Zephyr & Sandford News

by Pat Asling

Gone! What happened to February? A short month that seemed even shorter in spite of the extremes of winter weather. We had some nasty storms, but also some lovely days with temperatures above 0 °C, blue skies, and sunshine! Sitting on my front deck, you could have started on your summer tan! Strange that it can change from +6 °C to -12 °C in a matter of hours! Did anyone manage to see the parade of planets supposedly visible after sunset late last week? Unfortunately, my house is not situated in a good spot to witness these events, with too many trees now, but it would have been spectacular since the skies were clear! More celestial events coming!

Cindy Finlay tells me she and a friend have been consulting on a workshop about the influence of the moon on our activities. I don’t know about you, but I often have trouble sleeping during a full moon, and I know that past gardeners relied on moon phases for their planting!

Have you noticed the sun doesn’t set now until after 6 p.m., and the goldfinch males are getting back their yellow? My birds bring me great pleasure to watch each day, arriving by 7:30 a.m., and leaving for shelter late afternoon. I have a number of both male and female cardinals whose bright colours shine against the snow. There is a flock of about 20 evening grosbeaks which always come in the morning! Three kinds of woodpeckers, two kinds of nuthatches, chickadees, tree sparrows, bluejays, juncos and hawks, who use the feeder as their snack bar some days! You never see so many together in summer! Oh yes, bunnies eat under the bird feeder as do the black and red squirrels and those little black and white striped guys too!

This past week, there were no lunches, and only one meeting, the North Durham Nature Club. This one was a zoom program as the speaker was hundreds of miles away, as were his subjects, whales of the St. Lawrence River. Franco Marriott has spent years researching whales, particularly those which inhabit the St. Lawrence River. He took us on a research voyage which northern whale species inhabit, talking about their migration paths, how individuals were identified, and the many other interesting facts gleaned over hours of observation! A very interesting hour. The library will be having a book sale on March 7th, with books culled from their shelves to make room for new, from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Uxbridge Genealogy group will meet again on Mar. 12, a week earlier than normal due to winter break activities.

Yuk Yuks at Sandford Hall was reported to be a huge success, so no doubt it will be repeated. The Zephyr Scott Lions continue their busy schedule. There will be no spaghetti supper this month, but there will be a pancake breakfast on Saturday, March 7th, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., costing $5. Regular donations of items can be made, as well as a raffle to raise funds for the Edwards Animal Sanctuary, just down the 3rd. The Lions are also raising funds to purchase a chemo chair for children, at a cost of $1200. They are also starting an Euchre night on March 12th, from 7 to 9 p.m., with $20 admission. If this goes well, more dates will open. Their Seasonal Market is scheduled for May 24th for homemade items, baking, crafts etc. Contact them if you want a booth. There will also be a BBQ and horse rides, and other activities for children.

A number of people celebrated birthdays this week. Congratulations to Steve Wilson, our local insurance agent and close neighbour and friend. We can’t forget our new Prime Minister, Mark Carney, who turned 61. Laurie Bond, my sorority sister, is well known for her work in retail several years ago. Sarah Moore and family no longer live in Sandford, but their roots are deep. Gwen Layton is in real estate but manages to give her time to several community organizations, especially the Lucy Maud Society. Best wishes also to Wilma Smith, the lady of gorgeous quilting. Greetings also to Kevin Smalley. If I missed anyone, I am sorry. I hope everyone had a great day and will have a happy, healthy year ahead. This isn’t a birthday, but I have to congratulate my young cousin Ryan Shier, who plays for the Uxbridge Bruins, on being awarded the MVP of the PJHL Orr division! Of course, mention must be made of Trevor Cox, overseeing all this! Ryan is also a nephew of Linda Wagg.

For months, ever since work started on the 7th in the spring, there has been a light hanging over the intersection of the 7th and Sandford Road, a bag over its head. Finally, this week, the bag was removed, and there is now lights shining; it’s about time. Now, if a similar one could be hung over Sandford Road/6th, intersection, and a light attached to the stop sign on either side of the 6th, perhaps next Summer we could be accident/death free! No need for roundabouts at this swampy corner.

A lovely service this morning at church when the Gibson girls, mother Lynn and daughters Emily and Olivia officially joined our Sandford Zephyr congregation. They have been active for some time, but this makes it official. Lynn’s grandmother, Alma, was a Bacon who married Edgar Smalley. When I first moved this way and went to Sandford about 1968, Edgar and Alma were also members of that congregation, so the connection is made once more. Welcome! Next week, our own Adele Boy will be our worship leader! Please join us at 10 a.m. Coffee and conversation to follow!