Urgent alert! The Lincoln County Animal Shelter is asking for help repairing and replacing damaged sills, door frames, rusting animal cages, stopping leaks in pipes, and all the other miseries of aging buildings, so hard used.

If you are willing to volunteer your carpentry or plumbing skills, your time or money donations toward this end, please get in touch with Ben Rand, assistant to the manager, at 207-882-9677 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays.

The Center for Teaching and Learning, Edgecomb's innovative private grammar school, is holding its Winter Open House on Sunday, Feb. 9, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. CTL is located on Cross Point Road.

The Stable Gallery is calling for artists and fine craftsmen to apply for gallery space during the summer of 2014. Their deadline is March 1. Susie Stephenson and Bob Thomas are two Edgecombers in the Stable's stable. The website is www.stablegallerymaine.com, where application forms can be down-loaded and printed. Be sure to include a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

Check out the Damariscotta River Association's Winter Party, Sunday, Feb. 2, noon to 3 p.m. Call 207-563-1393 or visit www.damariscottariver.org for more information. If you want a Nordic Ski Clinic time slot, call them soon, sooner, soonest. Weather date is Sunday, Feb. 16. Ditto if you want to enter the Sheepscot Valley Conservation Association's 2nd Annual Chili Cook-Off, and RSVP by February 7 for the SVCA's Volunteer Appreciation and Recruitment Evening and 2nd Annual Chili Cook Off on Wednesday, Feb. 12 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the SVCA Office on Sheepscot Road in Newcastle. Please contact Kristin@sheepscot.org very soon, as they are accepting only eight entries this year.

Esperanza Stanicoff of UM's Co-op Extension will present the third in SVCA's Citizen Scientist lecture series on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 6:30 p.m. Her topic will be "Signs of the Season: A New England Phenology Program," how to gather seasonal data related to climate change. A follow-up training workshop is scheduled for Saturday, March 22.

If you prefer interior activities on your Sundays, consider the Lincoln County Historical Association's winter lecture series, starting this coming Sunday, Feb. 2, with Ken Hamilton, cultural historian, on Native American life in the Colonial Period. Subsequent speakers will be Peggy Konitzky of Historic New England, Edgecomb writer Lea Wait, and Linda Novak of Old Fort Western. All lectures will start at 1 p.m. in the 9-1-1 Building behind the Lincoln County Courthouse. Sunday, March 2, is the weather date if any of these lectures need to be canceled.

Flowers of the Forest: Let us salute the passing of T. Marie McLellan, who was living at Edgecomb Green, and send our condolences to her family. Contributions in her memory may be made to Edgecomb Green, 31 Cross Point Road, Edgecomb ME 04556.

Laudatory Lane: Congrats to Johanna Neeson, L.A.'s sophomore of the month of December 2013. A fine way to wind up the year! Congrats to Mitch Boucher who has been accepted at the University of Southern Maine. All hail the Wiscasset Public Library's new Children's Librarian! Natalie Castonia has accepted the position.

Just when you thought seasonal celebrations were over, here comes the Chinese Year of the Horse, starting January 31! And before you know it, it will be Groundhog Day. In the United Kingdom, it is Badger Day. I wonder what's the name of the English equivalent to Punxatawny Phil? February 2 is also Candlemas, which occurs midway between the December solstice and the March equinox, but it celebrates Jesus' first presentation to the Temple. It is also celebrated as Saint Bridgids Day.

Sitting with an umbrella over the nearest groundhog hole at 234 River Road, 207-633-2978, and jocam@tidewater.net.