A SPUD BY ANY OTHER NAME....

   MONDAY, MARCH 1st, 2021

A SPUD BY ANY OTHER NAME....

. I'M AN OLD SCHOOL GUY WHO , ADMITTEDLY.

HAS SOME PROBLEMS DEALING WITH, OR IN SOME

CASES, ACCEPTING THE BLINDING SPEED OF POLITICAL

CORRECTNESS IN OUR  WORLD. IN A FAIRLY SHORT TIME

SPAN WE HAVE CHANGED THE NAME OF PROFESSIONAL 

SPORTS TEAMS, AND TAKEN CLASSIC  IMAGES OF NATIVE

AND AFRICAN AMERICANS OFF OF POPULAR PRODUCTS.

THE LATEST VICTIM SEEMS TO BE MR. POTATO HEAD!

HASBRO, WHICH HAS MANUFACTURED THE CHILD'S

TOY SINCE 1952, HAS DECIDED TO DROP THE "MR, FROM

 THE THE CHARACTER'S TITLE. SEEMS THEY

WANT TO BE GENDER NEUTRAL. NOW, IN A SENSE,

THE MOVE IS LOGICAL.THE TOY IS BASED

ON A POTATO. AND A POTATO HAS NO GENDER...IT'S

SIMPLY...A VEGETABLE. BUT AFTER NEARLY 70 YEARS

I THINK THE POTATO HEAD FAMILY DESERVES TO

RETAIN IT'S CLASSIC TITLE....WHETHER THAT BE MR.

OR MRS POTATO HEAD.   BUT WAIT!  THERE'S AN UPDATE!

AFTER HEARING ALL THE NEGATIVE REACTION, AND

MAYBE MY BLOG, HASBRO HAS "MASHED" ITS PLANS

AND DECIDED TO KEEP MR. AND MRS. POTATO HEAD ON

THE MENU! NOW THAT IS GOOD NEWS!

 

SOME QUICK Z's

    SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28th, 2021

             SOME QUICK Z's

  IT'S THE LAST DAY OF FEBRUARY

AND IF THE MONTH HAS YOUR WORN OUT

TAKE HEART! THIS I NATIONAL PUBLIC

SLEEPING DAY! NO, I DIDN'T SAY PUBLIC

SPEAKING. I SAID PUBLIC SLEEPING!

IT'S A DAY WHEN YOU'RE ENCOURAGED

TO TAKE A NAP...EVEN IN PUBLIC! PERHAPS

A PARK BENCH OR ON THE BUS/ YOU COULD

TRY TO GET AWAY WITH IT AT WORK BUT

YOU'LL DO THAT AT YOUR OWN RISK! I'D

WRITE MORE ABOUT IT BUT I'M GOING

TO CELEBRATE RIGHT NOW..RIGHT HERE

ON THIS BLOG! HOPE ALL YOUR NEWS IS

GOOD!

A NO BRAINER!

    SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27th, 2021

                  A NO BRAINER!

   February 27th marks one of those unusual

"holidays" that should be extremely easy to

observe! This is "No Brainer Day!" A day when

you should just do whatever is easy and simple.

If the task involves thinking.....let it go! 

The day is the brainstorm of Adrienne Sioux

Koopersmith, identified by Insight magazine

as America's Premier Eventologist!" My wife

suggests this is a day perfectly suited to my

talents and abilities. I'm not sure if that's a

compliment or not! Hope you're well and

that all of your NEWS is good!

" 

MAKING BATH TIME LOTS OF FUN!

    THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25th, 2021

  MAKING BATH TIME LOTS OF FUN!

   We'be been celebrating a lot of historical

characters this month. Today we celebrate

still another. And this one may be in your

home! This is Rubber Ducki Day! It was on

this date in 1970 that Sesame Street's Ernie,

voiced by Jim Henson, first sang the Rubber

Ducki song to his favorite bath time friend!

The son was recorded and actually hit number

16 on the Billboard Hot 100 Hit List! Now

even though this is Rubber Ducki Day, Sesame

Street put out a calendar in 1972 listing the

ducki's birthday as January 13th. You can

celebrate one or the other or both of you prefer.

The fact there are two dates quacks me up! Sorry.

Hope you're well and that all your NEWS is good~  

STARTING OVER!

   WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24th, 2021

             STARTING OVER!

   The calendar may read February 24th but,

in a sense, this could be considered the first

of the year! That's because on this date in

1582 Pope Gregory XII adopted the new

Gregorian calendar! Named it after himself

of course. Up till then everybody used the

Julian calendar which calculated the length

of a tear at 365,25 days. Pope Gregory showed

things down a bit concluding that an actural

year was 365,3435 days! So, Happy New Year

everybody! Hope all your NEWS is good! 

LINING UP FOR A SHOT!

   TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23rd, 2021

          LINING UP FOR A SHOT!

   Back in the old west the cattle drivers

would anxiously line up for a shot at the

bar after spending days on the trail. These

days the news is filled with stories of people

waiting in long lines to get another kind of

shot. The Covid vaccine! There was a lomg

line of kids waiting for a shot at the Arsonal

Elementary School in Pittsburgh. That was on

February 23rd of///..1954! They were the first

children to receive the Salk Polio vaccine!!

Polio was a dangerous disease causing

thousands of deaths and leaving thousands

of people, mainly children, paralyzed and on

breathing machines. Of course it's most famous

ictim was an adult. President Franklin D. Roosevelt!

Salk's injection was eventually replaced by an

oral vaccine developed by Dr. Bruce Sabin.

The resulyt of these vaccines was the elimination

of Polio in the United States and, for the most

part, around the world. We're hopeful the Covid

vaccine wil do the same for the pandemic virus/

It certainly seems worth a "shot!" Hope you're

well and that all your NEWS is good!

MY TWO CENTS !

      MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22nd, 2021

                 MY TWO CENTS! 

  Well friends, it's Washington's Birthday! The

real one! But Washington isn't the only guy

whose birthday is worth celebrating on

February 22nd. This is also the birthday

of Frank Woolworth, the man who basically

started the first 5 and 10 cent stores! His 1st

was i  Utica, New York in 1879. His 2nd was

in Lancaster, Pennsylvania! The 5 and 10 cent

store craze grew to include giants like McCrory's

and Kresge's founded by Sebastian Kresge from

Allentown/ Of course the days of the 5 & 10's

are long gone now. These days you'd be lucky

to find something for a dollar in a Dollar store!

Still, today we salute Frank Woolworth for his

marketing efforts that, at one time, saw at least

one 5 & 10 cent store in most every medium

sized community. Just thought I'd throw my two

cents worth into his birthday! Hope you're wekk

and that all yur NEWS is good!

SPIT IT OUT!

    SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21st, 2021

                  SPIT IT OUT!

      I believe I first heard that phrase, "Spit
it out," sometime during my illustrious Grade
School career. It later evolved into something
I heard in the movies as Detectives interrogated
a witness or suspect holding out on important
information.
       I mention this because today is "The
Great American Spit Out!
       Unlike my experience with chewing
gum in school or Hollywood's police
cliché this day is dedicated to a campaign
to get people to stop using smokeless or
"chewing" tobacco. In this case they'd
like people to "spit it out" before it's ever
chewed!
        I'm not sure why anyone would take
up this habit on purpose. I've had a cigar
or two in my day and the taste of the
tobacco leaves were never especially
appealing. I'd rather have raw spinach.
And I hate spinach!
         The Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention states that some 75% of
all mouth, lip, tongue, throat, nose and
larynx cancers are due to the use of
smokeless tobacco. All that and a
lousy taste! What a combination!
          I'm going to lend my endorsement
to this unusual "holiday" and suggest
that those who are using this stuff try a
good pack of Juicy Fruit gum!
          Hope they do and that all their,
and your, NEWS is good!
          

SHOUT OUT TIME!

   SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20th, 2021

             SHOUT OUT TIME!

              
   Seems we've had a lot of snow this year!
But today's the day to chase it away
completely.
     February 20th is "Northern Hemisphere
Hoodie Hoo Day!"
     The creators, at Wellcat.com, encourage
everyone to go outside at Noon today, wave
your hands over your heads, and chant
"Hoodie Hoo!"
      The whole idea is to chase away any
winter blues and bring in Spring.
       I'm not sure if there's any data to
measure the effect of these actions but,
perhaps, it's worth a try.
       Since this truly is a little know
"holiday" you might want to pick a quiet
area away from others to participate. I'd
hate to see any body hauled away for
disorderly conduct just for trying to
do something about the weather.
        Hope it works and that all your

NEWS is good!    SHOUT OUT TIME!

THE MAIL MUST GO THROUGH!

   FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19th, 2021

 THE MAIL MUST GO THROUGH!

   Seems there's been a lof of controversy

lately about the operations of the U.S.

Postal service! Complaints that mail is

taking too long to go through. The rates

have certainly gone up! I'm old enough to

remember the two penny post card. These days

out stamps don't even carry their monetary

denomination because it changes so often!

Still some hold that the post office has

always been the most cost effective way\

to send mail. That was certainly the case

on this date in 1914. That's the day 4-year-

old Charlotte May Pierstorff was mailed

73 miles from her parents to her grandparents!

Seems if you were under the 50 pound weight

limit that was the cheapest way to travel!

Wonder how many stamps the kid needed?

Hope your mail is coming through OK and

that all your NEWS is good!

THIS MAY SHOCK YOU!

   THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18th, 2021

          THIS MAY SHOCK YOU!

  Chances are where ever you're
going or what ever you're doing
today you'll be depending on
batteries. The one that starts you
car. The one that powers your cell
phone and/or IPod. The one in
your flashlight that leads you to
the circuit breaker when your
electricity goes out!
  And what would any of us guys do
if we didn't have batteries to work
our TV remotes?
   I'm thinking about all of them
today because this is "National
Battery Day!" Break out the "D
cells" and the "Triple A's!"
   To spark your interest perhaps I
should explain that February 18th
is the Birthday of  Alessandro Volta,
Italian physicist and inventor of the
electric battery, who was born in
1745. Yes, it was an Italian that
came up with the battery! And he
didn't have either a car or a TV!
   So let's take a moment to say
"Grazie" to Mr. Volta for the
invention that today powers so
many of the devices on which we've
come to depend. Too bad so many
of them come with the admonishment
"Batteries Not Included!"
    Hope your smoke detector is
working and that all your NEWS is
good!

         

MY WAY!

   THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22nd, 2021

                          MY WAY!

     Fall in everybody! February 17th is
"My Way Day!" Yep. My way or the
highway.
     It's not just because I said so, it's
one of those unofficial holidays I like
to tell you  about.
      There's almost no information
about who came up with the idea. It's
thought to have been created and
shared via social media by someone
who felt it was time to make a loud
pubic cry about all the nonsense that's
forced upon us daily.
        When I first read it I was convinced
it was my day and I really didn't have
any big ideas. Then I figured the
creator of the day meant it for all of
us. So, in a sense, it's "Your Way or
the highway today.
       The idea is simple.  You're
encouraged to do whatever you want,
however you want.
        So go to it people. Be like Frank
Sinatra and do it your way today! Hope
it works....my wife told me I had to take

out the garbage.... and that all your NEWS is
good.

PARK YOUR CART!

    TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16th, 2021

              PARK YOUR CART!

   When you think about February you

probably think about Valentines Day. Or

Lincoln's or Washington's birthday or"President's 

Day" if you will. But I wonder how many of

you know this is "Return Your Shopping Cart

To The Store Month?" I have noticed more

and more people seem to be ignoring those

lanes specifically set up to allow shoppers

to store their carts when they're done

shopping. These days it seems more popular

to just let your cart in the space where your

car was parked. The next shopper might

be glad to have a cart waiting IF they only

had a place to park! Hopefully if you're

close enough to the store entrance you'll

just return your cart to where you got otit.

If not at least use one of the return lanes

and make it easy ofn others, like me,

trying to find a parking space. Hope you

do and that all your NEWS is good!

WHAT'S NEXT?

 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15TH. 2021

               WHAT'S NEXT?

   Today's blog is primarily directed
and dedicated to those of you who still
have a Christmas tree (or at least some
Christmas decorations) adorning your
home. It's OK to take them down now!
    On the Julian calendar February 15th
is Candlemas Day, the last holiday of the
Christmas season! No wonder it suddenly
got so cold around here!
     Candlemas is the festival, of the Feast
of Purification of the Virgin Mary. It also
celebrates the annual blessing of candles
used by the church.
      I'm always encouraging people to
celebrate Christmas as long as they
possibly can. I never knew there was an
"official reason" to do it.
      So break out the eggnog and the
Fruit cake for one last toast to Christmas!
The Fruit cake should still be as good as
the day you got it. You might want to
check the eggnog though!
       And don't pack everything too deep
in the attic or basement. After all there are
only 314 days left till Christmas!
 Hope all your NEWS is good!

HEARTS AND FLOWERS!

   SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14th, 2021

         HEARTS AND FLOWERS!

  It's February 14th! It's Valentine's Day/

A day when we present our loved one with

candy or flowers or, perhaps, both. The day

brings back many memories for me, from \

my grade school days. I remember filling

out names on those paper valentines for

everyone in my class then passing then

around. I, in turn, ened up with valentines

from everyone in the class. Then there were

those tiny candy hearts with the inscriptions.

"Be my love ." You are my Valentine.:"I

always wondered how they got all those

words on those small candy hearts? Well

have your valentines ready but be sure

your're giving them to the right recipient!

Saint Valentine, for whom the day was named,

was doing his best to get Roman men to marry

their sweethearts at a time the Emperor wanted

them to enlist in the army. Valentine lost his

head, not his heart, because of his romantic

ideals/ Just so you know! Hope you're well

and that all your NEWS is good.

TURN YOUR RADIO ON!

    SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13th, 2021

           TURN YOUR RADIO ON!

   This is World Radio Day! So proclaimed by

the United Nations in 2011. It recognizes the

ability of radio to reach people all over the

world, even in places unreachable by other

media. I started my long broadcasting career in

radio in 1959. But back then radio was very local.

The first station I worked for broadcast the local

mine working schedules and even area birth

announcements. The DJ's were all local talking

around local events and local people. These

days most DJ's come into your home via

satellite broadcasting from a studio somewhere

far away. I have found one station that's not

only local but pretty darn dependable/ It's the

Weather radio station that gives me the forecast

25/7/ Glad there's still one "local" station left

on my dial! Hope you tune in from time to time

and that all your NEWS is good!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO WHO?

   FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12TH, 2021

     HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO WHO?

  It's Friday, February 12th. Honest, it's Abe's

birthday! That is to say this is the actual birthday

of Abe Lincoln, the President who saw us through

the Civil War! You probably think you'll be

celebrating Abe's birthday this coming Monday on

what you're probably calling President's Day. But

that's not true. Monday ia George Washington's

birthday, Except it isn't. Allow me to explain.

Lincoln's birthday is today. Washington's birthday

is on February 22nd. Some time agio the Federal

government adopted the Uniform Monday Holiday

Act. A number of holidays were moved from their

original dates to designated Mondays so federal workers

could get extended weekends. One of them was

Washington's birthday. When it was moved some

elected officials wanted to rename it President's 

Day. But they LOST!  This coming Monday is,

officially, Washington's birthday! Even though it 

isn't! Seems Washington kept his birthday but 

lost his birth date. Lincoln, on the other hand,

doesn't have his birthday recognized! Nor do any

of the other Presidents since there is no official

President's day. Hey! Congress was involved. 

What do you expect? Well, whatever you're

celebrating, have a great day. Hope all your

NEWS is good.  

WHAT'S YOUR IDEA?

   THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11th, 2021

          WHAT'S YOUR IDEA?

  It's February 11th, National Inventor's

Day! It's an official holiday but you don't

get it off/ President Reagan proclaimed

the day in 1983. It always falls on February

11th which just happens to be the birthday

of Thomas Edison! I've heard it said he came

up with a couple inventions of his own! I've

had some brilliant ideas for inventions over

the years. Problem is I never wrote any of them

down and can't remember any of them just

now. My 5 year old grandson tells me he's

going to invent a Time machine. He wants to

go back to 1912 to warn Captain Smith about

the iceberg so the Titanic won't sink. I told him

Captain Smith wouldn't believe him but my

grandson told me he'll take a book about the ship

with him as proof! I never thought of that!

Anyhow if you've got some creative ideas

National Inventors Day is the perfect time

to write them out and get your patent! Good

luck! Hope your invention succeeds.that you're

well, and that all your NEWS is good!   

 

A BIG COVER UP!

    WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10th, 2021

                    A BIG COVER UP!

     I won't keep you in the shade on this. It's

"National Umbrella Day." It feels just a little

strange. It's snowing here as I write this and I

don't see anyone walking around with an

umbrella even though snow is, basically, just

frozen rain. Anyway, umbrellas are thought to

be one of the most important inventions of all

time. They keep us dry during rainstorms, or

other forms of precipitation, and safe from

the strong rays of the sun when it's all bright

outside. So treasure your umbrella. But remember,

don't open it in the house! That superstition stems

from the Egyptians. (I didn't even realize that had

umbrellas!) They believed opening an umbrella

inside was an insult to the sun god who would then

rain ban fortune upon your household! So keep it

closed till you're outside....just in case!  Hope

you're well and that all your NEWS is good!

 

PASS THE PIZZA!

 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9th, 2021

             PASS THE PIZZA!

  

         Welcome to February 9th. "National
Pizza Day!" Shouldn't this fall on a Friday?
        Pizza is actually a favorite dish of people
around the world. Although it could be
argued that it's consumed most by people
here in the United States. The average
 American consumes over 23 pounds
of pizza each year! I'm probably half way
there in 2018 already!
       If you live in Northeastern Pennsylvania
you'll likely find a pizza place every couple
blocks in most every main street shopping
area. Indeed the community of Old Forge
lays claim to being the Pizza Capitol of the
world! Several establishments there even
send their "half baked" pizzas around the
country where customers finish the
baking process and enjoy their meal.
       My brother-in-law recently packed one
in a suitcase he bought at Goodwill and
checked it in his baggage for his flight
back to California. He ate it that same
evening!
        While most everyone likes pizza the
debate that frequently develops when it's
ordered involves the toppings that are to
be added.  
          I'm a pepperoni guy which puts me
in the most popular group. 36% of people
favor pepperoni. My wife is in the
"mushroom group."   
          In a sense the Pizza season, just
peaked. More pizzas are sold on Super
Bowl Sunday than on any other day of the
year.
         It's pretty clear how to celebrate this
unofficial holiday. Have a pizza...with or
without pepperoni. Hope you enjoy the
day and your pizza and that all your NEWS
is good!  PIZZA TIME! 

     

ON MY HONOR!

   MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8th, 2021

               ON MY HONOR!

     Happy Birthday to the Boy Scouts!

On February 8, 1910, Chicago publisher William
Dickson Boyce filed incorporation papers in the
District of Columbia to create the Boy Scouts of
America.
   Of course the Boy  Scouts, as an organization, 
was actually formed in England several years
earlier.
    I never made it to Boy Scouts here or in England
but I was a Cub Scout, a Lion as I recall.
    I remember going to meetings at the home of
one of my friends. His mom was our Den Mother.
We did all kinds of crafts and worked on badges.
I wanted one that would make me a policeman
but that wasn't one of the options.
    I even remember making my first trip to New
York City, on a train, by myself, in my Cub Scout
uniform! My Dad met me at Penn Station in New
York. All the attendants on the train watched out
for me. I guess they all liked a guy in uniform!
    We didn't have any girls in Cub Scouts back
then. That may have played a role in my short
scouting career!
    I don't remember a heck of a lot more about my
Cub Scouting days except that I learned the salute,
and our motto, "Be Prepared."
    I always figured that was good advice for
anyone whether they be a scout or not.
    Hope you're always prepared and that all
your NEWS is good!
 

WHO'S THE CHAMPION?

   SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7th, 2021

       WHO'S THE CHAMPION?

  Well it's Superbowl Sunday,  the day 

we learn who's Champion of professional

football. Of course there wasn't always a

Superbowl! Time was the championship

was determined by the team holding the

best record. Usually. But back in 1925 the

team with the best record was from

northeastern Pennsylvania. It should have

been the NFL Champion, But it wasn't!

The Pottsville Maroons, a team which 

included several players from the same

local fire company. was blowing away

the competition that year. Home games

were played at a High School stadium in

Minersville.  The team was a shoe in for

the championship. But then it agreed to

play an exhibition game with a team made 

up, primarily, with former college players

from Noter Dame University. With a lot

of admission revenue on the line the school

stadium was just too small. So the teams

agreed to move the game to Shibe Park in

Philadelphia. That's where the problem came

in! Philadelphia was within the franchise

area of another team. the Frankfort Yellow Jackets.

The Yellow Jackets complained to the league and

NFL officials agreed, stripping the Championship

from the Maroons. Efforts have been made since 

that time to change the ruling but all have failed!

It;s the story of the Championship that might

have been. Guess, in that case, it;s not how,

but where you plat the game that counts!

Hope you're well and that all your NEWS is

good!

BREAKING THE BIG STORY!

 

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6th, 2021

    BREAKING THE BIG STORY!

  I was a news reporter for most of my 60

plus years in broadcasting. And I'm proud

to say I broke some pretty big stories over

that time period. But breaking stories

isn't easy. Some times you've got to take

some chances! I'm reminded of that fact

because on this date, February 6th, of 1951

a young radio reporter took some very big

changes to test a tip that security was lax at

a top secret nuclear facility just outside Chicago.

The reporter, Paul Aurandt, drove to the

place that night and climbed a ten foot fence.

Unfortunately for him security was not very

lax that night and a security guard caught and   

arrested him. The Korean War was in progress 

and there was a big concern abut atomic spies.

Officials determined, however, that Aurandt

was not a spy but, rather, a reporter out to get

a big story and they released him without filing

charges. Oh, by the way. Aurandt was the name

on his Driver's license. His radio name was....

Paul Harvey. And now you know the rest of his

story! Hope you're well and that all your NEWS

is good. 

MY FRIDAY FORECAST

 

  FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5th, 2021

     MY FRIDAY FORECAST!

   I'll bet there's an 80% chance you don't

know what today is. Except for the fact it's

Friday. And given the recent snowstorm,

chilling winds, and cold temperatures I'd

say there's about a 90%  chance you don't

care. But I'm going to tell you anyway. 

This is :National Weatherman;s Day." Or

to be politically correct, National Weatherperson's

day! More and more women are joining the male

forecasters in tossing the dice.....I mean, checking

the charts. And, to be fair, our local weather

people do a pretty good job considering the

fact they try to cover some 22 counties

where ten miles and a bit of elevation can

make the difference between snow and rain/

So let's give them a tip of the cap today and

say Well done (sometmes at least!) Hope you;re

well, enjoying the weather and that all your

NEWS is good!

SWEATER WEATHER

  THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4th, 2021

           SWEATER WEATHER

  It's February 4th. National Sweater Day!

It's a day that was established to get you to

thinking about the advantages of wearing

sweaters. We have a nice supply of sweaters

around our house. They';re in a cabinet. My

wife's are carefully folded om the bottom

shelf and mine are, well, sort of stacked on

the upper one. Sweaters are especially useful

around northeaster Pennsylvania at this time

of year and they're environmentally beneficial.

When you put a sweater on you can turn the

thermostat down! I've liked sweatehsr for many

years. Always enjoyed seeing them on folks

like Marilyn Monroe and Dolly Parton. I often

wear a blue one myself. Brings out my eyes

you know/ Hope you've got a good supply of

sweaters and that all your NEWS is good! 

AFTER THE SNOW!

   WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3rd, 2021

                AFTER THE SNOW!

  Well the predicted northeaster hit as

expected and didn't disappoint! Nearly

two feet of snow hit in much of our area 

and smore spots actually got more! There

was the expected rush for bread, eggs, and

milk. Roads quickly became slippery and

dangerous and while kids had fun most 

folks spent hours digging out. Sometimes

more than once! I went outside with my

shovel and found two huge mounds of

snow where our cars had been parked. 

Nut for all the problems caused by the

snow I noticed, as I gazed around, the

shear beauty of my surroundings! Who

am I, I thought, to disrupt nature's

beauty? So I pui the shovel  down and

went back inside! Hope you're well and  

that all your NEWS is good.

SHADOW OF A DOUBT

 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2nd, 2021

        SHADOW OF A DOUBT

             
       Pennsylvania's Punxsutawney Phil is
the man, actually rodent, of the hour every
February 2nd. His shadow, or the lack of
shadow, is said to be a prediction of how
soon we'll see Spring show up.
       But while Phil tends to get most of
the attention, it turns out he's not the
only meteorologist presenting a forecast.
It's kind of like all the guys on our local
TV stations. Each offering their own
take on the weather. One sees it as
partly cloudy while the other calls for
partly sunny.
        I wonder how many of you have
heard of Phil's competition? Let's see.
There's:
 Balzac Billy in Balzac, Alberta,BC
 Chattanooga Chuck in Tennessee
 Chesapeake Chuck in Virginia
 Chuckles in Connecticut
 Dunkirk Dave in New York
 French Creek Freddie in West Virginia
 Gen. Beauregard Lee in Georgia
 Grady the Groundhog in North Carolina
 Holtsville Hall, another New Yorker
 Buckeye Chuck in Ohio
 Malverne, he's from New York too
 Nibbles, another North Carolina forecaster
 Staten Island Chuck from the Big Apple
 and Stormy Marmot from Colorado.
       I've actually omitted a couple more
from Canada since there's some question
as to whether Spring exists there at all.
       As for the others, if Phil doesn't call
it the way you'd like check out his cousins
and take a drive into an early spring. It's
bound to be there somewhere!
       Hope you find it (sooner than later)
and that all your NEWS is good!