Walking his dog Jacquie to the Agassiz-Harrison Observer newsroom office, Walt Hardinge found a four-leaf clover. Looking at the collection of foliage in his hand, it害羞草研究所檚 clear he found more than one.

害羞草研究所淪even actually,害羞草研究所� Hardinge said, sorting through the clovers on a bench in Pioneer Park. 害羞草研究所淚 just counted them before I got to the door.害羞草研究所�

Most of them were the famed four-leaf clovers, a harbinger of luck and preternatural sight. But a few were five-leaf clovers, which Hardinge likes to call 害羞草研究所淩ose Clovers.害羞草研究所� And others were what the 58-year-old Agassiz resident has nicknamed 害羞草研究所淧apillon Clovers,害羞草研究所� or butterfly clovers.

害羞草研究所淭hey害羞草研究所檙e usually the ones that have four leaves that are almost the same size and then a tiny one, like this one here,害羞草研究所� he said, holding up the clover. 害羞草研究所淏y the time you press them and they dry, they look like a butterfly. I can害羞草研究所檛 say that害羞草研究所檚 an official name or anything, but it sounded good at the time.害羞草研究所�

In the last month or so, Hardinge has found more than 219 clovers with four leaves or more.

害羞草研究所淚 find the darn things everywhere,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淚 went to the mailbox the other day 害羞草研究所� and I found one. Not even looking.害羞草研究所�

QUIZ:

Although Hardinge害羞草研究所檚 clover boom has only been recent, his history with four-leaf clovers started long ago, when he was an 11-year-old boy growing up in Scarborough, Ont.

One day, he was sitting on the grass in front of a neighbour害羞草研究所檚 house, brushing his hands through a patch of clover.

害羞草研究所淚 thought to myself, I wonder if four-leaf clovers actually exist,害羞草研究所� he recalled. 害羞草研究所淎nd just for the heck of it, I started brushing my hands through the clovers and seeing if I could find one. Sure enough, I actually did.害羞草研究所�

Hardinge ran inside to press his lucky find, and over the course of the next few weeks found 10 more. He pressed all his clovers in a copy of the Guinness Book of World Records, and then forgot about finding clovers for a while.

Over the course of the next 47 years, in rough points during Hardinge害羞草研究所檚 life, he would think back to the 11 four-leaf clovers he had once found 害羞草研究所� they became lost at some point during childhood 害羞草研究所� but didn害羞草研究所檛 expect to find anymore.

Then, in the spring of this year, Hardinge and his fianc茅 took Jacquie for a walk to the recreation centre. Just like he did 47 years ago, Hardinge brushed his hands through the clovers in the grass. And just like that, Hardinge found another four-leaf clover.

Since then, Hardinge has been finding groups of four-, five- and even six-leaf clovers. (On May 11, Hardinge found his first eight-leaf clover.) But with all that luck, Hardinge decided it was time to give some of it away. He has been handing out groups of three clovers to strangers and friends in an effort to share the good fortune.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 amazing the joy I see in people害羞草研究所檚 faces when I give them one,害羞草研究所� he said.

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Hardinge plans to keep 11 four-leaf clovers for himself, to replace the ones he lost, and 11 害羞草研究所渆xotics,害羞草研究所� but the rest he is giving away.

His father had a saying 害羞草研究所渢hat life was a little bit like a big pond. And if you害羞草研究所檙e brave, you will cast a pebble into that pond and see where the ripples go,害羞草研究所� he explained.

害羞草研究所淚 think this is my own way of throwing a pebble into a pond, only now I害羞草研究所檝e got about 200 of them that I害羞草研究所檓 giving way.

害羞草研究所淭wo hundred pebbles I害羞草研究所檓 throwing into that gigantic pond. And we害羞草研究所檒l see what happens.害羞草研究所�

grace.kennedy@ahobserver.com
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