The Omega Block is Shifting Away

The front looks like this on the evening of Sept 27:

Looks like my sunflower has to start getting to seed soon so I can harvest it!

More sunflower photos

Busy bees today

The other two sunflowers are beginning to bloom

An Omega Block is Going to Make for a Great Fall Day

The Russian mammoth sunflowers are given a chance to bloom because of Indian Summer this past week.  A classic omega block has been giving us hot, sunny weather.  Here is what the system map looks like on September 25, 2011.  Unfortunately, it's going to break up soon.

To take advantage of the great weather, I rode my bike from Aden Bowman to home with the kids (about 10 km).  That sunflower is getting huge and the 2 others are starting to bloom.

Seeds that Oxfam sent me in 2010

Update: Russian Mammoth Sunflower

It's going to get to 30°C today.  The Russian mammoth sunflower has gotten bigger and the other two are starting to open their flowers!

Russian Mammoth Sunflower

I planted one of these in a pot at the end of April (Oxfam had sent me some seeds in 2010).  It finally started to open it's flower last week. I had to cover it with a garbage bag to protect it from a -5°C freeze on September 14.  Samuel got 2 others at Lakeridge School (a gift from Agrium).  I didn't know his were Russian mammoth sunflowers until they got big.  They planted those in June, so they are more than a month behind the one I planted.  I had planted some last year, but the flowers didn't get very big because of the short Saskatoon growing season.  We are going have Indian summer the next few days, so I hope Samuel's 2 sunflowers will open up soon before the killer frost comes!  Notice how it bent over to get maximum sunlight!  A weird looking, but beautiful sunflower indeed. Tomorrow is Michael Faraday's 220th birthday (born the year Mozart died, 1791).

Ordination as a Ruling Elder within the Presbyterian Church in Canada

Yesterday, I was ordained as an elder at St Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Saskatoon.  It was the second time I've been an elder.  Previously, I was an elder at Parkview Presbyterian Church, but resigned after a vote in which I was the only one to vote no to almagamation of Parkview and Circle West. It is a rather daunting calling this time, I think.  I listened to a lot of Mozart piano concerti yesterday contemplating this new appointment.