| The Hidden Almanac for Wednesday December 14th, 2016 |
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| Episode 504 |
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| Previous episode: 2016-12-12 |
| Next episode: 2016-12-16 |
Summary[]
It was on this day that Eland the Younger discovered a particularly well adapted animal. It is the Feast Day of the Eggplant Heart, and in the garden, the seed catalog has arrived.
Be Safe, and Stay Out of Trouble.
Transcription[]
Welcome to the Hidden Almanac, I’m Reverend Mord. Today is December 14th, 2016.
It was on this day that the naturalist Eland the Younger discovered the Flat-Hooved Oryx. This antelope species was found along the narrow coastline of the Glass Wastes, and Eland speculated that it was a descendant of desert oryx that survived the catastrophic event that turned the deserts there into volcanic glass. This particular antelope had evolved large, spade-like hooves that it used when swimming and for traction on wet sand. It fed primarily on seaweed and seemed to live perfectly well on brackish water. (Later scientists would determine that it had developed a number of adaptations to deal with the high amount of salt in its diet.) These oryx have significantly smaller horns than most other members of the genus, and no natural predators, though they are sometimes hunted by fishermen.
Today, Flat-Hooved Oryx have stable numbers, but there are so few of them owing to limited habitat that the Horrowitz Trust has placed the species in protected status. A spokesman has said that a single powerful storm could wipe out most of the genetic variability in the species, so back-up populations are being bred in captivity to hedge against such an event.
It is the Feast Day of the Eggplant Heart.
In the garden, the Echo Harbor Book of the Soil has arrived at last. As much as one might long to read from this most dangerous of seed catalogs, it is imperative that the book be given time to acclimate to its surroundings. One does not wish to lose an intern in any... incidents.
I have therefore taken the liberty of having a bottle of tequila delivered to Pastor Drom’s bunker, along with directions to where several people are wrong on the internet. I trust that this will be sufficient.
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 Horrowitz Trust, protecting vulnerable plants and wildlife for future generations.
That’s the Hidden Almanac for December 14th, 2016. Be safe and stay out of trouble.
Outro[]
Out of character
The Hidden Almanac is a production of Dark Canvas Media, and is produced by Kevin Sonney. The voice of Reverend Mord is Kevin Sonney. And the voice of Pastor Drom is Ursula Vernon. Our intro music is Moon Valley and our exit music is Red in Black, both by Kosta T. You can find more by Kosta T at the Free Music Archives. All other content is copyright 2013 through 2016, Ursula Vernon.