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April 16, 2021  

Quite The Snowstorm Today In Central New Hampshire — Mid-April Be Damned.

by Anura Guruge

Well we were given plenty of warning. The weather forecasters were talking about this nearly a week ago. I think they were quite chuffed that they got it right & saw it coming a week ago.

Given that we were close to 70°F two-days ago this was quite the change.

Yes, having lived in New Hampshire for 36-years I am used to seeing snow in April & May — & possibly even June.

This was quite the storm. The snow was coming down in HUGE blobs. Heavy. But, the air temperature was always slightly above freezing. So, the snow would melt on dark surfaces — especially roads.

Though the heavy snow stopped in the afternoon it was still sleeting at 11pm when I went for my evening walk. Not nice.

Well, I thought you might like to see what it looked like.

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by Anura Guruge

April 14, 2021  

Today Is Sinhala New Year 2021 — Happy New Year To YOU.

by Anura Guruge

Closest Google came to doing a Doodle for Sinhala New Year. They invariably overlook it. The Bengali New Year has similar roots.

What can I say, other than ‘Happy New Year‘. SMILE.

This year the Sinhala New Year kind of escaped I. I knew it was either today or tomorrow. But, I only got the chance to check TODAY. By then it was already New Year in Sri Lanka. C’est la vie.

But, Happy New Year.

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by Anura Guruge

April 9, 2021  

The Passing Of ‘Prince Philip’: Not My Favorite Royal, But It Is A Sad End To An Era.

by Anura Guruge

During their visit to Ceylon in 1954. My parents met them & my mother got to know the Queen.

Click image to access this page & VIDEO.

He was NOT my favorite Royal. I ONLY became a Monarchist late in life & that solely for MY QUEEN, & my Queen alone. I used to be quite the anti-monarchist in my youth & some traits stayed on.

Philip was OK, but I recall that his less than diplomatic comments mainly to US colored colonials. Watching Netflix’s excellent series ‘The Crown’ reminded me of some more, like making fun of an African tribal king wearing an elaborate crown. And here is a link to some of his non-racial barbs.

Plus, I thought he was supposed to have had a number of affairs while married to the Queen. Now he is being portrayed as this ultra-faithful & dutiful husband. To I he never came across as that.

Given my admiration for the Queen I give him some deference as her husband & consort.

But, he has, until his death, ‘ruled’ my entire life. Hence, why I see it as the end of an era.

I am also now acutely aware that we are all going to wait for that OTHER SHOE to drop. That will not be fun.

He, however, was NOT my least favorite Royal. That, hands down, is Charles. I do NOT like Charles. Period.

Related posts:
Search ‘Queen‘.

by Anura Guruge

April 3, 2021  

Happy Easter 2021.

April 3, 2021  

Last Time Easter Was On April 4, As In 2021, Was In 2010 — 11-Years Ago.

by Anura Guruge

Click to ENLARGE.

When Easter has fallen & will fall.

Frequency of the year gaps between Easter on the same day.

Note that 11-years is the most common — & the ’11’ here has to do with the 7-days in a week coupled with leap-years every 4-years.

This table from Stjerneskinn.com.

Easter, your quintessential ‘movable feast’ can fall between March 22 (since it HAS to be after the Spring Equinox) and April 25 (i.e., essentially the 28-day lunar month).

So, this year’s April 4 Easter is towards the start of that range — actually quite early. Easter on April 4 hasn’t happened that often, though we have had it happen 3-times in 23-years.

April 4 is my eldest daughter’s birthday. She was born in 1989. So, she has had Easter on her birthday 3-times, counting this year

Easter is next Sunday.

Last time Easter was on a Sunday was last year. SMILE.

Related posts:
Check Categories ‘holidays‘ & ‘religion‘.
Search on ‘Easter‘.

by Anura Guruge

March 19, 2021  

2021 Spring Equinox In New Hampshire: Saturday, March 20 at 05:37 am (Eastern); 09:37 Greenwich.

by Anura Guruge

Happy Spring Equinox 2021.

[It is also called the Vernal Equinox
— that being the Latin for ‘Spring’.]

I also share with you “Spring“.
In this case the ‘2021 Spring Festival Gala’ from China.

Please enjoy.

Sunrise/Sunset for New Hampshire as of the
2021 Spring Equinox.

Notice that it is NOT EXACTLY 12 hours of sunlight on the Equinox.
That is mainly because we are so good at measuring time.
It has to do with the so called precession of the Earth’s axis.
Our rotation WOBBLES like a spinning top.

From, of course (where else), ‘timeanddate.com‘.

Click to ENLARGE and view here.
Use link below for original.

Click here for the ‘timeanddate.com’ original.

Yes, we are USED to the Spring Equinox being on March 20 (or 21).

Click to ENLARGE. Also from ‘timeanddate.com’.

It being on March 19 last year was EARLY.

As is my custom let me also please share some
catching ‘Allegories of Spring’
— Allegories of Spring a tradition
going back to at least the Renaissance.

Related posts:
Search ‘Spring Equinox’.
Check Category ‘astronomy’.

by Anura Guruge

February 11, 2021  

Happy Chinese New Year 2021.

by Anura Guruge

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Search on ‘Chinese New Year‘.

by Anura Guruge

February 7, 2021  

2021 Chinese New Year On February 12 Is ‘Late’ — But It Can Be Even Later.

by Anura Guruge

Chinese New Year
2000 to 2026.

Click to ENLARGE.

The Chinese New Year is a lunar calendar-based holiday.

The Chinese New Year starts on the day after the 2nd NEW MOON after the December Winter Solstice.

So, Chinese New Year 2021 starts Friday, February 12 as you can see from the Featured Image.

It can fall later DEPENDING on when the December New Moon was.

As you can see from the image above, it has — or can — fall later than February 12. OK?

Happy Chinese New Year 2021
(COVID be DAMNED).

Related posts:
Search on ‘Chinese New Year‘.

by Anura Guruge

February 5, 2021  

Wishing YOU A Happy Chinese New Year 2021 – ‘Year Of The Ox’; February 12.

by Anura Guruge

So, Chinese New Year 2021 starts Friday, February 12. A week from now. (That is a bit late, BUT still well within the bounds).

The celebrations can last up to 16-days.

The Chinese New Year starts following the 2nd NEW MOON after the December Winter Solstice.

BUT, this year, ALAS, things are so different.

I cannot get over it. I am NOT even thinking of going to Boston Chinatown for Dim Sum & the Dragon Parades. Wow.

We went last year though COVID was beginning to make its presence felt. But, I noticed & commented that there were hardly any masks. I was, THEN, glad. Things are different. Can’t remember the last time, prior to this year, that we will NOT be going down to Chinatown. We couldn’t go, 6 or 7 years ago, because there was a BLIZZARD in Boston that Sunday. Other than that, we have NOT missed Chinese New Year in decades!

Last year in Boston Chinatown, on February 2. Click image to see the 36 pictures.

We ALSO, as we had been doing annually for 6- or 7-years, went to the UNH ‘Confucius Institute’ Chinese New Year Event — on January 28. Yes, we were slightly concerned about COVID (though it wasn’t called as such then), BUT we wanted to show our solidarity to our friends at the Institute.

And now this year. I am crushed.

Happy Chinese New Year 2021
(COVID be DAMNED).

Related posts:
Search on ‘Chinese New Year‘.

by Anura Guruge

January 1, 2021  

London’s Spectacular Welcome To 2021, With Lasers, Fireworks & Drones — Must Watch.

by Anura Guruge

Given that I still think of the U.K. as HOME, I always make a point of watching THE Queen’s Christmas Speech & London’s New Year’s Eve fireworks.

This year’s show BLEW me away. I was SO, SO proud. Wow.

Yes, I have since read that some folks did NOT like it. Thought it was too political. I had NO issues. I thought it was on the mark.

Well, YOU have to watch it.

Related posts:
Search ‘New Year’.

by Anura Guruge

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