|
The
Squamidian Report – Dec. 28 / 24
Online
Versions
Of This And Past Issues Issue
#1179 Russ Wayne & Sylvia Nova Scotia Sus Doug ****
From Russ
Jingle Bells Jingle Bells - we sing it around this time of year, but it's not really a Christmas song - it's a 'winter' song. When James Lord Pierpont wrote it some 167 years ago (First published in 1857) he gave it the title "One-Horse Open Sleigh". North Americans were in a "health kick" at the time, and sleighing (like skating in winter) was considered healthy. There was no TV or other electronic devices to keep young people entertained, so it was something to do on a Sunday evening after church. As the lyrics imply the sleighs were "open" and their occupants were exposed to "wind-chill' (a non-heard-of term at the time) But they knew they were cold! Some were upholstered and cushioned, and still they had to cover themselves with layers of heavy blankets as well as those famous Buffalo robes. The cold encouraged "snuggling" and gave young lovers a chance to create their own 'heat'! They took great pride in making the sleighs attractive, painting them in bright red, black and green. They also 'dressed-up' the horse by "bobbing" its tail and attaching bells which rang as the horse walked, or trotted (or galloped!) As the lyrics imply, running 1 mile in 2.4 seconds! That would be when pulling a 2 person sleigh, but some sleighs were built to accommodate up to 6 or more. Some riders would have to jump off and push the sleigh up hills to 'save' the horse! Did you know Jingle Bells has two versus? Neither did I! We all know the lyrics to the first verse, which begin; "Dashing through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh, o'er the fields we go, laughing all the way etc., but the second verse sounds strange to me; "Now the ground is white, go it while you're young, take the girls tonight, sing this sleighing song, get a bobtailed bay, two forty for the speed, and hitch him to an open sleigh and you will take the lead" Followed by the chorus which we all know so well; Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells jingle all the way. Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh, hey!" Russ The speed of the horse pulling the "One horse open sleigh" in my story "Jingle Bells" would out-run the fastest racehorse ever! The words, "two forty" in the second verse refers to the horse trotting a mile in 2 minutes and 40 seconds, or 22.5 MPH. Just thought I'd clear that point. Russ😳😬 ****
From Wayne & Sylvia
Merry Christmas Squids: All is well but snowless here in New Brunswick so I am just sending a couple of morning pictures and our iconic tree/deer display. It was completely flattened last week with wind gusts up to 100kmph. That's why it has an unpainted support for the front leg. Sunrise in December
When the frost melts.
Wayne & Sylvia. ****
From Nova Scotia Sus
Can you believe it? I think this is the first time in my life I forgot to wish Doug a Happy Birthday on Christmas Day. I hope you weren't upset with my forget fullness. I could use all kinds of excuses but I really don't have any except the days go by so fast now and obviously I'm getting forgetful. So Doug I give you permission to forget my birthday on the 15th of April and I will then be the same age as you. Whose counting anyway! I also forgot it's Thursday today and I'm kind of late sending in my weekly report. Hope everyone had a great Christmas. Sus ****
From Doug
How’s it going…..eh? Would you believe this is the LAST issue of the year, because, as some of the sharper of you will have figured out, next week doesn’t happen until next year. Wow. This has been a very relaxed and stress free X-mas for us, just the way is should be. Almost no fuss or mess, no hurrying, no bustling, just normal every day take it as it comes living. Thats a good thing, the way it should be. We popped down to see the kids on the 24th and came home on the 25th. Even that was easy going as one of the endless winter storms was pounding the west coast and so the ferries were all shut down meaning less traffic on the roads and the ski hills were being rained on meaning less skiers heading for the slopes, and so on. As well, we didn’t prepare any big meals or anything, just nice and laid back. One cool thing, we stopped in at the gondola on our way home on the 25th just to go up for a short time, have a coffee and say hi to whoever we may run into. The place was fairly busy given the winds and rain but not too bad. However, every person who worked there made a point of greeting us and wishing us the best of the season. I guess they liked the fudge. As most of you know, I’m NOT much for giving or receiving hugs but I got inundated with many more than I’m comfortable with. So yes, they all liked the fudge. Speaking of the gondola, as of this week they are now on BC Hydro for electrical energy. The top of the mountain section had been using a very large diesel powered generator for electricity since the day they opened over 10 years ago. It has taken several years to get through all the permits etc in order to let them run a power line up the back road. Ironically, it was mostly the ‘green’ nuts and ‘not in my back yard’ nuts that had put road block after road block in their path which doesn’t make sense because the diesel generator burned through 150,000 liters of fuel per year. Yes, one hundred and fifty THOUSAND liters per year. Thats a staggering amount. Now, going forward it is just the backup generator in case of a power failure on the grid. The base came has always been hooked to the ‘grid’ but until a power line could be put in, the top had been stuck with running on that generator. Now, finally, they can move forward with some plans that were impossible before. And thats it for me for this week. Have a great New Years. Doug **** Have
a
Good One ****
|
