Wannaskan Almanac

 Originally published May 13, 2019... Relationships change, deepen, and explode in this first segment of Song 5: Threshing. If you’ve ever seen a threshing machine at work, you know that it has a revolving mechanism whose purpose is to separate grain from the rest of the plant. Again, as in the prior Song, a separation, literally, which also occurs in this Song. Whatever is separated must have been whole to start with, and it is that remembered wholeness that can break hearts.  The main character, the teacher, and Jani continue their paths together and apart, and near the end of this segment a new person takes the stage. Our story begins to heat up. Dialogue pervades the action. The game is afoot. Prepare for adventure over the coming weeks. Song 5: Threshing – Segment 1                                 I know what it is to walk                                     in a dark, tight space                                     in a thin, pale town                                     where ev

The old Renaissance Man was said to have everything there was to know under his belt. His belt though was around his ankles.  I'm not a has-been; I'm an A-lister emeritus.  Show me your junk drawer and I'll tell you who you are. The things we hold on to because we might need them someday become a no-go pile of stuff. And when we do actually need that thing we saved, we just go out and buy another to avoid a long rummage. In the more expensive shops, the merchant is able to peel off the “Made in China” stickers before putting their wares on display. Many people believe in an alternate reality disconnected from facts. Their steering wheel is disconnected from the front wheels, which is fine as long as they don’t get their hands on the keys.  Less than four per cent of all saints were married.  St. must stand for selibate. I’m like an affable old dog at a party, making the rounds to be petted, cleaning up scraps that fall to the ground; but let a careless guest set his hot dog

Hello and welcome to a peaceful stay-at-home Saturday here at the Wannaskan Almanac. Today is October 12th.  I'm thrilled to be staying home today. Sometimes being home is the adventure. On an unhurried Saturday morning, I can sleep in until 9:30. I can enjoy a strong freshly brewed coffee while listening to the 7th grader give the highlights of yesterday's swim meet hosted at the University of Minnesota in Morris. "I was just like a college student!" she relayed as she described walking across the campus. Out of all of our children, this child is the one who wants to win. As a toddler learning to play Chutes & Ladders and Candyland, she'd shout, "I'M supposed to win!" Winning has been a big deal ever since and tempering her expectations around winning has been a primary parenting objective. I braced myself for a tough season of disappointment when she decided to join the swim team. She loves to swim but had no interest in doing any pre-season tr

    I don't like to worry, so when dark clouds approach I always come up with theories to blow them away. There's plenty to worry about these days. We hear that if a certain candidate is elected it will be the end of democracy in the U.S. I say balderdash, but no one can predict the future. Maybe we are entering an age of concentration camps and gas ovens for the disloyal. That would not be nice.   I comfort myself with the thought that like will produce like: that children tend to resemble their parents and that the pendulum always swings back, though many heads may have to roll before it does. For example, Putin is like one of the czars who ruled Russia by decree. Xi Jinping is like a Chinese emperor who ruled the country by discerning the will of the people. And here at home we have the president wrestling with Congress the way the kings of England wrestled with parliament.    When the land is well governed, the people do not know who is in charge. Some Chinese sage said tha

Ten years ago, I sped west toward home along Roseau County Road 8, listening to CBC late-night radio’s, “As It Happens,” feature provided by M.P.R. Driving ahead of my headlights, a dim view at best, I saw what I thought was a small animal’s body lying in my lane. I swerved into the vacant eastbound lane to avoid hitting what I thought was a dead skunk, yet in passing, saw it wasn’t a skunk. What was it?  I slowed the car, stopped, and reversed. Peering into my side mirrors I steered the car backwards using the solid white line on my left and the yellow dashes of the center line illuminated by my backup lights, on my right. I backed-up beyond the carcass, returning gradually into the westbound lane. Stopping, I drove forward until my headlights shone on a feathered lifeless body. “Maybe a hawk,” I thought aloud, walking toward it, “But this late at night? Hawks wouldn’t be out now.”   Nudging it with my boot, I saw its feathered-toes and clenched talons, and a partially

And here is the Wannaskan Almanac with Word-Wednesday for October 9, 2024, the forty-first Wednesday of the year, the third Wednesday of fall, the second Wednesday of October, and the two-hundred-eighty-third day of the year, with eighty-three days remaining.   Wannaska Phenology Update for October 9, 2024 Wild Cranberries Two species of cranberries grow northern Minnesota: Large Cranberry ( Vaccinium macrocarpon ) and Small Cranberry ( Vaccinium oxycoccos ), which grow in sphagnum bogs, tamarack swamps, fens, and other wetlands. You can begin to prepare for Thanksgiving festivities by starting to gather now, because they are both ripening. State and national forests as well as Wildlife Management Areas permit picking, but Scientific and Natural Areas do not.  Your wild cranberries should last in the refrigerator only for several days, which gives you time to experiment with your cranberry sauce recipe. If you need a recipe, here's one from Saveur : Ingredients 1 lb. whole cranber