SNOW: Maybe the last storm of the season

The few inches of snow we had on March 3 into March 4 was what's known as an "onion snow." According to Susan Higgins of the "Farmers' Almanac," the term is of Pennsylvania Dutch origin and "refers to a snowfall that occurs after the spring onions have been planted, and comes right as they are sprouting. Others say that this late spring snow is an indicator for when it’s a good time to start planting onions. Either way, the snowfall is defined as light and melts quickly, and is usually the final snowfall" of the winter.
The term "sapling bender" is another Pennsylvania Dutch term referring to a late-season snow, she notes.

SHREK: A big, bright, beautiful world

"Shrek the Musical" was adorable. I am consistently amazed at the high quality of the shows that Unionville High School puts on. As a former high-school theater person myself, I know full well how many hours went into putting on a show as elaborate as this one, with such a large cast, creative costumes (Lord Farquaad's floppy legs!), and tricky lighting and sound effects. The acting, singing and dancing were wonderful; special kudos to Ethan Pan, whose supremely confident, over-the-top campy performance as the donkey kept us amused throughout.
The swamp backdrops, Shrek's hut and Princess Fiona's tower were beautifully designed, and the on-stage campfire was a great touch. The extended stage allowed the actors to walk (or dance, or sashay) out in front of the orchestra.
I liked the message in the program from the director and conductor, G. Scott Litzenberg: "The social message in this show is very strong in so many ways: not judging people by your first impression of them, not assuming something about a person due to their looks, accepting who each other is, and accepting ourselves for who we are."

CHESHIRE: The new huntsman

Congratulations to Barry Magner, the new huntsman for Mr. Stewart's Cheshire Foxhounds. He will be filling the boots of Ivan Dowling.
Here is the press release that the Hunt released on March 4:
"The Cheshire Foxhounds are pleased to announce the hiring of Barry Magner as their Huntsman beginning with the 2016-2017 hunting season. Magner, a native of County Limerick, Ireland, has lived in the United States for 12 years. He was previously Huntsman for the Middleburg Hunt in Virginia, and the Howard County-Iron Bridge Hounds in Maryland. He has spent the 2015-2016 season whipping in for the Cheshire.
Barry also comes from a true fox hunting family in Ireland. His brother Mervyn whips in for the Beaver Meadow Hounds in Canada, and his brother Brendan is the whipper-in and Chairman of the Stonehall Harriers in Limerick. He also has two first cousins who are huntsmen in Ireland.
Magner takes the place of Ivan Dowling, who has been the Cheshire Huntsman for the past 12 seasons, and who is leaving his position to pursue other interests in the Unionville, PA area.
Sanna Neilson, Joint Master of the Cheshire, said, "We are delighted that Barry has agreed to be our Huntsman for next season. We were very sad that Ivan decided to move on, but we certainly understood, and we feel Barry will make a very good Huntsman for many seasons to come."
Anne Moran, the other Joint Master, said, "The fact that Barry has been able to spend a season whipping in for the Cheshire and working closely with Ivan all season means he not only has gotten a real feel for the Cheshire country, but we have seen him both with hounds and riding cross country, and we have every confidence that he will be an outstanding Huntsman. Sanna and I look forward to introducing Barry to our many landowners in the coming months."
He will officially take over as Huntsman at the end of the current season, which ends March 31, 2016."

NEW GARDEN: It's only temporary

The Dunkin' Donuts shop on the west side of Kennett was closed on March 1, 2, and 3, but only for renovations. It reopened Friday, March 4, and it's amazing how much work was done during those three days: the interior looks brand-new. Check out the digital menu boards above the donut case!
While it was closed, one store regular wrote to me in near-panic wanting to know what was going on and how she was supposed to function without her morning bagel and iced tea. By the time I stopped in, they had put up a sign informing customers what was going on.

 

WEST MARLBOROUGH: Continuing parking problems at the Whip

At the March 1 meeting of the West Marlborough Township supervisors, three Springdell residents told the board that patrons at the Whip tavern are parking on their properties and littering.
Chester "Chick" Rogers said one bar patron parked on his property and even gave him a hard time when he told him to leave.
Ron Heath, who lives next to the tavern, said patrons moved the rocks he put up on his property to keep people from parking there. He said he has noticed that most of the patrons are not "locals."
Brian Gouge said, "I've never dealt with what I'm dealing with now ... It's really become a hassle."
Bill Wylie, the supervisors' chairman, told the residents that he sympathized with their plight and assured them that "we're working on it."
The parking problem at the Whip has been an ongoing source of conflict in the township. Mr. Wylie said issuing parking tickets doesn't seem to work, as customers consider it to be simply part of the evening's cost.

UNIONVILLE: Mink sighting in West Marlborough

Driving home at night, I'm always careful to scan the roadsides for those telltale reflections from the eyes of creatures (it has to do with a light-reflecting surface in their eyes called the tapetum lucidum). We're accustomed to seeing deer (herds of them this winter!), opossums, skunks and squirrels, but on Saturday night at about 9:30 we encountered an animal we didn't recognize at all. It was all black and had a slim body and a full tail, like an elongated squirrel. It crossed in front of us and was a quick little runner. As soon as we got home we checked out Internet videos and came to the conclusion that it was a mink.
I asked friends on social media if that was possible, and learned that yes, minks do live around here. I heard about sightings on Frog Hollow Road, Hicks Road, Laurel Road, Tapeworm Road, and Route 100, and retired Unionville teacher Don Silknitter said he had spotted two just that day in his yard at Rokeby Hollow.