Zephyr AS

Montana prosecutors are declining to pursue misdemeanor trespassing charges against seven people who were arrested in the state House gallery for protesting after Republicans denied transgender lawmaker Zooey Zephyr the right to debate bills near the end of the 2023 legislative session.

The Lewis and Clark County Attorney's Office filed motions in Justice Court to dismiss the charges "in the best interests of justice." A justice of the peace signed three of the seven motions on Tuesday, court officials said. The others are pending.

Zephyr's silencing drew scores of protesters to the state Capitol and renewed nationwide debates about manners in politics. It also took place as conservative lawmakers nationwide have introduced a flurry of anti-LGBTQ+ bills this year.

One of the defendants, Paul Kim of Missoula, said his attorney told him the county decided to drop the charges. Phone messages seeking comment Tuesday from County Attorney Kevin Downs and Deputy County Attorney Deanna Rothwell were not returned.

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The plaintiffs were arrested on April 24 after a group of people disrupted the floor session for about 30 minutes when the Republican majority denied Zephyr, a Democratic representative from Missoula, the opportunity to speak on a bill that would require parental consent for children to change the names and pronouns they use at school.

Zephyr defiantly hoisted her microphone into the air as her supporters chanted "Let her speak!"

Zephyr had been silenced for telling fellow lawmakers that if they supported a bill to ban gender affirming medical care for transgender youth they would have blood on their hands. Republican lawmakers then banned Zephyr from the House floor for violating decorum during the protest, leaving her to watch the deliberations and vote on bills from a hallway outside the House chambers.

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House Speaker Matt Regier did not immediately respond to a phone message Wednesday seeking comment on the dismissals, but Republican House leadership at the time described the disruption as a "riot" and an " insurrection," that put lawmakers and staff in danger. No property damage or threats to lawmakers were reported.

Kim, one of those who was charged, said he was at the Capitol that day for a rally in support of Zephyr and the LGBTQ+ community. The loud protest in the gallery, he said, was a "spontaneous moment."

Once law enforcement officers -- some in riot gear -- tried to clear the gallery, Kim said he made a decision for himself that "I was not going to be corralled out of there."

Zephyr issued a statement Tuesday saying she was "overjoyed" to learn that the trespassing charges were being dismissed.

"When I find the strength to stand up in the legislature, I do so knowing that I am standing in solidarity with a long history of those who stood up to defend democracy," she said. "That history now includes each of you."

During the 2023 legislative session, Montana's Republican supermajority passed bills to limit drag shows and ban drag queen reading events at public schools and libraries and to define "sex" in state law as only male or female, something LGBTQ+ advocates say will deny legal recognition to nonbinary and transgender people.

The ban on gender affirming medical care for minors is set to take effect on Oct. 1, but a lawsuit is asking a state judge to temporarily block its enforcement until the case can be heard in court. A hearing is set for Sept. 18.

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Supporters of silenced Montana lawmaker Zooey Zephyr won't face trespassing charges

HELENA, Mont. (AP) -- Montana prosecutors are declining to pursue misdemeanor trespassing charges against seven people who were arrested in the state House gallery for protesting that Republicans were denying transgender lawmaker Zooey Zephyr the right to debate bills near the end of the 2023 legislative session. The Lewis and Clark County Attorney's Office filed motions in Justice Court to dismiss the charges "in the best interests of justice." The plaintiffs were arrested for disrupting a floor session of the state House when Democratic Rep. Zooey Zephyr was not allowed to speak on a bill. She had been silenced for telling lawmakers who supported a ban on gender affirming medical care for minors that they would have blood on their hands. She was later banned from the House floor.

Supporters of silenced Montana transgender lawmaker Zooey Zephyr won't face trespassing charges - KION546

Imagine taking off your shoes, walking through pools of hot and cold water and then across stones, grass and sand to ground yourself and get your chakras aligned. That unique type of foot reflexology is only one of the special services offered at a new holistic skincare business in Riverhead. Twenty-six-year-old Maria Lopez and her husband, Greg, recently opened Zephyr Aesthetics at 211 Roanoke Avenue.

"With the foot reflexology, you are doing a detox and it's very relaxing. It stabilizes your whole system," said the mother of three.

Ms. Lopez is a certified medical aesthetician and a former nurse. Her specialty is acne treatments, but the skin menu is extensive, including facials, an oxygen bar that helps with stress and anxiety, aromatherapy, exfoliation, pigmentation, eyebrows and lashes.

"My main focus is acne," she said. "I can treat children from first grade. I plan their treatment and they usually clear up within six months."

Ms. Lopez already has a following from her previous practice, which she ran for five years from a tiny space near the old Riverhead post office. A walk-in spa is under construction on the second floor at Zephyr Aesthetics, and will be ready for clients in September. She's also preparing to open a store on the first floor that will sell natural supplements, skincare products and makeup.

"Zephyr will be a one-stop medical beauty shop," Ms. Lopez said. She and her husband spent about $35,000 on renovations, including new floors and paint.

"I have 165 clients who come for treatments every two to four weeks," she said. "Other clients come once a week for body treatments. All of our products are medical grade and customized. It's all very holistic -- I look at you and tell you what your skin needs. I prep the cleanser and serums that my customers need."

Situated in three rooms on the first floor and two rooms upstairs, her staff of Colombian practitioners use wooden tools to clear cellulite in a whole-body contouring session. Some clients may require injections. Clients can also have a massage and hair treatment. In addition, Zephyr offers special-occasion makeup and caters to bridal and Sweet 16 parties.

"I'm so grateful to the Riverhead community," Ms. Lopez said. "Everyone is so nice and I'm so happy."

Holistic skincare spa, Zephyr Aesthetics, opens in Riverhead  - Riverhead News Review

After 18 months developing with the Zephyr RTOS, I'm starting to become a strong proponent. In my opinion, one of the key advantages of the Zephyr RTOS is the hardware abstraction. It allows applications to be written for Zephyr that are platform independent and can be moved between different boards including different manufacturers of microcontrollers. In a world still suffering from chip shortages, it has been a breath of fresh air. [...]

Zephyr is a small real-time operating system (RTOS) designed for embedded microcontrollers such as the ARM Cortex-M series devices. As a project of the Linux Foundation, it shares many similarities with Linux, including DeviceTree and more recently, Pin Control. This is at the heart of how Zephyr gets its platform independence.

It's an article from January of 2023, but with how little we usually hear of these embedded platforms, I'll take everything I can get.

DeviceTree overlays on Zephyr RTOS: adding I2C or SPI

The recent tragedy that took place in Canaan on Saturday, August 26, 2023, continues to provoke reactions from civil society actors. In an interview with Panel Magik on Monday, August 28, 2023, Pastor Lemète Zéphyr, former president of the Ethics Commission of the Protestant Federation of Haiti (FPH), discussed the circumstances of this tragedy, which resulted in the death of around twenty people and multiple gunshot injuries.

"This tragedy must be analyzed on several levels. First, there is what is known as the lone wolf policy, meaning the pastor is the sole leader on board. He has no advisors, no committee; he acts at his own discretion," analyzed Mr. Zéphyr, emphasizing that it was clear that the pastor in question had been manipulating his followers for some time, and this needed to be corrected.

"Furthermore, we live in an era where unfortunately everyone is seeking visibility and recognition. They try to present themselves as

"It should be the responsibility of the religious authorities to impose sanctions on this self-proclaimed pastor for a long time," argues Lemète Zéphyr

Zephyr Energy PLC (AIM:ZPHR, OTCQB:ZPHRF) non-executive chair Rick Grant highlighted "significant and material progress", in a statement ahead of today's AGM, describing an opportunity of substantial potential value at the company's flagship project in the Paradox Basin, Utah.

"As a result of opportunistic acquisitions during 2022, the Paradox project is now made up of a 100 per cent working interest across an enlarged 45,000-acre position, with a newly acquired pipeline system and related infrastructure assets now under our control," Grant said in the statement.

"Thanks to our recent drilling successes (which achieved flowing hydrocarbons from both wells we have drilled on the Paradox project to date), we have also been able to book our maiden proved reserves and a large contingent resource base for the Paradox project."

At the same time, he noted "substantial progress" with Zephyr's non-operated production portfolio which generated some US$41.1 million of revenue in the twelve months ended 31 December 2022.

The AGM takes place this morning, at 11:00 am, at the offices of Memery Crystal, 165 Fleet Street, London, EC4A 2DY.

"The Zephyr team remains committed to the delivery of long-term value creation while upholding our core values of being responsible stewards of our Shareholders' capital and responsible stewards of the environment," Grant commented further.

"The board is looking to the future with a high degree of confidence as we continue in our pursuit of building a group of which all our stakeholders can be proud."

He added: "Looking ahead, with a diverse portfolio of cash-flowing assets, potential for substantial future organic growth, a solid financial footing, and a talented and growing team, we continue to be extremely optimistic about Zephyr's future.

"Our key goals for the remainder of 2023 are to move the Paradox project towards commercial production while continuing to grow the non-operated asset portfolio."

Zephyr Energy chair highlights "significant and material progress" as firm prepares for AGM

Halifax, Nova Scotia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 26, 2023) - Zephyr Minerals Ltd. (TSXV: ZFR) ("Zephyr" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it intends to conduct ground magnetic and induced polarization (IP) geophysical surveys over three gold properties, MC, MC-2 and Nyanga North; to be followed by a diamond drill program. The MC and MC-2 properties are currently being mined for gold on a small scale by pits ten to twenty meters deep in the easily mined weathered zones. Although there is no mining currently at Nyanga North, there has been small scale gold mining directly to the west, which is on strike with a postulated wide shear zone that trends onto Nyanga North and extends approximately 1.5 km across the property. To the best of the Company's knowledge, the three properties have never been exposed to modern exploration methods and have never been drill tested.

Loren Komperdo, President and CEO stated, "The MC and MC-2 properties have many of the same geological characteristics as the Red Lake camp in Northern Ontario, making these two properties excellent targets for high grade shear hosted gold deposits. The Nyanga North prospect is on a shear zone where eluvial gold was discovered and mined but little or no follow up exploration has ever been done. All three of these properties have high discovery potential for significant gold deposits."

Further details of the exploration activity will be provided as the program develops. For additional information on MC, MC-2 and Nyanga, see Company news releases of January 12, 2023, April 20, 2023, and December 21, 2021, respectively. The planned exploration program described above is contingent upon completion of the private placement described below.

The Company announces it intends to issue, by way of a non-brokered private placement financing, up to 4,000,000 units at a price of $0.09 per unit for gross proceeds of up to $360,000 (the "Financing"). Each Unit consists of one common share and one whole common share purchase warrant (a "Warrant") of the Company (the "Units"). Each Warrant will be exercisable to purchase one common share of the Company for $0.13 for a period of twelve months from the closing date.

The expiry date of the Warrants may be accelerated by Zephyr at any time if the volume-weighted average trading price of the common shares is greater than or equal to $0.26 for any 20 consecutive trading days. If this occurs, the Company may accelerate the expiry date of the warrants by issuing a press release announcing the reduced Warrant term whereupon the Warrants will expire on the 30th calendar day after the date of such press release.

Net proceeds from the funds raised will be used for mineral exploration programs in Zimbabwe, and for general working capital purposes. In connection with the offering, a finder's fee may be paid consisting of a cash commission equal to 7% of the gross proceeds raised under the offering and that number of nontransferable finder's fee warrants as is equal to 7% of the number of shares. Each finder's fee warrant will be exercisable into one common share of the Company at $0.13 per share, for a period of twelve months from the closing date. The expiry date of the finder's warrants are also subject to the same acceleration clause as the Unit warrants.

The Financing is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals including the approval and acceptance by the TSX Venture Exchange. All securities to be issued pursuant to the Financing will be subject to a four month hold period.

Qualified Person

Mr. Arimon Ngilazi, an independent consultant to the Company, and a qualified person as the term is defined under National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in this news release. Mr. Ngilazi has not visited the properties.

About Zephyr Minerals Ltd.

Zephyr Minerals Ltd. is conducting ongoing evaluations of gold properties for potential acquisition and/or joint venture throughout Zimbabwe. The Company is concentrating on projects with obvious gold potential as demonstrated through active, shallow, small scale mining operations or previous exploration work and favorable geology. In addition, the property should be of sufficient areal extent to host a target potential of at least one million ounces of gold. To this extent, the Company has signed multiple property joint venture agreements and has applied for two Exclusive Prospecting Orders covering 124,000 hectares. The Company is also actively reviewing lithium opportunities generated through in house research and property submittals by third parties. Zimbabwe boasts favorable foreign ownership rules for mineral properties as well as prospective, underexplored Archean greenstone belts.

In Colorado Zephyr has been focused on mine permitting activities at its 100% owned Dawson gold property, which is presently in hiatus pending the collection and submission of additional water well data and satisfying certain other environmental related questions. The additional required water wells are still in the planning stage and will be drilled once available funds are in hand. Upon collection of the additional data the Company plans to reapply for a mining permit at Dawson.

For further information please contact:

Loren Komperdo, President & CEO

or

Will Felderhof, Executive Chairman

T: 902 706-0222

info@zephyrminerals.com

To be included in the Zephyr email database for Company updates please contact info@zephyrminerals.com.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The forward-looking statements contained in this document are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the Company. The forward-looking statements contained in this document are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/174950

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Zephyr Minerals Ltd.: Zephyr Announces Zimbabwe Exploration Program & Private Placement

Montana Rep. Zooey Zephyr began her first day in legislative exile Thursday relegated to a bench in the hallway outside the the state House chambers. Credit: Associated Press

When Missoula Rep. Zooey Zephyr and her fiancée, activist Erin Reed, visited Glacier National Park this summer, the couple was approached by a group of burly flannel-clad residents in a Dodge Ram with Flathead plates.

"I'm a Courtenay Sprunger Republican," one of the men said to Zephyr and Reed, referencing the conservative Kalispell legislator, "but I'd sit on that bench for you."

Reed remembers feeling amazed by the broad swath of support her partner has garnered from Montanans of all stripes in the wake of the tumultuous 2023 legislative session.

"People might see these laws and form this impression (of Montanans) that's not borne out by seeing the people here," said Reed. "It's been a beautiful experience."

Since the session ended in the spring, Zephyr has proposed to Reed, traveled the world and continued to participate in LGBTQ+ advocacy in Montana and across the country. But she's insistent Missoula remains her home base because of the deep connections she's formed with the community here.

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"When I transitioned," Zephyr recalled, "Missoula took care of me in a way that I cannot articulate how much I needed at the start of my transition."

That support gave special resonance to her proposal to her then-girlfriend at Missoula's Queer Prom in May.

"It was really special to me personally," said Zephyr, "and it felt like in a year with so many attacks on queer people, it felt like a moment of planting the flag of trans joy and I couldn't be happier."

Both Zephyr and her fiancée are transgender women.

According to Reed, the pair is planning a wedding for 2024 and, in the meantime, jetting across the country to support the fight for LGBTQ+ rights writ large. In June alone, Zephyr spoke at Pride events in Florida, New York, California, Ohio and other states, meeting prominent legislators, attending the GLAAD Media Awards and visiting the White House for its Pride event.

But despite the illustrious elbows she's rubbed up against, Zephyr maintains some of the most impactful experiences have been with everyday LGBTQ+ community members, from a San Francisco eighth grader who organized a youth rally, to a Florida 40-year-old who is pushing back against some of the most far-reaching anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in the country.

"Every step," she said, "at every age across the fight, people are willing to put in the work to make sure LGBTQ people don't have to go back in the closet."

To her friend and Democratic organizer Andy Nelson, who also heads up The Center in Missoula, Zephyr is a shining example of using one's voice to make a difference.

"Representative Zephyr had an incredible session as a first-time legislator," said Nelson, who chairs the Missoula County Democrats.

Nelson, who has been involved in LGBTQ+ advocacy for years, said Zephyr's presence in the Montana Legislature made a difference from day one, because anti-LGBTQ+ efforts have morphed from attacks on gay rights, particularly marriage, to other issues.

"The main target is trans people," he said. "That's why her voice is so important right now."

And although he acknowledged many of the bills Zephyr fought against were eventually signed by Gov. Greg Gianforte, Nelson was confident legal challenges will finish the work the legislator started on the House floor.

"Eventually they will be found unconstitutional in a court of law," Nelson said. "It's a process so it's going to take time. We are fighting tooth and nail to shut it down."

Zephyr hopes her presence -- and her resistance against the censure on the House floor -- lends hope to the many allies fighting alongside her. She underlined the sign-off that marks all of her official communications: "with pride and determination."

She said she feels those notions more strongly now than ever, and she wants to inspire others to feel pride and determination in their own fights, whether they are for LGBTQ+ rights, renters' protections, environmental causes or other progressive issues.

Zephyr's primary motivation outside her legislative work is to support other activists to find the avenues through which they can effect the most change.

"More fundamentally," she said, "it's about finding the space where your voice can make a difference. That was my driving principle when I got elected."

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Rep. Zephyr returns to Missoula 'with pride and determination'

I first learned about the California Zephyr from a song by Ben Gibbard and Jay Farrar, who, in turn, were paraphrasing Jack Kerouac's novel Big Sur: "Now I'm transcontinental, 3,000 miles from my home," Gibbard sings in his, as my buddy Scott Zuppardo describes, "nasally sweetness." "I'm on the California Zephyr, watching America roll by." It sounded blissful.

Today, the California Zephyr route is considered by many to be America's most beautiful train ride. Beginning in Chicago, and over the course of 52 hours, it chugs through the middle of the country, traversing some of its most beautiful scenery before reaching its final stop in Emeryville, California. From there, passengers can take a bus to San Francisco.

I've always been curious about train travel, but it's the kind of cross country-trip I would typically reserve for my camper van. A direct flight from my hometown of Indianapolis to the West Coast only takes about six hours, and while I can grit my teeth and get through it if I have to, I don't like to be confined in a space for any length of time. How would I manage nearly two-and-a-half days on a train?

That said, I knew this particular train route would allow me to indulge the near-constant temptation to let my focus slide from the road to the incredible natural beauty surrounding me. On the train, I could take everything in without having to worry about causing a catastrophic crash. I decided to go for it.

Amtrak service to and from Indianapolis is severely limited -- the same could be said about mass transit options throughout most of the Midwest, for that matter -- so I started with a Greyhound bus to Chicago. Thanks to a massive medical convention and an even more massive Taylor Swift concert, I couldn't get a hotel room near Union Station and was forced to overnight in a cut-rate Howard Johnson hotel near the airport. To paraphrase Rhett Miller, lead singer of the Old 97's, "the room looked as good as it smelled." And the room reeked. Imagine if a flatulent Jabba the Hut was eating burnt popcorn and smoking cut-rate cigarettes with the room temperature cranked to 100 degrees. It was that bad. Things could only get better from here, I thought. Right?

The next morning, I made my way to Union Station. Because I booked a roomette sleeper car, I had access to the Metropolitan Lounge. Unlike the folks sharing wooden pews in the Grand Hall, I could relax on a plush couch and graze on complimentary snacks. I particularly enjoyed the wall art, which evoked sights I would see during my trip.

When it was time to board, an Amtrak employee walked those of us in the lounge to the train. There were at least three sleeper cars, and my roomette was one of four on the bottom level of ours. The other passengers and I would all be sharing a few bathrooms and one shower. Larger pieces of luggage for the entire car were stacked on shelves in-between.

The roomettes did not appear to have changed much since Kerouac's day. Mine, for its part, was a bit smaller than I anticipated -- about 6.5 feet by 3.5 feet. Two chairs sat on opposite sides of the room facing each other and could be transformed into a bed. Above, a bunk bed could be lowered down. A tray table between the two seats was serviceable for dining or light work. What may be the world's slimmest closet held two coat hangers and not much else. Despite what 1930's noir thrillers had led me to believe, dinners on this train wouldn't be formal. (On a side note: I heard a rumor that Amtrak may be updating the roomettes in the coming years. If so, Amtrak, call me. I have ideas.)

What's more, the roomette had one electrical and no USB outlets (I would highly recommend bringing along an Anker Travel Power Strip), as well as temperature controls that didn't seem to do much. Airflow alternated between nonexistent and the dying gasps of an asthmatic muskrat. And because we couldn't open our windows, the lack of air conditioning made life in our small cabins a bit stifling. A few people actually went to the observation car to get a bit of sleep before dropping nighttime temperatures made it possible for them to return to their rooms.

Temperature aside, the roomettes were slightly less claustrophobic with the door open, which also helped give it a college dorm-like feel (minus the dude in the common room wearing a Baja hoodie and mangling "Wonderwall" on an acoustic guitar). For me, someone who travels alone in a camper van for a good chunk of the year, the cramped quarters weren't an issue. However, if you're a couple sharing a tiny cabin, be very sure of your relationship before clicking this option. (Though, actually, Amtrak may be missing out on a huge marketing opportunity: "On the fence about getting married? Book a cross-country trip trapped in a roomette and know for certain!")

After we'd had a moment to settle in, Robert, the attendant for our sleeping car, gave us the lowdown. The observation car was one car beyond that, and Robert suggested we get there early the next morning, as the scenic stretch through Colorado was the busiest time. The dining car was one car over -- we'd need to make reservations for dinner each evening, but both breakfast and lunch were first-come, first-served.

Meals are complimentary for sleeper cabin guests (bring along some cash for tips). Passengers have at least three or four different options for each meal -- including dessert for lunch and dinner -- as well as one alcoholic beverage or soft drink. The Amtrak chefs aren't going to win any James Beard Awards, but my dinner companions and I agreed the food was much better than anticipated and miles above the best airline meal any of us had ever had. Tables are shared during meals, and unless you're a family of four, you never know who you might be seated next to. Luckily every meal was filled with the warm conversation. Two of my favorite meals were shared with couples from England and Ireland, respectively, as we discussed the differences in train travel between the U.S. and Europe, as well as our favorite places to visit on either side of the pond.

I expected the California Zephyr to be filled with retirees, with impromptu bingo games breaking out throughout the train. Surprisingly to me, the Zephyr riders were a mix of ages and ethnicities. The mix was constantly changing as folks boarded and departed at every stop; I thought nearly everyone would want the full California Zephyr experience from Chicago to San Francisco, but most people were just doing shorter segments -- Omaha to Salt Lake City, Grand Junction to Sacramento, and so on. I'd wager that more than half were repeat Amtrak passengers, some almost obsessively so. Michael Kimes from Rescue, California, told me he's taken close to a dozen Amtrak trips over the years, half of which were on the Zephyr.

"There's a definite camaraderie aboard," Kimes says. "Normally in life I'm quite reserved, but here, I'm forced to be more of a social butterfly. You sit with people at dinner and learn their stories...Everyone's much more relaxed as well. People get anxious when they're about to fly and airports can be stressful. But on a train, everyone's always smiling; even when the train is going at a virtual crawl, you're always making forward progress."

Although the massive granite mountains and fast-flowing rivers get most of the attention on this trip, coming out of Chicago, you're rolling through the everyday America that John Cougar Mellencamp sings about -- family farms, American Legion halls, industrial grain silos, rusted-out vintage Ford pickups disappearing into brambles of weeds and gravel roads stretching out to everywhere and nowhere. There's a charm there that many folks may overlook, but I absolutely adore. I loved catching split-second glimpses of everyday life in these small towns. Would I buy the owner of Moore Tires a beer at the Shamrock Pub after he hooked me up with a great deal on a new set of winter radials? Who was playing the slots at Ziggie's right now? Was someone cooking meth in that dilapidated trailer?

Per Robert's admonition, however, on day two I woke up around 5:30 a.m., as the moon slowly sank toward, and finally below, the horizon. After breakfast and our stopover in Denver, I camped out in the observation car as we began left out of the green meadows and up into the Rockies. As we chugged up the granite mountains, we passed an undulating stream of Douglas fir, lodgepole pine, quaking aspens, blue spruce trees and fast-moving whitewater rivers. We were surrounded by arboreal beauty everywhere.

The sounds of the observation car then wasn't unlike that of the sounds of an audience watching an action movie -- lots of "oohs" and "ahhs," punctuated by the occasional "wow!" For this stretch, I'd recommend people try to sit on the right side of the observation car -- at least for the first 90 minutes or so -- then, if possible, switch to the left side. Depending on the sun's angle, you may have strong reflections on the glass, which may make taking photographs difficult.

From there, the Zephyr crossed over the Continental Divide (or rather under it). The Moffat Tunnel passes underneath James Peak, which left us in the dark for 6.2 miles. Before we entered the tunnel, we were asked to stay seated and not move around. Thankfully, also unlike those '30s noir thrillers, no one had a knife sticking in their back once we reached daylight again.

Descending back down to nearly sea level, we paralleled the Colorado River for what felt like hundreds of miles. We saw dozens, if not hundreds, of anglers and paddlers having fun on the river, and nearly as many butt cheeks. That section of the Colorado is affectionately referred to as "Moon River," we were told as person after person dropped trou and wiggled their bottoms at the passing train.

Colorado would eventually give way to Utah's sun-bleached sandstone with the snow-capped Wasatch mountains towering in the distance to Nevada's juniper-filled high desert to California's High Sierras. The tall pines cover the hills and mountains of Tahoe National Forest, where pockets of snow remained from the brutal winter.

We passed right by the dazzlingly green Donner Lake, where the infamous Donner Party was stranded during an even more vicious winter. Craig Genet, of Springfield, Ohio, said he's been fascinated by the macabre story lately and was thrilled to learn the location was along the Zephyr's route. This was his first cross-country journey on a train. He was in the coach section, and sleeping in the less-crowded bottom level so he can spread out to sleep and relax.

"Coach seems to be a bit more communal than the sleeper cars," Genet told me. "People are much friendlier than I expected. It seems like more of a shared experience."

At every stop, I stepped outside to grab some fresh air. Most stops lasted only a few minutes, just long enough to load and unload passengers. We had slightly longer stops in both Denver and Salt Lake City, each lasting about 30-40 minutes. But between reading books and watching YouTube videos in my roomette and scenery watching in the observation car, I didn't get as stir crazy as I feared. As we hurtled our way to the journey's end, I asked myself, "Would I do it again?"

The answer? Definitely. Despite the inconveniences, I loved the experience. Next time, I might go with an open coach ticket and segment the trip a bit more. So many places we passed, I was curious whether or not any trout were biting on a river or where a particular trail led into the hills hurtling past us.

Sacramento would be my final stop on that trip. Like in the song, I'd gone transcontinental -- 3,000 miles (OK, more like 2,174) from my home while watching America roll by. When I hear people talk about the "romance of the rails" now, I totally get it. It's all about falling in love with the ever-changing landscape. Seeing America from the rails made me appreciate how incredibly beautiful and special it can be. Maybe I'll write a song about it.

What It's Like to Watch America Roll by on the California Zephyr

Halifax, Nova Scotia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 31, 2023) - Zephyr Minerals Ltd. (TSXV: ZFR) ("Zephyr" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has closed the first tranche (the "First Tranche") of its previously announced non-brokered private placement (the "Private Placement") through the issuance of 3,210,000 (the "Units") at a price of $0.09 per Unit for gross proceeds of $288,900. Each Unit consists of one (1) common share (each, a "Share") and one (1) transferable Share purchase warrant (each, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one (1) additional Share of the Company at a price of $0.13 per Share for a period of twelve (12) months. The expiry date of the Warrants may be accelerated by Zephyr at any time if the volume-weighted average trading price of the common shares is greater than or equal to $0.26 for any twenty (20) consecutive trading days. If this occurs, the Company may accelerate the expiry date of the warrants by issuing a news release announcing the reduced Warrant term whereupon the Warrants will expire on the 30th calendar day after the date of such news release.

Net proceeds from the Private Placement will be used for mineral exploration programs in Zimbabwe (see news release July 26, 2023) and for general corporate purposes.

The president and CEO of the Company subscribed for an aggregate of 200,000 Units for gross proceeds of $18,000 in the Private Placement. Such participation is considered to be a "related party transaction" as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 ("MI 61-101"). The Company is relying on the exemptions from valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 contained in sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101, as the fair market value of the participation in the Private Placement by insiders does not exceed twenty-five percent (25%) of the market capitalization of the Company as determined in accordance with MI 61-101.

Under the First Tranche closing, the Company paid a cash finder's fee $9,198 and issued 102,200 finder's warrants to PI Financial Corp; and a cash finder's fee of $6,300 and issued 70,000 finder's warrants to Leede Jones Gable Inc. Each finder's warrant entitles the holder to acquire one common share of the Company at $0.13 per share at any time on or before July 31, 2024. The expiry date of the finder's warrants are also subject to the same acceleration clause as the Unit warrants.

The Private Placement is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals including the approval and acceptance by the TSX Venture Exchange. All securities issued under the Private Placement are subject to a statutory hold period of four (4) months and a day expiring on December 1, 2023.

About Zephyr Minerals Ltd.

Zephyr Minerals Ltd. is conducting ongoing evaluations of gold properties for potential acquisition and/or joint venture throughout Zimbabwe. The Company is concentrating on projects with obvious gold potential as demonstrated through active, shallow, small scale mining operations or previous exploration work and favorable geology. In addition, the property should be of sufficient areal extent to host a target potential of at least one million

ounces of gold. To this extent, the Company has signed multiple property joint venture agreements and has applied for two Exclusive Prospecting Orders covering 124,000 hectares. The Company is also actively reviewing lithium opportunities generated through in house research and property submittals by third parties. Zimbabwe boasts favorable foreign ownership rules for mineral properties as well as prospective, underexplored Archean greenstone belts.

In Colorado Zephyr has been focused on mine permitting activities at its 100% owned Dawson gold property, which is presently in hiatus pending the collection and submission of additional water well data and satisfying certain other environmental related questions. The additional required water wells are still in the planning stage and will be drilled once available funds are in hand. Upon collection of the additional data the Company plans to reapply for a mining permit at Dawson.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

Zephyr Minerals Ltd.

David Felderhof, Chief Financial Officer

david@zephyrminerals.com

T: 902 706-0222

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The forward-looking statements contained in this document are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the Company. The forward-looking statements contained in this document are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/175517

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Zephyr Minerals Ltd.: Zephyr Closes First Tranche of Previously Announced Private Placement

Zephyr's Pass is an upcoming retro RPG set to release for the Game Boy Color, and I got the chance to take an early look at it.

The thing about Zephyr's Pass is that it's more than retro-inspired; it can be fully considered a retro title. The game runs on the Game Boy Color's original hardware and will be available as a cartridge once it releases.

I don't have a Game Boy Color in hand, as I never had much access to Nintendo's hardware due to regional issues; thankfully, the developers were nice enough to provide me with a ROM file.

Emulating the game was as easy as dropping it into Retroarch, and it was a pretty painless process. The game will be available for purchase as a ROM once it releases, since not everyone has the retro hardware to play it properly.

The demo I was provided with places us at a later point in the game, and this was done to keep us away from any major plot spoilers as well as to help show how the game's combat will be at later points.

What I know about the plot is that the main character is named Abel, and he wields a magical wind sword. Abel is rumored to be a hero of legend and is most likely Zephyr's chosen one to save the world.

For those unfamiliar, Zephyr is the god of wind in Greek mythology, and fittingly enough, the demo drops us in a place that reveres him in an indirect manner. Zephyr's Pass' demo puts us in the shoes of Abel as his airship crashes in the middle of the desert.

Abel and his crew happen to find a village in the middle of nowhere, and most of the villagers are faithful servants of the wind. They don't seem to be exactly sure of what it even is, but they revere it nonetheless.

The village is a classic example of misplaced faith, as everything that happens gets written off as something orchestrated by the "great gust". Both the fact that the western part of the town has been completely blocked off by rubble and the village's ongoing food shortage are seen as the great gust's will.

Abel investigates the food shortage while walking around town, getting to know the villagers and what they think of the situation, and ends up linking the problem to livestock theft. Abel works with a young boy named Shawn to figure out who's been stealing the animals, thinking up a pretty ingenuous plan.

Abel and Shawn wait until night and disguise Shawn as a sheep to see who will try to take him, but Abel's crew doesn't even really care about the plan, telling him that he has until sunrise to get things done or he'll be left behind.

There's a pretty interesting dynamic between Abel and his crew; he basically does whatever they tell him to and essentially works as a low-level pirate. The dichotomy of him being a hero of legend who also just runs errands because he's a kid is pretty fun.

Shawn, now dressed as a sheep, does get kidnapped, and Abel gives chase, getting him confused with the other misplaced sheep multiple times. Zephyr's Pass actually has quite a bit of understated humor in its dialogue; it's never in your face, but it does have some funny moments.

The segment where we are looking for Shawn also serves as our first taste of combat, as the path to finding him is full of cloaked men and dangerous snakes. Zephyr's Pass has real-time combat, which is very reminiscent of the early Legend of Zelda games.

The game's combat is pretty basic, as you just walk up to enemies and smack them with your sword, but I can't bring myself to complain about it. To truly be a retro title, Zephyr's Pass would have to be simple, and I'm glad it doesn't try to shoehorn a bunch of mechanics into the game just because it's being released in modern times.

Like it or not, Zephyr's Pass is a Game Boy Color game, and those games were very straightforward, aside from some obtuse quest design here and there, which thankfully Zephyr's Pass doesn't seem to have.

It does seem like combat will gain some depth as we progress through the game, though, as Abel can unlock more items to use alongside his wind sword. In the demo, we get a shield, which essentially just blocks projectiles while we hold it up.

While looking for Shawn, we also stumble upon the game's first dungeon, which may have my favorite implementation of door maze mechanics. Each room in the dungeon has 12 doors, three in each cardinal direction, and the player has to walk through the correct door to progress.

Instead of teleporting you around and making it a frustrating experience, Zephyr's Pass just has you walk into the same room until you figure out the next door. You never actually lose progress in the puzzle as you clear it, and you can always narrow it down to three doors by checking your map.

This is the best implementation of this type of puzzle I have seen so far, as most games choose the sadistic way and have you try your luck with random doors until you essentially brute force your way through.

At the end of the dungeon, we get a really fun boss fight against a massive statue, which forces us to make use of our newly acquired shield. The fight happens on a really narrow platform, and the boss' gusts of wind knock Abel off, forcing the player to use their shield when not attacking.

After defeating the statue, we find out that the village's leader was behind kidnapping the sheep all along, attempting to sacrifice them to the wind god, hoping for prosperity, even though the sacrifices were leading to a food shortage.

Abel spares the village's elder, who then realizes that the young boy is actually the wind god's chosen. After that, Abel goes on his merry way, hoping to eventually save the world from an unknown villain.

Something that doesn't even have to be mentioned is how nice the game looks, as the post is full of examples. The game does a lot with its limited color palette and has some fantastic pixel art; the characters overworld sprites especially remind me of the Final Fantasy games.

Zephyr's Pass is a very enjoyable retro experience; it's simple, and I think that's a positive trait in this case. It manages to easily blend in with other RPG titles from the era by simply sticking to the basics of combat and exploration.

It's not often that we see a proof-of-concept like this manage to be well-written, artistically impressive, and fun while still respecting the limitations of older hardware. I give my props to Zephyr's Pass and gladly await the final release.

Zephyr AS

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