Detroit has earliest recorded snowfall ever

Since the records for such oddities as "first snowfall of the year" have been kept, the previous recorded first snowfall of the season for Detroit was October 13, 1909. With the snow yesterday, October 12, a new record was set for the Detroit weather record books. Well Detroit, at least you aren't the U.P. Schools were canceled as some areas received 4-8 inches of snow and expected another 2-6 inches were possible today.

We had a couple of inches of snow in some spots yesterday. My son and I had just enough snow to build a little snowman at his Nana & Pawpaw's (grandma & grandpa).

Read the Detroit Free Press article.

Quick heating tips from the Detroit Free Press

I picked up a copy (yes, an actual copy - not just reading it online ;) ) of the Detroit Free Press yesterday because I wanted to read all of their coverage on the Tigers beating the Yankees on Saturday. I came across this article about simple steps for saving on your heating costs. After seeing the extended forecast for this week (possible sn-sn-sn-snow on Thursday and Friday - I almost couldn't say it) it seemed an appropriate time to think about home heating tips. Some of these tips appear to indirectly have something to do with home heating costs and some look like good fall maintenance projects.

• If you have a chimney, make sure it is professionally cleaned before each heating season.
• Close crawlspace vents.
• If you have a humidifier get that hooked up and running. Higher humidity makes you feel warmer without having to run your furnace at a higher temperature.
• Clean those gutters.
• Adjust your furnace dampers and registers to make sure the coolest rooms get warm air.
• Keep bare wood from rotting by painting - fall is an excellent time for painting.
• Turn off your exterior hose faucets to prevent freezing.
• I think it is safe to remove your window air conditioners. If they can't be removed at least cover and insulate them.
• October is also Fire Safety/Prevention Month so if you don't have smoke and carbon monoxide detectors - get them. For existing detectors you need to replace the batteries and if they are more than 10 years old you should replace the entire unit.

Celebrate Banned Book week by reading a banned book

I cannot believe some of the books that are banned by school libraries across the country. This week (9/23 - 9/30) is Banned Book Week. This year marks the 25th anniversary of Banned Book Week. Here are a few of the books that I was surprised to see on this list. Also, it is stated that parents are the group that instigates most of the challenged/banned books. Interesting.

• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain
• Entire Harry Potter series - J.K. Rowling
• A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'Engle
• To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
• A Light in the Attic - Shell Silverstein
• How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
• Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey

You know, I wonder if the parents that are so quick to have books banned because of their content also make sure that their kids don't watch movies and television shows with the same content.

For more information see the American Library Association website. They have a wealth of information on who bans books, why books are banned, and huge lists of challenged/banned books.

Yar! It be the official Talk Like a Pirate Day

Does this have much (if anything?) to do with Michigan? Unless there were privateers trolling the shores of the Great Lakes (you never know) it probably doesn't. However, it is a Tuesday and we are crawling toward the end of summer on Thursday with nothing much to celebrate. So, with that being said, surprise your friends, family, and coworkers today by throwing out an "Arrr", "Ahoy", "Avast!", or "Aye Aye, Cap'n" today.

Visit www.talklikeapirate.com for more piratey fun!

Cool picture at Michigan.gov

I know not everyone will be impressed with this, but as someone who appreciates how difficult graphic design can be I just wanted to point this out. The picture below is part of the current image at the top (the header) of the Michigan.gov website. The header pictures at Michigan.gov are always very well done and this one is no exception.

I like how the fall colors turn into colors created by colored pencils on the right side of the image. I just thought it was a bright and cheery picture and for some reason it stood out today.

Very creative. I wonder who does the work on those images.

Where "neck of the woods" comes from

Mike Sheehan at the Traverse City Record Eagle blogs gives the scoop on how the phrase "neck of the woods" came about. You always here people (especially the tv weatherman) say stuff like "here is what is happening in your neck of the woods." Do you ever wonder how that phrase came about? Well, I actually have wondered and this morning I stumbled across Mike Sheehan's (I am pretty sure he is not related to anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan ;)) blog with the following explanation.

“Neck” had been used in English since around 1555 to describe a narrow strip of land, usually surrounded by water, based on its resemblance to the neck of an animal. Neck of the woods is a US phrase dating to 1780.

There you have it!