Great Country We Live In!

Alarm Clock

Now I know most folks today have some kind of fancy alarm clock. Probably digital or maybe even one that wakes you by playing music. With them in mind I got to thinking of my younger days on the farm.

There was no such thing as an alarm clock, or at least one by today’s standards. On the dairy farm I was in bed at around 7:00 PM and looked forward to it. After a hard day out in the fields and looking after the critters, sleep didn’t take long in coming. I was usually up in the morning around 4:15 AM and my first chore of the day was bringing in firewood for the cook stove, along with splitting a bit of kindling. From there, it was off to the barn to help with the milking.

My alarm clock was a bit different from most folks had, mine was an old Red Rooster. I got to tell you, this rooster had a set of lungs on him that could have woken up a whole town, if there had been one close by. Most roosters only crow when the sun comes up, but for some reason this crazy old thing we had, was up and out on the fence at 4:15 every morning. The worst part was, that the spot he picked was right below my window. He saw a few of my shoes come flying out of the window at him, in my stay on the farm.

For years I tried to get Laura to make a rooster pot pie but she wouldn’t hear of it. I think the only reason they kept him around was just to bug me. I also figured that the darn thing just wanted a good laugh every morning.

I remember one morning, I was laying awake there in bed waiting for him to start his crowing but for some reason on this morning he didn’t. Kind of thought it was strange, as he’s never missed a morning since I moved there. Well, I got up and headed on over to the barn to have a look around but he was nowhere to be found. I then headed on out to the fence which he usually stood on and there he was laying on the ground, with blood all over the place. By looking at the tracks I soon seen that a fox had gotten to him. I thought he was a goner but after a bit more looking, I found he was still alive. He was messed up quite a bit and you could tell he must have put up quite a fight as there was feathers everywhere. I figured he gave that old fox a run for his money.

Well I picked him up and carried him back to the barn. He had one broken wing and a few cuts. Laura helped me fix him up and for the next few weeks I kept his wounds clean and fed him. He wouldn’t eat for a few days but he slowly came around. A couple weeks later he was his old self and I figured he would soon be back out on the fence in the mornings, waking me up. I have to say, I really missed his greetings, not that I would admit it to anyone.

A few more days went by and then one morning I was awoken by a familiar sound. I laid there awake and smiled, I was happy he was back to his old self. I went down stairs and to my surprise I found it was 4:30 AM. That old rooster got slipped up on his time, I thought. The next morning I waited for his call and darned if it wasn’t right on 4:30 AM again.

I got to talking to Reg about it and he said, “Well, I guess he figured since you mended and cared for him, he would let you sleep in an extra fifteen minutes in the mornings.”

“Maybe so,’ I said, “we will see what he does in the coming days.”

Time went by and every morning after that the old rooster never crowed till 4:30 AM, which was okay by me, as it saved me walking outside in my bare feet to get my shoes.

So there you have it, not your average alarm clock but very effective.

In Closing, I would Like To Wish You Well

My Favourite Pass Time

One of my favourite pass times over the years has been fishing. Doesn’t take much for me to drop what I am doing and head out on the water in hopes of pulling in a nice Pickerel or large mouth Bass. Especially if my friend Barry is available.
I don’t have anything fancy in the way of a boat, 14 foot deep wide aluminium with a 35 HP Johnston Motor. Older one brought over into Canada from the USA many years ago. The only thing I had to do was install a new steering cable as the old ones were about finished along with a touch of fresh paint.
For a pole I have one that my Dad bought for me in Florida many years ago. Just the right length for my boat along with having the right flex for pulling in the big ones. The reel was an old Shakespeare but the bearings went in it so bought a new Abu Garcia. No special reason other than it feels good and casts nice. Put a lot of fish in the boat with it over the years.
The one item if asked about, that is important would be the net. Over the years I have had numerous types mostly the netted type. Reason being that was all that was out there. Today though we have an assortment to choose from.
I never really paid it much attention till one day I hooked onto a nice size pike. Problems arose with the three hook lure getting tangled up in the net. Took me about a half an hour to get it out of the net and in doing so snagged my one finger. With that in mind I decided to look into what they had in the way of new nets.
After a bit of research I bought a Lucky Strike Basket Net Double rubber-coated to protect the scales of the fish as well as extra protection from hook tangles which is what I need. After that getting the fish and hooks from the net was a breeze.
I didn’t invest a whole pile of money buying lures, tackle boxes and things. For most parts I use live bait hooked onto simple different coloured lures. I do though have a few with my favourite being the many assortments of Cotton Cordell’s. Great lure which has sure caught the attention of many a fish.
Places I like to fish occur over a shoal and drop off areas. Seems the fish browse these areas more so than others. For years I used a small pail filled with cement with a hook attached onto the top. With it hooked to a rope I could easily drop it down into the water to find bottom. Over the years I have now found a number of places that the fish like to hang out and there isn’t too many days out fishing that I don’t hook onto a few.
New things now have come into view for finding the fish, shoals and drop off spots. Like the fish finder. I have to say I do have one bought for me by my sons one Christmas. Karl & Craig. Great item as long as I keep a supply of fresh batteries handy.
One last item that probably not many have on hand is a hook sharpener. The type I have is called, EZE-LAP S Pen Type Sharpener. Slips right into one’s shirt pocket, easy to get at. Nothing worse than out fishing with a hook that isn’t sharp. More fish have been lost from something as simple as that.
To finish things off I would like to share this quote that hangs outside our front door.
An old fisherman lives here…with the catch of his life.

In Closing I Would Like To Wish You Well.

Hi folks.  Starting today I will be adding one of my published stories for all to enjoy.  After today it will be posted every Saturday morning.  Many folks have asked if I could set this up so…what they asked for will take place.  Enjoy!

Alarms & Things

One item on the list of things that most folks have today, is an alarm clock to wake you up.
Back when I was young, my only alarm clock was an old rooster that crowed each morning just outside my window. Never had to change the batteries either. Only requirement needed to keep it working was a bit of feed once in a while.
Today I am very fortunate and don’t need to rely on an alarm clock, as I pretty much get up when I want. My wife and I don’t have an old rooster these days either, but living so far back in off the beaten trail as we do, we are often awakened by the birds at the crack of dawn, that gets to chattin’ back and forth just outside our bedroom window.
A modern way of waking up is a coffee maker with a timer on it. Set it before going to bed and come morning you are awakened with the aroma of fresh brewed coffee, just begging to be tasted.
My son Karl, has a radio alarm clock which awakes him each morning with music. Kind of nice, even has a snooze button you can hit in case you feel like an extra ten minutes. Only thing with that, every so often one hits the button too many times and that makes for an unhappy boss when arriving for work. Might pay for folks that have that kind of alarm, to place it away from the bed.
I see today they even got an alarm for those hard of hearing. You put it under your pillow and when you want to get up, it vibrates like a huge bowl of jelly, interesting to say the least.
Another interesting clock was a Cuckoo Clock. One of the first was made in Germany.
The wooden case was decorated with carved leaves and animals. Along with that it had an automation of the bird that appears through a small trap door while the clock is striking. The bird was often made to move as the clock strikes, typically by means of an arm that lifts the back of the carving. When the bird awoke to speak it made a cuckoo sound, one for each hour. Quite ingenious I thought and really pleasant to listen to while laying in bed come morning.
Another is the old chime clock ticking away, never ending, unless forgotten to be wound, each hour on the hour sending out a clang, clang, clang, so one knew exactly what time it was, no matter what part of the house they were in.
My most favourite though of them all, while growing up on the farm, was the old Owl. Laying in bed listening to him or her “Hoo-hoo-hoo-hooooo” to friends in the forest, was a sound that seemed to captivate ones mind, taking you to places without even being there.
Second of my favourites was the cooing of the morning doves, listening to them throughout the warm summers’ day, evening, or mornings, always brought a smile to my face, along with contentment that could never be told through words.
Yes morning comes to us all, a new day with all its splendour, always the same, but always new, just begging to be explored.

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Just a note to say our new Health Book is now available for those that would like a copy.  It is called Nature’s Gateway To Health.  Great book with years in the making.   If your interested in  purchasing a copy the price is $20.00 and we have them here at our store in Port Loring Ontario. 11588 Highway 522.   If you would like them shipped to you it is another $5.00 a book. No tax on books.  You can reach us at 705-757-1640 or [email protected]