What the Dickens?

[altivo]

Oh, wait, it's Charles Dickens' 200th birthday of course. Remembered just in time this morning to throw something onto the library web site and put a display of books in one of the showcases.

Other than that, another cold, gray day. It was getting so nice last week, but now it feels like February again. If we believe the local prognosticating marmot this will last two weeks and then things will brighten. I hope he's right for a change.

For the #furryhorses and their Twitter friends: due to some discussion today about the need for a safe/clean chat site, I have revived the old #horseherd channel on irc.furnet.org. You'll need an IRC client to connect. Since I can't be there 24/7, I'm looking for a couple of additional ops with some IRC experience. Let me know if you're interested and what op experience you have. You'll have to register with nickserv at furnet.org, of course, if you haven't already done so. When the channel reg is approved (and I see no reason it will not be) I'll let you all know. In the meantime the channel is usable, just not quite as secure as I'd like.

Comments

[altivo]

Funny you should mention that last bit. The 2xg grandfather mentioned above, born 1784, was the son of a Loyalist who left New York and fled to Canada, apparently fighting in Butler's Rangers, one of the Loyalist British groups. My father's grandfather came back over to Michigan during the US Civil War, bringing his wife with him, and eventually became a US citizen. At the same time in my father's line we have at least two officers from the rebel side, Jonathan Knight and William Lee. At least in theory, I'm entitled to both UEL (United Empire Loyalist) and SAR (Sons of the American Revolution.) No wonder I'm so mixed up. XD

[hrrunka]

My gx4 grandfather got about a bit duing his military career; America in the 1770s (one source mentions the Siege of Charlestown), Ireland in the 1790s (including this rather duboious engagement), and India in the 1800s, before going back to Ireland in the 1810s.