On Saturday, I visited Shedden, Ontario for the first time to go to the Rosy Rhubarb Festival. Shedden is the self-proclaimed rhubarb capital of Canada and celebrates it every year on the second weekend in June. They have food (including rhubarb and strawberry-rhubarb pies, natch), baking competitions, craft tables, and entertainment (the Canadian Cowgirls horse show and some music acts). They use proceeds for local projects, with the focus this year being on building a new facility for the public library (I saw the old one, they need it).

Happy New Year! The Year of the Dragon has arrived. If your birthday is between now and Feb. 10, 2013 and your age this year is divisible by 12 (e.g. 12,24,36.48,60...) then you are a Dragon and, as a kid in my son's old after-school program used to say, "Dragons are better."

Alas, I'm a Snake, so another year to go.

Mendalla