Annie enters third century: After an hour talking to this reporter, Annie Nugent gets up from her chair, walks with a steady gait to the living room and returns with a photo of her 23rd great-grandchild.

Nothing unusual here, except Annie is 103 years old and, living in her third century, has the faculty of mind and health of body which belie her age. Her secret? Keeping busy.

“Of course, I’m not as active in the past few years as I have been. Time hangs heavy,” Annie says.

The daughter of Sarah and David Dowd, Annie May was born Nov. 27, 1896 in the family homestead on what is now Nugent Road. Apart from a few years when she lived in the Wrightville district of Hull, Annie lived in the Nugent Road homestead until Oct. 1998 when she moved to the Kennedy Road home to live with her son, Glen.

Lambs brighten day for seniors: Hughie Horner can’t remember how long he’s been taking young lambs in to the residents of the Pontiac Reception Centre.

“Too long,” he says with a laugh.

It began when Horner brought in newborn lambs to show his mother, Thelma Horner who had lived on a farm for most of her life before moving to the nursing home.

“Oh, she just loved it,” says Horner. “She loved animals.”

Thelma passed away in December so Monday’s visit was a little tough for Horner.

The Clarendon farmer carts Pete and Repeat, who are unusually big eight-day-old twin lambs into the sunroom.

Instantaneously, smiles light up the room when Horner tilts the box to show what’s inside.

For about a half an hour the twins are the stars of the day, brightening up what would have normally been a routine, and for some, a lonely day.