Zephyr & Sandford News

by Pat Asling

Spring is not here yet. Even though it was 19 °C one afternoon, much of the snow had already melted. Finally, my pond is ice-free. The ducks found it immediately. Several mallards and a pair of hooded mergansers appeared. It is so nice to see them. Hundreds of geese, of course, but none here yet. Only a few ever come here because it doesn’t have the cleared side that the shallow pond across the road has.

Regarding swans, none visit here as the pond is too small for takeoff, but there seem to be plenty nearby. For example, while driving to Port Bolster on Good Friday, we saw four in a large field puddle. Today, coming home from church, there was a pair in Flummerfelt’s pond. I have checked each week, but until now, that pond has also been frozen. In addition to swans, there have been reports of large flocks of sandhill cranes flying overhead. Notably, Luanne Blackburn Evans was fortunate to capture photos of many cranes in a field north of Leaskdale and before Udora, where there is still a meltwater pond.

Talking about our growing number of swans, the young man who carved the swans in the Township Offices yard, Ryan Locke, keeps busy. He has a number of carvings for sale in his yard. One of the latest is a tree stump with books on top, reminiscent of the one in the museum yard. This one has a great horned owl perched on top—a spectacular image! You can see all his carvings on Facebook.

The Farmers' Almanac predicts a sluggish, unsettled spring. It will be cooler than normal, with less rain in the south and more in the north than usual. All in all, not a pleasant outlook. The pink moon was not pink but is named for the colour of some flowers, moss phlox, which bloom somewhere at this time. Like the blue moon, it doesn’t happen often.

Turning to recent astronomical events, we did have that Pink moon, which I saw early one morning—the same morning the four astronauts left on their trip around the moon. It is hard to believe it's been 50 years since a moon shot happened. It is wonderful to know a Canadian is part of this great experience. On a personal note, I was privileged to know Dr. Roberta Bondar a number of years before she became an astronaut, when she was not long out of medical school. At that time, we were both volunteering at a hospital in Vieux Fort, St Lucia. She certainly flew a little higher than I did.

Birthday greetings go out to several ladies this week. Adeline Clark, second daughter of Brad and Marcie, was 17! She is growing up so fast but still helps with all those new calves. Greetings also to Nancy Evans Wallace, one of the daughters of Olive and Lawrence, who grew up in Uxbridge. Then there is Adrienne Grant, who spoke to us last year about the work of Jennifer Ashleigh Children’s Charity. She is Executive Director. She and her family also volunteer at several local events. Leslie Thomas has roots in Uxbridge, though she never lived here. Her mother was Dawn Marie Prentice, and her grandparents were Grant and Lorna (Lambe). Gloria Eng slowed down enough to have a birthday, but she is usually flying here and there. She still manages to spend a lot of time helping at the Legion and the Historic Society. She was three when I first met her. Greetings also to Anne Phillips. Anne and her husband Dave are quite involved in the Presbyterian Church and several other town events, like the Christmas dinners. Then there is Marianne Prince, also involved in many local organizations. Finally, a former neighbour of mine grew up on the neighbouring farm. Karen VanVught was the daughter of Doreen and Herb. She graduated and moved west, where she married a Bernert—a young man with many horses. I think they have four sons, involved in riding and wrestling. Best wishes to all these ladies wherever they are, and to anyone else celebrating a special event.

The Zephyr Community Group and the Lions hosted a pancake breakfast and Easter egg hunt on Saturday morning. I assume it went well. The Lions also held another Euchre evening on Thursday, which was a great success. These evenings will continue for a few more weeks. Admission is now $10! The next Spaghetti supper will be on April 10th, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. They are raising funds to send a local child to Camp Kirk, a camp for children with disabilities. The usual items for collection are solicited. The Spring Craft Show will be on May 24th.

Looking back at Easter weekend, the community spent it in many different ways. I spent Good Friday morning at Epsom United Church. Because of a flooded basement, we ate in a cold sanctuary but were warmed by seeing friends we hadn't seen since last year. I am sure the funds raised for the Canadian Food Grains Project were helpful. Our evening meal was with friends and family. Services were also held at Sandford United Church, including one on Easter Sunday. It was good to see Norma Scott out again after being ill for several weeks. Unfortunately, Adele Boy has now caught the same bug. Best wishes to all who are not feeling well. It was a pleasure to see Olivia and Emily Gibson, our youngest members, participate. Thank you, girls; we older ones appreciate it! Next Sunday, Rev. Bill Fritz will be with us. It is always a treat. Please join us for fellowship and friendship!