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The
Squamidian Report – Nov. 18 / 23
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Of This And Past Issues Issue
#1121 Nova Scotia Sus Hey There….. Firstly, this year’s CD is in the mail for those of you who have already requested one. That should beat the Christmas rush. Interestingly, I noticed one CD left over after I’d stuffed the envelopes and mailed them off so if you received an empty envelope, well, let me know and I’ll try again. If anyone else wants one, let me know soon so I can beat the rush with them as well, assuming I don’t forget to put another one into it’s envelope. * While attempting to come up with something to write about this week, and at the same time in an attempt to silence the obnoxious commercials that have destroyed any attempt to watch a TV program, I switch the TV channel to one of those Stingray music stations. This particular one plays old county songs, not the pathetic ‘new country’ that plays on the radio these days. Both smells and music are very good at triggering old memories. In this case, an old Johnny Cash song was playing and it did indeed trigger some old memories. Those memories are of being up on the farm back in the 50’s (a very long time ago). Now here’s the thing, these are my memories and just that, not facts, just my memories. You may remember things very differently and thats fine. The reason the song triggered the memories is because it was popular on the radio at that time, and aired regularly, when I was just an impressionable kid. The song was ‘Ring Of Fire’ and the radio station was good old CKNX in Wingham Ontario. The song was actually written by June Carter and Wingham was kind of the hub for farm country back then. This was way before they had the modern convenience of electricity on the farm. The radio was battery powered and only used during the noon hour, from 12 until 1 in order to not waist the batteries. Each day at noon the radio would be turned on to the only station it could get, that being Wingham. You’d then get to listen to the noon news, the live-stock reports, and the weather. In between each of those sections would be the current country music which would be the only kind the farmers withing radio signal range would be interested in. Those noon hour exposures to that music had a lot of influence on a kid like me because at home the only radio station permitted in the house was CBC and it was not at all anything a kid would be interested in. The noon news hour would start with the news, read by a broadcaster named John Strong. He would also read the accompanying commercial messages that included Blue Sunoco fuel (They’ll custom blend a Blue Sunoco Just For You), and, your Sure Gain dealer line of fertilizer products. This was followed by the stock reports, read by a woman named Jean Keen who had a very different and distinctive voice. A voice that you could not mistake for anyone else and would always remember. Which I did, because it turned out that Jean Keen was a friend of my future mother-in-law. I certainly had no inclination of such a thing back then but years later, after I’d met Sue, I was over at her parents house. They were being visited by some longtime friends and as soon as the visiting woman spoke, I knew who she was by the sound of that distinctive voice. Back then the weather was presented by a ‘weather man’ who actually looked out the window, gathered what meager data was available, and put it all together for his listening public. I don’t remember how accurate his forecasts were but they were probably just as accurate or even better than the ‘modern’ methods. I do know that my grandfathers on both sides could look at the sky and come up with very accurate forecasts for their particular areas so I’m pretty certain most of those listening farmers could do the same. I remember hearing those songs, like ‘Ring of Fire’ and because I was a pretty inexperienced and down right dumb little kid, I really didn’t quite understand what the songs were about. In this song’s case I could not for the life of me understand what ‘fire’ had to do with ‘love’ and why anyone would want to ‘fall’ into it. Then, once our lunch of sandwiches made on fresh home-made bread was over, we’d all relax until the radio was turned off after the 1pm time signal (remember those?) and we’d then head back out to the barn or the fields to continue with whatever work we had been working on. And, we loved it. As an interesting ‘aside’ to listening to the Wingham radio station, in the 80’s etc I’d tune that station in on my truck radio whenever possible. The mid-day DJ at the time was a relative of many of you. I never actually knew him very much at all but I did feel a bit sorry for him as each day at noon he had to do a silly and perhaps embarrassing little promo that was called ‘win a dinner’ where the little old house wives would call in, in an attempt to win the ‘win a dinner’ prize which was a 5 dollar gift certificate to be used in the local IGA food store. It just seemed so silly to me. However, those days are long gone so I guess that’s why memories are worth remembering, regardless of how accurate they may or may not be. * For all of the summer and fall, we could not put out bird seed because it would attract the bears, and even worse, the raccoons. There does not seem to be any varmints around now so I put out a handful of seeds. Within seconds a blue blizzard descended on me and the seeds. This picture only shows 9 or 10 birds but at times there were a couple of dozen Stellar Jays, all squawking and jockeying for space.
Doug ****
From Nova Scotia Sus
Our November weather is cooperating nicely. The temps are up and down with some snow flurries that melt quickly as it hits the ground. We still have Brussel sprouts and carrots in the garden. They don't mind the cold until freeze up. Last year we built a raised bed at waist height and placed a long row of windows that can be opened from one side. Kind of a long green house only 3 feet wide and 20 feet long. We grew all our lettuce and spinach and herbs in it this year. We are still getting all our salads from it and hope for awhile yet. It was kind of an experiment and will be a part of our new large greenhouse when we get around to it.
I have reduced my hair shop hours to two days a week and loving it. Its my way of weaning myself off work. Not many hairdressers last this long...I must be going for some kind of record. My clients are praying I won't retire anytime soon.
Sus ****
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