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Home My WebLink AboutTimes Advocate, 1995-12-13, Page 11C ( )MMLJ]VITY Times-Advocaate, December 13,1995 Page 11 Comedy night South Huron District High School drama class students rehearse the last scene, of their comedy night production held at South Huron Tuesday night. Cast members Juanita Am- erongen, Angie Clarke, Barb Day, Jenny Ellison, Sarah Grotentraast, Amanda Jennison, Ryan Beckett, Julie Koricina, Jason Laurin, Jeff Mason, R.J. Milne, Steph Pearson, Gavin Poole, Kelli Regier, Tim Robinson, Lana Steele, Steve Sywyk, Tracy Turnbull, Amanda Wei- gand and Meagan White provided an evening full of laughter for their audience with skits they wrote themselves. • Opinion Winter the season for tracking By Bill Kilburn - Naturalist The snowy season is now upon us, blanketing our thoughts. Some greet the gathering white with a nighty groan, becoming distracted with the need !o tame the shimmer- ing wilderness with shovel and ma- chine. For those of us in the know, however, each heavenly heave gives us the sensation of a recur- ring Christmas morn. We see in the falling snow crystals the build- ing blocks of a great canvas, set out to enable our fellow creatures to share with us the artistry of their tracks. For us, snow season is tracking season. In preparation for the tracking season, I obtained several free pamphlets produced by the Ausa- ble Bayfield Conservation Authori- ty (ABCA). [The ABCA head of- fice is located at Morrison Dam and is open weekdays from 8:30 am to 4:30 pin.] I chose the pamphlet entitled "Trails in Hay Swamp", to determine nay first des- tination. The Hay Swamp Manage- ment Arca is a blocky area located directly north of Hwy 83, and bor- dered by Hay Twp Concession 8-9 to the west and Concession 4-5 to the cast. There is parking at Con- cession 4-5 near to where it inter- sects Hwy 83, but access to the trails can be gained from several points. I parked along Concession 6-7 and: began my hike, following along the banks of Black Creek . Almost immediately my ears trapped a distinct chorus of two, coming from an indistinct mass of trees. Could it be what I thought it was? I listened intently. Indeed it was - a pair of great horned owls hooting the afternoon away! After exchanging hoots for several min- utes, 1 walked on, my step now bouncier in the crunching snow. Still distracted by my first experi- ence, I vaguely noticed the sound of rushing water passing by on my left. My attention soon became concen- trated, however, by a disturbance' in the creek. 1 crept to the edge of the bank. My stealth was duly rewarded - a large beaver made a conspicuous appearance not ten feet from my ob- servation point. But wait, I had been spotted too! Perhaps the king of rodents and I would share a moment previously. unknown to both humankind and beaver. 1 waited expectantly and ... Bang! the, flat, leathery tail of the beaver slammed against the water's hard surface, signalling the end of our exchange. 1 was left to ponder the circular ripples that were begin- ning lift where our encounter had disappeared into the past. 1 turned away from the creek and headed for a stand of planted ever- greens. The light quickly disappeared and I found myself surrounded by a crowded, yet orderly group of spruce trunks whose heads dark- ened the sky. I enjoy a spruce for- est as much as anyone, but after awhile of hiking through one of these, it gets to be like walking through a field of corn - each plant looks pretty much like the others. and everything begins to blend into everything else. Unless you find something to oc- cupy yourself, like a red squirrel midden. A midden is a Targe mound of scales and stalks left over from months or even years of a red squirrel feeding on its stored cones in the same spot. The mid - den 1 found on this day encircled a spruce tree, and measured about five feet in diameter and one and a half feet in height. As 1 looked up into the captured tree, I noticed an orderly arrangement of spruce cones, carefully placed at regular intervals in the branches, that dis- appeared up and out of sight. Looking at neighbouring trees, I observed that they had been deco- rated with squirrel food in the same manner. I marvelled at this season- al tree dressing, and was just begin- ning to wonder if squirrels had yet discovered Christmas lights. when 1 was made acutely aware of the presence of the local red squirrel. I was treated to a scolding without restraint! This bold little beast was kicking me out of its forest! Fortunately, I Hourly Door Crashers until Midnight!!! 1 hl 1 IOW I/! Ll 'See Store for Detail RI, DEC. 15 b p.m. to midnight $0 Motorola Flip On Amigo Leisure * SO evenings and weekends included CELLULAND 30 Ontario St. Grand Bend ‘11 238-7000 car fax Prtt•• out of tht• world !! know the red squirrel's reputation for occasionally pelting undesira- bles with large spruce cones. After an enjoyable afternoon, I decided to join the sinking sun and call it a day. As for the quest for tracks... well, ou know how distracting the snowy season can be. FWIO holds election at annual meeting GUELPH - At the recent annual meeting of the Federated Wom- en's Institutts of Ontario, held in Guelph, a new executive was elected. The provincial president is Marg Harris, of Kerwood, Mid- dlesex County. Arthena Hecker, of Richards Landing, Algoma, is president-elect; Mary Lou Norton, of Bloomfield, Prince Edward County is Program Coordinator. Mary Janes, of Watford, Lambton County was re-elected Public Re- lations Officer. The Membership Coordinator is Lorna McGrath from Elmvale, Simcoe County. The regional vice-presidents are Wilma Carter of Orillia, Simcoe County and Ann McDougall from Green Christmas 63 years ago EXETER- Villa resident Jean Lee called the T -A Monday saying she had discovered a 1932 Christmas edition of the newspaper which car- ried a bold headline stating there was NO SNOW IN EXETER. The newspaper caried a photo- graph showing Joe Creech, Ray Creech, Gordon May, Bill Wilson, Orville Lawson and Rowe Dinney playing baseball in their shirt- sleeves. .1 • • • • Christmas Trees -�°- Cut your own ' Spruce, sizes 5 - 10 ft. Take Hwy. #4 north to Brucefield Public School, tur left, take first corner left, 2n farm on left Pho e 63-25 9 • • • Almonte, Lanark County. Donna Russett of Stirling, Hastings County, is past president. Some of the current issues ad- dressed by the Board Directors in- cluded rural health care policies and the recruitment and retention of physicians in rural Ontario. Discussion on the use of the syn- thetic growth hormone rBST re- flected concern about its use, its ef- fects on human and animal health and the lack of balanced public in- formation. Another topic of major concern was the number of young offenders and the perceived increase in vio- lent crime in our society. Several resolutions concerning the Young Offenders' Act will be sent to ap- propriate government Ministries. The focus of Women's Institute branches cross Ontario is Safe and Healthy Communities. ' The 1995 annual meeting ended with a semi- nar launching this focus. Ridge - town will he the setting of the pro- vincial conference from July 12-14, 1996. The theme is Family and Community in Partnership. Enjoy Your Tax Refund for Christmas Contact our office. 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