Credit: flickr photostream

How we celebrate St. Paddy’s Day near just south of where  I live:

Chicago River, Chicago, Illinois - St. Patrick's Day - Dyed Green. This is nothing, really. About 80 or so years ago, engineers were hired to make the river run backward. Permanently. For sanitation reasons, I believe.

Above: Not the Haliburton Highlands–though very St. Patricks’ Day in terms of hue.

St. Paddy’s Day – Black Feather Band at Mckecks Restaurant, Haliburton, Ont.

Photo: Canada, eh?

Black Feather Band

March 17 2010 – St. Patricks’ Day

Featuring the incredible local “Black Feather Band”…6-9 pm, free admission, Come early to get a seat and a green pint…..:)

Mckecks Restaurant Photo credit: Canada, eh?

Mckecks Restaurant Recent News

McKecks opens stage to students (recent McKeck’s news – 1.27.10)
Everyone has a little rock star in them and it’s hard to get out of the garage or basement band mode when you live in a small town.

On Jan. 27, at ac: The Blue Line, from 4 to 6 p.m., students from the local schools are invited to the After-School Open Stage Program.

For two hours, kids can come and play their instruments, sing their hearts out and just rock out.

The idea was originally brought to Carl Dixon when he was informed that the local high school had stopped doing their coffee houses that allowed students to show off their talents. There was only one open stage but only a couple students showed up, so Dixon and McKecks decided to hold it off, and try to start the program back up later after renovations and the holidays were finished.

With those two issues out of the way students are allowed to come and show their stuff. Already a few students have contacted McKecks asking if they could come and do an act and no one has been turned down. There will be a $2 fee for each person’s act they would like to do with all the proceeds going towards The Blue Line – a charity run by the restaurant.

If you’re worried about limited space, and would like to reserve a spot for yourself or for your band, you can email Sean Carthew at bookwithsean@gmail.com. If you don’t play an instrument and would just like to sing, you can bring some karaoke music to accompany you and get everyone in the swing of things.

So come on out and show this town what you’ve got. Even if you’re a bit nervous come and see what the action is all about, you might just get motivated enough to jump up on stage.”

Mckecks Restaurant

207 Highland Street
Contact: Sean Carthew or Karen Frybort

Tel: 705-457-3443

Terri and Rick Performa on March 18, 2010 in the Highlands

March 18, 2010

Terri and Rick will be performing two concerts in Haliburton County on March 18th. The first is at the Minden Hills Branch of the Haliburton County Public Library at 10:30am and the second is at the Dysart Branch at 1:30pm. These concerts are free and everyone is welcome.

Contact: Sue Robinson

Tel: 705-457-2241
Email: srobinson@haliburtonlibrary.ca
www.haliburtonlibrary.ca

Food and Fellowship with a St. Patrick’s Day Irish Stew and Biscuit Dinner at the
Minden United Church

March 17, 2010

Come and join us for an evening of food and fellowship! Adults $12, Children, 6-12 yrs. $5, Pre-schoolers free. $30 for Family of 4 or more. Tickets available at Minden PHARMASAVE in advance, or at the door, or by calling 286-2136 or 457-1424.

Minden United Church

21 Newcastle Street Minden

St. Patrick's Day Irish Stew and Biscuit Dinner at the Minden United Church

Contact: Janet Heffer

Tel: 705-286-2136

Email: janet.heffer@gmail.com

An example of "pocket art." There are many ways to approach creating artist trading cards. This example is from 'How to Paint Sparkling Ocean'.

March Break: Artist Trading Cards Afternoon Drop In
March 17-19 2010

You and your family can become part of a world wide trading card phenomenon! Tomorrow Wednesday, March 17 as well as Thursday & Friday from 1-3 p.m., we’ll be making and trading artist trading cards at the Rails End. Just like baseball cards in size, these individually made works of art are being collected all over the planet by young and old. Catch the creative wave as Gallery staff introduce you to techniques using pen/ink, watercolour and collage to create and embellish your cards. Fun for the whole family. Plan to spend some time at the Rails End on your March Break. All materials supplied. FREE

Email: info@railsendgallery.com

www.railsendgallery.com

Rails End Gallery & Arts Centre

23 York Street Haliburton
Contact: Laurie Jones

Tel: 705-457-2330

Thanks to “What’s Happening in the Haliburton Highlands for the great, informative newsletter!”

An example of “pocket art.” Image above is from ‘How to Paint Sparkling Ocean.’

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Maple Lake Haliburton Highlands Short Term Weather 3.12.10

Haliburton Highlands Weekend Weather 3.12.10

Welcome to your weekend!

It seems that the not-spring-yet thaw is going to continue through next week. If you take a look at a number of the photos above (be sure to click through for the full size) you’ll see substantial melting of lakes and rivers as well as some very soggy-looking ski areas.

Today- Friday started with a bit of sun but as the day wore on showers moved in. They are forecast to continue overnight though only a ‘trace’  of precipitation will accumulate. The high today was 50°F and the low tonight will be 30°F.

Haliburton Highlands – Maple Lake Long Term Weather 03.13–03.18.10

Looking at tomorrow–Saturday expect isolated showers and a high temperature of 45°F. Overnight the low will be to a rather warm 37°F. Only a ‘trace’  of precipitation will accumulate on Saturday.

On Sunday, March 14, expect cloudiness and showers, a high temp of 37°F and an overnight low of  36°F.  There may be 0.1 inch of rain accumulated.

For the start of the traditional work-week on Monday there is variable cloudiness in the forecast with a high of 50°F.  The overnight low is expected to drop to 29°F.

Tuesday looks like a bright, sunny day with a spring-like high temperature of 52°F. Overnight, expect a low of 27°F.

Wednesday brings another sunny day with a high of 50°F. The low overnight  is expected to be 27°F.

Thursday is expected to have cloudy periods though no rain with a high temperature of 50°F.  The overnight low should be 27°F.

'Linked'

Rails End Gallery & Arts Centre presents “Linked”, an exhibition of work by students in the Fleming College Visual and Creative Arts Diploma Class.

“Linked” gives insight into the progressive nature of student work that is at turns playful, pensive and sometimes challenging to get a handle on — and that’s ok! This is the second year in a row the Rails End has presented a peek at the inner world of VCAD.

The show runs from February 27 until March 17. You can meet the artists at a reception on Thurday, March 11 from 5-7 or stop by the Gallery Wednesday through Saturday from 11-5. For upcoming events at the Rails End visit www.railsendgallery.com.

Four thousand-two hundred trees will be planted throughout Haliburton County through the partnership of Patient News Publishing with Haliburton Highlands Stewardship Council through the Council’s Tree Planting Program. Patient News Publishing…is committed to environmental stewardship in all facets of their business operations. In addition to their current use of 100% FSC certified paper, Patient News Publishing has made a further commitment to planting trees with HHSC. The Haliburton Highlands Stewardship Council, a community organization comprised of generous local volunteers, dedicate themselves throughout the year to promote and support responsible stewardship of natural resources in Haliburton County, and deliver programs such as the Tree Planting Program.

The Tree Planting Program is designed for Haliburton landowners who are interested in reforesting their properties, restoring or enhancing biodiversity, preventing shoreline erosion, or simply creating wildlife habitat in their woodlots and shorelines with trees native to Haliburton’s seed zone. Patient News Publishing, in a generous effort to contribute to the stewardship of Haliburton’s natural resources while offsetting their environmental costs, is – in addition to planting trees – subsidizing 50% of every landowner’s tree order!

If you would like more information, or would like to apply by the deadline of March 15th, please contact Tracey with the Stewardship Council at 705-286-5205 or or hhsc.intern@gmail.com or to download the application online visit www.ontariostewardship.org/haliburton.

Southern Ontario Short Term Weather 3.5-6.10

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Welcome to the first weekend of March!

From some of today’s Southern Ontario webcam photos it looks like there’s (been) a thaw in parts of Southern Ontario. Definitely in Reach Harbour and in Haliburton.

And so yep (I checked), this big thaw in the Haliburton Highlands area and other areas is continuing through next week!

The spring transition is always such an active, shifting weather time.

Haliburton Highlands – Maple Lake Long Term Weather

Short-term weather Haliburton Highlands. Tonight–Friday night was clear and with low of 11°F or so. Chilly!

Sunny skies will greet you both waking up and through the day on Saturday temperatures will be mild, climbing  to 43°F with sunny skies lasting until early afternoon. The temperature steadily declines until at midnight it is expected to be clear and 27°F . Then a big change occurs. Around 1 a.m. fog moves in with patchy fog with denser fog  mixed in in certain areas. Temperatures will be around 27 °F.

Sunday morning through mid-day will be sunny with nice temperatures going from 29°F up to 43°F during the day until a shift around 6 pm with clear skies moving to variable periods of cloudiness and temperatures falling to 26°F overnight on Sunday.

Haliburton Highlands Long Term Weather Forecast 3.5-3.12.10

Haliburton Highlands Weekend Weather and Long Term Weather Forecast – 3.05.10 – 3.12.10

Lake Nipissing Sunset (3.5.10) North Bay, Ontario, Canada (northwest of the Highlands)

Monday, expect cloudy periods but still above normal ‘thaw’ temperatures of 41°F. The overnight low on Monday is forecast to be 26°F. There’s a pattern of freeze overnights and thaws during the daylight hours for most of the week so watch out for ice patches–all potentially dangerous ice, actually.

Tuesday willy be sunny with a high of 36°F and an overnight low of 17°F. It seems the nights are normal but the daytime temps are above, right?

Wednesday is the second of at least a four of sunny days in a row (1). Expect the high on Wednesday to be 36°F and the low temp overnight–same as last night– 17°F.

Thursday is sunny with a high of 34°F and an overnight low of 18°F.

The beginning of next weekend is starting off on a sunny note with a high of 41°F. Overnight lows will be 26°F.

Have a great week!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of AccuWeather. All opinions are 100% mine.

Maple Lake Ontario sunset

Ah, the weather. Any day now it will act nicely and then another day and so on until there may be a string of lovely days. The catch? Right now the calendar says that it is only early March. But too late–we will have been lulled into the notion that spring! is! here! Even though I know better, I will get on the bandwagon too, pounding the drums of joyousness in solidarity. I’ll probably even go for a spin in my Mustang GT convertible, top down.

If only it would stay this way, continuously moving closer to better weather. But rudely,  reality does intrude. We don’t like to think such thoughts but when the inevitable occurs we are bummed because “the weather sucks.” And it seems to suck more because we’ve enjoyed such delicious samples of the yumminess that is spring only to get  a strong  shove back into reality.

Yes, reality. It seems much more than a concept when it rains for a week straight and you’ve just about forgotten what the sun looks like.
Not that anyone needs reminding, but for me, I will continue to relish the good days, acknowledge the “bad” and try not to let thinking about the “weather” monopolize too much of my time–which brings me to the AccuWeather website. I use an online weather resource every single day–at least a couple times each day because I live in an area where winter weather is not to be trifled with. During a Midwestern winter you need to be dressed properly, your car needs to be fully winterized, you have to know how the weather is impacting traffic–there are so many considerations one must take into account before walking out the front door. The AccuWeather site can help me with each concern so I can feel confident that my family and I are fully prepared to take on whatever Mother Nature send our way.

At the newly redesigned AccuWeather site it is super easy to find what you want to know because the site has been redesigned with ease of use a top priority, whether it is tabbed browsing, a clean, low-clutter page or a variety of new lifestyle areas like one I especially enjoy–Weather and Home and Garden. I didn’t expect to find helpful information about Home and Garden Shows but there is was. Nice touch, AccuWeather!

The Dorset Recreation Centre has announced a new day for it’s FREE Moms & Tots Playgroup.

The Moms and Tots Playgroup is now meeting on Tuesdays from 10am to 12pm.

All infants, toddlers and preschool-aged children and their caregivers are welcome to to participate in this free weekly program.
Playgroup is a time for some fun and socializing with other kids & adults. Toys, books, crafts and more are provided free of charge by the Dorset Recreation Centre. The Moms and Tots Playgroup is self run so please bring your own beverages and snacks.

For more information, call Cheryl at 705-766-0874.

Dorset Recreation Centre
1051 Main Street, Box 99 Dorset

Email: drc@algonquinhighlands.ca

This is a non-sponsored post done as a community service for the Haliburton Highlands.
Special thanks to the fine folks who author the What’s Happening This Week! newsletter.

Sidney Crosby wins gold for Canada. (Photo credit: Doug Mills/New York Times)

The depth and breadth of hockey’s place in Canadian culture can be hard to fathom beyond the borders. But it now might be heard, echoing from the north, thanks to a 3-2 overtime victory over the United States in the final event of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

To hear Canadians tell it, the hockey gold medal has come home, where it belongs.

Canada did not win as many medals as it had hoped at these Olympics, which closed on Sunday night, but it won more golds (14) than any country in history. The last, an emphatic exclamation point on the 2010 Vancouver Games, will be collectively cherished more than any other.

This, after all, is a country whose $5 bill has a scene of children playing hockey on a pond, with a quotation from the short story “The Hockey Sweater,” by Roch Carrier:

“The winters of my childhood were long, long seasons. We lived in three places — the school, the church and the skating rink — but our real life was on the skating rink.”

Hockey, the Canadian poet Richard Harrison once said, “is the national id.”

Continue reading this article at the The New York Times.

Roberto Luongo w/ victory flag (Photo credit :NYTimes/Stalknecht)

Team Canada Olympic hockey team wins gold/ Photo credit: Doug Mills, NY Times

It is really hard not to gloat.

The men I live with were rather smug about Canada’s loss to the U.S. earlier in the competition. They felt quite sure that the US had a lock on the gold.

There was never a doubt in my mind that Canada would take home the hockey gold. The world’s record 14 gold medals  for Canada is the fudgey chocolate icing on my Nanaimo bar.

Feb 26th, 2010- It’s been the stormiest week of the year so far for Southern Ontario.
Read on to see what else Mother Nature has in store for this weekend and the upcoming first week of March, 2010.

Haliburton Highlands Weekend Weather 2.26.10

Weekend Weather Forecast Haliburton Highlands - Maple Lake 2.26-27.10

Welcome to your weekend!

This evening Friday expect cloudiness with clear breaks and a temperature of 29°F. Overnight there will be scattered flurries with a rather mild low of 27°F.

Saturday morning calls for continued scattered flurries with a temperature of 29°F. Scattered flurries continue through Saturday afternoon. It will be unseasonably warm with temperatures climbing to 34°F. Saturday overnight expect variable cloudiness with a few flurries and a low of 26°F.

Haliburton Highlands – Maple Lake Long Term Weather 02.28–03.05.10 (below)

Haliburton Highlands Long Term Weather Forecast 2.28 - 3.5.10

Variable cloudiness returns on Sunday with temperatures still on the warm side at 34°F. Overnight, expect temps to slip to 26°F.

Variable cloudiness opens the month of March on Monday.  The high temperature is forecast to be 29°F.  The overnight low is expected to be 24°F.

Tuesday ushers in cloudy periods and a high of 32°F.  The overnight low will drop to 22°F.

Wednesday returns to a familiar theme of variable cloudiness and a high of 29°F.  The overnight lows continues to be lower as the week progresses. Expect Wednesday’s nighttime low to be 18°F.

Thursday will be a sunny day!  High temps on Thursday are forecast to be 24°F. The low overnight drops to 11°F.

Friday will be mainly sunny day with a high of 27°F and an overnight low of 13°F.

Have a great week!

Be sure to CLICK to enlarge the web cam photos below taken today Friday, February 26, 2010