Galwegians June 2023

The Galway Hall continues to be the venue for the local Tai Chi group on Mondays and Thursdays and for the SAGES group which meets on Wednesdays. The KCVMC dinner/auction fundraiser was very successful. Thanks to everyone that supported this community event held at the Hall. A huge shout-out also goes to all the volunteers connected with the KCVMC and with the Galway Hall. The roast beef dinner received many accolades and many compliments. Well done!

The Catholic Women’s League is hosting a meeting at the Galway Hall on Sunday, June 4^th, beginning at 2 pm. The Friends of Galway have a meeting scheduled at 7pm on Friday, June 23^rd. The next evening, Saturday, June 24^th, the CLCA is hosting a “Name That Tune” event, starting at 7 pm. Check the CLCA website for all the details.

Two other events are happening at the Galway Hall in very early July. The Galway Hall’s Strawberry Supper fundraiser is Saturday, July 1^st. There are two sittings; 4 pm and 5:30 pm. To reserve a place, phone the Hall’s number at 705 488-2831 and leave a message when prompted. Your reservation will be added to the master list. Note, there will not be a return phone call confirming your reservation. One can also email your reservation- info@galwayhall.ca. The next morning at 10 am, the Back Bay Cottagers’ Association is holding its Annual General Meeting.

Well, the weather lore surrounding Good Friday morning 2023 was not too convincing. Only 8 of the 40 days observed had winds from the West or Northwest. Interestingly, 16 of these 40 days were calm. However, Good Friday 2023 did have a sun-cloud mix and 22 days during this observational period followed this pattern. There were 3 ‘Bluebird-sky’ days recorded, .8 days with rain, and 8 days with temperatures below normal.

Forsythia is a very welcome sign of spring as it yellow flowers appear early in the spring. Have you noticed that many forsythia bushes only display yellow on its lower branches in our area? That is because the snow cover during the winter protects these branches. If you travel just a little further south, bushes there are often completely yellow. An internet gardening guru explained that bushes that only have the bottom branches in colour are not hardy enough for the zone in which they have been planted. His solution was to dig up the forsythia, move 300 miles south, and replant it. Gee, thanks for the tip!

We have kept our birdfeeders up and filled in hopes of attracting migrating birds, especially the rose-breasted grosbeak and it has worked. We have at least one pair still frequenting the feeders. One observer has reported three pairs of orioles visiting feeders at their place. Our hummingbird feeders went up on May 7^th and a couple of days later, there were hummingbirds enjoying the sugary mixture. There was a pair of cormorants landed on Clear Bay. Their unwelcomed presence was brief as one of the loons on Clear Bay chased the pair away with an impressive show of aggression. Did you know that the Belted Kingfishers nest in a burrow? These tunnels can be 1 to 8 feet in length and the tunnels angle upward. Two other cool facts about kingfishers: These birds close their eyes when they dive underwater for food and the Belted Kingfisher is one of the few bird species in which the female is more brightly coloured than the male. Curiously, human impact can sometimes help the expansion of their breeding range. Building roads and digging gravel and sand pits creates banks suitable for the burrows.

June 1^st and 2^nd is when the planet Mars passes through the Beehive Cluster which is located in the Constellation Cancer. This rare event should be able to be viewed using a good pair of binoculars. The Full Moon, known as the Strawberry Moon but also called the Rose Moon and the Honey Moon occurs on June 4^th. Also on June 4^th is the best time to view Venus. It will appear as the bright planet in the western sky after sunset. On June 12^th and 13^th, Venus passes through the Beehive. Again, good binoculars should be good enough. On June 21^st, the Summer Solstice occurs at 14:51 UTC.

Looking upward and looking ahead, the conjunction of Venus and Mars happens on July 1^st. The Full Moon happens on July 3^rd. It is also a Super moon. The Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower takes place on July 29^th and 30^th.

Lucky are we to live in this part of the world, surrounded by such beauty that is within us, around us, above us, and below us. Unfortunately for our little piece of paradise here in northern Peterborough County, burocratic decisions made by a few and the inactions of some of our elected officials, has created a dire situation in our area. The scheduled closing of the Minden Emergency on June 1^st will be devastating for many of our full-time and our seasonal residents. It is the rights for all Ontarians to have safe and accessible health care. This closure will make our health care here in our area neither safe nor accessible. Kudos is in order to all the citizens that have taken up the cause to stop this closure. As of Sunday, May 21, 2023, over 22 000 signatures have been placed on the petitions that have been circulated. Over a 36 hour period, more than $50 000 was raised to secure a retainer for a team of lawyers to begin the process for an injunction. A special thank-you is extended to all the Galwegians that have offered their time and their talents and their money to help save the Minden Emergency. We are all in this together! Political jurisdictions and boundary lines are irrelevant when time is of the essence to save a life.