Saturday, February 1, 2025

THE SHADOW'S SHADOWS!

      SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2nd, 2025

        THE SHADOW'S SHADOWS!

             
       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!


THE ORIGINAL GILLIGAN!

        SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1st, 2025

            THE ORIGINAL GILLIGAN!

           I'd like to start your day and this month

out on a high note by informing you that
this is Crusoe Day!
     Wait! Before you start singing his praises,
it's Crusoe not Caruso! Not Enrico. Robinson!
      The sailor. Not the singer. Got it?
      You'd think this would be celebrated on
a Friday wouldn't you?
       Well, anyway, every February 1st is
observed as Robinson Crusoe Day.
        You see, like so many of today's popular
movies, the story of the marooned sailor
Robinson Crusoe is based on actual events!
         A Scottish sailor named Alexander
Selkirk was rescued from a uninhabited
island on this date in 1709 and his tale was
the basis for the book "Robinson Crusoe"
written by Daniel Defoe.
         What Defoe didn't tell us was that
Selkirk asked to be put ashore after getting
into a quarrel with his Captain. Maybe he
thought it was a resort!? He was there for
five years!!!!!! With only Friday around!
       At least Gilligan had associates like
 Ginger and Mary Ann!
       Ideally you are to observe Robinson
Crusoe Day by being "adventurous and
self-reliant." Realizing there are things to
be done around the house however, I intend
to note the day by......"getting lost!"
       Hope you survive the day and that all
your NEWS is good!