The first day of Autumn is Thursday. September 22nd and September is also the launch date for “The Farmer’s Almanac,”  not to be confused with a similar publication, Robert B. Thomas’, “The Old Farmer’s Almanac.”  I recently received the 2017 publication. The Almanac is loaded with interesting items including 16 months of weather forecasts.  In 1818, founder David Young, began this almanac by extrapolating a combination of lunar cycles, planet positions and sunspot maximums to create a weather formula for sections of the United States.  Clothed in secrecy, the forecast has been protected by a host of editors for 196 years. Current editor, Sandi Duncan, who along with the publisher, Peter Geiger; protect the location and identity of reclusive weather soothsayer - Caleb Weatherby. In turn, Caleb reportedly protects the age-old formula for six zones ranging from the Pacific to the Atlantic and the Great Lakes to the Gulf.