Harley Farms plans to host day of winter fun

Winter is welcome at Harley Farms in Otonabee, and so are you, particularly on Dec. 9., when the local food outlet on Heritage Line hosts a day of gathering from nature’s bounty, a walk in the woods and a tour of the organic farm operation.

Dress for the weather and bring pruners or snippers and a medium-sized container. The fun runs from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tickets for adults are $10, youth 5 to 14 $6, 5 and under free. A family pass for two adults and four children is $30. Tickets are available at Harley Farms at 1630 Heritage Line, Keene.

Villiers card parties

Euchre card parties at the Villiers Community Centre happen every Friday at 1 p.m., until Dec. 15. They resume in the New Year on Jan. 5, and with the exception of Good Friday on March 30, will continue until May 11, when it will be time to sit on the deck, rather than shuffle it.

Military members

The names on the cenotaphs in Otonabee and South Monaghan will be more than letters etched in stone after the next meeting of the Otonabee South Monaghan Historical Society.

Volunteers have researched, collected, scanned and compiled information and images about local folk who served in the two Great Wars. They will share their findings at the next meeting at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 28, in the Gayle Nelson Room at the Keene Library.

Reminders

Progressive euchre party, Fri., Nov. 17, 7 pm. Assumption Hall, 1834 Keene Rd. Refreshments, light lunch and cash prizes. Tickets $10, available at the door.

Pickleball, Mon. and Fri., 6:30 p.m., Keene United Church hall.

Wednesday Night Bingo, 6:30 p.m., Gold Room at the OSM arena. Hosted by Keene Lions Club.

A farmer’s diary

Otonabee farmer John Graham Weir and Lovina Victoria Tennyson celebrated their 50th anniversary at the height of World War I, on January 1, 1917. In a speech at their celebration, John declared that he was born too soon, and that if he was 50 years younger he would be fighting in France.

Here are some of his journal entries from the era of the First World War.

1914 Wed. Sept. 9

On account of the war news my journal has been greatly neglected.

1914 Sept. 18, Fri.

Today the Government agents were buying horses to send to the war in France.

1914 Oct. 30, Fri.

Today I went to town to try to sell a horse to the English buyers for the war but my horse was too young, only four.

1917 Nov. 15, Thurs.

I went with Joe Fitzgerald to Judge Huycke and D.W. Dumble’s Exemption Court. Joe got permission to remain at home so long as he remains on the farm. Very fine weather today.

1918 April 29, Mon.

This forenoon Michael Fitzgerald and his son Joe were here to get me to use all the influence I might have to get Joe exempted from military service. Of course if Joe had to go to war it would mean ruin for his old father and mother. The farm would have to go idle. I wrote a carefully prepared letter to our Dominion Member John A. Sexsmith, and I also went to lay his case before Judge Huycke.