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rono Weekly Tmes, Wednesday, March 3,1093 -:7 Alocal winter wond aerland by Roy Forrester Yes, February was wmnter this year and from our viewpoint it was about time. And how true that was after tripping around the country side on Sunday along with visiting the Oshawa Ski H-ills, the Ganaraska Forest Centre and various areas i be, north inte even some unopened rmalallowances. It is a white countryside and in places stems of weeds covered with glittering ice and waffled snow formations spread out field after field. It bias been some years te enjoy such views. The records point te 20 inches of snow that bias covered the land this past February. It is a far cry fromn most recent years and one lias te go back te 1988 when during February 22 inches of snow was deposited on the landscape. With a mean temperature of minus 6.2C it is a record except for 1979 when the temperature dropped to 8.8C and back in 1875 with the coldest mean temperature resting at minus 12.6C for the month of February. Vith a warming sun shining on Sunday and reasonable temper- atures the Oshawa Ski runs, 24 in ail, were amass with downbillers ail enjoying what our winter has to offer along with the man-made facilities to travel back up te the top of the runs. Conditions for the sport were perfect. The parking lots at the ski bll were packed and a good majority of the 6500 members of the club were there for the outing. The Oshawa Club is reported to be having a good year with only a couple of miner warma spelîs since the major snow stermn in mid December. As the downhillers enjoyed the slopes at Mount 'Kirby the- Bill Bramah's Ontario How sweet it is. Tbe perfect butter tart. It's packed with beavenly filling fit for the gods. It is concocted in some exotic kitchen in faraway places. Tbe perfect butter tarts home is in a tiny bakery in tbe village of Brooklin, north of Wbitby. Therein lies a tale. Last yea r, Barb's Bakery, a smail attractive shop on Brooklin's main street began selling butter tarts made by a-locallady named Cora Heib. Barb Hulley and ber husband John had just taken over the business and soon noticed that customers were grabbing up the tasty tarts and coming back for more. 'Men in a timely twist of fate, a food critic for City and Country Home magazine wrete that after a worldwide searcb be bad failed to find the perfect butter tart. Mail poured in te the m agazine. Among the letters were those proclaiming tbat the, perfect butter tari did exist, and could be found in tbe village cf i bea1rd about alil the fuss and recailing my days as a bard nosed investigative reporter, 1 traced tbe source of tbe phenomenon to tbe Cora Heib's kitchen, a couple blocks away from the bakery. 'Me kitchen was tbe usual type you find in tbe average bungalow, but tbere were tarts everywbere. Delicious looking tans, dozens and dozens of tbem. Cora, a jolly women with a ready smile, bad been predictably a busy baker since the publicity milis began touting ber tarts. Cameraman Rick Dade set up bis ligbts. Cora wasn't pbased a bit. Sbe kept on rolling pastry, cutting it, putting in tbe delectable filling, and sliding it all off to tbe oven. -She said it took ber about six bours te make sixteen dozen tants. i asked ber tbe obvieus question. "Cor? I said, "wbat are tbe ingredients tbat make your tarts so special?" IsbouId have known better. She gave mne a quizzicalglance, rolled ber eyes a bit and smiled brigbtly. You know, sometbing lice tbe Mona Lisa. Mysteriously. cross c ountry enthusiasts were also out in the good numbers at the Gan-araska Forest Centre. The Centre offers 35 kilometers of cross1 country traits being grooined and track set. Here the snow conditions could flot have beenbetter for the sport and the traits were in perfect condition. SCross country skiing over the past few years bas been hampered in this particular area due te the lack of snow and warmer winters. There is a modest charge for the use of trails at the Ganaraska. In all, this winter bas been winter ns winter should be and it take but little effort te get out into the outdoors te enjoy what nature bas to offer. That it may be repeated next year and yes were about ready to enijey spring and the springing to life of nature in yet another phase- te be enjoyed ini the outdoors. But sbe uttered nary a word. 1Back at Bai-b's Bakery, people were coming in te, snap up tbe tarts. "We go througb up to eigbty a week since tbat article appeared. We've bad visitors from al ever. We just can't keep up witb tbe demiand." enthused Barb. 1 sat down at a table at Barb's and bad a butter tart. 1 had controiled myseif. It was my first. Cameraman Rick, who bas tbe beart of a ten-year-old rascal, bad already sneaked a few in Cora's kitchen. 1 savoured the delicacy of tbe tart wbile tbinking that tbe search of this nectar likely coveted even by the gods on Olympus, still remained, and would always likely remnain witb Cora. Puty. Finally, after weeks of speculation, and rumeour running rampant on Parliament Hill, tbe news Chat we have been anxious to becar has arrived. Last Wednesday dawned a glorious. The sun bounded into the sky and wrapped tbe country in its golden glow. The birds sang tbeir happy littie melodies. The day just seemed so perfect, especially compared to the gray Canadian February days that we are accustomed to. "How can this possibly be a better day?" You could almost see the thougbt passing bebind the dreamny smiles and glazey eyes on the faces of those you passed on the street.. And then ... tbe news came. The suni suddenly shone brighter, the birdstrilled their tunes with more feeling. Tbe dreamysmiles broke into ear-to-ear grins. People were surely left chuckling as they beard tbe first announcement bit the radio waves. Cbuckles gave way to guffaws and knee-slapping, when we finally saw his address on tbe television secen. Brian Mulroney, my ftiends, is soon to beno more tban a few cbapters in a dog-earred bistory book that bas been crammed at the bottom of a knapsack. He, said in bis, address that "he bas done wbat be feit was the best, for bis country and bis party." Sure, if you feel that ignoring the wishes and demands of the citizens, the people who elected you to office, is what is best. Maybe, Mulroney has done some, good tbings for our country. 1, of course, just can't seem to remnember what any of them were. With the resignation of the Prime Minister tbough, naturally cornes the task of cboosing a new leader to head the Tory party. A few of the options presented for the position have been favourable. The question of course wiil remain whetber or not this newly chosen leader wiil be able to turn the party around and return it to the higli favour that il once held. At the time, it seems like a Herculean task, to say the least., Once the decision is made, and an election date ha s been decided upon, next cornes the1 hectic months of campaigning. Poil after monotonous, useless poli, Handshakes. Baby kisses. SiIly lapel buttons. The trials that we have to go tbrougji just to get good democratic leadership that seems to have gone the way of the dinosaur. Witb Brian Mulroney gone and. a new govemnment looming on the golden horizon, maybe the end will finally corne for the Mulroney-esque stuff it down your tbroats, like it or leave it policy, that has become a part of our national government. l3th ANNUAL Kidney Foumdation Dance Saturday, March 6th, 1993 8:00 p.m. to 1:001 a.m. Newcastle Community Hall Music by "THE TRADESMEN" Lunch Providedf L Tickets $2000 a couple v ~in Englan d or Scotland with every booking Administration & Handling tee of $29.95 per person based on 2 people sharing a car). Must be paid at time of booking. VAT (per car) is payable at destination. LIMITED TIME OFFER! BOOK NOW!! From Round Ufip to London (Gatwick), $200 Manchester, Glasgow, Dublin, $3499Shannon and Belfast