I heard on the radio that the Old Farmer’s Almanac is North America’s oldest 
continuously published periodical. The paper version of the iconic magazine – (you can now buy an online version) – still comes with the hole in the corner so it can hang in outhouses.
Its first publication dates back to 1792.
That makes it a full 138 years older than our very own Tamiami Trail.
And it also makes the Almanac 218 years older than The South Florida Watershed Journal, although I have obliged on this post by placing a hole in the upper left hand corner of the page, to hang alongside the Almanac if need be.
This year’s installment of the Old Farmer’s Almanac has good and bad news for Florida.
First the good news …
Global cooling is predicted to make a comeback.
And even better: The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts the impending cooling period to last for decades.
I don’t want to go into details – in fact I have a long tradition of suspending my disbelief and glossing over the fine print when it comes to wishful thinking – but it’s based on sun spot cycles.
Now the bad news:
It also predicts another active hurricane season for 2009, especially for Florida.
But that would be a small price to pay for the good news.
But there are a few differences too.
Another difference is cost.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac, not to be confused with the “Johnny come lately” Maine-based Farmers Almanac, first published in 1818, costs $6.95.
I’ve always said that the best things in life are free:
Free lunches, first year of my new flat panel television … the list goes on. 
