It’s hard to believe but winter’s end is just around the corner. Really, it is!

The Columbia Valley Rockies last home game is Friday night — if you can possibly make it, please do, there are some exciting things planned for the evening and the hockey has been really good.

I know the scores don’t indicate that, but these boys have been playing well.

It’s awfully hard to expect two and a half lines of players to compete for 60 minutes against four lines and I don’t believe anybody should expect them to on a regular basis.

But they do a very good job for a good portion of the game and provide exciting entertainment.

I sure hope that next year their bench is filled because if these boys are the core, we will have a solid team to root for.

The BC Winter Games take place next week. This is the high point of a number of winter sports bringing many of them to a close for the season.

Most of the curling leagues are about to start playoff games. These games mean a lot because the top men’s and top ladies’ teams qualify to compete in the BC Club Challenge, an event dedicated to the grass roots of curling, the club curlers. A playdown amongst the top club curlers in the Kootenays will take place at the Invermere District Curling Centre March 23 to 25. The winning teams in each category will then travel to Richmond to compete in The Dominion Curling Club Championship. Having been a competitor at this event several years ago, I know how much fun it is. Unfortunately for me, my team is not eligible this year but for a very good reason. There are two players on my team that have competed at a provincial level within the past four seasons; each club team is only allowed one such player in order to be eligible.

People are making plans for spring break beginning March 17, another sure sign that it’s spring. That’s the time that minor hockey provincial tournaments are held bringing an end to the season.

Really, another month or so and the sticks will be out and we’ll be chasing little balls at the many golf courses in the area.

Enjoy this winter while you can!

Marilyn Berry is publisher of The Valley Echo