#Zephyr

Ron Davidson

Sep 29, 2022
3 min

ZEPHYR & SANDFORD by Pat Asling

The week started on a very solemn note, the funeral of Queen Elizabeth, which was watched and followed by millions of people worldwide. There will probably never be another like that. Charles, no matter how well he fills her shoes and lives as long as his father and mother did, can only reign for a portion of that time and the world will be a very different place than it is now. I am kind of glad I probably won’t be around by then to see what the world has morphed into. The s

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Ron Davidson

Sep 22, 2022
4 min

ZEPHYR & SANDFORD by Pat Asling

Another busy week with hints of what the seasons will bring to us in a few short weeks! Much attention has been focused on the passing of Queen Elizabeth and all that goes with the death of such an illustrious personage, someone who’s like will probably not be known again. With the funeral this past Monday, there will be much analysis of the future for King Charles and the monarchy as a whole. Besides gardening and farming in general, the rains are helping to green the grass

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Ron Davidson

Sep 15, 2022
4 min

ZEPHYR & SANDFORD by Pat Asling

What a week it has been! If we want to talk about the weather, which gardeners and farmers always do, it was pretty good even if we didn’t get rain. Vegetables are coming from the garden, third hay cuts are being done, and the corn will soon be ready for harvesting. The news of the week started off with the horrendous killing and multiple injuries in Saskatchewan. It is so hard to imagine something like that happening in a quiet community where it seems many, if not all, were

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Ron Davidson

Sep 7, 2022
4 min

ZEPHYR & SANDFORD by Pat Asling

Already some trees are beginning to change colour and leaves are falling. And today, Sunday, is quite cool after a gorgeous Saturday and a pretty good week with a mix of rain and sun. I took a break and finally visited my brother and sister-in-law at Pearl Lake and never went near the water because it was so windy there. Nice visit with them and two of their granddaughters, eight and ten. Then home to catch up on gardening and friends. Best wishes to my friend Gloria Gorman w

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Ron Davidson

Aug 25, 2022
3 min

ZEPHYR & SANDFORD by Pat Asling

A busy week with many activities happening! A hot week but with much-needed rain for many of us and, hopefully, for those who have not been getting much. And that might be your neighbour on the next concession or down the street, so strange is the pattern of rainfall. It is a conundrum about rainfall because, as needed as it is and as beneficial to most plants, it often ruins the blossoms on those plants at the same time. The Leaskdale Loop was reported to be quite a success

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Ron Davidson

Aug 11, 2022
4 min

ZEPHYR & SANDFORD by Pat Asling

Two very busy weeks to catch up on, so please forgive me if I miss something. There has been a lot of activity in the celebration vein as many had birthdays and anniversaries. Also, sadly several deaths to mourn as well! We’ll start off with some birthdays. Rick Bagshaw was born in Uxbridge, son of Eleanor (Beare) and Bill but lives a bit further afield now. Janet Morton also celebrated. I knew Janet back in her teen days when her dad, Duncan McTavish, worked for Norman Hogg

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Ron Davidson

Jul 28, 2022
4 min

ZEPHYR & SANDFORD by Pat Asling

Another beautiful summer week with a few showers of rain thrown in. Here in the country, although there were heat warnings all week, it wasn’t too bad because there was usually a breeze. We are warned that this will become the norm rather than a single instance now and again. Unfortunately, not much is being done about it, and a number of proposals will only make things worse if followed through. This week the beloved monarch butterflies were placed on the endangered species

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Ron Davidson

Jul 14, 2022
7 min

ZEPHYR & SANDFORD by Pat Asling

A beautiful summer week, and can you believe that by the time you read this, we will be halfway through July? Once again, we are in need of rain, but the farmers are happy to be able to get the hay in, and the crops all look great, even the second one most people are working on. Grain crops are also looking good, and it will soon be time to harvest those. Hopefully, they will be in good supply as the rumour is wheat, sunflower seed, and fertilizers will all be in short supply

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Ron Davidson

Jul 7, 2022
4 min

ZEPHYR & SANDFORD by Pat Asling

All our farmers are happy because their hay got cut, baled and delivered to whatever destination, even if it was just a field with a tarp over it. However, I am sure more than one is becoming a little worried about the corn crop, which has been doing so well until now but is beginning to show signs of moisture lack. Our lawns have gone from lush and green to crisp and brown almost overnight. I have been watering my garden several times already, but it’s a big job. Another thi

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Ron Davidson

Jun 30, 2022
4 min

ZEPHYR & SANDFORD by Pat Asling

Rain! We get too much and complain; it stops, and we get too much heat, which is just what the farmers want so they can haul in their hay. Judging from the huge loads going by on wagons and trucks, the crop is good. However, now we need rain again to bring in our gardens. I have seen some winter wheat which looks almost ready to cut; how the time goes! Well, it didn’t rain on Saturday, but it sure was hot. This didn’t stop the many people who came out to view those eight beau

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Ron Davidson

Jun 23, 2022
4 min

ZEPHYR & SANDFORD by Pat Asling

Not as much rain this week, but the wind sure made up for it. It makes working outside very unpleasant, and even when it’s quite warm in the sun, the breeze is cool. However, plants are thriving, and some even need watering again. My irises and peonies are at their best right now, and the old-fashioned ones can’t stand upright with much wind, but fortunately, I have quite a few of the Japanese type, which has much stronger stems. This afternoon I took a walk back behind the p

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Ron Davidson

Jun 16, 2022
4 min

ZEPHYR & SANDFORD by Pat Asling

Oh, the perils of farming and gardening. With all this rain, many farmers have not been able to get in their hay. I have only seen one field that appeared to be taken off. Better not to cut it rather than have it lying on the ground and going mouldy. However, the rain does seem to be good for both soya beans and corn. Fields are already green and growing. However, I have also seen fields where any crop has been lying in many inches of water, which is not good at all! As for m

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Ron Davidson

Jun 9, 2022
4 min

ZEPHYR & SANDFORD by Pat Asling

Spring is certainly upon us. After that devastating tornado and all the wind and rain which came with it, we have had some very hot days, some cool days and more rain. I cut my grass Friday, and it was unbelievably lush and green after only a week. Most of the year, my lawn looks like a patchwork, as I have patches of wildflowers which come up. There are small purple pansies and some other tiny purple flowers. Then came a large patch of pussytoes with some tulips growing amon

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Ron Davidson

May 19, 2022
3 min

ZEPHYR & SANDFORD by Pat Asling

The heat is on, at least for awhile. This may very well happen for some time yet, this back and forth and as anxious as I am to get all my pots of begonias, out on the deck and dahlias in the ground, it is too risky as yet. The spring flowers and perennial, fruit trees and lilacs etc., display no hesitation though and suddenly, kazzam, everything is in bloom. One day nothing and the next every pear, cherry, apple are in full bloom, trees are fully leafed out. I also have a la

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Ron Davidson

Apr 28, 2022
3 min

ZEPHYR & SANDFORD by Pat Asling

Another week and April will be almost finished. There certainly is truth to the saying that getting old is like a roll of toilet paper- the closer you get to the end, the faster it goes! Our April showers are finally bringing on our May flowers, and it’s so nice to see some colour in the flower beds, those same beds that need a lot of work done on them soon if it would just stop raining and let the sunshine full out! During the week, I was fortunate to spot three turkeys in m

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Ron Davidson

Apr 21, 2022
4 min

ZEPHYR & SANDFORD by Pat Asling

Is it over? Will there be any more? Are we there yet? All questions I am sure many are asking about our weather after having snow fall on Easter Sunday morning. When will this long winter end? Never mind this long COVID pestilence. According to the forecast, we will get at least one more snowfall. Fortunately, the ground has warmed up a little, and it melts quickly. Amazingly all my spring flowers are pushing further and further into the air each time I look at them, and with

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Ron Davidson

Mar 31, 2022
4 min

ZEPHYR & SANDFORD by Pat Asling

Back to winter! After discovering I have some spring flowers that could soon bloom now, they may be covered with snow again. However, since all the snow that fell in the last three months had melted away, there will not be a great accumulation. I never count winter out until at least the first week of April since we have had some of our worst winter storms over the years in these next two months. As the war continues in Ukraine, the people’s spirit and courage are more eviden

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Ron Davidson

Mar 17, 2022
4 min

ZEPHYR & SANDFORD by Pat Asling

With all the terrible things happening, I want to start with a few happier notes. The redwing blackbirds have arrived! Not just the ordinary one or two at a time but about 60 at once. This is very unusual, but several others in the area have reported greater numbers as well. It is so nice to hear them singing their o-ka-lee song, although, by autumn, it gets a little raucous. When the redwings arrive, that’s my signal spring is on the way. I had five robins in my huge cherry

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Ron Davidson

Mar 10, 2022
3 min

ZEPHYR & SANDFORD by Pat Asling

Sometimes it feels like you should just go into your room and close the door! So much is happening around the world and the country, it’s hard to see hope ahead. One of the phrases used often during the pandemic was “There is light at the end of the tunnel”. Trouble was, the tunnel kept getting longer and longer and for a very long time, the light didn’t get any brighter. When finally it looked like things were brightening, and many were rejoicing mandates were coming off, al

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Ron Davidson

Feb 24, 2022
3 min

ZEPHYR & SANDFORD by Pat Asling

We are still in this yoyo weather mode. We got several nice days with warmer temperatures earlier last week, and much of the snow piled up from previous snows storms melted to lie in puddles around the yard. Then Wham! Three days of heavy snow and strong blowing wind! Now we have more snow than we had before, and it seems to be a waste of time even to shovel as the wind banks the snow up as soon as you finish. A number of people have complained about roads not being plowed, b

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