Seedy forecasts light up this chat

Yep, it’s our last Chat Day of November, and this time there’s a little twist.

I’m writing from the suburbs of Kansas City.

It would be wonderful to say I was simply here for the Thanksgiving holiday (partly true), but the more serious reason involves a visit with my back surgeon.

He’s already done a fusion of my lower spine, but now there might be another problem, so at the very least I’m looking at X-rays, an MRI and a series of injections to ease any discomfort.

Sadly, our close friend Celine Dion was too busy to come along for moral support.

But, hey ...

She may get another chance if the doc decides he’s going to slice my back open again.

I guess we’ll just cross that vertebra when we come to it.

Meanwhile, cinched into this ridiculous back brace or not, we owe you some chat.

Let’s dive in ...

But not too fast, because it’s not very pleasant when I accidentally twist too suddenly.

ITEM: You may be pleased to know that weather here is worse than back home, and likely will continue to be.

But that’s not why I’ve mentioned the weather.

A couple of readers have asked if we can do the “persimmon forecast.”

I know, it sounds like a back-fence myth, but this actually has some basis in fact.

Apparently if you cut open a persimmon seed, there will be a shape embedded that looks like a fork, a spoon or a knife.

No, really.

Check the Farmer’s Almanac, which actually consults a “Persimmon Lady” near the end of each autumn.

Here’s what the various kitchen utensils are supposed to mean ...

If the shape inside (called a cotyledon) looks like a fork, winter will be mild; if you see a spoon, there will be a lot of snow, and if there is a knife, winter will be bitingly cold and “cut like a knife.”

The problem for us is that persimmons basically don’t grow in North Idaho, according to both the University of Idaho and the Idaho Fish and Game Department.

Most persimmons flourish along the two coasts, with some a bit inland toward the Midwest.

Studying some fruit in North Carolina — where the “Persimmon Lady” just saw endless spoons and is readying for blizzards — really doesn’t help us much.

My own prediction for our neck of the woods: I suspect golf season is over.

ITEM: It’s a coincidence that I happen to be back in Kansas City, because I’ve been wanting to point out something about this region’s most famous shopping area.

It’s called the Country Club Plaza, constructed in 1922 (but has been constantly upgraded) and all the buildings are done in architecture inspired by Seville, Spain.

And with due and proper respect to the Christmas lights in Coeur d’Alene, the Plaza has so many colored lights from Thanksgiving onward that commercial airliners divert over the middle of the city — just so passengers can see the spectacle.

The 15-block Plaza boasts a massive array of lights, color-coordinated for each of the Sevilla-style building towers.

For all that glamor, though, the reason I wanted to mention the Country Club Plaza — America’s first shopping center — is that perhaps its most visitor-friendly attraction is that there are acres and acres of parking (including some multi-story structures), and they’re all free.

It made me wonder if Coeur d’Alene might be making a mistake by charging users for its new downtown parking palace after the two-hour free period.

Free parking is such an amazing lure, and obviously it gives shoppers a bit more cash to unload.

Just a thought ...

And pretty timely, as I’m making a short stop back in the land where free parking is worth zillions.

ITEM: Just because I’m briefly out of town doesn’t mean I’m out of touch.

Here’s the deal ...

Our friends at CandyStore.com — the folks whose survey insisted Idahoans buy more Candy Corn than any other treat — gave us some fun with a look at America’s favorite Halloween candies.

Now they’ve got some outlandish offerings for Christmas, like mac-and-cheese candy canes, but before we show you a few of these outrageous new goodies ...

Can I be sentimental, for once, and ask you to suggest your favorite, all-time Christmas candy?

Let me know.

I want to get a sense of what we’ve all been enjoying since back in the day, you know, before we turn these new goobers loose.

C’mon and write to my regular email address.

What candy makes you think of Christmas at YOUR house?

•••

Steve Cameron is a columnist for The Press.

A Brand New Day appears from Wednesday through Saturday each week.

Steve’s column on Gonzaga basketball runs on Tuesday.

Email: scameron@cdapress.com

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Twitter: @BrandNewDayCDA