Wannaskan Almanac

For My sister, who lives on Lawson Terrace 
   A man should be careful what he names after himself. Children are most problematic. Though some sons exceed their fathers, others ruin the family name with wine, women, and song.  Astronomers are safer in naming stars after themselves but even a star will eventually become a black hole. Thomas W. Lawson must have had some regrets when his eponymous ship sank in a storm on this day in 1907.
   The Thomas W. Lawson was a seven masted-schooner, the largest sailing ship in the world without an auxiliary engine. Steam powered sailing ships had been crossing the Atlantic for almost a century, but Thomas Lawson, a Boston stockbroker thought he could turn a profit with a large cargo ship without the expense of an engine and the fuel to power it.
   The ship had been built in 1901 in Weymouth, Mass. For her first several years she hauled coal up and down the east coast, but because of her deep draft, she was not able to carry a full load. She was …

Excerpt from 2010 trip to Maine and the L.L. Bean Adventure

In 2010, I flew to Boston with friend Joe for his family reunion  in Stonington, Maine. Joe’s wife was unable to attend and he invited me along as I know the family well. This is a short excerpt from our trip.

As we left Hull and surrounding communities, Joe and his mother, Mary, offer play-by-plays of various neighborhoods, families, and businesses.“There’s a lovely hibiscus up in that ugly place,” Mary remarks as we pass a walled-in fortress-like residence. 
Signs advertise: Sword Master Martial Arts: Unleash Your inner Tiger, and mark places such as  Jolienne McDonnell Square, Neponset Bridge, and Quincy Bay.

Looking at me through the rear view mirror, Joe says, “There’s the Long Island Bridge we passed under yesterday.” I recognize it, sort of.

A large garden spider, suspended on its web between the passenger-side mirror and the body of the car, holds on desperately as Joe drives through traffic, the rain hits the mirror and t…

And here is the Wannaskan Almanac for Word-Wednesday, December 12, 2018, brought to you by Scandinavian Holiday Open House, 9:00am-4:00pm, En Liten Svensk Shoppe; and by the All Seasons Market, 10:00am-4:00pm, Four Seasons Center, Roseau.

December 12 is the 346th day of the year, with 19 days remaining until the end of the year, 110 days remaining until April Fools Day, and 1,168 days until Twosday, February 22, 2022.

Nordhem Lunch: Hot Turkey Plate

Earth/Moon Almanac for December 12, 2018
Sunrise: 8:08am; Sunset: 4:27pm
Moonrise: 11:53am; Moonset: 9:37pm, waxing crescent

Temperature Almanac for December 12, 2018
           Average      Record       Today
High       44               69             24
Low        27                -1              22

December 12 Celebrations from National Day Calendar National Ambrosia DayNational Ding-a-Ling DayGingerbread House DayPoinsettia DayDecember 12 Riddle
How do sheep in Mexico say "Merry Christmas"?*

December 12 Pun
December 12 Notable Hi…

December 11...what a wonderful day.  This day was discussed many years ago when the founding fathers and mothers of the Wannaskan Almanac first met to consider the writing of this now world famous publication.  It was decided that December 11 would be the date that we pointed out the mistakes that were made in the almanac (if any) over the previous year.  Our fact-checkers have been hard at it, and we would like to offer the following corrections.
1.  New Year's Eve was not celebrated on February 30th in Canada and Norway.  Although both countries have been know to follow the Metric system as well as weird traditions (like lutefisk) they both celebrated New Year's Eve on the traditional November 25th in order to coincide with the Grey Cup.
2.  All roads lead to Wannaska was not a quote spoken by Gaius Julius Caesar.  This was mistakenly added reported in our February 17 edition of the Almanac.  The proper quote should read "Highway 89 leads to Wannaska" and should b…

“Poetry is, I think, the highest medium that mankind has ever come up with. It’s language itself, which is a miraculous medium which makes everything else that man has ever done possible.”   -- James L. Dickey
This week’s post brings you two poems by James L. Dickey whose reputation as a major American poet seems assured. His dedication to the art of poetry remains unquestioned in the larger picture, above petty criticisms.  
“For the Last Wolverine” has been a special favorite of mine for a very long time, especially the final lines; but don’t cheat and go to those first, as they become meaningful and have their full impact only following the rest of the poem first.
For the Last Wolverine BY JAMES L. DICKEY
They will soon be down
To one, but he still will be For a little while    still will be stopping
The flakes in the air with a look, Surrounding himself with the silence Of whitening snarls. Let him eat The last red meal of the condemned
To extinction, tearing the guts
From an elk. …

Yes the players are important, the coaches, the owners, blah blah blah. But in the end it's the fans who matter most.

Some of the things that are bad for you are quite satisfying. Pick those that don't catch up with you till you're six feet under.

Washington and Lincoln are like God and Jesus. The first was the father of our country, the second its savior.

Love is patient, love is kind, etc., but Paul allowed himself to get ripping mad at those stupid Galatians.

Your mate may have been obnoxious, but he was company at least on those long evenings. Divorce skyrocketed when TV made him redundant.

Make lots of friends when young. The least of them may be the last to share a cup in your dotage.

@jmcdonnell123