66. Spring is in the Air

I think all the games of the second round have been played. Bracket #1 isn't faring well, getting only 9 of the 16 winners. Bracket #2 got 11 of 16. I had reported earlier I had 23 of 32 in Round One on Bracket #2, but I was wrong. Like pulling one of those "Bank Error in Your Favor" cards from the Community Chest in Monopoly, I actually had 24 of 32. Neither of my brackets will go far as both have teams in the Final Four who are not advancing to the Elite Eight. Oh well. As is said at the end of many a competition, "Wait til next year!"

As I said before March Madness is one sure sign that Spring is on the way. It will actually arrive later this week, very early on Wednesday, at 12:07 am, if I read the charts right. That day is known as one of the two equinoxes (equinoctes in Latin), a word which literally means equal nights. The other equinox will occur in September, this year (as in most years) on my birthday, which is the 23rd. For many years, readers of the Courier-Journal editorial page were reminded of these equnioxes, as well as their quarter-later seasonal equivalents called solstices, by a letter to the editor from the late Colonel R. K. Walker, of Louisville's south end. Colonel Walker would write a letter a week or so before each new season began which would annouce the arrival of the new season, always referring to them as a "cardinal point" on the calendar. The Courier would publish his letters in a little box all to themselves, set apart so people would know the seasons were changing. I do not remember if Colonel Walker wrote letters on other topics as a habit. He was a Republican alderman many years ago, and operated the Colonel R. K. Walker Flag Company from his home. The business is still in operation, now overseen by his two daughters, one of whom, Donna Walker Mancini, has appeared on the ballot as a congressional candidate running as the Libertarian nominee in 2000 against Anne Northup and Eleanor Jordan, and in 2006 against Anne Northup, John Yarmuth, and Ed Parker. She ran third in both years. She also ran for Metro Mayor in the new allegedly merged Metro government of Louisville-Jefferson County Metro in 2002; she ran third in that race as well. Chances are we haven't seen the last of Ms. Mancini.

Hopefully, the advent of Spring will bring some regularly scheduled warmer weather. While I am sure we might have a few more cold days, maybe even some scattered flurries, the time for all that is passed. Today, for a variety of reasons well beyond any logical explanation, the youngest three of my nieces and nephews finally got to their maternal grandmother's house to open their Christmas presents. Mamaw has been patiently waiting for their arrival, with the presents sitting on one of the couches in her living room, the couch itself as well as a side table still adorned with some Christmas decorations. With this event passed, the last remnants of Christmas can be put away as Louisville and Kentucky prepare for the next real event on the calendar, the 133rd running of the Kentucky Derby, this year scheduled for May 5th.

Some trivia: The average length of a year presently stands at approximately 365.242190419 days, just a few thin hairs under 365 and 1/4. Next year is a leap year which will put us back on schedule.