Hillman Family Connections

March 29, 2025 – Puzzle Discussion

ANIMALS WE ARE AFRAID OF

BAT, PIG, SPIDER, BEAR

When I was trying to put this grouping together, I only had three absolute knowns in place. I sneakily did some asking around and I’m pretty sure I can say that Norma is indeed afraid of BATS. If I’m wrong, my apologies. I will admit I have some level of fear of them myself but I didn’t want my fears to cover two items in the grouping. I believe most people in the family are aware of Jan’s former or maybe continued fear of PIGS. Michaela admits to a fear of SPIDERS and I have do have an absolute fear of BEARS. I was very happy indeed last week to learn that Molly, her friend, and Cutie had a bear whistle along with them on their camping expedition.

SCOUTING RANKS/GROUPINGS

TIGER, BROWNIE, DAISY, LION

Many of the girls in the family were in Girl Scouts at the level of BROWNIE or DAISY. I believe Molly and Megan were both Daisies and Brownies. Catherine was both. I think Michaela was never a Daisy but was a Brownie. I was never a Daisy either. Ellie is still in Girl Scouts (as of the last cooke sale) but I’m unsure what Girl Scouts of her age group are called. I think they are just called “Girl Scouts” at her age.

Like the girls, many of the boys have been involved in scouting. According to the March 7, 1963 Standard, Bob is noted as having received his LION badge/(ranking?). Cecil is not involved in scouts this year but when he participated last year he did so as a TIGER scout.

I COULD NOT PASS UP USING THIS CUB SCOUT PIC OF RUSS
EVEN THOUGH “CUBS” WAS NOT USED IN THE PUZZLE ITSELF

THINGS RAISED/BEING RAISED BY MICHAELA & JAY

TURKEY, DUCK, CHICKEN, CECIL

In the past, Michaela and Jay have raised TURKEYS, DUCKS, and CHICKENS. They currently have some chickens but are a bit more focused on raising CECIL these days.

POST 1949 NEW ENGLAND HURRICANES

ESTHER, CAROL, BOB, DOG

Hurricane ESTHER developed from an area of disturbed weather hundreds of miles west-southwest of the southernmost Cape Verde Island. On September 11, 1961 the storm was elevated from tropical depression status to hurricane. The storm intensified and was classified as a Category 5 hurricane a week later as it approached the east coast of the United States. The storm lost intensity as it moved north and eventually brushed Rhode Island passing 35 miles south of Block Island as a Category 1 hurricane. The storm continued east diminishing in size and intensity but around the 25th/26th of the month looped back, first turning to the southeast, then east before turning north eventually making final landfall in Maine.

Hurricane CAROL is among the worst tropical storms on record to affect the states of Connecticut and Rhode Island. It developed near the Bahamas in August 1954. At the height of the storm, Carol was classified as a Category 3 hurricane. Upon making landfall around high tide in the Warwick/Providence region, Carol produced a storm surge of up to 14.4 feet in Narragansett Bay, surpassing that of the New England Hurricane of 1938. The resulting storm surge flooded downtown Providence with 12 feet of water. Then Rhode Island governor, Dennis J. Roberts, declared martial law for the state. Due to the heavy damage, the name Carol was removed from the tropical storm naming list for 10 years. Carol was reused in the 1965 season, but was permanently retired in the spring of 1969.

Hurricane BOB’s (1991) origin and track is similar to that of Hurricane Carol. Bob made landfall twice in Rhode Island as a Category 2 hurricane on August 19, first on Block Island and then in Newport. It became the only hurricane to make landfall in the contiguous United States during the 1991 season.

Bob is a hurricane I remember. We were heading to Maine for a canoe trip the week the hurricane hit. I remember being shocked how far north we travelled still witnessing freshly fallen trees from the storm.

Hurricane DOG? Yeah, that’s what I said too. But yes, there was a hurricane Dog. It was the most intense hurricane in the 1950 Atlantic hurricane season and passed within 200 miles of Cape Cod in early September. Hurricane Dog produced powerful wind gusts along coastal areas of New England, which caused widespread power outages. Rhode Island suffered coastal flooding. But, Hurricane Dog? Yes, for the 1950, 1951, and 1952 hurricane seasons, Atlantic hurricanes were named using the Joint Army/Navy Phonetic Alphabet – Able, Baker, Charlie, Dog, Easy, Fox, George…

Nancy Knott

7 responses to “March 29, 2025 – Puzzle Discussion”

  1. I definitely do not like bats! I know too many people having to get rabies shots from having encounters with them!
    Love the picture of Russ in his Cub Scout uniform!
    Love the category “things being raised by Jay and Michaela”!❤️

  2. I sent Nancy some more brownie and scout pictures.
    Lou carried the one around of me for years in his wallet.

    Knew pigs, spiders and possibly bear but forgot about Norma and bats.
    Meg has no love for spiders but will always catch and release. She has a plastic cup on he lockers at the gym just for that purpose. Spiders and any other crawly thing. She actually does not like crickets either.
    Hurricanes! How about Diane!!!!! But yeah never heard of dog either.

    • Karen – I couldn’t use Diane — I needed a tricy one, hence Dog.

      I’m afraid of crickets too.

      Funny that you forgot about Norma/bats – I think it was you I talked to that left me confident enough that I could use it.

  3. I got the animals we are afraid of and the scout rankings.
    I can’t believe I didn’t get being raised by Michaela and Jay :-/

    Molly has a healthy fear of spiders, all bugs actually, and makes me humanely remove them. I don’t know what she does when she encounters them outside of the house.
    Meg may no longer be scared of bats since she has now received rabies treatment! Apparently, it’s just a single booster if there’s a next time!

    I was a Brownie! M&M were scouts through elementary school, Daisies, Brownies and Juniors.
    Daisies didn’t exist as far as I know when I was little. The first time I heard of them was my friend Heidi’s little sister, who was the same age as Michael. I always assumed they started sometime in the mid 80s.