Yard Sales and Scavenger Hunts

May 1 is the town wide yard sale in Rensselaer, and most of the community will be out hitting the streets in search of a good deal.

Of course we know one of the best deals in the community are the free books, movies and services provided by the library, but you can rest assured we'll still be here when you're done shopping, or when you're ready for a break.

Tomorrow, we expect, will also introduce a new crowd to the library. Just for the fun of it, a group of local businesses have arranged a scavenger hunt to go on during the day. Proceeds will benefit local organizations including the Jasper County Animal Shelter and the Crisis Center.

Without giving anything away, we can say we are a stop on the scavenger hunt trail, and we hope to see you tomorrow. For more information about the hunt, look for signs in participating businesses, or check out the website at http://www.huntrensselaer.com/.

Good luck to all the teams hunting tomorrow, and for those doing their own special deal hunting.

Happy April Fools Day

Did you know penguins could fly? They can with the magic of the British Broadcasting Corporation and an expert team of skilled video technicians. If you visit the JCPL Kids Zone in April, you can find the video and read more about April Fools Day.

Did you know the BBC also once aired a video about the endangered Swiss spaghetti harvest, back in 1957?  You can also see this interesting video clip via YouTube.

Using television (and other means) to pull practical jokes on friends and the public at large is a tradition that may go back to our primal roots, when early cultures praised the actions of the clever human tricksters that braved the gods and brought us stories (Ananse - Africa), or fire (Prometheus - Greece), or light (Raven - Native American).

Most people know of someone who has been "gotten" by an April Fools Day prank, but those done in good humor and with a good heart are bound to provoke a laugh no matter how long ago they were pulled, and how ludicrous they might seem today.

For an interesting roundup of April Fools Day pranks, check out the Museum of Hoaxes, which has created a user-friendly list of the Top 100 April Fools Day Jokes.

May your spirits of jest always be in good cheer!