‘Tis The Season for Seeds, Scams and Super Sales 

As soon as the Holidays are over, I’m yearning for Spring.  I’m not a winter person!  That’s when the seed and plant catalogues start arriving in the mail.  

I think the first one came on January 2 this year.  Heck, it was only two weeks into official winter.  I keep telling my spouse that he shouldn’t even give me the bulb advertisements, but he doesn’t listen.  

He will when he sees the credit card charge for the beautiful “order now, pay later” flowers for our yard. 

It is now and has ever been in our village that there are some folks who start their own seedlings in late winter and early Spring.  I be not one of them preferring to let the nursery in Monticello do all the hard work for me.  

But for those who do like to start their garden plants that way, there will be a seed exchange this Saturday at the Community Center.  It all gets underway at 10 a.m. and goes until 2 p.m.  So, if you have seeds to trade, this is your time and place.  

The event also includes a community market.  The folks behind this are the same ones who participate in the Farmer’s Market in spring and summer.  Booths are available for craft vendors at $5.00 each.  For more information, contact mothercluckerfarm@gmail.com.   

The folks at the La Sal Literary Guild met on January 31 to discuss their latest read: “Uranium Girls”.  This was non-fiction and an account of young women – mostly in their late teens, who painted luminous watch and clock faces from just prior to WWI and into the 1930s. 

The lumination came from the radium with which they painted.  Many suffered horribly from radium poisoning, dying in their early to mid 20s.  

It also details their fight for compensation from the companies for whom they had worked who told them there was no danger from the radium.  

It was a tough read.  I’d tell you about our discussion but it fell in that time continuum between writing this column and you reading it. 

Hanging with some of my gal pals, the idea of a community Valentines Day Dance was bandied about.  It sounded like fun as we’ve not done such a thing in a while.  So, stay tuned, we may be tapping our toes with our sweethearts in a couple of weeks. 

If it’s the beginning of a new year, it must be time for the Publishers Clearing House (PCH) drawing.  Events like this also bring out the scammers in abundance.  

Little Sierra La Sal is not so remote that scammers can’t find us.  Gotta love the internet!  So, beware.  Unless you see some celebrity carrying an oversized check with your name on it approaching your front door, you probably didn’t win no matter what some scammer tries to tell you. 

Last year, my sweetie and I decided that, well, someone really does win these things, so why not us!?  Yes, I know the chances of getting hit by lightning are greater than winning this sweepstakes.  But we were lured into returning our PCH almost “guaranteed” winner entry that came in the mail.  

Even though “no purchase is necessary” to enhance the chances of winning, we thought it couldn’t hurt to buy a couple of their touted products.  I could always use one more cute purse, says I.  

It was another one of those great deals that includes an undisclosed amount for shipping and handling.  Yikes, it’s how much!?  You only find out after you’ve ordered and get the receipt.  

Not only that, the emails and snail mails from PCH keep pouring in, assuring you that you are on the final winner’s list.  I didn’t think these guys would ever go away!  

Finally, however they did only to start up again at the beginning of this year.  That entry was sent to file 13 ASAP.  Not doing that again. 

So, don’t fall for scams, don’t return the entry form that’s almost a sure-fire winner, and, if it ever rains again, you may want to stay inside away from the lightning.