"A grandmother always pretends she doesn't know who you are on Halloween"
Erma Bombeck (1927-1996)
 

Mid-Atlantic Regional Weather Watch:  Showers, storms (1,2,3) turning fair and warm (4,5,6). More showers and storms (7,8,9) with fair and cooler weather to follow (10,11,12). Warmer temperatures with a chance of showers (13,14); fair and very warm (15,16) with yet more showers and a bit cooler (17,8,19). Fair and cool (20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30) with showers and mild temperatures (31).

Tornado Watch: No tornado activity is forecasted this month for the mid-Atlantic region.

Full moon: The full moon in October will occur on October 23rd at 4:17 am and is the hunter’s moon for 2010. More often, it is referred to as yellow leaf moon because of bright foliage of the fall season. The Cree Indian tribe called it the moon of falling leaves because so many trees finally lose the last of their leaves in October.

Special notes: Consult your physician if you suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SDD). Symptoms may include depression, irritability, fatigue or apathy. Getting more sun or using special sunlamp will help as the days get shorter. National fire prevention week in 2010 is October 3-9. Make sure all basic items such as flashlights, fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, and escape ladders are functional and ready to go if needed. Remember to get your flu shots early this year!

Holidays: Columbus day falls on Monday, October 11th and united nations day is celebrated on Sunday, the 24th. The children’s favorite holiday next to Christmas is Halloween is on Sunday, October 31st. Be sure to plan "t or t" activities early and finish by dusk. Have older children carry flashlights and wear reflective clothing or costumes if they plan to be out after dark. And make sure to check all of their "goodies" when they return home.

The Garden: Rake leaves so they don’t block light to the lawn. Shred or mulch and use around shrub bases or add to the compost pile. Remove all dead or dying plants and add those to the compost pile as well. Take the time to rake way all dead grass and your lawn will look better sooner in the spring. Do not prune or fertilize any trees, plants or shrubs. Pruning and fertilizing will encourage new growth when actually, they need to go into a resting phase to prepare for colder months ahead. Now is the time to plant those spring bulbs and remember to add just a pinch of bone meal to the hole.

J. Grubers' Thought for Today's Living:

"Before you insist on making yourself heard, be sure you have something of importance to say"