Weekend visitors at the home of Phil and Lorna Bater were Phil's brother Gerald Bater, wife Agnes and their daughter Bobby Bater of Abbotsford, B.C. Phil's sister Gwenda Rondesvedt of North Battleford also visited. Gerald and Agnes had been to Agnes' home in Humboldt on family issues. The ashes of Agnes' sister from B.C. and her brother of Humboldt were buried at the local cemetery in Humboldt.
Congratulations go out to Jason Bater on his graduation from Memorial University at St. John's, N.L., with a degree in computer science. Jason Bater is Dwayne and Cheryl Bater's youngest son.
The hot days in late August certainly brought out ever so many hummingbirds. The two feeders had to be filled each day and, at the last count, there was at least 16 hummingbirds trying to feed at once. Some are busy at the feeders fighting with each other, while you could hear more in the trees above chatting at each other.
They were very slow at coming in May. The big scramble lasted for at least two weeks, then it seemed that one by one they were leaving. By Sept. 1, they were all gone. We took the feeders all down and washed, cleaned and put them away until next year.
The hummingbirds did put on a lot of activity in the garden and deck all summer and they are missed now. They seem so disagreeable at the feeders and do slam into each other. One little fellow got hit and went fluttering into a flower pot below. He soon recovered and was on his way again.
Last fall we were flooded with all kinds of grasshoppers; now the hot days have brought them back again. The heavy rains and colder air have really slowed them up a little, but they are hungry and ready to eat all the lush green garden vegetables and green grass.
It is much the same thing with the nasty little black crickets. They are just small and are all over the place and run so fast and jump when you see them. Don't see too much damage from them yet, but they do burrow into the soil and into the potatoes to make ugly holes and they like to pull the soil away from the carrots and expose them to the hot sunlight.
Still beware of the wood ticks as they are still about. They are flat eight-legged crawly critters that like to be on the animals, and people as well. Their season should soon be over.
