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I saw my first robin this week, climbed Donnelly Dome (with snow still lingering in spots thigh- deep) and had logs delivered for my new home. Spring is officially here, and I couldn’t be happier. So many things are going on, and my to-do list is getting longer every day. I’ve started plants for the garden that are desperate to get outside and find root in my new garden. I hope to have it ready by June­ — still working on that one.

My big plans for summer already seem squeezed into a tight schedule, and it’s only May. Just reading Tim Mowry’s summer “want to-do” list in last week’s paper got me excited for my own planned adventures, which, like his, only a portion of mine usually see the light of day. River trips, fishing, camping — this time of year is so hard to deal with. Long winters are spent imagining summer’s activities, and a person can really get carried away with plans. I tend to dwell more on the fun stuff than the stuff that MUST get done in the summer. I know it has to get done, but I always kid myself into thinking I can get it ALL done.

I hate to think about winter already, but sometime we’ve got to cut all our wood, too. I was reminded the other day that winter is only four months away. Come on! I didn’t want to hear that. But with the rising costs of home utilities, I’m sure it’s on everyone’s minds.

But remember: You can only get out there and enjoy the warm sunshine, biting fish (and mosquitoes) and dinners from the grill for a short, short time. So join with me in a loud yahoo, and get out there and whoop it up for the next 12 weeks of summer. You know it’s gonna fly by whether you get your chores done or not.

Community cleanup

Saturday is the day we all get together to make Delta shine. Cleanup takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (but you can clean up any time the urge strikes you year-round), and yellow bags will be available for pick-up from the visitors center parking lot. That is also where you can drop off the yellow bags in trash bins that will be provided. The chamber is sponsoring a free lunch of hot dogs, chips and drinks from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the visitors center for all who are helping with the cleanup. They ask that you bring a dessert to share. There also will be a prize for the most interesting piece of trash collected. Residential garbage will be discounted 50 percent at the city landfill Saturday. Yellow bag trash will be free. Contact City Hall at 895-4656 or the Chamber of Commerce at 895-5068 for more information.

Last chance for Little League registration

Last chance registration for Little League will take place at the baseball park behind Interior Building Supply at the city park on Saturday from 9-11 a.m. If you can’t make it and still want your child involved, call Dave Becker at 895-5210 to arrange to get registration materials.

Friendly Frontier Days

and Kiss the Pig

What a fun way to while away a spring Saturday: Friendly Frontier Days coming up on May 24 is packed full of fun family events and good food for all. Some of the events include: a buffalo feed, square dancing, petting zoo, lumberjack challenge, live music, antique tractor show, door prizes, raffles, home-made ice cream and much more!

The highlight of the day is always the “Kiss the Pig” event where three lucky community members get voted into a muddy pen to catch a pig and plant a wet, juicy one on a resistant, equally mud-covered pig. There is still time to vote on who gets this privilege. Just look around town at local businesses for the pink can and place your bet or nominate someone. These good sports get to take home a ham after all is said and done. (That’s definitely worth it.)

This also is the day Sullivan Roadhouse opens for the season — a must-see source of history for our area and staffed by delightful and knowledgeable volunteers. Frontier clothes are welcome at all events, which run from 11:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. See the Delta Chamber of Commerce Web site at www.deltachamber.org for more information or call 895-5068.

Highway’s End Farmers Market opens this weekend

Yippee! It’s time for the Farmers Market again. Located behind Sullivan Roadhouse, the market will be open every Wednesday and Saturday during the summer. This year, patrons will get to enjoy live local music at the market as they browse. Support these local growers and artisans.

Buffalo Drive-In open

Oh boy — I almost hate to say this out loud for fear everyone in Delta will beat me to the ice cream but here it goes anyway — Buffalo Drive-In is now open. Geez, that’s all everyone’s been talking about for weeks now — “When’s the drive-in gonna open?” “Have you heard if the drive-in is open?” It was the talk at the grocery store, the laudromat and even the playground, which cleared out in record time Monday when word got out that the drive-in opened just hours earlier. Besides tasty ice cream delights, I’m hoping the gyro made a permanent addition to the menu this year. For all you out-of-towners, don’t pass through Delta without stopping at our favorite summer eatery. And for the rest of you — I’ll see you there!

 Brookelyn Bellinger lives in Big Delta and is the author of “The Frozen Toe Guide to Real Alaskan Livin". Send news items or comments to brookelynbellinger@hotmail.com, or visit www.brookelynbellinger.com.