Garrision Keillor: It's the weekend of the autumnal equinox. For the first time in thirty years, the American dollar is trading at the same price as the Canadian dollar. This is going to be good for the Canada geese -- they'll be able to afford resorts.
A new book about Fidel Castro says he is gravely ill but he is determined to outlive George W. Bush's presidency. Welcome to the club.
The problem is you never know. Mr. Bush could win reelection. Stranger things have happened, many of them in the past few years.
But here on the frozen tundra, the birds are migrating. Hundreds of thousands of birds. The Mississippi River is the flyway for nearly half of North America's migrating waterfowl -- egrets and terns (SFX), gulls (SFX), and pelicans (SFX) and loons (SFX).
The adult loons are leaving their children behind, chicks that are about three months old, who will stay around to fatten up for a couple months before heading south. And once they make it to the Gulf or the Pacific Ocean, the young loons will live in the tropics for three or four years until they are mature enough to come back to Minnesota.
The monarch butterflies that were born in late August are migrating, as well, off to the mountains near Mexico City, the great-great-grandchildren of the butterflies that flew north in the spring and each one still returns to the same place, usually the exact same tree that his or her ancestor left from.
Three quarters of the soybeans have already turned yellow out in the fields. That rain last week helped fill out the pods, and most of the farmers went out to harvest an early crop of beans this week. And they brought in last of the sweet corn along with the potatoes. And then they seeded the winter wheat into the corn stubble.
Here in St. Paul at the farmer's market, you'll find cider and chestnut crab apples and melons, and Brussels sprouts, and leeks, and big purple onions, plum tomatoes, and cherries.
The Minneapolis City Council is voting today on whether or not to ban circus animals in the city. A humane impulse, and yet it could lead to unemployment. (ELEPHANT BELLOW) We're talking to two elephants now, Mr. Jimbo and Mr. Jumbo-- how do you feel about this?
TK (ELEPHANT): Well, I have mixed feelings. I mean, sure sometimes they had us go through flaming hoops--
TR (ELEPHANT): Yeah, and sometimes they poke us sort of hard with the prod, but-- the circus is all I know.
GK: Okay. Any idea what you're going to do next?
TK (ELEPHANT): Nope.
GK: So you'd be disappointed if they outlaw circus animals.
TK (ELEPHANT): Well, I came all the way here from Africa, and boom. Now I'm outta work.
GK: You have job skills that maybe some other employer could use?
TR (ELEPHANT): Well, I can balance on my front legs. Or stand up on my hind legs. I can hold on to other elephants' tails and go around in a circle. I don't know'I hoping I can get a job in the opera, and until then maybe I'll just temp for a while.
GK: Thanks elephant.
TK (ELEPHANT): Whatever. See you around.