by Pat Asling
Happy Groundhog Day- just anything for a celebration!
Groundhog's Holiday
The second month, the second Day,
We know is Groundhog's Holiday.
The keeper of the local zoo,
Photographers, reporters, too,
Anxiously await together
Woodchuck's forecast of the weather.
Each year this time he leaves his hearth,
His home beneath good Mother Earth.
He wiggles out to see the sun
And sure enough - ask anyone-
Should he perchance his shadow see,
Back to his home again he'll flee.
And that sign's still the surest thing
Six weeks must pass before it's Spring!
Well, for sure the groundhog didn't see his shadow on Sunday morning as it was snowing and blowing and not a ray of sun penetrated the gloom! So, can we look forward to Spring arriving soon? We have certainly had one of those old fashion winters, or at least parts of the province and country have. I think we here escaped the worst but I haven't heard from official prognosticators, whose first forecasts have been reasonably accurate so far.
I just keep checking my plants and waiting for my next amaryllis and hibiscus to bloom! At least our outdoor plants have been well insulated from the severe cold we experienced for several days, and that is very important for any gardener in our climes.
I wonder what damage the severe cold did to crops in southern US? I saw photos of orange crops hanging from the trees covered in snow. That may even add to the political damage being done on both sides of the border as food prices increase.
Another thing I enjoy are my birds, particularly the cardinals. There seems to be more than usual this year and several friends have reported the same. Cardinals, bluejays, goldfinch, juncos etc all make for interesting watching.
Suppose you pay any attention to world affairs. In that case, it is pretty hard to stay upbeat at times with all the wars and displacement of whole populations either by wars, floods, droughts, genocides, plane crashes, whole cities and acres of forest and homes ravaged by fires. However there are good things happening around us to focus on. Announcements came this week about the first phase of our new hospital about to start. Mind you, I am skeptical about the stated time frame, but at least it's a start. "Chances Are" in their new space is filling a needed spot for those facing hard times where they can purchase lovely outfits at a fraction of new clothes. The Zephyr Scott Lions Club just held two days where they accepted donations of winter clothing and reported having excellent results. I don't know how they will distribute them, but undoubtedly, they have their network. Then, the announcement was that most of the land slated as the Pickering Airport would finally, after 25 years at least, be turned back and become part of Rouge Park. Of course, that does not return it to farmland, but it's better than an unnecessary airport.
On January 28th, North Durham Nature held its first meeting of the year. I had been looking forward to it and supper before with a friend, but when the day arrived and snow and wind, I chickened out. Reports are it was an excellent meeting with several presentations by members and a good turnout of those intrepid members. Regarding membership, new or returning memberships should be paid now to enable you to get notifications. The next meeting will be on February 25th at Uxbridge Seniors Centre, and the speaker will talk about "Where our songbirds have gone."
I missed the last Genealogy Group meeting as a Friends of the Foster meeting was also scheduled. At that meeting we discussed upcoming programs and the various amounts of work needed to be done to the grounds and the building. Our concerts this past year did not bring in as much as usual because of the road work being done, but hopefully, that will be normal this year. However, the Council own this building and is responsible for upkeep, advertising, etc. This is a world-class building we have here, and its potential for tourism is not utilized anywhere near its maximum. This, of course, needs more input from the Council as well as more than our five volunteers.
Congratulations to our own Melinda Delorme on her amazing stage performance in the latest OnStage Uxbridge production. She wowed the house. Birthday greetings to Chris and Craig Mustard who celebrated their 44th birthdays. It hardly seems long ago that the news went out that Rosemary (and Grant) had twins! Now Chris has twins, too, who are no longer babies! Birthday wishes also to hockey star my young cousin, Owen Shier, who is hopefully doing well in his new team. Dale Ashton also enjoyed another birthday. Dale grew up in Uxbridge (also a cousin on another line).
Anniversary greeting to Steve and Debby Wilson who celebrated their 16th year together. Between them, they have four children. Yuk Yuks is coming soon, and according to Heather Moore, as of Sunday, there are less than 10 tickets left. On Thursday evening, there is a talk at the Legion at 7 p.m., another in the series arranged by Tish MacDonald. These are excellent presentations with much personal information about the various wars. On Friday night, at 7:30 p.m., at the Historic Leaskdale Church, Tom Baker again presents his Jazz concert. His guest this week is Whitney Ross Barris, who is always great to hear from. Admission is by donation at the door. The Zephyr Scott Lions are starting a Cornhole Tournament on Tuesday, February 4th, to run until March 25th for eight weeks. The cost to join per person is $60 from 7 to 9 p.m. For more information, contact: zslionsevents@gmail.com. Another spaghetti supper was held at the Udora Hall last week. The Udora Leaskdale Lions are the sponsoring club for Zephyr Scott Lions, so there is no doubt they were all involved. Valentine's Day is coming up, and Tindall Market and Farm are preparing boxes of special treats for the Day. Order them by February 10th for pickup on the evening of February 13th. They sure look yummy! If you are looking for a gift for the historian in your family, the book "Decades of Harvest" by Allan McGillivray is selling for $50. Allan did extensive research on our township from many aspects, and this book is a "Go to" volume for anyone wanting to know our history. Call Allan or Caroline at 905-473-3398 or email mcgillivrayone@hotmail.com for more information or place an order.
This Sunday Rev. Li Armstrong conducted our church service, having recovered from shingles. Next week, our own Adele Boy is scheduled to conduct the service. Unfortunately, Adele has been ill all last week, and we hope she will be well and able to carry on with the service. Best wishes for recovery to her and anyone else not feeling up to par these days! Our Worship Committee has worked up a roster of services from now until the end of July with many interesting speakers coming to us. All are welcome to come to these services with us at 10 a.m. Coffee time is following!
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