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On warm evenings in April and May our hills awaken to the life affirming voices of spring peepers. Their shrill calls stir the winter weary soul.

Snowdrops are another one of my passions. There is no better harbinger of spring. By Liz Knowles

George Knowles values his vegetable gardening tools. He writes about “the tried and true friends that have stayed with me.”

Don Scallen introduces us to three species of salamanders that are starting to appear in our hills. The first half of April is salamander time in our hills.

GARDENING AT LARKSPUR HOLLOW — A relatively mild winter and this week’s record breaking temperatures have brought everything on in the garden in a rush. By Liz Knowles

RED SQUIRREL MUSINGS — In her inaugural blog post, Christine Thomas shares her experience about moving up to the country.

A selection of comments and recent letters to the editor.

After months of tinkering, www.inthehills.ca emerges from “beta” testing and is now “live.” Thanks are due to many! By Tony Maxwell

Should the Greenbelt be expanded? The central purpose of the plan is to protect farmland and environmentally sensitive land on the urban fringe.

In recent years farmers have been subjected to a plethora of regulations related to environmental protection and food safety. Has the pendulum swung too far?

In a bid to become somewhat more self-sufficient, my husband and I recently decided to try keeping our own chickens for egg production.

Bethell House not only offers a tranquil setting for those at the end of life and their families, but it is a remarkable cross-community effort that truly proves the adage that it takes a village.