Susan Jacques 

• Two grandmothers were having a chat when one remarked that she always sent a cheque to each grandchild for Christmas. However, she was contemplating stopping this practice since they never sent her a “thank you” note or acknowledged the receipt of the money but they did cash the cheque. The other grandmother responded by saying that she also sent her grandchildren a cheque but, on the contrary, they not only acknowledged the gift but usually came for a visit within a few days. The first grandmother was astounded by this and asked for her magic formula which was: “I forget to sign the cheques.” 

• A pair of robins were spotted in Knowlton on February 14th. A local resident was astounded to see robins so early in the year and was concerned about what they were going to eat since there were no worms available. She wondered if they were befuddled by the thought of Valentine’s Day and had flown in the wrong direction. On further research this avid birder learned that not all robins are “snowbirds.” They can adapt to frigid temperatures by changing their diet and, if food is readily available, they will not go south. 

• One morning this winter, a West Bolton couple glanced out their front window and were surprised to see a strange car parked in the driveway. It was not a car they recognized at all and its appearance during the hard short days of January threw the pair for a loop. What is it and how did it get here was one of the more logical statements about the situation, devolving into theories about a stolen sedan dumped on the property, most probably with a body in the trunk. A call to the non-emergency department of the local SQ came next, with the license plate numbers, and the real story soon fell into place. The police called the car owner in North Hatley, who explained that her husband had taken her car for a job way up Paramount on Mt. Foster. He had left the car in their driveway to get a ride in a four by four to the job site. As all the participants were close friends, the mystery was considered solved.