When the Farmers’ Almanac was established the US population was around 12,000,000. So much has happened through our almost 200 years. I received this breakdown of life in 1907 (one hundred years ago).  Not sure the good old days were so good - what do you think?? 

The year is 1907   (One hundred years ago) 

         What a difference a century makes! 

         Here are some of the U.S. Statistics  

      The average life expectancy in the U.S. Was 47 years old. 

         Only 14 percent of the homes in the U.S had a bath tub__ 
         
         Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone. 

         A three-minute call from Denver to New York City 
         cost eleven dollars. 

         There were only 8,000 cars in the U.S. , and only 144 miles of paved roads. 

 
         With a mere 1.4 million people, California was only the 21st  most populous state in the Union 

         The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower 

        The average wage in the U.S. Was 22 Cents per hour

         The average U.S. Worker made between $200 and $400  per year

          A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year

         A dentist made $2,500 per year

         A veterinarian $1,500 per year

         And a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year

         More than 95 percent of all births in the U.S. Took place at home

         Ninety percent of all U.S. Doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION!  
         Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which 
         were condemned in the press AND the government as “substandard.” 

         Sugar cost four cents a pound.
         Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.
         Coffee was fifteen cents a pound. 

         Five leading causes of death in the U.S. were

1. Pneumonia and influenza , 2. Tuberculosis  3. Diarrhea, 4. Heart disease, 5. Stroke 

         The American flag had 45 stars

         Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii, and
         Alaska hadn’t been admitted to the Union yet. 

         The population of Las Vegas , Nevada , was only 30!!!! 

         Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea
         Hadn’t been invented yet. 

         There was no Mother’s Day or Father’s Day

         Two out of every 10 U.S. Adults couldn’t read or write

         Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school 

         There were about 230 reported Murders in the ENTIRE U.S.A. ! 

by pgeiger
No Comments »

There may have been more significant weather events in history. The 2000 Farmers’ Almanac chronicled 100 Worst Weather Events of the past 100 years. But if you lived in Maine - New Hampshire - Vermont or Canada January 8, 1998 is the date that will live in weather infamy. It was the date of our Great Ice Storm which cut power to over 700,000 of the people who lived in the state. For some people it was an inconvenience and for others (who were powerless for up to 16 days) it was life or death.

The Farmers’ Almanac called for rain in early January. To say it would be ice would be a stretch. One or two degrees in either direction or depending upon where you lived, could me rain, snow or ice. On that date managing editor, Sandi Duncan and I were scheduled to fly to NYC early morning to start planning the 1999 edition. Sandi lived “in the woods a bit” and called me at 4am to say she lost power. Twenty minutes later I lost electricity and within the hour, the Portland Jetport was closed for the same reason.

It was work as usual at Geiger Bros. (our parent company) but by 11am I was doing a phone/ TV interview on CNN. Before the day was over I was fielding calls for as far away as Alaska. Maine had become the Weather Story for national media and with good reason. It was January and no power usually means frozen pipes. But, Maine is the most treed state in the US (89% of our surface has trees). So, when 5 inches of ice clung to trees, limbs snapped and thousands of miles of electric wire came with it. When one connection was made, another tree took it down again The power workers were equivalent to the police and fire personnel on 9/11 in NYC. They worked around the clock for a month to restore power.

While it was warm on January 8th (30 degrees) the temp started dropping as the calendar pages turned. The ice storm lasted January 8 - 10th but the clean up took weeks and Power Crews from states as far removed as Hawaii helped with the endless task. What I remember best was the genuine warmth and compassion neighbors showed neighbors. People who owned generators would go house to house to warm one before moving on to the next. If you owned a chainsaw, you helped clear trees off roofs. There are so many trees in Maine that you could have a modest property with a dozen downed trees. But, this was an opportunity for people to help people and I will always remember the courtesies extended to people in need and that was just about everyone.

The sound of branches snapping sounded like gunshots or being in a war zone. The “shots went on through the night and through the week. Today, we have lost many trees that were damaged that day. But, Mother Nature replaces what she takes away. Today, our power company has an aggressive tree trimming program. When thee is a next ice storm, some lines will come down but not as many.

Today is the 10th Anniversary of this weather event - one that will be long remembered for what it did to and for individuals.

Technorati Tags:
weather events, Great Ice Storm of 98, ice storms, Farmers’ Almanac

by pgeiger
No Comments »

Clog Free Snowblower. If you live in the Northeast, Great Lakes, Midwest and Colorado, your snowblowers are getting quite the workout this winter. To keep your snowblower chute from clogging up when the snow is wet and heavy, keep the chute pointed in the same direction in which the auger is rotating. The auger will face less resistance trying to force the snow through the chute and tend not to clog. 

 Also, if your chute is frozen from the last plowing, pour some windshield fluid down the chute,. It melts the ice - then clear with a brush. And if all else fails, spray the chute with Pam before using launching into snow drifts. With Pam nothing sticks. Try it it works.

It is freezing everywhere today. It was -3 degrees F in Maine this morning and a low of 19 degrees in Atlanta. I heard that there were snow flurries in Florida. Yikes - global warming aside, is this the next Ice Age??  So what is frost and why don’t we see it during the day hours? Since much of the East is getting cold, three things must be in place to have a frost. 1) the surface on which the frost forms must be at a temperature of 32 degrees or less. 2) conditions must be calm, with little or no wind. 3) the surface air must efficiently cool air to its dew point.

If the temperature is 32 degrees F, dew will form. If the temperature falls below 32 degrees F, frost will form. So, if you live in Southern US, get the old ice scrapers out tonight. And, keep them handy. We have at least 4 calls for frosts this winter. It’s not much but when its cold south of the Mason-Dixon Line, it is really cold!

by pgeiger
No Comments »

January 1st is technically just another day but for many it is an opportunity to take account of life and make New Year Resolutions. The #1 resolution is to lose weight followed by quitting a “bad habit” (like smoking) and so on. Time takes care of most resolutions one way of the other. But, if you are serious about accomplishing something positive in 2008 be sure to…….

Multiple resolutions- Think in terms of what areas of life you want to improve. It may be a goal for living healthier, improving relationships, growing intellectually or helping others. Your goal setting is about you and be sure to consider all aspects of your life that are important. And, it is not about giving up or pain, so put a positive spin on your resolutions. If you can be specific, all the better.

Take Baby Steps - If you do want to lose 50 lbs, think in terms of a pound a week or so much a month. You didn’t gain weight all at one time and you’ll only lose it in bits and pieces.

Charity - the ability to do for others, those not so random acts of kindness are what brings sunshine into lives - the recipient and the giver. In the 1995 Farmers’ Almanac we launched a Way To Go Campaign where we championed doing good deeds and heard lovely stories throughout the year. What can you do for your neighbor no matter where he or she lives? What are your passions?

This year we help you create a “Year of Wellness”. Working with Doctor Lisa Belisle, M.D., M.P.H. in Yarmouth Maine, we have 12 suggestions on ways to improve the quality of life. Albert Schweitzer once said, “I’ll tell you a secret. We doctors do nothing. We only help and encourage the doctor within”. How true it is about your attitude toward a healthier life. We suggest creating a personal plan and writing down your goals. Here is the January offering.

January - Body Basics

Wondering where to begin? Maintaining (or getting to) a healthy weight should be a top priority. Our bones and tissues are meant to support a predetermined number of pounds. When we carry too much weight, we experience joint pain and ailments such as diabetes and heart disease. Celebrate January’s Healthy Weight Week (January 20 - 26, 2008) by determining whether you are at your ideal: calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI), at www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi. Maintaining an ideal weight is made possible by a reasonable diet and adequate activity. Adequate activity consists of ore than a typical couch-to-refrig or office chair to water cooler commutes. It should include pastimes that improve your flexibility, strength and endurance. Keep track of your exercise success through the “Exercise Diary” at www.justmove.org.

Welcome in 2008 with optimism. Remember to enjoy friends and life. On our home page we ask if you are going to make a resolution. Take a moment to “vote”.

Happy New Year!!

Technorati Tags:
new year resolutions, losing weight, healthy lifestyle, Farmers’ Almanac

by pgeiger
No Comments »