Slow progress and a bit of Canadian history

Actually, a bit of Canadian history and a report on my gardening endeavors.

I glanced at Ken's to-do list this morning and noticed, beneath the various upcoming meetings, this note: "H/F Explosion...."

I bet 95% of you have never heard of the "H/F Explosion."

The Great Halifax Explosion occurred on December 6, 1917, in Halifax Harbour, Nova Scotia.

I first learned of this catastrophe from my mother, who was a child growing up on a potato and dairy farm near Fredericton, New Brunswick, in 1917. Her father, my Grampy Haines, was working in a field that day, perhaps mending fences or doing some other farmer's daily chore, when he noticed his herd of cows suddenly stopped grazing and looked simultaneously to the east.

Grammy wouldn't learn for several days what had caught the attention of his cows. When the weekly newspaper arrived, Grampy and Grammy read of the massive Halifax Explosion, 300 miles from my grandparents' farm.

Isn't it amazing that the cows apparently heard the  explosion or, perhaps, felt the tremor (or both) when the massive explosion occurred?

A cargo ship loaded with explosives collided with another ship as it entered Halifax Harbour. The resulting fire aboard the cargo ship caused a huge explosion which killed approximately
2, 000 people, injured another 9,000, and caused incredible damage to the city of Halifax. If you visit Halifax today, you will find many reminders of the Halifax Explosion in the form of markers throughout the city.

I'm guessing, from Ken's note, that his friend Charlie either knows a lot about the Halifax Explosion or wants to learn more about it. I'll have to ask Ken what's what.

Shifting gears now: Maine's weather continues to drive me nuts. Sunshine is scarce; warm temperatures are almost unheard of and, until yesterday, the state was extremely dry from a lack of significant rain.

My optimism for  starting seedlings remains intact, though, as you can see from the seedlings and other plants sitting on our back deck this morning. They spent last night in the house, however, because nighttime temperatures continue to be in the 30's. The entire Northeast is experiencing this miserable weather, yet most of us, I suspect, remain optimistic that soon the weather will turn truly spring-like.

(I just checked with Ken. His friend Charlie has nothing to do with the H/F Explosion note. Our friend Jim wants to borrow Ken's book about the Halifax Explosion, so the note is a reminder to Ken to figure out where he has put said book.)

And now, how's my sweet potato vine doing, you ask? Well, I see progress. I wouldn't say it's growing by leaps and bounds exactly, although the website where I found the directions for starting it seemed to imply that it would. But it is starting to sprout little plants, so I remain cautiously optimistic. Maybe once spring arrives, it if ever does, the sweet potato vine will be ready to be planted and set on the back deck. I can always hope.