Over the years I've gotten a lot of requests that have ranged from folks needing to know how to contact a state wildlife officer to what kind of critter is this?

But a request arrived via phone two days ago that had even me scratching my head.

The obvious News-Herald reader was concerned because she was planning on a surprise birthday party for Memorial Day, which happens to be on May 25 this year - the earliest it can be.

What the reader/caller wanted to know was what were the odds of it raining that day.

It seems one of her relations said that it almost always rains on Memorial Day besides being cold.

She wanted to know if that was true.

Fortunately for me I was able to access records on holiday weather from the National Weather Service.

Of the four times that Memorial Day has fallen on May 25 since the switch from May 30to the last Monday in May, a trace amount of rain has fallen just once.

The reader/caller was grateful for the information. Another satisfied customer and I was only too happy to help.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn