A very different week again! Two hundred fires still burn in British Columbia. The prairies are baking after an already hot and dry spring, and what do we get? Rain and more rain! Though the ground is just soaking it up, you may notice that hopefully, when it is our turn to broil again, the ground will be ready to surrender its bounty of moisture.
Meanwhile, we can still get outside tasks done in between showers most days, but my garden is clay, so I dare not walk on it until we have at least two dry days and the grass is getting very high. I don’t have weeds in my garden, mostly very green succulent grass that my bunnies just love. I don’t mind as long as they stay out of the garden for their feed!
Birthday wishes go out to Gayle Cordingley, and of course, we can’t forget her husband Ron because their dates are only a few days apart. They may be able to celebrate a little more this year than last.
Happy birthday also goes out to young Les Smith, who has reached the unbelievable age (at least to me) of 43. I still think of him as a young boy, now with a wife and three children, the age I first met him. In fact, I knew his parents before he was born!
A big birthday wish goes out to former Zephyr resident Don Hewlett who was 91, on Tuesday, July 6th. A family party will celebrate the big event, something that couldn’t happen last year! Another thing to celebrate too, although I am not absolutely sure about that!
Another major birthday is our wonderful Marilyn Dobie, who reached the age of 89 on July 10th. What a great example these two people exhibit for the younger ones following!
Our sympathies go out to the family of Brian St. John, who died on July 3rd. Brian was the son of Don and Isobel St. John, of the 10th and was born on the farm now worked by brother Keith. I never knew Brian well, but he used to pop in and out sometimes when I was visiting his mother and aunt Dorothy. He leaves to mourn Keith and his wife Anne and family, his wife and stepchildren and step-grandchildren. Brian was a big guy in every way!
Anniversary best wishes this week go out to Janet (the former Janet Cox) and her husband Jamie Rose, who celebrated 37 years of marriage. Another one who I can’t believe can be that age! Ryan Stemp, son of Harry, and wife Tammy were also celebrating their 17th anniversary this week. Best wishes and many more great years to all of them! A big “Welcome Back Home” goes out to Lisa and Conrad Boyce, who announced this week that they have arrived back in town to live again- and they aren’t moving anywhere again, according to Conrad! They will be living on James Hill Court, across from the hospital. Saturday was the 25th anniversary of the Lucy Maud Mongomery Garden Tour. What a great day for it, the only clear, sunny day in the whole week. We sure lucked out there! About 300 tickets were sold, and it is possible that this number is greater than the 2019 tally. We shall see! I was an overseer at the beautiful home of David and Kathy Wasylenky and spent the morning in their backyard. It is only five years since they moved from their “Bed and Breakfast” home on Dominion Street, but they have done wonders with the yard of this new home. I am sure the other seven locations were just as wonderful, and each one was quite different from the other, both in design and size, town and country. Earle Lockerby of Sandford was also at one of the other locations. I would surmise that about 80-100 volunteers, besides the Maud Squad, were involved in bringing this event to fruition. Leading all this was Barb Pratt, and what an exceptional job she did! Congratulations to all those involved in the organization. Many COVID precautions had to be taken: health checks, making sure masks were worn, and other things not needed ordinarily.
A little Irish blessing to close: May you always walk in sunshine, may you never want for more. May Irish angels rest their wings right outside your door!