On May 17, 1780, from midday through the following evening, much of the Northeast from New Jersey to Maine went dark without notice or known cause.  Absent neither the technology nor an effective way for authorities to communicate what had transpired, like it could routinely today, many people came up with their own theories for the incident.  Some rationalized supernatural forces were at play.  Others believed religion played a role.  Without subsequently very little said or written on the topic, historians recorded this occurrence appropriately as “New England’s Dark Day”.

The actual cause was determined to be a massive forest fire that originated likely out of the Ontario, Canada region with winds bringing its black smoke easterly and overwhelming much of the skies in its path.  The one thing about wildfires in the Northeast region of the US that has not changed with the times, is that risks of future occurrences are still greatest in the months of April and May.  That is when tree and ground vegetation is driest making it highly flammable.  It is also very easy for embers to blow off and cause havoc by starting new fires.  Homeowners cleaning up and burning yard waste from the winter months have also aided in the number of incidents reported.  Since 1985, an estimated 9,000 homes have been lost to wildfires and urban fires in the United States.

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The engagement ring is beyond gorgeous. The center stone is a 12-carat oval Ceylon sapphire and the solitaire diamonds elegantly surrounding it are set in 18-carat, white gold.  Valued at US $47,000 in 1981 when made for Diana to become Princess of Wales upon her marriage to Prince Charles, the betrothal symbol currently has a retail value of approximately US $300,000. Upon the tragic passing of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997, the ring was passed on to her younger son Prince Harry.  However, he had made a pact with his older brother Prince William, that the one who was engaged first would use it. So now the soon to be Her Royal Highness Catherine (Kate Middleton) is the new owner of this famous keepsake.

But will it bring Her Royal Highness Catherine and Prince William, currently second in line to the throne, better luck in their marriage?  The marriage of Royals’ Charles and Diana was infamous (to say the least) lasting only 15 years.  But the Prince of Wales mother Queen Elizabeth II and her monarch husband Prince Philip fared much better!  Married since November 20, 1947 the current English Monarch and her Prince consort have already set the longevity matrimony record while she has been seated on the throne.  On February 6, 2012, they will reach 60 years of wedded bliss from the Queens’ coronation date.  This already passes the previous mark held by King George III and the Queen consort Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, of 57 years and 70 days between 1761 and 1818.

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Perhaps the world’s greatest ancient civilization was Egypt.  If you look at a map you will see that Egypt lies at the eastern edge of the Sahara Desert.  Formed around 3,000BC, its skyline remains intact with views of the great Sphinx and its many pyramids. The largest of all is simply known as the Great Pyramid.  Standing 480 feet high and built out of 2.5 million limestone blocks, each weighing on average 2.5 million pounds, it serves as a symbol still today of being one of the world’s most mystical places on earth.

Probably even more amazing was how Egypt’s long winding river would flood almost every spring season. It is said the first farmers chose grounds around the Nile for not only its fertile black sediment but for its life-giving floods.  With much of the nation consisting of dry desert land with little rain falling, city and villages mostly prospered annually alongside its banks. In the rare years when its waters did not crest, it meant famine, starvation and often death for its inhabitants.  The dependency of annual flooding in Egypt was so crucial that its own people believed their rulers were transformed into gods when they became pharaohs and thereafter possessed special powers.  Among their magic was being in charge of the Nile and deciding when its banks should crest.  It is not surprising that Egypt was also referred to in this context as “the gift of the Nile”.

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Monday, April 18^th is Tax Day this year.  The 3-day reprieve from the typical deadline date is of small consolation.   This past Tuesday (April 12^th) marked the 150^th anniversary of the start of the Civil War.  The first U.S. Federal income tax statute was introduced shortly thereafter with President Abraham Lincoln signing into law the Revenue Act of 1861 to help fund the Civil War.  Initially, this was to be a 3% flat rate (for most) and intended to be a “temporary” measure for one year.

Of course, the war did not end that quick and the Revenue Act of 1862 further extended the tax burden on its citizens. This time Congress said the measure would terminate in the year 1866.  The government also made it a progressive tax with those who exceeded $600 still being taxed at 3%, but people earning $10,000 or more now having to pay at a 5% rate.  In addition, the office of the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service was established.

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Every April in Augusta, Georgia a most famous golf tournament is played called the “Masters”.  For as important and prestigious an event this is, the allure for many is also taking in the brilliance of its pristine landscape nearly as much as the competition itself.  Each of the 18 holes on the course is named after a tree or shrub with which it has become associated with.  For example, to the right of the third hole at the Augusta National Golf Club are flowering peach trees.  Each spring, 1 ½ -inch flowers double bloom in shades of white, pink and red appear from these deciduous wonders.

Most golf courses have one signature hole which they market as the most aesthetically pleasing and photogenic. Augusta National might be the rare exception.  Golf media and fans are very much aware of the nomenclature of each of the 9 finishing holes.  When you hear broadcasters say “The Masters tournament does not begin until the back nine on Sunday” the rapid recall of each hole unfolds.  It is rare that fans familiarity with a back side of a course, most have never visited, would seem on the surface to rival that of its competitors and private members.  Very few (if any) Sunday afternoons are reserved by millions to watch golf on television like this one is.  We wait in suspense for what destiny and fate has in store this year.  All the while knowing its annual inhabitants are passing-through, with the only thing being permanent are each holes’ rich history and signature landmarks.

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President Coolidge once said: “Baseball is our National game.”  Boy, did he hit that out of the park!  Baseball season officially starts this week in ball parks across America.  Every President since William Taft in 1910, with the exception of Jimmy Carter, has thrown out at least one ceremonial first ball on Opening Day during their time in office.  Presidents Taft, Wilson, Harding, Coolidge, Hoover, (F) Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, (L) Johnson, and Nixon, all attended home openers in Washington DC for their beloved baseball franchises.   Even when the Senators’ franchise moved out of town to Arlington, Texas prior to the start of the 1972 season to become the Texas Rangers, this Presidential tradition continued.  In 1973, Richard Nixon went to Anaheim, California to throw out the first pitch.  Gerard Ford went to Arlington in 1976.  George (H.W.) Bush and Bill Clinton both went to Baltimore twice and between them also attended opening games in Toronto, Texas, Cleveland, New York (Mets) and San Francisco.  George W. Bush not only resided over openers in Milwaukee, St. Louis, and Cincinnati, he also partook in ceremonies in 2005 and 2008 when professional baseball returned to the Capitol City.

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Be careful what you wish for.  You would think at first glance asking for a lot more sunshine and a little less rain would not be too much to ask.    So then what’s the catch now that spring has finally sprung (at precisely 11.21PM EST this past Sunday, March 20^th)?  The warmer weather is certainly welcome.  Even the associated change in the form of precipitation from snow to rain seems to be beneficial.

However, the harsh winter, particularly in the North-Central regions of the United States, has many of us potentially exposed to massive flooding.  The National Weather Service has ranked the accumulated snow pack this past season among the worse over a span of the past sixty years.   Several concerning factors have also converged.  First, heavy autumn precipitation left many areas with their local streams running higher than normal before the winter freeze.  Then the winter heavy snowfall, added to the equation with the frozen and saturated ground inhibiting infiltration of water.  Flash flooding has already occurred for some.  Should heavy spring rainfall occur as anticipated, the higher volume of water in the river systems could overflow and put many more in harm’s way too.

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St. Patrick’s Day and the shamrock are firmly established as the most instantly recognizable holiday and emblem of Ireland, respectively.  However, Ireland has also long been known where the horse is king, and the special relationship that the people have with their equines are legend.  So much so, that an Irish bride almost always carried a real horseshoe to her own wedding for good luck. This tradition has evolved somewhat in that the metal cast horseshoes have  been replaced with shapely pointed porcelain pins displayed on wedding gowns or fabric made ones worn on the brides’ wrist.  The points are always turned up so that the newly married couples’ luck will hopefully never run out.

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