LEWISTON — We like Peter Geiger, but darn it, we’re not always fans of his Farmers’ Almanac forecast.

We’ve lost count of the recent days the Maine Turnpike Authority has lowered the speed limit because of ice and snow. But remember, that was in the fall.

Winter arrives at 5:23 p.m. Friday, the winter solstice.

Never mind all the winter weather and school cancellations we’ve had. That was nothing, Geiger said in a news release.

“The cold temperatures are just beginning,” he said. The real frigid temperatures don’t arrive until mid-February in New England, he predicted.

Just something to look forward to.

“The real star of the winter show” is the snow, he said.

The Farmers’ Almanac is predicting lots of snow.

On a positive note, daylight will begin increasing starting Friday.

— Bonnie Washuk

Merry Christmas hats

LEWISTON — Speaking of winter, someone has a warm heart and good knitting skills.

An email from reader Edouard Plourde alerted us that near Whipple Street there are bags attached to a fence by the Sunnyside Park playground and Androscoggin River walking trail. Inside the bags are hand-knit hats and some have scarves. Each bag has a note.

Trail walker Margaret Genthner of Auburn stopped Thursday and read one of the notes aloud: “Merry Christmas from us to you. Please take one!”

“Aaawww!” she said.

Robert Dubois and his daughter, Alexis Dubois, 12, of Lewiston have seen the bags with scarves and hats. On Tuesday there were 12 on the fence near the playground, and 17 more along the fence near the river.

Alexis said she took one bag with a scarf and a hat.

“They’re very good quality,” her father said. “I think it’s awesome. A great thing.”

So far, no one seems to know who the good-deed-full-of-Christmas-spirit knitters are.

“It’s thoughtful, not something you’d expect,” Plourde said.

Whoever they are, their Christmas hats are prompting lots of smiles.

— Bonnie Washuk

Connors School Dragons

The students at Longley and Martel elementary schools, who will attend the new Connors Elementary School when it opens next year, recently chose a dragon as their mascot.

Superintendent Bill Webster tweeted the results of student’s choices Dec. 7: Connors Bears, 53; Connors Cubs, 82; Connors Wildcats, 149; Connors Dragons, 188.

The smiling, friendly-looking dragon will be blue and green dragon, the school colors students chose last year.

— Bonnie Washuk

Some caring people have knitted hats, put them in bags and made them available to anyone who needs one. The bags are hung on a fence near Whipple Street in Lewiston with notes that read: “Merry Christmas from us to you! Please take one!” (Sun Journal photo by Bonnie Washuk)

Some caring people have knit hats, put them in bags and hung them on a fence near Whipple Street in Lewiston with notes that read: “Merry Christmas from us to you! Please take one!” (Sun Journal photo by Bonnie Washuk)