“IN AUGUST, THE LARGE MASSES OF BERRIES, WHICH, WHEN IN FLOWER, HAD ATTRACTED MANY WILD BEES, GRADUALLY ASSUMED THEIR BRIGHT VELVETY CRIMSON HUE, & BY THEIR WEIGHT AGAIN BENT DOWN & BROKE THEIR TENDER LIMBS.”
-HENRY DAVID THOREAU

MONTHLY SIGNS & SYMBOLS

FULL MOON:

“GRAIN MOON”

FLOWER:

GLADIOLUS & POPPY

TREE:

CEDAR, PINE, CYPRESS, POPLAR

COLOR:

ORANGE

BIRTHSTONE:

PERIDOT & ONYX

ANIMAL TOTEMS:

SALMON, BEAR & HORSE, FISH

ASTROLOGICAL ZODIAC SIGNS:

LEO: (JULY 23 – AUGUST 22)
VIRGO: (AUGUST 23 – SEPTEMBER 22)

PLANETS:

Sun (Leo)
Mercury (Virgo)

NATURE HOLIDAYS & OBSERVANCES

AUGUST (1st week): National Farmer’s Market Week
AUGUST 3: National Watermelon Day
AUGUST 6: Farmworker Appreciation Day
AUGUST 8: National Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor’s Porch Day
AUGUST (3rd Saturday): National Honey Bee Day
AUGUST 25: National Park Service Anniversary
AUGUST (last Friday): World Daffodil Day

THIS DAY in HISTORY

AUGUST 2, 1990 – FEB. 28, 1991: THE “PERSIAN GULF WAR” BEGINS.
AUGUST 3–4, 1968: 100,000 ATTEND “THE NEWPORT POP FESTIVAL” IN COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA.
AUGUST 6, 1945: THE UNITED STATE DROPS THE ATOMIC BOMB ON HIROSHIMA, JAPAN.
AUGUST 7, 1964: “GULF OF TONKIN RESOLUTION” IS AUTHORIZED.
AUGUST 9, 1945: JAPAN DECLARES SURRENDER. ENDING “W.W. II” IN THE PACIFIC.
AUGUST 9, 1974: RICHARD NIXON RESIGNS AS PRESIDENT OF THE U.S.
AUGUST 1944: “THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE” ADOPTS “SMOKEY BEAR” AS THEIR MASCOT.
AUGUST 13,1935: THE 1st “ROLLER DERBY” DEBUTS.
AUGUST 14, 1935: CONGRESS PASSES THE “SOCIAL SECURITY ACT” ON THIS DAY.
AUGUST 14, 1975: “THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW” IS FIRST RELEASED ON THIS DAY.
AUGUST 15-18, 1969: 500,000 CONCERT-GOERS GATHER FOR THE “WOODSTOCK MUSIC & ART FAIR” IN BETHEL, NY.
AUGUST 18, 1920: “THE 19TH AMENDMENT”, GIVING WOMEN THE RIGHT TO VOTE, IS RATIFIED.
AUGUST 20, 1972: 112,000 CONCERT-GOERS GATHER AT “L.A. MEMORIAL COLISEUM” FOR THE “WATTSTAX MUSIC FESTIVAL”.
AUGUST 20, 1920: THE FIRST LICENSED RADIO BROADCAST AIRS.
AUGUST 24, 1932: AMELIA EARHART BECOMES THE FIRST WOMAN TO FLY ACROSS AMERICA.
AUGUST 25, 1916: THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE” IS ESTABLISHED.
AUGUST 25, 1921 – SEPTEMBER 2, 1921: “THE BATTLE OF BLAIR MOUNTAIN” BEGINS.
AUGUST 28, 1838: THE FORCED RELOCATION OF 15,000 CHEROKEE, CALLED “THE TRAIL OF TEARS”, BEGINS. 4,000 DIE IN PURGE.
AUGUST 28, 1963: 250,000 ASSEMBLE, MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. SPEAKS AT THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL FOR “THE GREAT MARCH ON WASHINGTON”
AUGUST 29, 1786: MARKS THE BEGINNING OF ”SHAY’S REBELLION”

FAMOUS BIRTHDAYS

*HERMAN MELVILLE (AUGUST 1, 1819 – SEPTEMBER 28, 1891)
—-AUTHOR (“MOBY DICK”)
*RAMBLIN’ JACK ELLIOTT (BORN AUGUST 1, 1931)
—-FOLK SINGER / GUITARIST
*JERRY GARCIA (AUGUST 1, 1942 – AUGUST 9, 1995)
—-SINGER / SONGWRITER / MUSICIAN ( “GRATEFUL DEAD”)
*JAMES BALDWIN (AUGUST 2, 1924 – DECEMBER 1, 1987)
—-AUTHOR, PLAYWRIGHT, POET
*CARROLL O’CONNOR (AUGUST 2, 1924 – JUNE 21, 2001)
—-TV / FILM ACTOR ( “ARCHIE BUNKER” FROM “ALL IN THE FAMILY”)
*BARACK OBAMA (BORN AUGUST 4, 1961)
—-44TH PRESIDENT OF THE U.S.
*LOUIS ARMSTRONG (AUGUST 4, 1901 – JULY 6, 1971)
—-JAZZ BAND LEADER, SINGER, TRUMPET PLAYER
*MARY RITTER BEARD (AUGUST 5, 1876 – AUGUST 14, 1958)
—-AMERICAN HISTORIAN, SUFFRAGIST
*JAMES H. CONE (AUGUST 5, 1938 – APRIL 28, 2018)
—-THEOLOGIAN, AUTHOR
*JOHN HUSTON (AUGUST 5, 1906 – AUGUST 28, 1987)
—-FILM DIRECTOR, SCREENWRITER, ACTOR ( “MALTESE FALCON”, “MOBY DICK”)
*ABBEY LINCOLN (AUGUST 6, 1930 – AUGUST 14, 2010)
—-JAZZ VOCALIST / SONGWRITER, ACTRESS
*LUCILLE BALL (AUGUST 6, 1911 – APRIL 26, 1989)
—-FILM / TV / RADIO ACTRESS, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
*GARRISON KEILLOR (BORN AUGUST 7, 1942)
—-AUTHOR, RADIO PERSONALITY, PRODUCER
*JOE TEX (AUGUST 8,1935 – AUGUST 13,1982 )
—-SOUL SINGER / SONGWRITER
*MATTHEW HENSON (AUGUST 8, 1866 – MARCH 9, 1955)
—-AFRICAN-AMERICAN ARCTIC EXPLORER (1st TO REACH NORTH POLE)
*BUCK OWENS (AUGUST 12, 1929 – MARCH 25, 2006)
—-COUNTRY SINGER / SONGWRITER
*ALFRED HITCHCOCK (AUGUST 13, 1899 – APRIL 29, 1980)
—-FILM DIRECTOR / PRODUCER
*OSCAR ROMERO (AUGUST 15, 1917 – MARCH 24, 1980)
—-BISHOP OF EL SALVADOR
*GENE RODDENBERRY (AUGUST 19, 1921 – OCTOBER 24, 1991)
—-TV / FILM PRODUCER, SCREENWRITER (CREATOR OF “STAR TREK”)
*FRED ROSS, Sr. (AUGUST 23, 1910 – SEPTEMBER, 27, 1992)
—-LABOR ORGANIZER / ACTIVIST
*HOWARD ZINN (AUGUST 24, 1922 – JANUARY 27, 2010)
—-HISTORIAN, AUTHOR
*ALICE COLTRANE (AUGUST 27, 1937 – JANUARY 12, 2007)
—-JAZZ MUSICIAN, COMPOSER, BAND LEADER
*PAUL “PEE-WEE HERMAN” REUBENS (BORN AUGUST 27, 1952)
—-ACTOR / COMEDIAN / PRODUCER
*CHARLIE “BIRD” PARKER (AUGUST 29, 1920 – MARCH 12, 1955)
—-JAZZ MUSICIAN, COMPOSER
*DINAH WASHINGTON (AUGUST 29, 1924 – DECEMBER 14, 1963)
—-JAZZ VOCALIST
*INGRID BERGMAN (AUGUST 29, 1915 – AUGUST 29, 1982)
—-FILM ACTRESS ( “CASABLANCA”, “JOAN OF ARC”, “GASLIGHT”)
*MARY SHELLEY (AUGUST 30, 1797-FEBRUARY 1, 1851)
—-AUTHOR (“FRANKENSTEIN”)
*REV. WILLIAM J. BARBER, II (BORN AUGUST 30, 1963)
—-MINISTER, ORGANIZER / LEADER of “POOR PEOPLE’S CAMPAIGN”, PRES. of N. CAROLINA N.A.A.C.P., PROFESSOR
*MARIA MONTESSORI (AUGUST 31, 1870 – MAY 6, 1952)
—-EDUCATOR, PHYSICIAN ( “MONTESSORI METHOD OF EDUCATION”)
*ITZHAK PERLMAN (BORN AUGUST 31, 1945)
—-VIOLINIST, CONDUCTOR

FACTS & TRIVIA for AUGUST

AUGUST IS NAMED FOR AUGUSTUS, THE 1st EMPEROR OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
AUGUST IS “FAMILY FUN MONTH”
AUGUST IS “NATIONAL BACK-TO-SCHOOL MONTH”
AUGUST IS “WHAT WILL BE YOUR LEGACY MONTH”

HOME & GARDEN

Reduce risk of INFESTATIONS of vulnerable fruit and flowering TREES & PLANTS by staying on top of fallen fruit and spent blooms.
DIVIDE & TRANSPLANT Spring Blooming PERENNIALS later this month & next.
Wrap up PRUNING of LAURELS this month *(best times are between April & August.)
HONEYSUCKLE can be PRUNED this month.
SOW seeds for PERENNIALS in late August.
In the VEGETABLE GARDEN, SOW: Spinach, Chives, Turnips, Radishes, Garlic.
Begin CANNING & DRYING (or otherwise preserve) excess VEGETABLE & HERB HARVESTS for storage & WINTER use.
Remove “suckers” from FRUIT TREES & keep well WATERED.
Begin MOWING LAWNS higher this month to help reduce stress, damage and to better retain moisture.
Fill and stir COMPOST BINS.