Wannaskan Almanac

Eddy E. Billberg 1881-1946    Eddy E. Billberg came to Roseau County at the turn of the 20th Century and homesteaded in Palmville Township. After training at Moorhead State Teacher's College he returned to teach in Roseau County schools. From 1915-1935 he served as Roseau County Superintendent of Schools. IN  THE  LAND  OF  THE  CHIPPEWA Published in 1927     An Excerpt:      CHAPTER 9:  BEASTS OF THE FOREST   

And here is the Wannaskan Almanac with Word-Wednesday for January 15, 2025, the third Wednesday of the year, the fourth Wednesday of winter, the third Wednesday of January, and the fifteenth day of the year, with three-hundred fifty days remaining.   Wannaska Phenology Update for January 15, 2025 Red Fox Vulpes vulpes is the largest of the true foxes and one of the most widely distributed members of the order Carnivora , present from Wannaska across the entire Northern Hemisphere including most of North America, Europe and Asia - even parts of North Africa. Red fox usually avoids people, and they are not dangerous to humans, but they can become a problem for home owners and rural property owners when the fox associates the people with food. Chickens are nummy to foxes, too. Red foxes dig dens mostly for raising kits but also for shelter from severe winter weather. Should you find a den beneath your porch or elsewhere on your property, you can just let it be until spring if the fo...

Way back in 1925, a scientist named Archibald Montgomery Low made some predictions about what the year 2025 would look like.  You can read about these predictions here.   Luckily for you, archivists at the International Wannaskan Almanac World Headquarters were able to find the following predictions written by Steve R...no, that is too obvious...let's call him S. Reynolds...and his criminally insane companion Joe McDonald (name changed to conceal his identity).  Here are century old predictions for 2025...Almanac style! 1.  People will be using things called computers.  They will be the size of a nomadic tribesman's tent and will be powerful enough to put out fires accidentally started on any number of occasions.  You can also use them to create visuals such as black and white images of yourself fishing.  Then you can crop the pictures, editing them to make it look like the oversized minnow you are using is actually a nice big walleye.  That ...

  When I began writing this post, the Google image I imagined for it was this: a Christmas morning aftershot of a tree with all the havoc of wrapping paper and the mish-mash of presents that need to be put in order by someone kindly. I’m not saying that our tree is still up and lording over Christmas chaos; I’m just saying that’s how I feel.  The weather has been particularly cold here; we had snow followed by a wintery mix, which froze over. Because I’ve been inside so long, I’m starting to notice things I don’t usually pay attention to. I can see plainly that my closets and drawers are spilling over with a multitude of sins that need to be trashed, so I’ve been down on myself. A part of me is a taskmaster who won’t be happy until I’ve scoured through every square inch of chaos. Yet, it’s not the messes that are the problem. Once the ice melts and I get outdoors for fresh air, I’ll be fine; I have a high tolerance for messes. The real issue at hand here is me battling with my...

  There are no guy-cologists GPs see either sex But women have a specialist Their plumbing is complex I still panic. But in old age I panic slowly. It's speed that kills. I pay no more attention to my past deeds, good and bad, than the snake does to its cast off skin. The mice will eat it up. In Heaven I’ll be able to take the passcode off my phone.  The plague was once a huge problem Now it’s just a vague worry There’ll always be poverty says Jesus  We can fix it if we but hurry Lives saved by seatbelts: a very good thing  How many click just because of the dings? As your friends all get older  (Please take your pick) There’s no excuse for not making Visits to the sick Some people compare life to a game Though this simile really can’t please-  In real life the stronger will bring To the game their own referees I have many top priorities  I work hard as any lug Until it’s time to party Then they’re swept under the rug Be the waves ever so wild  We...

Hello and welcome to the second Saturday of January and the first Saturday of what I call "Ordinary Time" here at the Wannaskan Almanac. Today is January 11th. (1 -1 -1!) This past week it was back to our regularly scheduled programming revolving around school, work, and extracurricular activities, i.e. Ordinary Time. I don't know about you, but I felt so exhausted every day, and just a little bit sad. The slower pace of the holiday and the long break was a welcomed time of rest, reflection, and celebration. I whined about this to a friend and she reminded me that we (as humans) like feeling relaxed and the comforts of this reality. She also reminded me that returning to the routine - choosing to stay consistent and doing the things I don't "feel" like doing - will get me back on track.  And she wasn't wrong. With each passing day, I inserted a few more of the regular routine things back into my days so that, by Friday, I was feeling relatively back to n...