Wannaskan Almanac

Date: 2008 7:11 PM Subject:   Re: Dear Annette. Great library show! It was a nice time all in all.     I got a copy of Regional Ramblings from Chuck and as we looked through it, him thumbing the pages all the way to the index in the back, he asked,"Are you in here?"  and I said, "I'm not sure, let's look..."      "Nope, guess not," I said quickly reading the alphabetical listing. "Why not?" he quipped. "Miss another, deadline? ... "    "Ooo, that guy, Annette... He's a wit, I tell you... a wit, but I suppose that's why the guy is the librarian. I mean, how many librarians do you know, aren't total wits? Bet you can't name many."    "Ennaways, in answer to your suggestion, I'll do a show next spring at the library--yeah, it's time I do something around town that way. I'd really like to do an exhibit of varied mediums. I'll begin putting something together. You say, Chuck has some f...

And here is the Wannaskan Almanac with Word-Wednesday for August 12, 2026, the thirty-second Wednesday of the year, the eighth Wednesday of summer, the second Wednesday of August, and the two-hundred twenty-fourth day of the year, with one-hundred forty-one days remaining. Brought to you by Bead Gypsy Studio & Scandinavian Shoppe , featuring CRAZY DAYS IN AUGUST, with Ekelund Linens, Bonnie’s Bags, and Select Stained Glass; 101 Main Avenue North, Roseau. Wannaska Phenology Update for August 12, 2026 Chanterelles Cantharellus cibarius — waazhashkwedo in Anishinaabe — has successfully used its puhpowee [/puh-POH-wee/ n., the force which causes mushrooms to push up from the earth overnight] to shine its sunny, peppery cap in Wannaskaland. Chanterelles are found in Eurasia, North America and Africa, typically growing in forested areas. In January 2024, the California golden chanterelle became the official mushroom of that state. Though records of chanterelles being eaten date back to...

Fish stories.  Evn the most avid and experiencd fisherman seems presdisposed toward the act of exaggeration.  Even in this world of exessive camera use on phones the fine art of fish tales is still active.  One might say that due to social media fish stories have grown their audience.   I do have to say that I am not much for exaggerating the size of my monster walleyes that I catch.  I am quite sure that several that have made it right up to the boat...just out of reach of my net...were easily Minnesota...if not world...records.  But even though I am positive I have only been a few inches away from landing the world's largest walleyes, I don't brag about it.  I don't even share about it...not on social media or even in a blog. What you are about to read is true.  These aren't fish stories.  They are stories about fish.  I am sorry if they seem a little bit fishy.  I blame years of anglers over estimating their fishing experien...

Summer is  hydrangeas. White, lime green, pink, blue - Massachusetts hosts them all. Last year the fellow who helps us out in the yard butchered the hydrangea bushes that flank our cottage door. Cut them down to a nub. You might have heard me the day I noticed.  Now it’s mid-summer. No blatant announcements from the sun. It’s still hot here in the Northeast, but I am picking up seasonal subtext. July’s double-dip cone has dripped down onto our arms. And, if summer is the year's tall glass of refreshment, it’s mid-August - that hairline crack in time where the light starts leaking out.  Still I’m having fun. The other day Jim and I went bike riding. This was a big deal for me. I had broken my ankle a few years ago after falling off my bike, and I’ve been late getting back in the saddle. Because a steep gravelly incline had caused my fatal fall, we headed for the flat, smooth, wide asphalt of the nearby Cape Cod Canal. Anyone who rides the canal knows the fierce headwinds. ...

  The Palmville Globe Volume 2 Number 28 Man Makes Metric Conversion Joe McDonnell, 79 and a resident of Palmville Twp, Minnesota, recently started using the metric system. "The US seriously considered switching to the metric system in 1975" McDonnell tells the press, "but due to citizen resistance we have the current hybrid system. This system is inconvenient for left handed people like myself when it comes to measuring cups. The measures Americans prefer are visible when the cup is held in the right hand. Every morning I measure ten ounces of water for coffee, and finally realized ten ounces is almost exactly 300 milliliters (295.73) which number I can read while holding the cup in my left hand. I have memorized that equivalence." In a follow up communication McDonnell reports that using the metric measurement has eliminated spills. "I used to tip the cup while twisting it to read the old 'Imperial' measurements on the back side, but no more," he...

Hello and welcome to a cool Saturday here at the Wannaskan Almanac. Today is August 8th. My big adventure last weekend was setting up a canopy tent I bought at Menards the prior weekend. I've been analyzing, calculating, and trying to woo the hubs into a 3-season porch renovation - heck, why not four seasons ?! - for at least two years. It's a tricky thing, wanting to put a porch on the upper level of a split-level home. So, we settled on a compromise. Instead of a spendy remodel, we'd test drive my fancy notion of rest, relaxation, and party-hosting inside a tent on our current deck. I got in on the ground floor of this investment/experiment for a reasonable $230. To celebrate, I added an outdoor area rug for another fifty bucks. I'm not sure if it's a result of getting older, or supporting technical higher education (Mechatronics) in my current job - maybe it's both - but, gosh, I grabbed that instruction manual with gusto and had at it. There were a few misha...