Happy new year to everyone and may 2017 be a good year for each of you.
The weather here has not been that bad, considering what winter can be in this area, and often is. The weather in southern Alberta where I had hoped to spend some was a disappointment. It is expected to drop to -30 C in the coming days. Beth brought me home Wednesday and went back Saturday.
In the cold days before Christmas the exhaust steam from the Roger's Sugar Plant was something to see as it seemed to hang in the air unless there was a wind and then it moved along. There are two long, huge piles of sugar beets in the plant yard. Likewise there are long rows in the Vauxhaul area and west of Taber. Trucks are hauling in beets steadily, and in the truck we passed they looked rather dirty as the fields were wetter than usual last fall. After unloading, the farmer picks up the dirt that has fallen below as he unloads his truck, and takes it back home. This is a measure to control disease. It doesn't hurt beets to freeze outside. The farmer is paid by how much sugar content is in his load as every load has samples tested. 聽
A trip into Lethbridge on Dec. 27 was interesting, as they had a snow and wind storm that left big drifts in town and black ice on the roads. There were several cars and trucks in the ditch on the way in and vehicles stuck where they drove into drifts right near the shopping centres. One vehicle took a skid in front of us, but this was on the edge of town and not up to speed, so it managed to stop.
I see in the flyer that we don't have snow blowers any more. They are now snow throwers. Is that because we have those leaf blowers that will blow snow, too?
Eighteen people gathered at the Do Drop In on Dec. 30 for Canasta. Top score went to Shirley Tebay and Bev McCrimmon. Second high were Pat Chapman and Marion Ottas and third were Tracy Esquirol and Wanda Weber. The table of six found the game slower and played only three hands while the others were finished and had a nice time visiting over lunch.
Visiting in the Meota area again this holiday season were Don and Leslie Schweitzer from Saskatoon. Don ministered in Meota some years ago and now teaches at St. Andrew鈥檚 College.
Charlene Alexander from High River, Alta. was home to visit her mother, Arlene Walker, for a week over the holiday season. There were a few card games played that week and lots of fun and food.
The Fort McMurray fire was rated top news story of 2016 by the annual survey of newsrooms across Canada. It was dubbed 鈥渢he beast鈥� for its merciless unpredictability. Nearly 90,000 residents fled their homes and all told 2,400 buildings burned, mostly houses. There have been 350 building permits issued and 169 new homes are under construction. Spring will see increased activity. There was a total of $3.5 billion in damage.
