Eightieth birthday greetings go out to Lorna Bater on her recent birthday in late March. The family held a small gathering at the Bater farm home, but due to old Mother Nature, it was a real tricky day weather wise with more snow and blowing snow. Doreen Parker of Radisson and some of her family members from Holbein and Biggar made the effort to come out in the stormy day. They got their vehicle stuck on a coulee hill in a big snow drift on the road and had to be helped out by a neighbour with a farm tractor. Other relatives made the trip from North Battleford and local neighbours attended. It was a day to really remember our Old Man Winter.
More 80th greetings go out this month of April to my husband Stanley Mills. He will celebrate his 80th birthday on April 27.
Environment Canada held a severe weather watch information seminar at the Super 8 Motel in North Battleford on Feb. 17. It had been some time since the last seminar was held.
John Cragg from Canwarn office out of Saskatoon ran the seminar. There was quite a few interested amateur radio operators, five men, and ambulance personnel on hand. Stanley Mills and Phil Bater of our area took in the evening activities. Our weather can be so very different from area to area and changeable all at the same time. A handout was provided on how to report the changing weather, outlining what a report should contain, what to report spring, summer, fall and winter, and what types of weather people should be reporting. The various formation of clouds has so much to do with sudden and fast changes in the weather all in the matter of minutes when storms are approaching. The weather all year round is fascinating to watch and to keep track of. It's like they say Saskatchewan is the land of the living skies. Take the time to watch and notice the weather patterns as there are many changes happening some days around you all at the same time.
Weather watchers are watching all year long and make up the forecasts and you should start to watch. We should all be weather wise as we plan our days work and travel by the weather conditions. It is a very interesting subject as we are always talking about the weather. Even the birds and animals are effected by weather conditions.
For the past two weeks there has been a young moose on the move up and down our bare roads. It does not look too strong and not healthy likely due to the lack of good feed all winter and the deep snow about.
Slowly our spring birds are all starting to come back to the prairies, but are likely shocked by so much snow still about. There aren't many places for them to find a little food to eat, but now a few bare spots are starting to show up in the fields and the roads.
Temperatures remain well below normal, making for a very slow melt. It is really tough for the farmers as some cannot even get at their seeding machinery to get it ready. They are still in huge snow banks. It will be at least another two to three weeks. Then the fields will be wet and need to dry out a little. It's going to be a very late spring season. There is still more snow and mixed rain falling and freezing to everything. We all hope April showers will bring the May flowers and some warm sunny days.
