Margaret Knight>
508-627-8894
(margaret02539@yahoo.com)
Chappaquiddick continues to be free of snow, although the temperatures and wind often keep us bundled. The sun is warmer though, and the days longer, and signs of spring can be found. Hatsy Potter’s first snowdrops in her kitchen dooryard garden are nearly open, and the witch hazel buds she took inside opened overnight. Our rooster Rudy spends more of every day crowing and trying to wow the ladies.
Eat Dinner, Watch Dessert
Before you head to the sweet shop, how about a trip to France.
This Friday, Feb. 18, before the evening performance of Willy Wonka, Les Troubadours are putting together a French meal to be held at the high school cafeteria.
The meal will be served from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and consists of chicken marsala or vegetarian ratatouille with salad, rice pilaf and green beans.
The cost is $12 for adults and $8 for children with proceeds benefiting the Les Troubadours French club spring trip to France.
The Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival has been going on for 14 years. It is based in Titusville, Fla., which is next door to Cape Kennedy/Canaveral, but more to the point is near several great birding areas including the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Flip Harrington and I have attended almost every one of the 14 festivals. It is a great chance to get together with other bird-watchers, participate in field trips to great birding areas in Florida and learn from workshops and classroom presentations. Flip also uses the festivals to check out all the new optics that the exhibitors are displaying. We enjoy dinners with other birders and the various field trips. This year’s keynote talks were by Chuck Hagner of Birder’s World and Lillian and Donald Stokes, authors of the Stokes Field Guides.
Every now and then I get on some rampage and call my friend Sharlee to inquire if I am crazy.
Don’t hedge your bets on either of these two. í
Apart from the landscape designers who are talented enough to make terrific topiaries, I can’t imagine why boxwood shrubs and yew trees have become so popular. í
The cause of the fire that destroyed the Coast Guard boathouse and surrounding pier in Menemsha last July is unknown, a Coast Guard investigative team concluded in a report released early Wednesday afternoon. The cause may have been a lit cigarette left on the pier, or it may have been faulty wiring either in the boathouse or in the pier, the report found. “After completing all reasonable and logical leads . . . the cause of the fire is undetermined at this time,” the report concludes.
A few days ago, after we had an argument, my daughter Pickle, age three, announced she had another father. His name, she told me, is Bob Cheeks.
Evidently, this Mr. Bob Cheeks fellow never tells her it is time for bed. He can also read for hours without tiring and loves to be splashed repeatedly when giving her a bath.
