Spooner Advocate Column- April 25, 2013

Happy Earth Day! I know it has really been all over the map as far as weather but I hope you can get out for a walk today and enjoy the sun. Better get out there so that you can enjoy the sun and the warmer weather before the snow starts flying again tonight! Are we ever really going to have a spring? It really has been a strange Spring, I sure hope it does not go right into hot weather. How are the plants going out there? Have you got little seedlings growing in the house or maybe your greenhouse? I have some starting at the house, mostly heirloom tomatoes. I have also been eating tomatoes off the plant I brought in last year. Nothing like a red tomato off the vine when it is snowing. My pepper and tomato plant have all kinds of flowers and fruit starting so there will be a good batch of yummies to eat again soon. Remember you can bring plants in the fall and see what you can get to munch on over the winter. In other parts of the USA and other places tomatoes are considered a perennial! Happy birthday to all those April birthdays out there! Hope you have a beautiful birthday. You are special, and we love you! I sure hope you are coming to the Lac Courte Oreilles Sustainable Living Fair on Thursday APRIL 25th, 2013 from 10 am- 3pm. You have to come to the fair and enjoy all the fun things we have set-up for the community! We will have speakers addressing the mining issues, teaching about keeping backyard chickens. Make a rain barrel, starting seeds, build a rocket stove. Bring your unwanted electronics in to recycle for free(no big tv, or console tv). There really is too much to list here so all I can say is please show up on April 25th ready to meet some great people and to have a lot of fun! If you are interested in the rain barrel class please call and register with Amber as it is limited to 15 people. Amber can be reached at 715-634-4790 ext 156 or marlowa@lco.edu. I look forward to seeing you there! Deb would like everyone to know that Thimbles has relocated to Spooner, sounds like she is happily sewing now that she is all settled in. We wish Deb much success! Thimbles Quilt Shop 237 Walnut St, Spooner, WI 54801, 715-635-6040 There are some great things that are going on through the Cable natural Museum. Any questions should be directed to the museum at 715-798-3890. Wildflower Hike to Morgan Falls and St. Peter's Dome, Saturday May 11th. Sounds like the museum's naturalist Emily Stone will be taking you on a hike to check out the spring plants. Leave the museum at 10 am, bring water and snacks and be prepared to walk 5 miles on uneven, uphill terrain. Birding in the National Forest, Thursday May 16th. Hike trails and visit sited within the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest in search of birds. You will be hiking through a northern hardwood forest, and skirt the edge of a bog and wetland. Meet at the museum at 6:30 am and return by 10:30 am. Space is limited so please call and register by May 15th. Cost is $8/member and $13/non-member. No charge if you are a registered Chequamegon Bay Birding and Nature Festival participant. Things to put on your calendar ... Shephard's Harvest, May 11-12, 2013 at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Lake Elmo, MN. They are open Sat 9-5 pm and Sun 10-4 pm, admission is FREE! More information or to sign-up for classes held on May 10 please go to their website- www.shephardsharvestfestival.org . Minnesota Quilters 35th annual Quilt Show and Conference. This year it is in Duluth, Minn., on June 13-15. Classes begin June 12. You can get more information off their website, www.mnquilt.org/mq2013. Good luck to all those quilters who put their beautiful creations in quilt shows, I hope you win some ribbons! I know I am always inspired by each creation that I see when I go to the shows. We really have some talented people out there. Wisconsin Farm Tech Days July 9-11, 2013. Held at Breezy Hill Dairy, 147 16th Street, Dallas, WI. They will be open 9-5 pm daily, further information www.barronfarmtech.com . The 2013 Hayward Quilt Show is July 26-27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Flat Creek Inn in Hayward. If you have questions or donations please contact haywardpiecemakers@hotmail.com. I just wanted to ask all those in the area to let me know what is going on. There must be something going on at the churches, quilting groups, 4-H or something. I appreciate all of you reading the column weekly. Being its Earth Day how about going out and being kind to nature. Are your bird feeders full? Do you have new nest boxes up, how about a bag of stuff the birds can use to build their nest? Share a plant with someone home bound. Please remember Earth Day is something we should be practicing every day! Please recycle, reuse, and upcycle as much as you can. Until next week.... go out and hug a tree, thank it for all the joy it brings into your life!