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Spring thaw ends snow plane season

Another season has passed for those who love to show off their snow planes. Only three or four gatherings were held this past season due to the extreme cold. Snow depth also varied across the province.

Another season has passed for those who love to show off their snow planes. Only three or four gatherings were held this past season due to the extreme cold. Snow depth also varied across the province. Â鶹´«Ã½AVern and eastern Saskatchewan are the main snow plane areas. The last snow plane rally was held at Moosomin March 16 and was well attended with nine units entered. It was a lovely day and quite mild, so they all had a wonderful time.

No company is building new snow planes as there is little demand for them. There are a good number of new models being built now by individuals in their home shops. A good number of retired skilled craftsmen like to just play about at building the snow planes and getting small motors for them. Some are simple to build from scratch, but the projects are time consuming. Discarded skeletons of original snow planes have all been bought and restored where possible, but it is sad to see so many of them have just been destroyed in cleanup fires or sold for scrap. Some are left to rot away in the bush around old farmyards.

Our Canada and More Our Canada magazines have been on the newsstands for 10 years or so. They contain all sorts of interesting photos and information about collectors right here in Canada. One story and photos touched the home area in Our Canada for March. Gertrude Sherman, 95, of Maymont is a collector of all kinds of oil squirt cans. She had her hobby featured in the magazine. Keep up the collecting, Gertie, as your story is so very interesting to the readers of the magazine that reaches far in our world today.

The calendar tells us spring is here, but it seems Mother Nature is not quite ready to let go of winter's coldness. There have been sunny days to thaw the snow. There was nearly as much as we had last year to melt, so there are many bare fields showing up. The farmyards are the last to melt. A few cooler days have slowed down the process. There are some sloughs, potholes, ditches and dugouts filling up. The willow trees are tipped with fresh new silver pussy willows and other trees are budding out. A few Canada geese, ducks and robins are brave enough to come back to the prairies. The crows are likely back by this time, but not seen yet about your yard and fields. A new crop of baby calves is starting to show up in the feed yards. Hopefully the lush green grass is not too far away for them all.

There is nothing like spring in the country with the water rising in the creek. Freezing temperatures at night have delayed the runoff, but that provides that lovely crunchy shell ice that is so much fun for adventurous children. Just remember to keep off the ice if there is deep water about. It could be soft and honeycombed underneath to make the ice weak to walk on. Take special care near any ice.

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