Wannaskan Almanac

     Welcome to the Wannaskan Almanac for Friday.      It's the birthday of Maria Montessori in 1870. Montessori was a physician and pioneering educator of young children. Montessori believed that given the right setting and guidance, children would discipline and educate themselves.      My mother expected her children to become, if not president, then at least U.S. Senators. Since Massachusetts only has room for two senators, that meant some of the five of us would have to  move to New Hampshire or down to Rhode Island. When none of us ended up going into politics, she blamed it on the fact that she wasn't able to send us to a Montessori school. We told her not to be so hard on herself; these schools are expensive. She was a stay-at-home mom, and didn't start making real money herself until it was too late for us.       But is it really too late? I looked up the schedule at a typical Montessori pre-school. Upon arrival, the students are greeted by their teacher. Af

During the years of the farming boom, of the 1970s, as tens of thousands of acres of woodlands fell before the bulldozers of land spectulators and were pushed up into mile-long windrows, like raked cut hay, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources erected a large wooden sign along Highway 89 at The Nine Mile Corner, that I thought was sort of stupid, that read: “Welcome to Minnesota’s Forest Areas.”   I had grown up in Des Moines looking at neighbor’s houses, streets, business buildings and powerline poles. By purchasing this farm in 1971, I realized I had the opportunity to change my view by planting trees. I contacted the Soil & Water Conservation District in Roseau and had a conservation plan drawn up in May of 1973, with assistance of the late Harold Grothem. Receiving it, and reading all that was suggested seemed a tall order, but was my entry into conservation. Long impressed by the sharp conical spires of conifers, I asked Grothem about one in particular. “You want

And here is the Wannaskan Almanac for Wannaska World Wednesday, August 29, 2018, brought to you by Northern Bait and Convenience Store , downtown Gonvick, "Eat here and get worms!" 146 State 92, Gonvick, Minnesota 56644; (218) 487-6555. August 29 is the 241st day of the year, with 124 days remaining until the end of the year, and 215 days remaining until April Fools Day. Earth/Moon Almanac for August 29, 2018 Sunrise: 6:38am; Sunset: 8:13pm Moonrise: 9:53pm; Moonset: 9:42am, waning gibbous Temperature Almanac for August 29, 2018            Average      Record       Today High       79               95             70 Low        56               34             52 August 29 News Headline Pencer Underwear Bandit Apprehended: Admits to Brief Crime Spree. August 29 Celebrations from National Day Calendar National Chop Suey Day August 29 Riddle If A is for Apple and if B is for Banana, then what is C for?* August 29 Notable Historic Events, Literary or Other

I remember it like it was yesterday, which is kind of unusual because it actually happened today. You ever have that overpowering desire for something? That desire for one certain thing and nothing else will be sufficient? Well, that happened to me today. I had a fever, and the only cure was more cowbell. I mean pie. Pie was on my brain. Not cow pie. Not math pi. Pie. Sweet, delicious chocolate cream pie to be precise. So, if this was the good old days you would walk into the kitchen and look through your pie stash in the icebox. If there wasn't any of the desired pie there you would wander to the neighbors house and borrow a cup of pie. If they didn't have it you could always go to grandma's place and if that pie wasn't already made and sitting on the table (due to her amazing ESP...extra slices of pie powers) then it would be in process. That is the way it was back in Canada. Pie was plenty. The mistake I made was taking it for granted. As I said abo

First, let’s get one thing straight: Are bobcats and lynx the same? Well, yes and no. Both are medium sized cats that have tufted ears and short, bobbed tails. Despite these similarities, the two felines are separate species but do belong to the same genus which to add to the confusion is the lynx genus. Four cats belong to this genus; the term “lynx” is in the names of three; the fourth is the bobcat. I told you: the answer is yes, and no. The bobcat is the most common wild feline in North America. The Canadian Lynx does make frequent appearances in the far north of the United States. Both cats stay solitary most of the time and are largely nocturnal. They are most active in the darkness of night, as is appropriate to today’s poem. The snowshoe hare rates number one on the lynx’s menu; this food source is largely found in boreal forests. The only area where the Canadian lynx and the bobcat coexist is along the U.S.-Canada border. So very much more information on the lynx and

Do you hear the cook sniffling? I think a cold is coming on. Is she a good cook? The best I believe. Then I don't hear anything. I'm inspired when my friend asks me to climb high mountains, traverse deep valleys. I'm inspired to ask him to visit my place instead.     We learn a language's skeleton first, then add flesh and blood. But it only comes alive when we  know  its world as well. Give thanks to each oncoming vehicle that does not veer into your grill.    

Good morning and welcome to another fabulous Saturday of fun facts, musings and other interesting bits here at the Wannaskan Almanac. Today is the 25th of August. Since I had success googling "significance of 8-18-18" last week, I thought I would give it another try this week. Happily, I scored a big cha-ching . 10 Mind-Blowing Things That Happened This Week  If you haven't been following the news, this convenient Top 10 list over at LISTVERSE pretty much sums up all you need to know this week in current events. I took a look and, yupper (as Wannaskan Writer would say), looks pretty complete to me. #7 on the list,  The Eagles Overtook Michael Jackson With The Biggest-Selling Album Of All Time , was celebrated personally this week. A friend of mine gifted me the Eagles', Their Greatest Hits CD in commemoration of this significant feat. Furthermore, one of the kids listened to it on his own and said, "Hey you know that Eagles CD? It's pretty good.&q

     Welcome to the Wannaskan Almanac for Friday.       On this day in 1804, Sergeant Charles Floyd died of appendicitis near present day Sioux City Iowa. He is the only member of the Lewis and Clark expedition to die during the journey, which is incredible considering the hardships the company endured during the two years it traveled to the Pacific and back.      Floyd was born in 1782, location unknown. He was a cousin of Virginia governor John Floyd and was possibly related to William Clark himself. Details are often sketchy for history's minor characters. The expedition left the St. Louis area on May 14, 1804. On July 31, Floyd wrote in his diary that he had been very sick, but was now feeling better. But his condition worsened and he died on August 24. A funeral was held and Floyd was buried on a bluff named in his honor overlooking the Missouri River.      Floyd's journal was published in 1894 which increased interest in him to the point that his grave marker was s

About seventeen years ago, when Roseau County Road 8 was under reconstruction, my cousin Billy and his wife from South Milwaukee, Wisconsin, were ‘uphome’ with his folks, Clifford and Delores, visiting our relatives in Roseau. I was alone out here on the farm and knew he and his little woman would probably want to get away from the old folks for awhile, for a cold beer or two, so I invited them out. Pleading his case that he was now an adult, with a teenage child of his own, and no longer the careless infamous youth his father remembered him to be, Billy assured his folks that he would be so very careful with his dad's sleek new black Chrysler sedan, pointing out the fact that he would be accompanied by his loving wife, who, as she told everyone repeatedly, had a lick more sense than Billy had about all things. Despite that, with tremendous trepidation on his part, Clifford allowed the two to take his beloved (Did I mention flawless?) car to Palmville. Only minutes after they left

And here is the Wannaskan Almanac for Wannaska World Wednesday, August 22, 2018, brought to you by Roseau County 4-H , providing opportunities for kids to demonstrate leadership that benefits their communities and reflects the principles of democracy. Youth have fun while they learn, grow, and reach their full potential. Roseau County Courthouse, 606 5th Ave SW Room 130, Roseau, Minnesota 56751, 218-463-1052. August 22 is the 234th day of the year, with 131 days remaining until the end of the year, and 222 days remaining until April Fools Day. Days without a Road Rage conviction of a Wannaska Almanac contributing author: 26,082 Earth/Moon Almanac for August 22, 2018 Sunrise: 6:27am; Sunset: 8:27pm Moonrise: 6:32pm; Moonset: 2:35am, waxing gibbous Temperature Almanac for August 22, 2018           Average      Record       Today High       79              93              83 Low        57              37               57 August 22 Spelling Reminder i before e, exce

Today is the 233rd day of 2018. When I realized that I checked my calendar and, sure enough, I am supposed to start a diet and exercise program on the 233rd day. Why did I set that up! Thankfully I checked and realized that I am supposed to start that on the 233rd day of 2028. I will just set an alarm and return to my sundae. I like going to fairs. This link takes you to some prose about a county fair. I have attended different county fairs but have yet to make it to a state fair. I hear they can deep fry almost anything at a state fair. My cardiologist told me that this simply isn't true but I intend to check it out for myself someday. You can also get any kind of food...from a hot beef sundae to some heart stopping chicken fried bacon! The Roseau County Fair is long gone by this time. I kind of like the idea of fairs being in late August or early September, but I am sure that there are reasons why the Roseau County Fair is held when it is. I found a list of items g

The Forest holds mysteries. Unless one lives within the Forest’s boundaries, most of the beings and secrets remain unseen, unheard, hidden in lack of awareness. Yes, the Forest remains lovely when not intimating with its fierceness. One of the more unusual life form growing in the Forest has to be fungi, more commonly known as mushrooms. Although becoming more well known, the chaga fungus is difficult to find and even more difficult to sustainably harvest. On one level today’s poem speaks of this dark fungus; however, on another, searching for this mushroom parallels how some of us live our lives. HUNTING FOR CHAGA              Dark patch against white birch                          outside soot-black and deep like a scaly stellar hole                          inside moose-hide- yellow-brown                          a birch pintoed with shadows but fungus-few named chaga              White as paper birch, we grow upward toward the light