Spring announced her arrival Saturday morning with an exceptionally loud clash of thunder and lightning that got our attention very quickly and also shook us up as there had been no warning prior to it. There were several power outages reported in Steen but I have not heard of anywhere else. I think we are all anxious and ready for spring this year as it seems to me winter was very long. So, when I saw this caption on an article "Prepare For a Late Spring" it caught my curiosity, even though I did not like what it said! It aroused my curiosity and I hope it will arouse yours, too. Since we do not have any choice in its arrival I decided to find out "How come?" as the children would say. In case you are an old timer, or if there is one in your family, you no doubt know we are going to have a late spring! Why? Very simple! We have a late Easter this year, so unless you live in a warm climate, don’t hurry your garden and flower plantings and get them nipped by an early frost in May, for instance. Easter falls on April 11 this year. It is about as far into the spring as calculations ever permit. The latest it can be is April 25. Easter, 1886 fell on that date, and so did Easter 1941. The earliest Easter can come is March 22. It has not come on that date since 1818 and will not do so again during this century or the next century. Who knows when Easter will arrive in the coming years. But one thing we do know and that is when to plan on a late spring. So, all of you anxious green thumb gardeners will just have to start your plant and flowers indoors so they won’t be so late when summer comes. Good luck!Congratulations to Tara Boeve, daughter of Glen and Ann Boeve and Derek Venenga from Little Rock, Iowa, who were united in marriage at Steen Reformed Church Saturday afternoon. The reception was at the Beaver Creek Lodge Sunday afternoon where they opened their gifts. They plan to make their home at Ankeny, Iowa, where they are both employed. Orrin and Bernice Aukes and Lisa Telford, Sioux Falls, attended the Lawn and Garden Show at the Convention Center in Sioux Falls on Saturday. Margaret and Orville Harberts, George, Iowa, were Saturday evening callers in the Henrietta Huenink home. Congratulations to Arnold and Jane Bonnema who observed their 65th wedding anniversary on Sunday, March 21.Gregg and Anita Bosch and family, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, arrived Friday evening to attend the wedding of Anita’s sister, Tara, which was on Saturday in Steen. Orrin and Bernice Aukes were Wednesday noon dinner guests in the Gary and Marie Aukes home at Beaver Creek.The Steen Opportunity Extension Club met Tuesday afternoon at the Henrietta Boeve home. The lesson, "Cooking for One or Two," was presented by Jane Baker and Henrietta Boeve. Lucille Schouwenburg presented a craft lesson for the group. A supper was served by Jane Baker and Henrietta Boeve later in the evening for the club members. Steen Reformed Church had planned to present their musical, "Acorns to Oaks" by the junior choir Sunday evening. However, because of the severe thunderstorm on Saturday it had to be cancelled due to the lack of a speaking system. It will be given at a later date.April showers bring May flowers and it also brings April Fool’s Day which has been used for various jokes and tricks played upon others. However we don’t hear a lot about any special tricks or even jokes played on others happening around here of late. It could be that I just don’t hear about them. Sometimes I wonder how do these various customs get started. So, I will share a little history of April Fool’s with you.April Fool’s or All Fool’s Day is a holiday that has been kept alive for generations, mainly by the world’s sense of humor. No one knows for sure how it started, but there are a number of interesting legends about its origin. One legend attributes it to France before the Gregorian calendar was adopted in 1582. People were in the habit of paying visits to friends on April 1. When the new calendar shifted the custom to Jan. 1, mock visits continued on April 1, especially for those who had forgotten about the new calendar. The French expression meant for April Fool was "which meant a young fish easily caught."Today, railroad buffs yearning to ride behind the old iron horses from days of the steam, have several such trains to board in New York State. These are not commercial railroads but full-sized remnants of the age of steam preserved by train enthusiasts, and open to the public as tourist attractions at Sandy Creek, 50 miles north of Syracuse, N.Y., or Rail City, N.Y. There they operate steam trains and guided tours.Until recent years, the country people in some parts of England forecast the weather on Easter Sunday by putting a pail of water in an open space so that the first rays of the rising sun would fall upon it. If their reflection in the water was clear and steady, a summer of fine weather with good harvests was assured. If the reflection was uncertain and tremulous then a cold and wet summer could be expected and consequently, a poor harvest. According to the Illustrated Weekly of India "If a man makes a stupid mistake, men say, ‘What a fool that man is.’ If a woman makes a stupid mistake, men say, ‘What fools women are.’ " Hope you have a happy and fun April Fool’s Day! I thought I would let you make up your own tricks. Have fun!
