Wannaskan Almanac

Da Hole Trute an' Nothin' But Da Trute So Hep Me Gud."    “Looks like you got yourself some skunks diggin’ ‘ere, Ula,” Sven said, spying the many divot-like holes off the corner of Ula’s porch near the basswood tree.      “No Sven, you’re mistaken, den. Dose 'oles are made by Tamiasciurus 'udsonicus, da red squirrel as da locals call dem,” Ula replied authoritatively seeing as he’s Palmville Township’s official squirrel trapper. “Not skunks.”      "Uh, I beg to differ Ula. I vas over to da 2nd Palmville Pub da udder day an’ Festus dere showed me vat skunk ‘oles look like--an’ make no mistake, dey look yust like dis,“ Sven said, peering up at Ula on the porch.“Look at all dese! You’ve got a ton of dem! Must be a whole family of skunks ‘ereabouts, an’ probably livin’ right ‘ere under your porch.”      “You look more intelligent den you actually are Sven,” Ula snorted. “Even Festus Marvinson vud agree vit me dat dese are m...

And here is the Wannaskan Almanac with Word-Wednesday for May 13, 2026, the nineteenth Wednesday of the year, the eighth Wednesday of spring, the second Wednesday of May, and the one-hundred-thirty-third day of the year, with two-hundred thirty-two days remaining. Wannaska Phenology Update for May 13, 2026 rhubarb Of species and hybrids (culinary rhubarb) of Rheum rhabarbarum in the family Polygonaceae — zhiiwibag in Anishinaabe — have just sprouted this week at Word-Wednesday headquarters. This is a happy moment, not only because the sprouts are a sign of spring, but because it has been such a dry spring. Even the marsh marigolds have been reticent this year. The word rhubarb is likely to have derived in the 14th century from the Old French rubarbe , which came from the Latin rheubarbarum and Greek rha barbaron , meaning "foreign rhubarb". The Greek physician Dioscorides used the Greek word ῥᾶ ( rha ), whereas Galen later used ῥῆον ( rhēon ), Latin rheum. These in turn d...

I paid a lot of taxes this year.  It would not surprise me to see the patriots lining up in Boston...not to play football but rather to dump some tea into the harbor.  My home state has been particularly demanding this year.  I have paid them an awful lot this past year, but in the words of Mr. Burns...they would trade it all for a little more.   For once we did our taxes without cheating...just felt like saying that.  We really have never intentionally cheated on our taxes.  All of you good readers who we claim as dependents can trust my word on that!  But...mistakes have been made.  Transgressions of ignorance I like to call them.  Just like I like to call tax workers ignorant transgressors.  I think that might even be biblical.   Our state's favorite Bible quote During Spring Break we took our usual vacation to the tax preparers office and were rapidly dispossesed of our nest egg.  As a matter of fact, I believe th...

THIRD MOVEMENT  REMEMBERING SONG THIRTEEN A MIND UNDARKENED   II I trot alongside a narrow dirt road Naked footfalls from behind carry a huge black wolf to my side We lope on together heating breath to fuel our tracks His body is misshapen. His shoulders too big for his back and he wears a collar with no buckle or catch His eyes are deep hiddenite fires that match my own gray-green eyes The agony of the hunt is in him and he wants my life yet he holds back and stokes his stalker eyes -- wet fires of hunger, desire and need. Now he bends his body to make his leap and I let go a song – a lullaby I keep hidden in my deepest sounds. He falls back to running at my side his hunger is my own – unsated, denied.                   I wake ravenous and sweating             The old One sits upright dozing         ...