It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s…UFOs?? Strange lights in the sky were reported from multiple places along the South Coast in December. (Maybe it was Santa?)

Well, there’ve been no more sightings of the black bears, but a few right whales showed up in the Cape Cod Canal, and there have been several reports of rabid raccoons and skunks – one unfortunate man on the Cape became the first confirmed case of rabies in the state since the 1930s, possibly bitten by a bat. Make sure your pets’ shots are up-to-date.

In spite of a tight economy, South Coast residents donated a record $200K to the Neediest Families Fund, which allows the Salvation Army to help our neighbors during tough times.

Both Rhode Island and Massachusetts were awarded coveted “Race to the Top” federal grant monies toward improvements in early childhood education programs.

The Cape Wind project got a second wind from the state’s courts, which bodes well for the staging terminal slated for the State Pier in New Bedford.

Check out some of the lesser-known museums on the South Coast, like the Lizzie Borden House in Fall River (www.lizzie-borden.com or 508-675-7333), the Museum of Archeology in Middleboro (www.massarcheology.org or 508-947-9005), the Thermometer Museum in Onset (thermometerman@aol.com or 508-295-5504) or the Glass Museum in New Bedford (www.nbmog.org or 508-984-1666).

If you need to dream of warmer weather, head for the New England Boat Show Feb. 11-19 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. Call 617-954-2000. Or visit the Rhode Island Flower and Garden Show at the RI Convention Center Feb. 23-26. Go to www.flowershow.com or call 401-272-0980.

The Pocasset Wampanoag tribe is planning to open a traumatic brain injury out-patient clinic somewhere on the South Coast in 2012.

Learn something new – from fencing to belly-dancing – through The Learning Connection. Go to www.learnconnect.com or call 401-274-9330.

Your town’s farmers market may be closed for the season, but it’s open year-‘round at the Hope Artiste Village in Pawtucket! For details, call 401-312-4250 or go to www.hopeartistevillage.com. Or, to find farm-fresh food near you, go to www.semaponline.org.

If you’re over 50, check out the day trips sponsored by the New Bedford Senior Travel Program. Twin River Casino Feb. 7, a Mardi Gras event Feb. 21, the Rhode Island Flower Show Feb. 23 or Foxwoods Casino Feb. 27. Call 508-991-6171 for complete details.