Every once in a while something rolls across the desk of a newspaper editor which is interesting and yet fun, and such was the case recently for me.
In this case it was the arrival of the 2018 edition of the Old Farmer鈥檚 Almanac Canadian Edition.
The book itself brought back a flood of memories for me.
The book was always in my grandparents鈥� home, and usually at our place as well.
I am not sure if the annual almanac was the more often read book in the family, the numbers likely skewing toward that honour going to the Sears and Eaton鈥檚 Christmas catalogues thanks to my daily thumbing through them for weeks leading up to Dec. 25, but the annual was certainly a ratty mess by year鈥檚 end from constant review.
The almanac is just one of those publications that is both quirky and insightful. It is part trivia, which is always fun, with just enough serious data to intrigue.
I suppose that is the reason the edition appearing on my desk was the 226th in long history of the almanac. Let that sink in just a bit. We in Canada are celebrating the 150th anniversary of our country. The Old Farmer鈥檚 Almanac was 小蓝视频 published for 76 years before Canada existed. It launched in 1792.
In the case of the review copy which arrived, I of course took it home to peruse.
In general terms the almanac has not changed significantly in its style from what I remember from my youth, a reality noted in the promotional material.
鈥淭he Old Farmer鈥檚 Almanac thrives because it stays true to its mission,鈥� observes Editor Janice Stillman. 鈥淭his almanac is a calendar, a time capsule of the year that aims to be of use to people of all walks of life, with information and insights that bear a pleasant degree of humour. We promote country values and traditional ideals 鈥� farm, family and friends; home and hearth 鈥� because they are eternal and common to all.鈥�
The key elements are still there, including the Calendar of the Heavens. The book itself notes the calendar is 鈥渢he heart of The Old Farmer鈥檚 Almanac. They present sky sightings and astronomical data for the entire year and are what makes this book a true almanac, a 鈥渃alendar of the heavens.鈥� In essence, these pages are unchanged since 1792, when Robert B. Thomas published the first edition. The long columns of numbers and symbols reveal all of nature鈥檚 precision, rhythm and glory, providing an astronomical look at the year 2018.鈥�
And then there are the weather forecasts for the coming year. In a world where a weather forecast made at 8 a.m., seems too often wrong by 5 p.m., a forecast months in advance might seem folly.
But we, especially as farmers, are drawn to weather forecasts like moths to a flame, so looking to the almanac predictions is just a natural thing to do.
The good news, the almanac suggests a generally mild, dry winter.
And next summer, well wet is the word for much of the Prairies.
Of course the full details are in the almanac, so do check it out..
Calvin Daniels is Editor with Yorkton This Week.
