Galwegians December 2021
From our place to your place, may you have a festive Christmas season with family and friends. May the upcoming new year of 2022 be filled with hope, health, and happiness.
Please be kind, be patient, and think of others over the holidays and throughout next year.
The Galway Hall is open to anyone that is fully vaccinated and it is open to any group, provided the group has submitted a safety plan to the Municipality and that plan is approved. Contact information is available on the Galway Hall’s website which is: www.galwayhall.ca
Not sure about treats but nature had some tricks at the end of October that spilled well into November. Along the roadsides wild asters, a wild strawberry plant, clover, dandelions, and even white daisies were still in bloom! There was a salamander also on the side of Clear Bay Road. Even a few frogs have been spotted. In thinking about it, Mother Nature actually did have a couple of treats. The tamaracks seemed to be especially bright this year, maybe because all their competition had already lost their leaves. The colour of the taller tamaracks made them look like torches, a blaze of ochre against the backdrop of greens and blacks. Speaking of tamaracks, here is something to ponder. Some sources state that the tamarack is the only coniferous tree to lose all its needles. However, others say that it is the only deciduous tree to have needles.
Late afternoon on November 12th, there was a double rainbow over Clear Bay which was a true treat. A double rainbow is considered to be a symbol of transformation. The first arc represents the material world. The second arc signifies the spiritual realm. Did you know that a double rainbow happens where light is reflected twice inside a water droplet? Therefore, it is a reflection of a reflection. So… technically, the primary bow shows the colour pattern backwards and the secondary bow corrects the pattern.
There have been quite a few ducks migrating through our area. Buffleheads, mergansers, and mallards have been reported. There have been a few sightings of trumpeter swans in our area as well although not in large numbers. Some have seen them in pairs with the largest gatherings to date of six swans. At least two juvenile loons are still on Crystal Lake but they are rarely together as one stays mainly in Clear Bay and the other out in the main lake.
There have been many Ruffed Grouse sightings this fall and the chipmunks are still out and about (as of this article’s deadline). At least one Bald Eagle still frequents Clear Bay. It seems it has found a morning perch on a tall, dead, white pine tree as this bird has been spotted a few times in the same tree.
Did you wake up to see the rare partial eclipse in the early morning hours of November 19th? The optimal time was at 4:03 am. The final meteor show of 2021 occurs on December 13th and 14th. It is called the Geminid meteor shower. On December 19th, the Full Cold Moon happens. The Winter Solstice begins on December 21st, at 10:50 am. The winter solstice often symbolizes fire and light, along with life, death, the rising sun, and the moon.
The final word of the top12 funniest words from 2020 is”Shticky”. It is an adjective. It means employing or characterized by shticks or gimmicks, especially to an excessive degree; gimmicky, contrived.