By Pat Asling Firstly, I want to send out a big “Thank You” to all those who remembered me in the almost two months I have been on the sick list. I received many telephone calls and emails, as well as gifts of food, flowers, and other special gifts. All were much appreciated! Thanks to Adele Boy for driving me to many medical appointments. Also to Deborah Clements and to my son Ivan, who took time off work to take me to appointments at Newmarket Hospital. Also to Jenny, who a

By Patricia Dawson In honour of International Trails Day, the Township of Uxbridge and local Trail partners are hosting a free community celebration of a world-class Trail Network and great things happening, showing guided walks, exhibits, and local experts for a day of nature learning and community. The event features live entertainment, games, and activities for kids. At this event, you can join guided hikes, learn essential Trail safety tips, pick up trail maps, meet group

by Pat Asling "June is busting out all over!" and isn't it wonderful after what May had to offer! To start with, there is a full blue moon, a rare one which will not be seen for several years again. I was awake one night earlier in the week, and the brilliance was blinding, and it wasn't even full at that point. Of course, it has been quite windy, with the result that many of our blossoms have blown away, such as the apple and cherry, but still a richness of multicolour lilac

by Faye Ashton I hope you didn’t miss the second full moon this month, called the “blue moon” Saturday/Sunday night. We will not experience this phenomenal event again until December 2026. So many songs were created because of a blue moon. Remember the decoration service at the Breadalbane Presbyterian Church, in Utica, on Sunday, June 7th, at 2:30 p.m., with Rev. Rob Kennedy, minister and Beth Willis as pianist. The decoration service for the Kendall and Hillman Cemeteries a

by Faye Ashton Last week it was the extreme heat. This weekend, we tried to survive the gale-force winds and rain, which brought down many new leaves, branches, and even whole trees, before it slowly crept away, leaving a soggy Sunday with highs of only 14-15 degrees. The Bethesda-Reach Women’s Institute are inviting you to an evening with author Barbara Dickson with her book entitled Bomb Girls: Trading Aprons for Ammo, which explores women’s roles in World War 2. It takes p

by Pat Asling Here we are at the end of a dreary month. Wasn’t there an old song that says, “What is so gay as a day in May?” Or similar? Well, we had that one day, and only about one day. Blink, and you missed it. Sadly, the heat of that day signalled to my evening grosbeaks that it was time to head north and off they went. Birder extraordinaire, Geoff Carpentier, had the same experience. There are still plenty of birds, but I miss those big bold ones. Goldfinches are thick

By Patricia Dawson Come out to the Beaverton Curling Club pig roast and silent auction: May 30th, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., at 164 Main Street. Everyone is welcome to join the Beaverton Club for a pig roast buffet meal and silent auction held on the rink floor of the Curling Club. Tickets are $30 a person. Cocktails are at 5 p.m., dinner is at 6 p.m., and an auction will follow. Paint your pet and paint events, May 30th, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Elgin Park, Main Street, in Uxbri

by Pat Asling We are still waiting for it- Spring, that is! Yes, we have had some beautiful-looking days, but not the warmth we are craving. Our farmer friends and relatives are moving ahead with planting and dodging raindrops as they do. Since most tractors now sport fancy cabs, I guess they don’t have to worry much about getting wet unless they have to get out and adjust the machinery. Crops seeded a couple of weeks ago seem to be coming up as normal. Talk about rain. The o

By Patricia Dawson Friends of the Lindsay Library are holding a Book Sale on Tuesday, May 19th, in the Carnegie room, which is downstairs in the Lindsay Library, at 190 Kent Street West. Payment for the books is by donation. They have a two-bag limit, grocery size bag, and all the money raised goes to fund Library programs. The book sale is from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, you can contact them via email at friends@gmail.com. The Kawartha Lakes Arts Council is p

By Faye Ashton My wish is that all Mothers had an extra special Mother's Day this past weekend. Time brings our families to all places around the world, and what a treasure to talk to children, grandchildren and nieces who don’t just live next door but bring them to us by email, messenger and phone. So special. Our thoughts are with a former neighbour, Marie Wilson, who fell recently and broke her hip and is now in Uxbridge Cottage Hospital for rehab and to Dorothy Munro, who

by Faye Ashton I hope you didn’t miss the full moon (flower) these last few evenings, but if you did, May 31st, a blue moon will be back to shine even brighter. With this full moon, we had to endure minus temperatures and even snowflakes so large on Saturday morning it took us back a few months. There's always a blessing with these cooler temperatures as we watch the spring flowers last so much longer. The daffodils with their bright yellow colours are an array of lasting bea

By Patricia Dawson Celebrate your mom on May 9th for the 'Just for Mom Extravaganza', at the Victoria Park Armory in Lindsay, 1010 Kent Street West, in Lindsay. Admission is $2 and doors open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Many vendors and a lunch canteen are available. Join us for a day of unique shopping in one place! One day only Saturday, May 9th, if you're looking for something fun to do with mom or even moms-to-be, this is the place to be. The Beaverton Curling Club is hosti

by Pat Asling Another week of “let’s wait and see”! Of course, it could apply to a lot of situations right now, both personal and worldwide, as the world holds its breath over the Israel/US standoff with Iran and all the local things, like downtown Uxbridge! However, there are wonderful signs of spring with daffodils, tulips, narcissi, and some shrubs in full bloom. Some time ago, I set a pot outside with a dead geranium in it and was surprised today to find a plant growing i

by Janet Van Camp The Van Camp, Rudkin, and Bisschop families recently celebrated the baptism and first birthday of Archer Michael Dale Van Camp at the Blackstock Nestleton United Church. What a lucky boy to have had great-grandparents (Jake and Barb Bisschop), grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, great-aunts and uncles, and a great-great-aunt (Aileen Van Camp) in attendance. Lots of visiting took place in the afternoon. The Blackstock Agricultural Society has started its an

by Faye Ashton April fools day has come and gone before I realized it was the April full moon (pink) on that very day. Most days have been cloudy, windy, and wet, except for the most beautiful and warm Good Friday. As most friends who attended the Good Friday Breakfast know, it was warmer on the steps than in the church. Thank you to everyone who didn’t complain about the situation we found ourselves in and came to support the Canadian Foodgrains Bank Breakfast and fellowship

By Patricia Dawson There will be a Cottage Country Spring Craft Show on Sunday, April 12th, at the Lindsay Exhibition, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., featuring numerous vendors. Vendors will offer homemade goods, crafts, tasty treats, custom jewelry, woodcrafts, and other items. This event will be held at the Commonwell building at the Lindsey Fairgrounds and will feature unique, locally sourced items. Families can enjoy the Sunderland Maple Syrup Festival from April 11th to 12th, in

by Pat Asling Spring is not here yet. Even though it was 19 °C one afternoon, much of the snow had already melted. Finally, my pond is ice-free. The ducks found it immediately. Several mallards and a pair of hooded mergansers appeared. It is so nice to see them. Hundreds of geese, of course, but none here yet. Only a few ever come here because it doesn’t have the cleared side that the shallow pond across the road has. Regarding swans, none visit here as the pond is too small

By Patricia Dawson A Passion Play at St. Edward the Confessor Parish on April 3rd, at 7 p.m., at 75 Churchill Avenue, Uxbridge. The parish and community are blessed to once again present the Passion Play, a prayerful and moving retelling of our Lord's suffering, death, and love. At last year's debut, this year's production has grown even more, with many dedicated volunteers working to bring this retelling to life. We warmly invite our parish and community to come experience i

by Faye Ashton It feels like Spring just to see the snowdrops blooming. We may have to make believe for a while, but this winter, which seemed like it wasn’t going to end, will soon be over. The ground needs to warm up slowly. Our community was saddened to hear that Clifford Boyington passed away recently. Clifford attended Epsom Public School and Uxbridge Secondary School. Many of his classmates will remember him and his family when they lived on the 8th concession. Please j

by Pat Asling Another week of seesawing weather, from bitterly cold to spring temps, sometimes all on the same day! But there is hope! As I walk around the yard, I see some flowers with blooms, some unopened but very obvious, and shrubs with big buds but still unopened. Unfortunately, all the work I had planned to do last autumn was curtailed by the early winter arrival, much of that (excuses, excuses!). In fact, I bought an electric trimmer just to do that work, but looking