Sano Almanac

By Nash Black Here one minute and gone the next — a flash of brilliant green, a splash of red and we know one of our most fascinating summer visitors has returned. The American continents are blessed as the home of about 366 species of hummingbirds, mostly in the rainforests of South America. We who…

By Nash Black Here are a few thoughts about things your parents may have told you. Again, maybe not as they wanted you to have the experience of learning the hard way. Besides, back then you weren’t paying attention because you already knew everything there was to know. ‘Casserole’ and ‘Vegetable soup’ are fancy words…

By Nash Black Stuff and nonsense about golf. Did you ever notice that it’s easier to get up a 6 a.m. to play golf that at 9 a.m. to mow the lawn? That rake by the sand trap is there for those who feel guilty about sipping out on lawn work. It’s amazing how a…

By Nash Black This date is both infamous and notorious. How many times have you heard, “Beware of the Ides of March?” Legend has it that a seer warned Caesar, Emperor of Rome, that harm would come to him on this date. Deadly harm did befall this battle-hardened soldier who with his mighty legions had…

By Nash Black We see them in the night sky as meteorite showers (falling stars), especially if we have a telescope to hand. Early on when they were first discovered by Giuseppe Piazzi on January 1, 1801 they were referred to as minor planets. He named his discovery Ceres after the Greek goddess of motherhood…

“The times they are a changing.” “Because of our traditions we have kept our balance for many, many years,” from the opening scene of the musical Fiddle on the Roof. These are both ideas about traditions from our musical heritage that addresses many thoughts in ways we can understand. So, is it progress or are…

This is my day to water my house plants , a task I enjoy because no matter what the weather outside I have something growing and blooming on my window sills. I don’t have any of the fancy ones that require special care because no matter how careful I am they do not thrive for…

There are many different kinds of love, but they are all very special to us. There is the love we discover late in life for living. Enjoying each day as it comes no matter how frustrating the little unimportant events irritate us for a moment. A brief thought for those who have passed on when…

The Robins are back. Today is the first time I’ve seen flocks of them in my orchard this year. They are late, normally I see them in mid January and speculate how they will find food during the winter as they are not seed eating birds loving worms and bugs. Inside the house, over the…

How many remember when we slept in unheated bedrooms? Burrowing under the covers was a necessity. Colonial ancestors used bedpans filled with hot coals to warm the bed before getting in. A while back when we had a severe drop in the temperature I heard an old-timer say, “come dark it would be a three…