The cooler weather has prolonged the fear of flooding, but it will likely be pretty bad in places. The flat land in the Taber area has been declared a state of emergency as flooding is happening already and the water runoff is not supposed to run into the canals, along with dirt and debris. Once the ground thaws then the problem of wet basements is inevitable. So people just keep worrying and praying that it warms up slowly.
Duplicate bridge played March 27 in Meota found top score go to Margaret Dyck and Maureen Campbell, second high were Clatus Scherman and Catriona Winterholt, and third were Gerry Fernandes and Donna Scherman. No cards were played Thursday evening.
Word has come from California of the passing of a former Spiritwood fellow, Donald Parker, on March 25. He was 83 years of age and has lived down south at Watsonville, California, most of his adult life. He lost his wife Judy in 2000, a son last year and is survived by one son and one daughter and one granddaughter. He was a cousin to Ken Parker who I planned to visit at the time of writing.
Get-well wishes go out to Gladys Lehman and John Kalsnikoff, who were hospitalized and all others, of course; it’s never a good time to be sick.
The four-plex in Meota is full again, always a good thing. The water situation caused concern last week but with the cooler weather will be OK for a while.
March 23 found two tables of Canasta players at the Do Drop In having a fun evening. Top score went to Gail Hilderman and Arlene Walker, second high were Eric Callbeck and Marion Ottas and third were Gwen Lacerte and Linda Ard.
Marilyn McGown has been putting some outstanding photos on Facebook as she spends days scouting the Battleford rural areas looking for animals and birds – spring nature in action. She has pictures of white tail and mule deer and antelope, snowy owls, a beautiful bluebird, grouse, crowned lark, coyotes, and so on. She must have a good camera and loves doing it.
My daughter Sal Bouvier (from Carstairs) and her daughter Sonya from Calgary, spent a few days with me at Meota before bringing me to Carstairs for Easter. Our trip on Friday turned out fine, but there was blowing snow in lots of places – and cold. As we got further south it was somewhat warmer so there were wet patches, but not melting by any means. At Cactus Corner there was considerable ice hanging under the car and when we stopped at Sal’s, the wheel wells in Sonya’s car were full of ice so every bump must have had rubber rubbing on solid ice. It took a hammer and some time to get that removed so she could go on to Calgary safely. We had several fun times in Meota playing cards as the girls don’t get to play where they live. We met three snowbirds heading home in their motor homes and not appreciating the weather. It seems we always have one more storm after they get back, no matter how well planned their trip is. We saw one coyote, a crow, a flock of partridges and lots of the tiny snowbirds along the way.
Our Easter Sunday with more family was great and the food so good at son Brad and Kelly’s house, near Carstairs. Daughter Donna and Al Lambert from Leduc drove to Fort McMurray for Easter with son Greg and Jordanna, Joseph and Claudia. Beth Wynne came from Taber to Brad’s.
