Don't forget to spring forward

It's early this year! Daylight Saving Time begins Sunday, March 8, at 2 a.m. Be sure to set your timepieces ahead one hour before you go to bed Saturday night.

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I know that some people find the weather boring, both as an event and as a topic of conversation. I find it interesting and exciting. We have had two extreme weather situations in Wilkes County is just nine days. First there was the tornado which wreaked havoc across Wilkes County (and other parts of the state) Wednesday, February 18. Then came the heavy rain on Friday, February 27, followed by a rare snowfall on Sunday, March 1, when we had snow from about 1:00 p.m. until well into the night. Most parts of Wilkes County reporting snow got one to two inches, but in nearby Oglethorpe and Clarke counties, five to six inches of the beautiful white stuff fell. As of Tuesday, parts of Oglethorpe and Clarke counties were still without electrical power. The Atlanta area was also hard hit.

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In the Tyrone area of the county,

Sonny Johnson says that from 11 a.m. Friday through Sunday night, his rain gauge registered a whopping 5.9 inches. Norris Ware on Hill Street in Washington reports 4.8 inches for the week for a total of 6.35 inches for February. Sonny's total rainfall for February was 7.086. The total for February 2008 was 5.433. His total for the first two months of 2009 is 10.988, compared to 9.222 in 2008. Norris' total so far for this year is 8.55.

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If there is anybody else in the county who keeps a rainfall record and who would be willing to report it by the week, I will be glad to have it. Just call me at 706-678-2636 before 5 p.m. on Monday.

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I apologize for calling Kermit's dog Duchess in a recent column. His name is actually Dutch and I knew it, but it got on the page as Duchess. He still enjoyed his hamburger and fries in spite of being called by the wrong name.

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The annual Spring Tour of Homes is fast approaching. As usual, The News-Reporter will be publishing a supplement about all the homes and tour activities. The supplement will be included in the April 2 issue of The News- Reporter. Mary Newsome and Tara Townsend are hard at work on advertisements which will be included. The deadline for submitting advertisements is Wednesday, March 11. If you are interested in an advertisement and have not yet been contacted, please call one of these ladies at 706-678-2636. We don't want to leave anybody out.

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I had an opportunity last week to experience first hand the services of Wills Memorial Hospital. I had a family member in the hospital and spent a good bit of time there. From Dr. David Kirk, to the nursing staff, the dietary staff, and all the way through the various service personnel, to the clean-up people,

everybody was most courteous, efficient, and caring. I hope that anytime you need medical services that you will use Wills Memorial Hospital. We need to do all we can to help our hospital.

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Sam Greene of Crawfordville has appeared in 19 movies which have been filmed in Crawfordville and surrounding areas. Thirteen of these movies have been filmed in Crawfordville. The latest one was completed February 19, titled "Get Low," and starring Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Bill Murray, and Lucas Black. Sam's first appearance was in "Summer of My German Soldier" in 1978 and starring Kristie McNichols. . . . Sam is married to the former Lois Patterson of Wilkes County. He is a 1943 graduate of Alexander Stephens Institute in Crawfordville; a United States Army veteran; and worked at Fort Gordon for 30 years.

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There is not much activity with the Atlanta Braves yet, but we have enjoyed keeping up with the

Georgia Bulldogs Baseball Team. The team has swept teams from Presbyterian College, Youngstown State, and Arizona, and is aiming for the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, in June. They are not on television yet, but are on the radio.

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I had not realized that dogs (and other animals) are subject to anxiety and fear until we had a Beagle come live at our house. Aiken -- named for the people who found him on the side of the road after he had been hit by a car as a puppy -- is not afraid of storms, but does not like to be left alone. We put him in his kennel when we are gone for short times, but last week we had to be gone for an extended time, so we "Beagle-proofed" the kitchen and left him there. When we returned we found that he had begun stripping the facing of the outside door and was making good progress. He also tears up his bed in his kennel. . . J.D., Cindy and Lincoln Bounds' Labrador/Golden Retriever, is terrified of storms and when the thunder and lightning begins, he makes every effort to get out of his pen, and for some unknown reason, heads for the home of Ellis and Sissy Murray, about a mile from his home on Spring Street. He has been known to tear the screen door and windows and do other damage before his presence is known. It has happened so many times that Ellis calls Cindy to tell her he's there. When the tornado warning went out last week, Cindy went to secure J.D., but he had already headed for the Murray home. She found him there with Murray trying to calm him. . . . Bonnie, Jo and Buzzy Randall's mixed breed shelter dog, is also terrified of storms and runs frantically through the house and jumps in their laps. He's a big dog.

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Buddy Cobb, who brings us little items now and then, brought these thoughts this week about how small the world is: "Small world indeed. I heard on short wave radio last night and today the repeat of the message the President gave to the nation on television. The whole world was listening to him. Radio China at frequency 6140; Australia at frequency 6020; Radio BBC London, 288620; Radio West Germany, 17125; Radio Ecuador HCJV, 17235; Radio Moscow, Russia, 21020; Radio Scotland, 6165; and Radio Havana, Cuba, 5980 and 6000. Go, Mr. President. The world heard you for sure and I had to report this story."