• A young woman, returning home late after her job finished, refrained from turning on the lights in the house so as not to disturb the rest of the household. She squeezed some toothpaste onto her toothbrush and started brushing her teeth. She gasped in astonishment, gagged and spat out the vile-tasting “stuff ” that she had in her mouth. Having created enough commotion to awaken the sleepers, she turned on the light and discovered to her horror that she had been brushing her teeth with Voltaren – the anti-inflammatory prescribed for her sore back.

• A venerable couple who pride themselves on being mobile found themselves in a situation at an airport where taking a wheelchair was a speedy alternative. It was suggested that this might be the only recourse since their flight had been delayed and they had little time to catch their connection. They were rushed like crazy through the airport by two young lads and much as they enjoyed the ride and caught their flight, one of their bags wasn’t as lucky.

• A flock of between 10 – 15 Evening Grosbeaks has been making a welcome but somewhat unexpected comeback in the Foster/West Bolton area. These birds have been absent in this vicinity, except for brief visits, for many years.

• Should you look over the bridge on Maple Street in Knowlton, or take the walking path between Maple and Knowlton Academy, you will be treated to the sight of about 100 or more Mallards either swimming in the Coldbrook Stream or snoozing on the bank. An increasing number of ducks seem to be staying in the Lac Brome area for the winter instead of flying south. No matter how cold the temperature, there are always spots to be found where the water is running fast enough that it doesn’t freeze. This, coupled with the fact that certain soft-hearted people feed them, gives the ducks the chance to resist becoming “snowbirds” and to be semi-domesticated.