Miscellaneous

Isn't "miscellaneous" a great word? Consider definition #2 from Google "(of a collection or group) Composed of members or elements of different kinds"*. This blog post will very much be miscellaneous.

First of all, Happy (belated) Susan B. Anthony Day! Yes, "Aunt" Susan turned 192 years young yesterday. 2020 will be a banner year marking both the Centennial of Woman's Suffrage in the U.S.A. and the Bicentennial of Susan B. Anthony's birth! Oh, & the Greenwich Journal and Salem Press reports that there will be another performance of Bob Warren's song cycle about Susan, Only the Message Mattered, this Sunday, February 19, 2012 @ 3:00 p.m. at the Adams (MA) Free Library^.

Secondly, Happy (be-belated) Valentine's Day!

Mailed to Miss M.A. Moriarty 10 Feb 1907

Finally, I arrived at the office this evening to an old book on my desk. In the book, with it's repaired binding broken, and a few pages loose, were a few scattered bits of paper & index cards. One of these was a rather large index card in the very front which read "Borrowed by Paul Hancock of Vermont- a long time ago-". The book is a first edition copy of The History of Washington County from 1878. So, I say "Thank you" to Mr. Hancock, or who ever it was who returned the book home.

The History of Washington County is back

*https://www.google.com
^http://www.susanbanthonybirthplace.com/

Happy Woodchuck Day!

Thank you Spraguetown Silas, for your clear and concise "prediction" that... What's that? Who is Spraguetown Silas? You've never heard of him?

Oh, you are probably thinking of that one down south in Pennsylvania, Puxsutawney Phil. He didn't see his shadow & predicted that winter is over.

Well, winter in Greenwich this year sans snow, has been pretty mild & Spraguetown Silas is leaving town for colder weather. Don't fret. According to the letter he wrote to the Greenwich Journal- Salem Press he is staying within the county & heading over to Salem, but he rightly says that winter will be around until March (the vernal equinox). Now Spraguetown Silas has been giving Greenwich-ians this sound advice since 2004. His accuracy is 100% because he states the facts & doesn't hold with the media frenzy.

However, according to the Huffington Post, Punxsutawney Phil has been only 39% accurate over 126 years*. Maybe he is just too old? Or, maybe they should analyze the accuracy of each groundhog/ woodchuck that has “played” Punxsutawney Phil over the last quasquicentennial. That would be roughly 20 or so groundhogs. Groundhogs live about 6 years in the wild & up to 14 years in captivity^. (So, would he be considered in the captivity category?)

Here are some newspaper clippings of Spraguetown Silas, just in case you don't believe me...

Spraguetown Silas sees his shadow in 2005

Spraguetown Silas in 2009

Spraguetown Silas in 2011

*http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/01/groundhog-day-2012-facts_n_1245259.html#s649270&title=Whats_In_A
^http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundhog