Community

Oysterponds-Orient-East Marion: New exhibit by Annie Wildley

I guess I do need to develop better listening skills since Priscilla Bull said it was not this year, but a year or two ago, that she discovered the flock of red wings. Oops! My mistake.

But our bird dialogue isn’t dead, nor do I think it will be for a while. Orient Pointer Nat Licata called to report his sighting of two large grayish-colored egrets on the path on Narrow River Road, one on each end. He was concerned that they were injured or too old to fly and wanted me to ask where he should report this to help them. If my memory serves me correctly, which isn’t always the case these days, aren’t they there year round. No? Carol Taylor, want to chime in?

OHS announces ‘Getting Oriented,’ a new exhibit of work by William Steeple Davis artist-in-residence Annie Wildley. The free exhibit will run weekends from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Janet T. Swanson Gallery on Village Lane. There will be a members-only preview on Friday, Feb. 4, from 4 to 6 p.m.

This is your first call to get your tickets for the Orient Fire Department’s annual steak night, Saturday, Feb. 26, 6 to 9 p.m. The $30 tickets are available at the Orient Country Store, The Candyman or from any OFD member. It is a fun and tasty way to support your local vamps.

Here is February’s public service announcement: When snow is expected, please get your cars off the street so the plows can do an efficient job. (Let’s hope we won’t be expecting too much more snow.)

Many thanks to the volunteer shoveling angels who cleared the Village Lane sidewalks. That always conjures up the vision in my mind of octogenarian John Dorman faithfully and ritualistically doing that almost till he took his last breath. May we all hope he doesn’t have to shovel sidewalks or mow grass in heaven.

When I spoke to Billy Hands this week, I realized why older folks (including me) become snowbirds. He had the perfect way to describe the awful weather the East End has been experiencing: “Snow is tiring.” Walking becomes laborious, even trudging to get the mail from the mailbox is a chore. Billy described a car arriving for repair as a “popsicle” and as he works on it thaws and the cold water runs down his back. (That’s a great visual; maybe he’ll write a poem about it.)

I had a lovely visit by phone this morning with Orient summer resident Theresa Flower, who’s in Deerfield Beach. Unfortunately the reason for her call was to share the sad news that her husband, Harold, had died on Dec. 30. There are plans in the making for a summer memorial of some sort. I will share more next week.
Prayers of Thanksgiving for Betty Rowe, who is on the mend from back problems, and more to guide the hands of the surgeon who will attempt to do the same for Kevin Gallagher this week.