There are all kinds of signs of the changing weather. As snow disappeared around our houses, wood piles grew back, mounds of new split wood in need of stacking or full length ready for cutting and splitting. Smart to get a start on next season’s heat so soon.

Hope you’re looking forward to Easter. I haven’t even glanced at yellow Peeps, but not sure how long I can resist. On Saturday, April 19, a wonderful event for families will take place at the Wiscasset Community Center. Youngsters (especially kids in grade four and younger) will have fun finding colorful eggs in the very popular Easter Egg Hunt. Check-in is at 10:45 a.m. Please bring $2 per child and baskets or some kind of container for your children.

Are you a busy high school student? Do you want help finding the right college, need a trusted guide to help you through the application process, and like working outdoors? If this sounds like you, Wendy Thompson of Westport Educational Consulting, would like to trade college counseling services for yard work (a plus if you have your own lawnmower, but not required). Wendy's experience includes 12 years on the Bowdoin College admissions staff and 11 years helping students navigate the college search and selection process. Sounds like a neat way to trade services! To contact her, call 207-882-9932 or email westporteducationalconsulting@gmail.com.

About 20 folks enjoyed Kyle’s talk about composting on Sunday; it was a mini-science class, a bunch of practical advice about soil, bugs and plants, and a photo tour of the beautiful and busy Squire Tarbox farm tended by Kyle, Angie, their boys and the crew. The handout was really excellent, with info on best times to plant different veggies, differences between ecological and conventional gardening, chemistry lessons on pH, carbon and nitrogen (which we paid attention to!), and we all learned how easy it is to make compost in a variety of ways. Kyle also convinced us to be friends with certain bugs. A related topic made me think that Van Reid might weave this into one of his stories — the export/import exchange of porcupines within the county! ’Nuff said.

Are you looking at a garage or mudroom full of stuff you’re done with: old toys, tools, books, or snow gear? Plans are underway for a town-wide yard sale on June 7. More info will be coming out soon, but this sounds like a way for many Westporters to recycle and make a few dollars, and instead of advertising a single yard sale, we’ll work together to attract a whole bunch of shoppers to the island.

Big celebration in Bath last Saturday; congrats to the hardworking men and women from town, part of the BIW team who helped build the USS Zumwalt.

Doesn’t take too much of a pool of freshwater to make a home for a gazillion (or what sounds like a gazillion) peepers. I appreciate their evening cheer to us sometimes cranky humans, helping to celebrate slightly warmer and longer days. Crocuses spotted at mewbarnes2@yahoo.com. What’s popping up in your yard?