Tomorrow is the day for leaplings and leapophiles. Among them will be my niece, Stephanie Graham, who will “officially” turn four.
Next week, she’ll be taking the test to obtain her driver’s licence, which she expects to pass. Other drivers in the Rainier, Alta., region don’t need to worry, however. She is tall enough to see over the dash. And in day count, she’ll be just over 16 years old by the time she hits the road, in whatever vehicle her parents agree to lend her.
Stephi, and all those who celebrate their birthdays tomorrow, beat the one in 1,506 odds of being born on leap day, Feb. 29.
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Only .07 percent of Canadians are leaplings, or about 20, 660 in total, according to Statistics Canada. The world over, there are now about four million leapers.
It’s passing strange that the only years in which we don’t leap over Feb. 29 are called leap years, but that’s the way terminology developed after the system was adopted in 46 BC.
So leap year it is, and in that spirit, there might be a few things we’d like to leap, if such were possible:
- This period of poor prices in the livestock industry;
- Endless speculation about the calling of a federal election;
- Any March blizzards that interfere with calving season;
- The apathy that seems to be a hallmark of the Alberta election;
- Further incursions of clubroot in canola crops;
- R-CALF court challenges involving Canadian cattle and beef.
On the other hand, leap year is longer than common years. In 2008, we’ll have 366 days in which to do whatever it is we do. That’s a whole extra day of:
- Grain prices that might actually allow producers to make a profit;
- Plans for a booming Saskatchewan economy;
- Good weather contributing to bumper crops across the Prairies;
- Interest on interest-bearing accounts;
- Time to find needed farm labour;
- Time to enjoy family and friends.
Feb. 29 is also known as Sadie Hawkins Day, upon which, according to folk tradition, women can propose to men. In this day and age, a matrimony-minded woman isn’t likely to wait for a leap year to roll around, but it’s as good a day as any to pop the question.
In fact, a few men who have posted ads in The Western Producer classified ads probably wouldn’t mind if a Sadie Hawkins moment presented itself.
If that happens, we’d like to hear about it.
