac has a lot of other useful information in it besides the weather. From cooking to canning to gardening and grafting, this little booklet packs a lot of knowledge into a small package. And just as a sneak peek, we are suppose to have a cold and snowy winter in the entire northeast this year.