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 pond and found a family of tree swallows in one of my nest boxes. I had seen the adult flying over the water but did not know if they were actually in residence. It was so cute to see the little ones with their faces out the hole and mouths wide open, and they do have very wide mouths. Later a spotted sandpiper landed on the dock, verifying what I had thought I had seen several times before. This morning the cardinal and the robin sang a duet back and forth to each other!

Congratulations to the Zephyr crew who organized the annual garage sale. This was usually a job that June Holmes Archibald did, and I am sure many thoughts were on her as the planning progressed into a successful event. The book sale brought in about $140 for the library.

Don’t forget the Lucy Maud Montgomery “Gardens of Uxbridge” tour this Saturday, June 25th. There are eight gardens, all quite different, some in town, others a little further in the country. Tickets are $25, and the gardens are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The fourth “Friday at the Foster” features “Tapestry Choir” vocals. Please join us to enjoy a different show as these folks have not been with us before. The performance starts at 7:30 p.m., and this year we have a silent auction for you to engage in.

On Sunday, June 26th, at 2 p.m., the Sandford Decoration service will be held in the church, with Rev. Jim Hackner leading worship. The cemetery will be open for anyone wishing to place decorations at graves. Zion Cemetery, Zephyr, will hold its service on July 3rd at 2:30 p.m. at the cemetery unless the weather is inclement!

Service in July will be at Sandford. July 10th is a special day when we will celebrate 60 years of the United Church Women (UCW). Unfortunately, both our groups have folded, but there will be displays of past events and commemorative pins given. The service will be conducted by Carol O’Neil, a member since she was 23 and just recently president of the Lake Ridge Presbyterial.

Church this Sunday was at Zephyr United Church. As has been happening, Ruth Baker, her daughter Donna and granddaughters Alayna and Emma honoured us with special music before and after the service. Pastor Laura Kay conducted the service. It was about how Jesus commanded the waters to be still but also cast out the devils from a man.

We received sad news this week, Audrey Adams had passed away while in hospital. She had been hospitalized for several weeks with a knee replacement and then a hip break, which led to pneumonia. Our sympathies to her son and his family and other family members, such as George and Diane Kydd!

Our best wishes for a quick and full recovery go out to Ted Croxall, who is in hospital with a broken hip. Ted is well known in the area, and I have known him since I was very young. Ted could always be relied on for a joke and a song. The Croxall family has resided in the Bethesda area for probably close to 200 years.

Birthday wishes went out this past week to Heidi Lockerby. Heidi makes a point of calling a number of her friends during the week, checking how they are doing. Best wishes also went out to our former minister Eiko Hosako. Presently Eiko does not have a church to minister to, but she runs a small business where she sells Bento boxes of delicious-looking Japanese food.

Best wishes went out also to Dan Cearns, a fellow columnist in this paper, but a much younger one. Dan seems able to turn his pen to different topics with ease, just what a newspaper needs. Best wishes also to my forever neighbours Fred and Helen Wilson, who have moved into West Shore Retirement home in Port Perry. Gradually the younger generations of Wilsons are taken over the 7th, or what I have said should be called Wilson Rd.

Happy anniversary wishes go out to Louise (Weir) and Steve Lougheed as they celebrate their 25th wedding year. Henry and Donna Webster beat them somewhat by having been married for 44 years, while Wilma (Holman) and John Bakelaar have been married for 60 years! Many more great healthy years ahead of them.

Congratulations to a young cousin Carleigh Higgens who has been given an award from Queens University, where she has been studying nursing for three years. She has been involved with the Registered Nurses Assoc. of Ontario as a student liaison and worked in Palliative care, Research and Canadian Blood Services. Congratulations, Carleigh, a wonderful job!

Best wishes also go to Robyn Ottolini, who continues to make the music news with another huge billboard, a number of engagements throughout the year across Canada with Tim Hicks and MCing the CMA Ontario Awards night, as well as having two new songs on the hit parade, “Trust Issues” and “Say It”.

#patasling #sandford #shorelines #Zephyr