How welcome is this sunshine after weeks of gloomy and damp weather! While it was 99 F in Yuma, Ariz. last week, we aren鈥檛 sure if those folks reporting were complaining or bragging.
The local post office hours are now 9 a.m. 鈥� noon and 1 鈥� 3 p.m.
The farmers鈥� market is holding their annual market in the big hall in Meota on Saturday, Nov. 19, from 10 a.m. 鈥� 2 p.m.
The quilting ladies are hosting a Christmas craft show and sale in their quilting room in the southeast corner of the Community Complex on Nov. 26. There will be handcrafted items and baking for sale and a door prize. The raffle for their quilt will be drawn that day, too. There will be coffee and squares on hand.
Contract bridge was played Oct. 31 in Meota with top score by Maureen Campbell.聽 Second was Terence Dasilva. Sixteen players turned out Nov. 1 with top mark by Margaret Dyck and Dave Creegan. Second were Eric Callbeck and Maureen Campbell and third were Robert Iverson and Joyce Antoine. Nov. 3, in the city, top marks were by Jean Lowes and Dave Creegan. Tied for second and third were Jane Groves and Gerry Craig and Gerry Fernandes and Mary Greenwald.
The Candlelight Processional being held in the Dekker Center on Nov. 27 at 2:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. will be comprised of more than 90 voices from the Battlefords and surrounding communities.
Remember the Remembrance Day services being held in the Community Complex in Meota on Nov. 11 at 10:30 a.m. followed by the regular hall luncheon.
That same afternoon the Norwegian whist players will be playing at 2 p.m. in the Do Drop In, followed by a potluck supper.
While the program by April Verch and her band was likely pretty great in the Dekker Center on Nov. 5, I relaxed at home and watched my video tape from 2005 when she entertained with the Battleford jamboree bunch in the Legion Hall in Battleford. So, I also got to see Harold Anderson, leader, on the violin, Trent Bruner on keyboard, Calvin Vollrath on his violin, as well as many other local musicians and some of Harold鈥檚 students on violins. April Verch and Calvin鈥檚 wife Rhea Labrie, both step danced. Playing the fiddle and step dancing at the same time takes some talent, to be sure.
聽Nov. 4 found five tables of canasta players having a fine time in the Meota Do Drop In. Top score was earned by David Ottas and Murray McCrimmon. Second high were Rita Peterson and Terry Neale and third high were Linda Ard and Gwen Lacerte. The usual tasty snacks were on hand and folks sat and chatted after the games to close a friendly evening. The scores can vary so much at times, sometimes 8-10,000 apart or, as we saw this night, a difference of only 50 to 150 points makes for a friendly game.
Our family friend, Ken Parker of Olds, Alta. is in China for 40 days visiting old friends from the days when he was teaching over there. He is also visiting some of his students, one he still teaches by Skype every morning. His remarks since arriving there include Beijing鈥檚 pollution, which is really bad unless a breeze comes by to move it about. When winter comes, about Nov. 11, people start heating with coal and it gets even worse. Outside the pollution measures 100 ppm and inside it is 16 ppm. The number of cars on the road is staggering and double parking is allowed. The outside car leaves his phone number on the dash so he can be called to move his car so the car by the curb can get out. Millions of cars are on the road every day, fewer taxis but more Uber cars. The food is much the same, still not always identifiable so one wonders just what is being eaten. The economy has slowed down with not as many cranes working and the cost of everything have gone up. Next week he travels by fast train at 300 mph to Shanghai for a week or so before heading back to Canada.
Another idea for a Christmas gift for someone who has everything is the names on the blocks in the hall. Those who have lived here, made contributions to the community or played in sports, would be recalled if their name were to show up in this nice location. It would be a compliment for sure and there is no need to wait until they are deceased. Do it now so they know they will be thought about often.
聽The geese are still here and enjoying the area, the water and the feed. There are even some ducks, which usually leave ahead of the geese. I鈥檓 happy to see both kinds of nuthatches at the feeder, the white one is so much bigger than the rose-breasted one. The blue jays are happy to find peanuts out for them and they go away to shell them, so the mess is somewhere else. We have that same old cat problem though and have seen them take a bird recently.
Shuffleboard will be played Nov. 12 in the Do Drop In starting at 10 a.m. so phone your name in the day before to get a time slot.
The All Parish United/Anglican Church service will be held in Turtleford on Nov. 20 at 10:30 a.m. followed by a potluck luncheon.
