| The Hidden Almanac for Monday May 4th, 2015 |
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| Episode 251 |
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| Previous episode: 2015-05-01 |
| Next episode: 2015-05-06 |
Summary[]
Today we remember the reappearance of a notorious painting. It is also the day a new hors d’oeuvre was debuted at a party. It is the Feast Day of Spring Peepers, and in the garden, there are strawberries.
Be Safe, and Stay Out of Trouble.
Transcription[]
Welcome to the Hidden Almanac, I’m Reverend Mord.
Today is May 4th, 2015.
It was on this day in 1817 that Lady Genoa debuted an astonishing new hors d'oeuvre at a house party—pickled hummingbird eggs. Served on toothpicks, the eggs were an immediate success and the party was lauded as “a sad crush” which was one of the highest forms of praise that could be offered in the era. Other hostesses rushed to emulate Lady Genoa’s success, and three species of hummingbird were pushed to near-extinction as a result. Fortunately, the fad passed quickly, and two of the species rebounded quickly. The Troyzantine Broad-Winged Hummingbird remains threatened to this day, as it was the primary pollinator of the Troyzantine Bottlebrush Vine, which declined alongside the hummingbird. Ecologists eventually discovered the linkages between these two and populations of both bird and vine are on an encouraging upward directory.
And it was on this day in 1988 that the painting “Eleven Chimps and a Nun” surfaced briefly in the hands of a private collector. It was displayed to the public during an open-house, without warning or explanation. Three visitors and a cleaning lady had to be hospitalized and the painting was confiscated by the authorities, only to vanish from police custody.
It is the Feast Day of Spring Peepers. These small, extremely loud frogs sing in early spring throughout the night. Ironically, they have mostly finished singing in our area by the time their feast day comes. It is believed in some regions that if a spring comes when no frogs sing, it signals the end of the world. In historical times, frogs would often be imported to sing and thus ensure that the empire would survive for another year.
In the garden, the strawberries are beginning to fruit. This year has proved good for strawberries—if not for peas—and the flowers are already beginning to turn into pale green fruit. We are usually forced to fight the squirrels for them, which can be unpleasant, particularly since Intern Josh did not do well against the squirrel’s chosen champion “Toothstring” last year. Josh recovered, but the physical therapists say that he will never get full mobility in that knee again.
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 extremely cool coffee shop. You’re either here already, or you don’t need to be. If you don’t know where we are, you’ll probably never find out. We just wanted you to know that.
That’s the Hidden Almanac for May 4th, 2015. 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 through 2015, Ursula Vernon.