The Augusta Canal calendar is a top seller locally and benefits the preservation of the waterway. CHRIS THELEN/STAFF

Turning a new leaf

Web posted January 2, 2000

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By Elizabeth Kemple Adams
Features Editor

Cruising the aisles of Borders Books Music and Cafe, John Stracke of Aiken was surrounded with calendars. Their glossy covers beckoned him to lose himself in lush English gardens, Tuscan hillsides, and the paintings of Matisse and Monet.

But what attracted Mr. Stracke this day was ferrets.

``We have a running joke in my family about ferrets and how ridiculous they are,'' Mr. Stracke said as he pondered purchasing a calendar filled with photos of the animals engaged in skateboarding, golf and other activities. ``To find a calendar about ferrets, and to have it 50 percent off -- well my cup runneth over.''

At 15-by-15 inches, Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Calendar 2000 is one of the biggest of this year's calendars, and includes a poster of supermodel Heidi Klum. STAFF

Pets, sports, gardening, art, entertainment -- it seems there's a Year 2000 calendar devoted to almost everything. And after Christmas, prices are low. Calendars are on sale virtually everywhere.

They're 50 percent off at Borders where top sellers include calendars by photographer Ansel Adams and painter Thomas Kincade.

``They call him the painter of light. He does a lot of English cottage type of scenes,'' said Lynn Lichtenfels, community relations coordinator for Borders. ``And Ansel Adams continues to sell well. His photos are just so spectacular.''

Borders' other top sellers nationwide include: The Far Side Millennium calendar, Sports Illustrated's swimsuit calendar, Sierra Club and Mary Engelbreit calendars, Classic Cats, the Backstreet Boys, and Ireland and folk art calendars.

``For a long time Pokemon was No. 1 and 2 on that list,'' Ms. Lichtenfels said. But now adults are buying for themselves.

Top-selling box calendars include the Dilbert calendar and 365 Stupidest Things Ever.

The Pop-Up Video 2000 Calendar offers a year's worth of ``info-nuggets'' from the VH1 show featuring little comic-strip bubbles commenting on videos. STAFF

The best-selling calendar with local interest is the Augusta Canal calendar. It features black-and-white photographs by Margaret Kirby. A portion of proceeds support preservation of the canal.

Ms. Lichtenfels said other best-selling calendars in Augusta are Angels, 365 Meditations, Taste of Chicken Soup, Doctors Jokes, ballet and Monet calendars, Kunstler's Civil War calendar and Legends in Gray.

Why all the fuss about calendars and what's on them? Ms. Lichtenfels has a few theories.

``I receive a calendar from England each year as a gift. It lets me do a little visiting each month,'' she said.

Whether a calendar provides a joke a day or serves as a conversation piece, it lightens your work day, she said.

The Georgia 2000 calendar features photographs by Georgia native Craig Tanner, whose work has been featured in national and regional publications including Sierra. Locations pictured include Lake Lanier, Cumberland Island, Callaway Gardens, and several state parks. STAFF

Gary Larson's Far Side Millennium calendar features a 12-month look at the last 1,000 years. STAFF