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Patty Craig: A Slice of Time

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Everyday Calendar has been on my desk this year (thanks to one of my daughters). I found much of its information entertaining. Some of that information is listed below: 

-Both male and female reindeer have antlers.

-Humans and giraffes have the same number of vertebrae in their neck: seven. (Swans have 24 or more neck vertebrae.)

-Bottlenose dolphins are social mammals, each with its own signature whistle. A mother may whistle to a newborn almost continuously for a few days to help it learn to identify her.

-A chicken’s beak grows throughout all of its life, so it needs to be trimmed – just like human fingernails. Chickens rub their beaks on hard objects in order to clean, sharpen, and shape them.

-During the 1600s, thermometers contained brandy instead of mercury.

-To help keep your cut Christmas tree fresh, add boiling water to the tree stand when first setting up the tree. This helps to liquefy hardened sap on the cut end of the trunk, allowing the tree to drink. Keep the stand filled with cool water from then on; don’t let it dry out.

-To remove tomato stains from washable clothing, add 1 tablespoon dishwashing liquid and 1 tablespoon vinegar to 1 quart water in a pail. Soak the garment for 15 minutes and then rinse and wash as usual.

-A study by two British researchers showed that cows with names give more milk than nameless cows.

-To have a project prosper, start it during the new moon.

-August: Observe what day this month the first heavy fog occurs and expect a hard frost on the same day in October.

-For every fog in October, expect a snow in the winter.

-If there’s ice in November that will bear a duck, there’ll be nothing after but sludge and muck.

-When squirrels lay in a large supply of nuts, expect a cold winter; when they eat them on the tree, weather as warm as warm can be.

-Expect a cold winter when bushes are full of berries, hornets build their nests near the ground, and rabbits are fat in October and November.

-If snow begins at mid of day, expect a foot of it to lay.

-Freezing rain is snow that melts as it falls through warmer air, then freezes as it hits cold surfaces. Sleet starts out the same way, but freezes before it hits the ground.

-The diameter of the moon is 2,160 miles – about the distance from Los Angeles, California, to Tampa, Florida.

-The distance between mainland Alaska and Russia is only 55 miles. In the Bering Strait, the islands of Little Diomede (part of Alaska) and Big Diomede (Russia) are separated by about 2.5 miles.

-Southernmost Canada is south of northernmost Pennsylvania. Atlanta, Georgia, is closer by air to Detroit, Michigan, than to Miami, Florida. Virtually all of South America is east of Savannah, Georgia.

-Americans consume more than 135 million pounds of eggnog each year.

-Restaurant cooks discovered that putting a cabbage leaf on a minor burn aids in healing. Cabbage is high in glutamine, which helps new cells to grow and prevents infection.

-A mixture of half vinegar and half water in a spray bottle is unparalleled for cleaning glass, appliances, and ceramic bathroom fixtures. But do not scrub stone, marble, or granite surfaces with vinegar solutions; the acid wears down and etches the stone.

-When bitten by a mosquito, reach for a yellow or red onion. It contains sulfur compounds that reduce the swelling and itching caused by mosquito saliva.

-Some historians suggest that Humpty Dumpty was a cannon used during the English Civil War (1642-49). The wall upon which Humpty Dumpty was positioned was damaged by crossfire, which caused the cannon to tumble to the ground. The cannon was so heavy that the king’s soldiers and horses were not able to put it “together again.”

-The Statute of Liberty is a familiar landmark, but most have never seen an important part of the sculpture. Near Lady Liberty’s feet – and visible only from above – are broken chains, which symbolize freedom from oppression.

-In 1982, George Watson received a “C” on a college paper about a proposed amendment that had not been included in the Bill of Rights. Undaunted, he continued to promote the amendment. Ten years later – 203 years after its concept had first been suggested – the 27th amendment (banning Congressional pay raises or cuts before the next election of Representatives) was ratified, and Watson’s grade was retroactively changed to an “A.”

-Keep your feet warm, your back straight, and your head cool. – The Old Farmer’s Almanac, 1800

-Hold on to your good character, for it is, and ever will be, your best wealth. – The Old Farmer’s Almanac, 1862

-We do not remember days, we remember moments. – Cesare Pavese (1908-1950)

-Attitudes are caught, not taught. –Fred Rogers (1928-2003)

Albert Einstein wisely said, “Information is not knowledge.” This calendar’s information touched on a variety of subjects through the year. And even though I may not be more knowledgeable, the calendar has been a pleasure to read. 

 
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