Thank God winter is officially behind us.
Before we put the season in the rearview mirror, we had to get past what seems like a month or more of St. Patrick’s events.
I must say, nobody celebrates St. Patrick’s Day like Greater Pittstonians. It really should be a national holiday for our area.
Working for the Sunday Dispatch, I start to receive items from the Greater Pittston Friendly Sons of St. Patrick at the end of January and early February to push the annual St. Patrick’s Day dinner.
I start to receive information on the St. Patrick’s Pub Crawl and the Little Miss and Mister Leprechaun Contest early as well. A lot of these events need time to be announced so people can plan their calendars around the events.
Next up for me is the special St. Patrick edition for the Sunday Dispatch, where I have to gather information on the parade line-up, write a special St. Patrick column, and interview, photograph, and write up an article on the grand marshal.
When that is all done, then there is parade day coverage, shooting the parade and anything else related to the event, such as the Little Leprechaun contest.
When that is all over, we head into the Greater Pittston Sons of St. Patrick wheelhouse when they have their annual dinner and the annual Woman of the Year dinner as well.
For those counting, this year was their 112th annual dinner. Now that’s a strong organization to be active for 112 years.
As of Friday, we finally said goodbye to one of the nastiest winters we’ve had in a long time.
This past winter reminded me of the winters we had when I was a child — cold, snowy, and just not fun.
We’ve been used to getting snow, then a warm-up for it to melt, then another snowfall, another warm-up, and that cycle has been the norm for a long time. It wasn’t unusual to have bare ground in the middle of winter, but this year was different.
I believe we had a 12” snowfall followed by deep, cold temperatures, making it impossible for the snow to melt.
Just knowing we transitioned from winter to spring on the calendar is liberating. It’s a psychological thing for me.
Two weeks ago, we had a tease when the temperatures hit the upper 70s, and it felt great. Flowers started to rise from the ground, only to be fooled when temperatures returned to normal with the cold.
You can tell it’s officially spring season, because all the spring advertisements have begun.
Retail stores have spring items for sale, such as lawn furniture, flower seeds, hoses, and garden tools.
Robins are out chirping away, and it is sort of pleasant, not the annoying sound when you are deep into summer.
Spring sports have begun, even though field conditions are not great, plus it’s still pretty chilly out there. Covering spring sports comes with its challenges, especially when it’s windy and cold while holding a camera.
My good friend and friend to all creatures, John Ackourey, has been making videos under his Facebook page, “John Ackourey’s The WildSide.”
John has been specializing in emergency rescue/capture/transport of wildlife, domesticated, and exotic creatures.
He will humanely remove wasps, hornets, yellow jackets, and Honey Bees. John is about making a positive difference for all creatures and the territories they roam.
John will get all kinds of calls at all hours of the day or night for animal removals or rescues.
His main concern is treating creatures with care and saving their lives.
I’ve called him for bats and squirrels in my attic and have gone to great lengths to save the animals and, when possible, relocate them.
Check out his latest video on Facebook. They are always informative and to the point, and never too long that you would get bored.
Winter yard flags are being exchanged for colorful spring flags.
All the hardware stores and garden centers are preparing to get mulch and other lawn and garden items out and ready.
The West Pittston Cherry Blossom Festival is around the corner, and committee meetings have accelerated, with plans being set for Saturday, May 2, and Sunday, May 3, on the Susquehanna River bank off Luzerne Ave.
Organizers tell me this may be the last year the festival will be held at this location for two reasons.
The first is that it may move to the site of the former West Pittston Armory, where there will be ample space for activities.
The second reason is that the bridgework will start making it nearly impossible to hold a festival at the base of the bridge on Luzerne Ave.
I’m not entirely sure what the long-term plans are for the former Armory site, but utilizing it for the Cherry Blossom Festival and future borough events would be of good use. The only downfall is the lack of parking spaces.
With that said, there have been plenty of events held at the Armory, and parking never seemed to be an issue.
I hope West Pittston Borough officials will think this one out and plan accordingly for future use.
Well, everyone, think spring.
Quote of the week
“How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these.” —George Washington Carver
Thought of the week
“Life’s tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late.” —Benjamin Franklin
Bumper sticker
“Surprise is the greatest gift which life can grant us.” —Boris Pasternak