ATLAS CRESTS FOR SALE

For all those who want to proudly display the fact that they support the Maritimes Breeding Bird Atlas, a shoulder patch has been made-up that depicts their logo - a Black-throated Green Warbler. This handsome three colour crest is embroidered with a burgundy border and lettering with a green bird on a yellow background.

The purchase of this crest is a great way to support the Atlas, both financially and visibly. For only $3 ($5 for 2), the Atlas staff will send you one of these crests, postage and handling included. Order now as there are only 150 and they expect them to go fast. The actual crest is about 8 centimeters (3 inches for those of us still in English) in diameter.

WINTER CAN BE A LITTLE HARROHING by Evelyn Meader

With the arrival of the snow and frost filled months the gardener's weeding and watering chores drift toward scraping and shovelling duties. Instead of onions, squash and potatoes filling the wheelbarrow, its snow blobs, chunks and mounds loading a large scoop. The harrow is stored with the hoe but nevertheless harrowing is still a facet of life blasted with attacks of freezing rain and blizzard snows.

Just to keep the growth syndrome percolating I don't stop gardening cold turkey when the calendar reads "December". The cultivating addiction is not easily weeded out.

Each fall two of my cherry tomato plants are relocated from the garden, in roomy pots, to the south facing glass door by our deck. Here they sprout toward the ceiling like Jack's giant-finding bean stalk. All winter they produce sweet, red edible gems. We call the regulars "Tiny Tims" and the miniatures "Wee Wendys" after our friends of differing stature, Tim and Wendy McCoy.

We have other potted munchies. I can still hear a luncheon guest exclaiming, as I chopped some parsley and snipped some chives from my two kitchen window pots into a salad, "She's feeding us house plants now!" The African violets escape a salad safari. The pigeOn plant, never wingy, just hangs loose. The spider plants, if they lived up to their name, could have a feast of cluster flies on warm days. If you listened carefully you might hear them say, "Time's fun when you're having flies."

In the basement, in more south facing windows, are ten blooming pots. Geraniums, carnations and one grapefruit tree will move back outside come June. Snow season cultivation means, watering and feeding the plants, weeding out stray grasses, trimming dead leaves, tasting tiny tomatoes and waiting for incarcerated spring to be sprung.

PRESIDENT URGES “CLEAN UP THE BEACHES"

Patrick Nootton, the President of the Natural History Society, suggested that the Society become involved with a "Clean up the Beaches" campaign this

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