Another beautiful spring week when the temperature hit 21 degress two days in a row at my place, on the north side too! As Margaret Atwood said, “At the end of a spring day, we should smell like dirt”! The rest of the week, the earth got a good soaking and cleansing and magically seemed to green up during the day.
It’s been a busy week for on-line activities. On Tuesday evening, North Durham Nature took a trip to the USA’s deserts, including The Great Basin, the Mojave and the Sonoran, courtesy of Mark Dorresfield. He spent several seasons there studying the wildlife, birds in particular. It was intriguing to see just how much life there is under such stark conditions.
On Wednesday morning, the Lakeridge Presbyterial, UCW held a zoom annual meeting. There was a bit of catching up to do as; one had not been held last year due to Covid. Carol O’Neil chaired her last meeting as President but will continue on the executive as Past President. The executive had been elected in 2019 but not brought into office as they are now.
This week was the first where Uxbridge seniors could make a vaccine appointment. Many did, several with great difficulties, others no problem. Many, of various ages, have already opted to go to Pickering, Whitby, Bowmanville etc., to get in early. Since there were only two days advertised where appointments were available for Uxbridge and Port Perry, more days are coming. It is hoped that everyone will take advantage of the proximity since the number of cases is increasing rapidly due to the variants.
On Saturday morning, the Uxbridge Horticultural group hosted a zoom meeting that included two master gardeners from the Oshawa area. They talked about getting our gardens ready for spring, dividing perennials and pruning shrubs. During the week, members were also surprised and delighted to receive in the mail a lovely card made by Pam and Rose and containing three packs of seeds. The card read, “Happiness held is the seed, happiness shared is the flower.”
Harriet Ann Jacobs proclaimed, “The beautiful springtime and when nature resumes her loveliness the human soul is apt to revive too.” Harriet was born a slave in 1813 in North Carolina and died in 1897. She was an abolitionist, an autobiographer and could say, after a very difficult life, “Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.”
Sunday was a full moon, which we couldn’t see for cloud, but it is called the Sap Moon, Crow Moon or Worm, or Lenten. The sap is running, but while we love the warm weather, sap does not, and if the maple tree decided to leave out, the taste is gone. As for crows, they are everywhere and making lots of noise. The rain brought out the worms, and the robins found them! This is the first Super moon of the year and always shines near Leo, my constellation.
And of course, we are almost at the end of the Lenten season, hard to believe this coming weekend in Good Friday and Easter Sunday, and we are into April already! There were many great services on the internet for Palm Sunday, and many were already posted for Good Friday. I can never think of Good Friday now without remembering my time in Belize when I took part in the Passion Play on Good Friday and walked the streets of Benque Viejo in the huge procession. This is our second Easter without in-person services, and we can only hope it will be our last. None of us are getting any younger!
There are some birthdays, the second for everyone in the pandemic as well. Pat Hamilton enjoyed her day as always. Pat worked as a dental hygienist for many years and now enjoys retirement with her husband, Charlie.
Oh yes, one of our great heroes, William Shatner, had his 90th birthday and still going strong. Three young ladies also celebrated; Janet (Cox) Rose, Andrea (Cain) Smith and Jeanette (Herrema) Ehinger! Parents Ron and Maryanne Herrema are eagerly looking forward to becoming grandparents!
Sadly, the community lost another of our veterans with the passing of Alan Williams! Alan was a very accomplished individual and one who everyone enjoyed being around. As well as his many activities with the Legion, he was also a valued member of the Uxbridge genealogy group, where I met him.
Congratulations to Joel Hackner and friend April Simmons and the new business they have started called “Hackner Beef,” where homegrown meat is sold. You can find them at the north end of Uxbridge. Best wishes for much success!
And finally, a note from Bob Kirvan: USHS 50th Anniversary founded on April 6th, 1971. I am looking for Horseshoe Players, men & women. We have 42 members, only four women. We plan to start playing on May 11th at 6:30 p.m. at the Museum. Call me if you are interested in playing at 905-852-9176.