It’s hard to believe, but by the time you read this, January will be almost half over. Everyone always talks about what a long month it is, and it certainly can seem that way some years, but I’ve been so busy lately that I seem to have lost track of an entire week. I was actually surprised to realize that this Thursday is already the 13th and not the 6th!

I’ve got five hikes in so far in 2022, but the weather today (Sunday) drove me downstairs to the treadmill. I felt like kind of a wimp after I saw Facebook posts of a hardy group hiking to Lapham and Bucks Ledges in the freezing rain this morning, though! From the sound of Tuesday’s forecast, with a predicted high around zero and brisk winds, I won’t be venturing outside to hike that day, either. I guess I’d better try to fit in a hike tomorrow, when it’s supposed to be a balmy 15 degrees.

The First Universalist Church of West Paris is taking orders for chicken pies. The famous annual chicken pie supper has not been held for the last two Novembers due to COVID-19. Please contact Marta Clements at 674-2143 or [email protected] if you would like to place an order. The pies will be $18 and should be picked up at the church on Main Street in West Paris on Wednesday, Jan. 26, between 10 a.m. and noon. Jan. 27 will be the storm date at the same time. Please place your order on or before Jan. 19. Thank you and looking forward to seeing you then.

A number of area restaurants, including the Local Hub, have been closed recently because of being short-staffed due to COVID exposure among their employees. The situation for many is constantly changing, and the most current information can usually be found on their Facebook pages.

Daylight report: If you’re reading this on Thursday, we’ve now gained 19 minutes of daylight since Dec. 21, most of it in the afternoon. The sun is now rising at 7:17 a.m. and setting at 4:26 p.m. Give it just one more week, and it will be 7:13 a.m. and 4:35 p.m., a noticeable difference, especially for people who drive to and from work at the same time every day.

If you have events you’d like listed here, or news to share, please contact me at [email protected] or call 207-890-4812. You can find and follow my blog at amywchapman.com/reflections.

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” – Albert Einstein