It’s time for summer to start to sizzle
You and I don’t really care if it occasionally rains and we get a few of those noisy thunderstorms, but most of us just want it to get good and hot, to allow our plants and crops to flourish, and to enable everyone to get outside and soak up the sun’s rays and to turn our lily white winter bodies into an amazing shade of brown. After all, we do deserve it after that long and cold winter, and June should be the month to start off all the outside summer family fun times for such glorious events as ball and soccer games, golf, tennis, cruising, hiking, camping, or just getting close and personal with all the wonders of nature. Just because it is Alberta, we should know by now that just in case, we should take along an umbrella, an extra sweater, and lots of bug spray and band aids.
Have you noticed that the stampede grounds, the Frank Mickey Park, and the entire community has been groomed and decorated to host the gala 78th Ponoka Stampede from June 24th to July 1, 2014? It won’t be long before the campers and their R.V.s move in to claim their spot in ‘rodeo town’, then as always the chuck wagon crews, the rodeo stock, the roaring midway, and all the rest will roll into the grounds and transform the area into one big 8-day hoop-it-up party for the whole family. As always we will extend a warm welcome to Ponoka for thousands of visitors.
Sharing with nature
At this time of the season, we will welcome many of nature’s birds, bugs, and beasties in our midst, with each one of them having a purpose and a reason to belong whether we like it or not. From my days in the back yard, I am so pleased to see so many bird houses and feeders set out for our featured friends, and while those other little critters are scampering about everywhere and are usually nibbling or hoarding, they also have a home, a job, and a family to attend to, just like us.
As far as bugs are concerned,I have never discovered any purpose for mosquitos, but they don’t stick around for very long, and they have many enemies who love to swat or devour their miserable little bodies. I read an article the other day where a horticulturist was stating that worms and other creepy crawly insects are most important to our yards and environment as they aerate, cultivate, and fertilize our precious soil.
Another scary story with a great ending came up last week when a family in Sylvan Lake discovered a horde of thousands of bees building a hive in the rafters of their new home. A beekeeper was called in, gently vacuumed up the over 20,000 of the little buzzers, and moved them to a snug new location on his Clive acreage, where they will be allowed to continue to do their thing for Queen and country. Bottom line, if we give all these creatures a little space and respect, they will get on with the task at hand, then will eventually sneak away and seek out their winter retreats, just like we do. By the way, if yours truly finds a spider or bug flittering around our condo, instead of squashing or flushing, I pick it up gently in a Kleenex, set it outside, and give it another chance, much to the total disgust of my dear wife.
Now let’s have a little fun
More cheers and less jeers for games.
At one point during a game, the coach called one of his 9-year-old baseball players aside and asked, ‘Do you understand what co-operation is? What a team is? ‘The little boy nodded in the affirmative. ‘Do you understand that what matters is whether we win or lose together as a team and that we are here to learn and have fun?’ The little player again nodded yes.
‘So’ the coach continued, I’m sure you know that when an out is called we shouldn’t argue, curse, attack the umpire, and call them all sorts of those rude and not allowed at the dinner table words.’ ‘Do you understand all that?’ The little boy once again replied with a loud yes.
The coach continued......’And when I take you out of the game so that another boy gets a chance to play to, it’s not good sportsmanship to call your coach all those OOXOXO words, is it?’ The little boy shook his head NO, and then the coach replied ‘ GOOD’....’now please go over there and explain all that to your grandmother and your sister.’
Have a fun and a great game no matter what you play, and try to be good sports, both on the field and in the stands. Golf is a game in which you yell ‘four’, you score a six, and you write down a five.
Have a great week, all of you.
HAMMERTIME