Wannaskan Almanac

And here is the Wannaskan Almanac with Word-Wednesday for October 29, 2025, the twentieth Wednesday of the year, the sixth Wednesday of fall, the fifth Wednesday of October, and the three-hundred second day of the year, with sixty-three days remaining.   Wannaska Phenology Update for October 29, 2025 Woollybear Caterpillar  Pyrrharctia isabella , miishijiizimwaabigweshi in Anishinaabe, can now be found throughout Wannaska as they leave their food plants — grasses, plantain, dandelion, and nettles — in search of a sheltered spot where they can hibernate for the winter. Each fuzzy (miishijiizim) 1.5-inch long woollybear eventually wakes up on a spring day and continues to feed before forming a cocoon. In about two weeks, a golden-orange, two-inch moth emerges, with three rows of black dots on its abdomen. These Isabella Tiger Moths are active at night during summer. Some folklore says that a woollybear's color band can help us predict the upcoming winter’s severity, but colorin...

 Seven Reasons the ACA Should Be Retired The Affordable Care Act was supposed to be the Swiss Army knife of health reform: sleek, versatile, and ready for anything. Instead, it’s more like a government-issued spork—technically functional, but nobody’s thrilled to use it. After more than a decade of duct tape fixes and political CPR, maybe it’s time we let this thing go gently into the legislative night. Here are seven reasons why: 1.  It’s Affordable in Name Only Calling it the “Affordable” Care Act is like naming your cat “Dog.” Premiums have ballooned, deductibles are Everest-high, and the average American is left wondering if they’re paying for insurance or sponsoring a small country. Affordability shouldn’t require a second mortgage. 2.  Choice Has Been Juiced Out Remember when health insurance was a marketplace? Now it’s more like a vending machine with one stale granola bar. In many regions, there’s only one provider left. Monopoly may be a fun board game, but it’s ...

Originally published April 20, 2020... Whether in dreams or waking, if you have an aversion to reptiles, especially snakes, you may want to skip this segment. If not, you will meet another Dragon – this time who can communicate with the main character. Argose continues as the faithful canine companion, participating every step of the way. Our travelers have reached a place on the river that has sandy shores and a surprise. At this point, the river is wide and deep enough to float large ships, and the explorers encounter one along their way. The segment begins with a dream full of metaphors and symbolism. Perhaps, this dream is one of the most gripping so far. You be the judge if you have read the other dreams. I’ve fallen hard on the rocky bottom a long, hollow shaft of stone dripping cold with stained rivulets trickling down damp sides a nearly round well echoing profound every drop plopping onto the floor’s circle Faintest light filters down the maw above I hear something alive s...

  Man Solves Tire Riddle  Joe McDonnell, 78 and a resident of Palmville Twp, Minnesota, recently replaced two tires on the right side of his truck. “I jacked up the rear tire and replaced it with the spare,” he tells the press. “Then I jacked up the front tire, removed it and then brought the two tires to the shop for replacement. I wanted both new tires on the front and it took some mental gymnastics to get this done expeditiously. First I put a block of wood under the front end of the truck so I could remove the jack. Next I jacked up and removed the left front tire and replaced it with one of the new tires.    I swapped out the old front tire for the spare mentioned previously as being in the right rear spot and put the spare away. Finally I jacked up the right front side, removed the block of wood and installed the new tire.” McDonnell says as a youth he used to work on riddles like the one about a man trying to cross the river with a fox, a chicken and a bag of ...

Hello and welcome to a gorgeous fall-colors Saturday here at the Wannaskan Almanac. Today is October 25th and the LAST Saturday of October. Yep, this time next week it'll be November. A few weeks ago, I saw a terrifically fantastic post about a cheery fellow on a bike dispensing unusually specific, yet poignant, compliments to strangers. I reached out to my friend who shared the post and asked if I could share it here in Wannaska. She said yes, then let me know it was not an original post - she herself hadn't had the encounter described - but had taken it from elsewhere on the internet. Here's that source:  ArgyleWerewolf. “The Compliment Guerrilla.” Reddit , 2023, https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/14xjzv3/wp_for_three_thursdays_in_a_row_something. It turns out it's a work of fiction, but I share it with you today because I love the piece. I love the quirky cyclist; I love the pedestrian who felt compelled to sign up for field agentry. I love - and believ...

     Yesterday, Day 3 of our five day walk to the source of the Thames River in England, had been rainy and we had gotten soaked. But the new day had dawned bright and sunny and our clothes were dry after a night on the room radiators. A rainy day is often followed by a cold front and that's what we were having. England is famous for the strength and perseverance of its southwest winds.     Our 10.7 mile walk this day from Lechlade to Cricklade was mainly to the west. The wind was indeed strong, but at least it was sunny. There was only a 10% chance of rain predicted. Soon my right eye was running copiously from the sharp wind. I put on sunglasses but what I needed was goggles. We did get relief from the wind in the wooded stretches which alternated with open pastures and fields all day.     We saw on our map that Castle Eaton was six miles distant and resolved to stop at the Red Lion Inn for a break. Ann, our fellow walker who we had met at ...