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The Hidden Almanac for
Friday October 18th, 2013
Episode 16
The Hidden Almanac
Previous episode: 2013-10-16
Next episode: 2013-10-21

Summary[]

Today is the birthday of Agatha Marlon. It is also the day Echo Harbor began a quarantine, as well as the dat [sic] a flock of thrushes performed a concert. It is the Feast Day of St. Clytie, and in the garden, herbs are ready to dry.

Be Safe, and Stay out of Trouble.

Transcription[]

Welcome to the Hidden Almanac, I’m Reverend Mord. Today is October 18th, 2013.

Today is the birthday of Agatha Marlon, a furniture maker who, in 1901, codified the Art Tableaux style of furniture. This style is marked by sweeping curves and by the arrangement of objects on tabletops and dressers to form pleasing vignettes. It enjoyed great popularity for a few years, but was eventually rejected as "too precious" and "too difficult to dust."

It was on this day, in the Year of Frost, that the town of Echo Harbor was placed under strict quarantine. For eleven days, no living thing larger than a seagull was allowed in or out. Several prominent citizens were shot attempting to approach the barricade. When asked for an explanation, the Prime Minister said only, “They know what they did.” After eleven days, the quarantine was lifted, and the details of the incident placed under seal in the Royal Archives.

And it was on this day, nearly two hundred years ago, that a dozen wood thrushes assembled in one small magnolia tree and performed a magnificent rendition of O Fortuna! There were no witnesses, but the thrushes remembered it fondly for the rest of their lives.[1]

And today is the Feast Day of Saint Clytie, patron of sunflowers, eggplants, and certain types of lichen. She is generally represented as a young girl, face upturned, standing upon a rock. Actual facts about this saint are scarce, and it is possible that her worship derives entirely from an 11th century portrait of a local nobleman’s daughter, which found its way into the attic of a nearby convent.

In the garden, the last herbs should be gathered before frost. To dry herbs, tie them in bunches—do not rinse—and hang them upside down in a dry place with good air circulation. Many herbs will store well in this condition. A few will crumble into dust and provide homes for spiders. As there is no way to tell which herbs will be the lucky arachnid-bearing ones, approach with caution. Avoid hanging the herbs directly over high traffic areas, where eight-legged residents may drop out onto your head at inopportune moments.

The Hidden Almanac is brought to you by Red Wombat Tea Company, purveyors of fine and inaccessible teas. Red Wombat — "We Dig Tea."

We at the Hidden Almanac would like to bid farewell to our good friend, Sheila the Intern, who is leaving us today. Sheila’s assistance was invaluable in the day-to-day business of the Almanac, including applied hagiography and watering the Hidden Almanac Test Garden. However, it has been discovered that she’s the heir to the lost throne of the West and will henceforth be known as Her Imperial Majesty, Queen Raggenthoth the Fourth, Ruler of the Glass Wastes and Protector of the Coriander Isles. Good luck, Sheila! You’ll be missed.

That’s the Hidden Almanac for October 18th, 2013. Be safe, and stay out of trouble.

Outro[]

Out of Character

The Hidden Almanac is a production of Dark Canvas Media, written by Ursula Vernon and performed and produced by Kevin Sonney. Our theme music is Moon Valley and our exit music is Red in Black, both by Kosta T. You can hear more from Kosta T at the Free Music Archive. All other content is copyright 2013, Ursula Vernon.

Notes[]

  1. Leaving us once again wondering how we know it happened...
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