As Mother Nature finally has her recycled hay together and figured out what season we are supposed to be in, other signs of spring and the progress into summer are starting to show. These present themselves in the form of advanced activity around town.
Over the past week or so we have seen quite a number of campers arriving, most of which are owned by folks who rent a spot for the season at the campground. Thus, we also see a number of faces that have been absent from the village streets since last fall and a few who are just going to take up summer residence here for the first time. Due to there being a greater number of residents here some of the local businesses are increasing the hours that they are opening.
For example, the steak pit at the hotel is now, for the summer months, going to be open both Friday and Sunday nights due to greater demand that makes it worthwhile to pay the extra staff hours. Also, the café is now going to be open all seven days of the week. The café's new operators are Kathy and Sean Day. They have rented the restaurant portion of the hotel from Monty and Sandy who are continuing to run the bar and steak pit. Kathy has previous experience in running a food service business and is gung-ho to get to know and serve all who come, so drop in and check it out. While you are there you can see what her hours are as they are posted on the bulletin board (I have forgotten what they are already).
Also up and running will be the concession at the park. Gloria Winterhalt has taken it over this year and is getting set to go full force for the long weekend. But, in case you get the urge to dig into an ice cream at the lakefront, she has been there getting things ready and is quite willing to serve anyone who gets an uncontrollable urge for their favourite flavour right now.
I also see that Young and Yunni at the store have started working summer hours, so the store is also open later now.
Another sign of the season is the agricultural community giving it what for on the land. Some I have talked to have gotten quite a bit done already and are not feeling too bad about how far they are advanced for this time of year. We are very lucky here compared to others around the province. I have family farming in the east central and south central parts of our great province. This week they tell me there isn't a hope in hell they will be getting going for a while yet unless they convert to growing rice or decide to start planting by boat. This goes for a lot of our province and Manitoba right now as you must have seen from the news. We will just have to pray that something happens to speed up the drying to help them out
Of course, this coming weekend being the long weekend, things will really boom and our population will blossom for the rest of the summer season with the campground filling right up. The sleepy days we have become used to since last fall will be over for a while.
Along with this usual boom we expect that there will be an influx of folks coming to take part in the centennial celebrations that are happening here on July 8-10. There are many activities in the planning. An incomplete list of these happenings includes a chilli making contest that will lead to a chilli supper, entertainment that includes the Meota Lions Chorus, the Hobby Band and Saskatchewan Express. There will be pancake breakfasts on the Saturday and Sunday along with a full catered banquet. There will be a silent auction, an interdenominational church service, a parade and Meota ADRA will be hosting their craft sale that weekend. Linda Jones is also going to host an old fashioned garden party at her home, which is one of the historic buildings here in town. You can see it is going to be a full weekend. I will be posting an accurate listing of times and places in a little while, so keep an eye out.
This weekend, the Meota Lakeshore Lions again sponsored a bottle drive in which numerous residents helped. The community gave in great numbers. Thanks to the Lions and all who saved up their bottles to help out.
April 28, in Kaiser action, first place went to Muriel Tebay, second was roped by Adele Feschuk, third spot was taken by Irene Carlson and fourth went to Beulah Corbeil. May 5 it was Ken Tucker in first, Linda Ard coming second, Anna Tucker taking third and Beulah Corbeil bringing in fourth place.
April 29, when the canasta players went head to head, the winners were Judy Iverson and Arlene Walker.
In contract bridge action May 2, Mary Greenwald tied up first place with Vern Iverson taking second. Then, May 9, Ray Davie took first with Vern Iverson coming second. Then, in duplicate bridge play May 3, it was the team of Mary Greenwald and Frank Antoine taking first with Vern and Judy Iverson coming second. They did it again May 10 with Dace Creegan and Eric Callbeck taking first and Mary Greenwald and Frank Antoine coming second.
Quote: "Thing about performance is that, even if it is only an illusion, is that it is a celebration of the fact that we do contain within ourselves infinite possibilities." Sidney Smith.
