Wannaskan Almanac

      Thanks fer the reminder you sent me of yer younger brother Stephen's birthday yesterday, September 17. I called ‘im up right away knowin' likely he'd be at Jo's Nautical Bar in Hull where he always goes on his birthday and all the other days of the week, when someone soundin' like a woman answered da phone.  So I sez, in a loud but distinct eastern seaboard imitation of some note, I sez “Is dis 'ere Jo’s Nautical Bar in 'ull, Massachusetts? I’m looking to wish Chairman Joe's brother, Stephen, a happy 74th birthday! The voice on the other end laughed. I repeated my question, intoning my perfect rendition of 'ull, Massachusettes-speak, “Is dis 'ere Jo’s Nautical Bar in 'ull Massachusettes, just off da gut there? I’m lookin' to talk to a Stephen McD dere and wish him a happy birthday, eh. "Stephen . I'll spell it: 'ess-tee-pee-ayche-ee-en.' No, not Steff-fen, iz Steven : Ess-tee-ee-vee-ee-en, sounds like Steven , bu...

And here is the Wannaskan Almanac with Word-Wednesday for September 17, 2025, the fourteenth Wednesday of the year, the thirteenth Wednesday of summer, the third Wednesday of September, and the two-hundred sixtieth day of the year, with one-hundred five days remaining.   Wannaska Phenology Update for September 17, 2025 Water Lilys On the Wane In the quiet lakes and slow Wannaskan backwaters, the  Nymphaea odorata have nearly finished their long summer performance. Through July and August, their broad, floating leaves spread like green saucers across the still water, while the creamy white flowers, fragrant and star-like, rose above them in the morning light before folding tight again toward evening. Now, by mid-September, the show is waning. Blossoms are almost gone, their petals dropping back into the dark mirror of the lakes, leaving behind round seed pods that slowly sink below the surface. The floating leaves, once waxy and resilient, are freckled with age—spotted yellow...

 What kind of world would you make if you could?   Chapter 8: The World's Embrace The disappearance of the dirtbike marked a turning point in Elias's journey. He was no longer bound to the remnants of the old world. He was now fully immersed in the altered world, a part of its ancient rhythm. He began to notice things he hadn't seen before, subtle shifts in the environment, a growing awareness of the interconnectedness of all living things. The animals, he realized, were not just indifferent to his presence; they were… helping him. A deer would appear at the edge of the forest, guiding him along a hidden path. A flock of birds would fly overhead, leading him towards a source of fresh water. A bear would leave a freshly killed salmon near his sleeping place, providing him with food. It was as if the altered world itself was guiding him, nurturing him, assisting him in his quest. The animals were its messengers, its hands and feet, helping him to cleanse the land. Elias wal...

Originally published March 16, 2020... The main character (MC) is now in the thick of it: The Second City, complete with what one might expect in and around a large-city harbor and its docks. Having been on the water for many months, the MC’s adventures are beginning to show on face and body. This segment has two main settings: First in a tavern, and then in an alleyway. In the latter, the MC meets another woman, but unlike the abusive, river woman, this one appears to have good intention. As you read, consider two things:  1) How do the experiences in this segment fit with what has gone before, and  2) What impacts do the experiences have for the MC’s future?   The nervous girl serves the food with a fork  on a chipped white plate. The meat smells like prey long dead – a slab of flesh from a butchered cow  not hunted or caught running but raised tame cut down inside a wicked, narrow fence I recall brilliant rainbow-scaled bodies  flopping in the bottom of ...

  The Palmville Globe Volume 1 Number 33 Man Saves Vest Joe McDonnell, 78 and a resident of Palmville Twp, Minnesota, recently saved a Category 2 vest from slipping into Category 3. "I have three categories of clothing," McDonnell tells the press. "Category 1 contains my clothes for weddings, funerals, and presentations. Category 2 is my general work clothes for carpentry, cooking and yard work. Category 2 clothes are identical to Category 1 clothes, except they're frayed and have faint spots of motor oil. Category 3 is my painting clothes. The other day I inadvertently wore a Category 2 vest while painting and brushed against my work." McDonnell reports that he scrubbed the vest under running water until all the paint was removed except for a small white dot. "I already have two Category 3 vests." He adds. "I don't need another." Man Misjudges Local Weather Forecast  Joe McDonnell, 78 and superstitious by nature, recently watched as heav...

  Hello and welcome to the Wannaskan Almanac today I will be subbing in for Mom. If you didn't know, today is the thirteenth of September. My blog may not be the best but just to let you know I'm trying. And now for the blog.    The Ride   During the rise of dawn, two adventurers set out to the dentist for my older sister to get her wisdom teeth removed. (The other adventurer was my Mom. :) But before she could get her relief, she had to take on the Quest of leaving at 8:00PM the night before  going to the Grand Forks Dentistry  and driving two and a half hours to the hotel. Dun Dun DUUUUUUNNN!! But could she take on that challenge? The answer is YES!! She could. Meet me at the next paragraph of "The Hotel."   The Hotel The two adventurers got to the hotel at around 10:30PM. While my mom checked out the gym, my sister found their room of 107. The two adventurers woke up at 6:20 the next morning, my mom grabbed a coffee to go, and they were on the way t...