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The Hidden Almanac for
Friday December 27th, 2013
Episode 46
The Hidden Almanac
Previous episode: 2013-12-25
Next episode: 2013-12-30

Summary[]

Today Eland the Younger described the Lantern Bug. It is also the birthday of the Witch of the Wastes, and a fox of note made an appearance. It is the Feast Day of St. Costos, and in the garden, there is a warming trend.

Be Safe, and Stay Out of Trouble.

Transcription[]

Welcome to the Hidden Almanac, I’m Reverend Mord. Today is December 27th, 2013.

It was on this day that the naturalist Eland the Younger first described the Lantern Bug, a brightly colored insect related to fireflies. Unlike fireflies, however, Lantern Bugs can grow to eight inches long and are solitary creatures. They are occasionally used as light sources, but must be provided with tiny muzzles, as they have extraordinarily powerful mandibles and feed on mice.

And today is the birthday of the Witch of the Blasted Waste. She is probably dead, but since she has a habit of showing up at christenings and weddings, we at the Hidden Almanac prefer to be on the safe side. Happy Birthday.

It was on this day in 1881 that a white fox walked into the city. He was slightly larger than usual and appeared to have piercing blue eyes. He walked down High Street, across the Kingfisher Bridge, and sat down in the middle of road, gazing at the clock tower.

Bystanders report that he sat there for several minutes, then muttered “Great. That time again,” before getting up and walking away.

It is the Feast Day of Saint Costos, patron of eyeglasses. When his monastery was laboring over a hand-illuminated manuscript and their best copyist was stricken with eye-strain, Saint Costos invented a small magnifying glass to allow the artist to continue his work. Although crude by today’s standards, Costos’s glass was considered miraculous in the eleventh century, and his worship survives to this day.[1]

In the garden, a sudden warm snap has allowed us to go out into the Hidden Almanac Test Garden and wander around, grumbling. Do we clear the dead leaves off the new growth or leave them there as an insulating layer? Is rot more dangerous than frost? No one can ever remember from one year to the next. We settle for removing leaves from some (but not all) of the plants, making a note as to which plants those were, and then promptly losing the note.

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

Also brought to you by the Sacred Order of Bull Moose Men. It’s almost time for the New Year’s Moose Hunt! All proceeds go to charity. Bring your nets and your running shoes — this year Eddie Krantz drew the short straw and you know he’s a fast one!

That’s the Hidden Almanac for December 27th, 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. Particularly among those who need their glasses to find their glasses.
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