Wannaskan Almanac

And here is the Wannaskan Almanac for Word-Wednesday, for July 31, 2019, the 31st Wednesday of the year,  the 212th day of the year, with 153 days remaining. Nordhem Lunch : Hot Beef Earth/Moon Almanac for July 31, 2019 Sunrise: 5:56am; Sunset: 9:05pm; 2 minutes, 45 seconds less daylight today Moonrise: 5:03am; Moonset: 9:07pm, waning crescent Temperature Almanac for July 31, 2019                 Average           Record         Today High             79                   94                80 Low              56                   39                63 July 31 Celebrations from National Day Calendar National Avocado Day National Raspberry Cake Day National Mutt Day July 31 Riddle What’s the difference between a piano, a tuna, and a pot of glue?* July 31 Pun A few puns make me numb but math puns make me number. July 31 Notable Historic Events, Literary or Otherwise, from On This Day 1703 Daniel Defoe is placed in a pillory for the crime of se

July 30 is is the 211th day of the year.  Today I will attempt to bore you with some stupid answers to serious questions. First of all...I was asked by a student why fireflies light up. I told him that I figured it was due to peer pressure. I had a pimply faced teenager ask me how to get rid of an oily face.  I replied that it isn't a good idea to get rid of your face. I was asked this one by my wife.  What is the word for people who always think they are right?  My answer...woman? A guy asked his therapist...What does it mean when people say "meow" to you?  His answer...It means that they are a cat. This one was from some guy named Joe.  It was on New Years' Eve a couple of years ago in a little shedau.  He asked, "Why do I feel sad when I drink?"  I replied..."It is because you aren't drinking enough."  I feel like I made a difference there! A student asked me, "Why do I feel like I have butterflies in my stomach before a test?&quo

Just before we begin today’s post, I include the last few lines from “Weighing Anchor,” the last of three posts for that Song. I include those lines here because today’s post continues that conversation from the previous post.  Here, the journey begins in earnest. Our two adventurers have prepared provisions, and the blessing of the red boat for transportation. But the question remains: How well have they prepared themselves, both in body and mind? Of course, a journey on a river is classic, near mythical. The rhythm of the water’s flow, and the fact that “Time is marked by sun and meals and sleeping” are seductive. This is perhaps so because our travelers have entered the natural conditions of life just as it is, without contrivance or preconceived concepts. All is new. Everything hums with the physical, biological environment. Very little of humanity’s creations intrude. Here are the last few lines from the prior post So, what were  you  afraid of?” He’s attentive 

Jerry is gone. How can that be! The likes of this fellow we'll not again see. Wishing the sad would stop grieving, Like wishing the sick would stop sneezing. On the casino bus so comradely we roll. Once there, each seeks his lucky black hole. Creationists are depriving themselves of the incredible story of how we went from a single bacterium to homo ridiculous . I know the ego is an illusion, but I hug it like a frayed bit of blanket my parents keep cutting in half. Old age is an eviction notice, but the part that I hate: It tells us, "Get out," but it won't tell the date. @jmcdonnell123

Hello and welcome to a steamy Saturday here at the Wannaskan Almanac. Today is July 27th, aka, post-Roseau County Fair recovery day. May you all find some shade and a breeze. On this day, Vincent Van Gogh attempted to end his life. (He succeeded two days later.) Five years ago, my book club read a novel about Van Gogh that I enjoyed, if I recall correctly, much more than the other ladies did. Part love story, part historical fiction,  The Last Van Gogh  by Alyson Richman tells the story of Van Gogh's last days through the eyes of young Maurguerite Gachet, of whom Van Gogh completed two paintings.  Fifty years later, we celebrate the creation and "birth" of Bugs Bunny, which only goes to show how the world keeps turning. Life is lost; creations are born. Both Van Gogh and Bugs timeless in their own ways. Happy Birthday, to Alexandre Dumas, fils , the son of the other Alexandre Dumas,  père (who celebrated his birthday on July 24th, as noted in this past w

   Jerry Solom has died. He has sailed to the edge of the known world and has sailed over the edge. Which has left his friends and family here on the shore bereft. Jerry was fortunate to have a large family who loved him. He was someone who was interested in others so he had a multitude of friends. I was fortunate to live near him and have regular access to his friendship.    In fact Jerry was my first friend when Teresa and I moved here to Palmville Township. Jerry and Marion and son Terry had also just moved back to Minnesota from Los Angeles. Jerry's father Helmer, also a machinist, thought Jerry was crazy to give up his good job as an airline mechanic. But Jerry wanted to get back to the place he grew up and start his own machine shop.    Jerry and Marion bought an old farm on County Road 122 four miles south of Wannaska. They were both happy to be back among their large extended families. Jerry built a shop south of Mickinock Creek. The creek lacked a bridge. No prob

                               Jerry Solom 1945-2019   I haven't much to say today, as I've lost one of my closest friends in the world on Tuesday evening: Jerry Solom of Wannaska, Mn, who died at Mayo from heart complications, ending the last fight for his too short life of 73 years. Jackie and I are very tender toward one another this morning as each of us mourn his loss in our own way, here, where we are presently on Wednesday, in Mounds View, visiting Jackie's mother, who had suffered a fall at her nursing home, at the age of 96. Receiving the news that Jerry had chosen hospice, it was a matter of a short time before we got the call from Marion, Jerry's wife, that Jerry was gone, something, that just in the simple action of writing it on this document, just now, I am quite suddenly moved to tears.  I spent the whole night experiencing hundreds of snapshots of him in my head.  Such is life ...

And here is the Wannaskan Almanac for Word-Wednesday, for July 24, 2019, the 30th Wednesday of the year,  the 205th day of the year, with 160 days remaining. Nordhem Lunch : Hot Pork Sandwich Earth/Moon Almanac for July 24, 2019 Sunrise: 5:46am; Sunset: 9:14pm; 2 minutes, 27 seconds less daylight today Moonrise: 12:29am; Moonset: 1:35pm, waning gibbous Temperature Almanac for July 24, 2019                 Average           Record           Today High             79                   96                  84 Low              56                   40                  66 July 24 Celebrations from National Day Calendar National Thermal Engineer Day National Tequila Day National Drive-Thru Day National Cousins Day National Amelia Earhart Day July 24 Riddle First comes L, the rest, _ _ _ _ _ _ _* July 24 Pun July 24 Notable Historic Events, Literary or Otherwise, from On This Day 1487 Citizens of Leeuwarden, Netherlands, rebel against ban on f