Birthday greetings go out to Paul Kozlowski of North Battleford on the occasion of his 95th birthday.
Greetings also to Margarey (Smith, Heaver) Jenny of British Columbia who has reached her 99th year. Margarey is formerly from Baljennie when she was married to Bill Smith, a farmer. Margarey ran a hair dressing operation and a greenhouse for many years before retiring in British Columbia.
Sympathy to Margarey and the Smith family on the recent passing of her eldest son, Harvey Smith of Regina. Harvey attended Rayner Heights School for a few years.
Sympathy to the Radchenko and Alm families of North Battleford on the recent passing of Aina Radchenko, formerly of Bjelde Creek area. Burial tool place at the Willowmoor Cemetery. Aina passed away in late June at the age of 84.
A second cleanup evening was held recently at the Baljennie Cemetery. A big thank you to all those who came to help. It did not take a lot of time with lots of weed snippers and lawn mowers in operation.
The end of June came with high winds, scary storms and heavy rainfall. Into July conditions improved. The prairies were chilly, while eastern Canada was under a heat wave, but our turn came, with the temperatures heating up for at least 10 days. Then heavy forest fire smoke from Alberta and British Columbia moved in to block out some of the sun's heat. It certainly has been a season to keep your eye on the sky. With so many tornadoes forming you would think Saskatchewan and Alberta have a tornado alley like our American friends have. Some are dipping down to do damage to farm yards, trees and buildings while others form and just seem to be move away without touching down. Plow winds have also done damage to trees, falling down on buildings and vehicles and have played havoc with power lines. Many places were out of power for days.
Since rain showers started in early April there has been over 15 inches recorded in the area. The heavy clouds start to form and are full of rain and it just keeps on falling. More heat is to come after this last rainfall bringing hot and humid days.
The sunshine is badly needed to get a little faster growth into crops and the gardens, which have been on the slow side. Late seeded swath grazing crops have been seeded and are starting to show growth. Pretty well all the crop spraying has been done until another outbreak of something happens. The zero till fields are kept sprayed and under control. The wheat fields are breaking into shot blade and will head out shortly. The yellow canola, white field peas and blue flax are all in bloom, painting the landscape in a riot of colours. The bumblebees and other bees are all busy in most flowering fields.
The haying season has started, but the rain is playing havoc with that. It will be a slow process to dry out to bale.
The hot days are hatching out the mosquitoes from all the moisture we have had in the sloughs and potholes. The dragonflies are out in full force, that will help to control the little pests.
Garden flowers are all putting on a big show of colour and attracting many different butterflies, small and large. A pair of Monarch butterflies have been in my flowers for a few days. We have not seen them here for a few years. Let's hope they keep coming and add to the colour in the garden patch.
There seems to be quite a few white-tailed does about our yard. They all now have baby fawns at their sides. They keep them so well hidden. You only get a quick sight of them. It won't be long and they will be out with the does.
There has been sightings of wild pigs in local fields. They seem to like to make their hunting and feeding range in the field pea fields. They have not been seen in this area for the past several years.
