|
The
Squamidian Report – Nov.16 / 24
Online
Versions
Of This And Past Issues Issue
#1173 The Ontarion Russ Sus Doug
****
From Greg – The Ontarion
Hello everybody! Russ and Brian’s stories of there outhouse experiences reminded me of one my dad told me as a young boy! My dad was born and raised in Hespeler Ontario and had many stories of his youth to tell us as kids! Theres one that comes to mind when reading the outhouse tales! When my dad was a teenager, he used to deliver groceries with a horse and wagon for the grocery store around the corner from his home! He told us kids that one Halloween, he and his friend took two horses from the grocery barn and harnessed them! They were able to ride them bareback and at the time every home had an outhouse out back! Dad and his friend Pep took a rope and road side by side through the back yards with the rope between them and rode the whole block pulling all of the outhouses over! Some on there sides but some on their doors! It just so happened that my grandpa was in his little brown building doing his business when they tipped that one over on its door! Poor grandpa Payne had to crawl out through the big hole! Dad said grandpa was fuming about whoever did the deed for years before dad owned up to it once he and my mum were married! LOL! Who knows what he’d have done or said if he’d have known while dad still lived at home? We laughed as he told us about it but it wasn’t funny to grandpa for sure! That little brown shack stood out back until grandpa and grandma passed away in 1962 ! They died only three months apart in that year! We as kids chuckled every time we visited them in that little bungalow on Winston blvd in Hespeler and saw the outhouse sitting out back! That’s my only outhouse story but I still chuckle every time I think of it! We all must thank Thomas Crapper for his lovely invention! Thank him every time you flush! Bye for this week! Take care….. Greg ! ****
From Russ
Re: dead leaves, and what to do with them; the leaves are the "harvest of the trees", they've worked all season to produce them, and we should respect their efforts, letting them decompose in their "natural state", and thereby provide 'food' for the trees that shed them. It's a disgrace to burn them; it's foolhardy to bag them, then buy them back in the form of compost. I agree with those who would compost them save for lack of capacity in a typical 'composting device'. So, keep on composting your kitchen waste in the plastic thing, and compost your leaves in a "heap"! That is, if you have a "park-size" yard with plenty of room to "heap-compost" Successful composting requires periodical circulation of the stuff in order for the rotting process to occur. This is true with your plastic container as well. Allow me to share a true story about our composting while we lived on top of the Niagara Escarpment in Nassagawaya Township (Near Milton, Ont.) We had a "park-size" property to care for which meant we had the space and capacity to compost anything decompostable including yard, garden, barn, and kitchen waste. It was your typical "heap-composter" - everything was dumped upon the pile, and we raked it occasionally to mix the ingredients. Yes, that was the hardest part of the operation, but it paid off as we were no longer buying expensive commercial fertilizer for our flowerbeds and vegetable garden. As seeds from our Butternut Squash also found their way onto the heap, we had the most generous yield of squash growing thereon! One fine early Autumn day, my wee wifee was picking squash from under the huge tarp which covered the heap when she found herself face-to-face with a huge snake!! She was terrified of any snake, even harmless Garter snakes, but this one was as long as the handle of a shovel, as big around as your wrist, with a head the shape of a Rattle Snake (which were still plentiful on the escarpment at that time) But, it wasn't a rattler - I didn't know what kind it was, I only knew I didn't want it or its relatives in my compost heap! After I dispatched the creature with my shovel, I contacted a museum and spoke with a "snake expert" who was over-joyed at learning I had a "Giant Rat-snake" he could use in his live-snake collection - but, sad that I'd killed it. "Do you live near a swamp?" he asked. Yes, we did I informed him. "Giant Rat-snakes live in the swamps on the Niagara Escarpment, and we've been trying to capture one to display to the general public, and explain they are harmless to humans, not poisoness, and do a great job of controlling the rat populations in the farming areas". Funny, but Bobbie never went looking for squash on that heap again. Three moves later, I now live in Point Clark, Huron-Kinloss Township, on the shore of Lake Huron where there are no Giant Rat-Snakes (I hope) Yes, I have a plastic compost thing that has not been used for several years as mentioned in last week's article. We have many trees on and around our property and for the past 10 years my son, Greg has been blowing the dead leaves into the bush areas upon my property where they can rot in peace (RIP) and remain in the natural setting of rejuvenating the soil and making the trees happy. I haven't 'fed' my lawn in the past 60 years!! I leave it all up to the trees.
Russ ****
From Nova Scotia Sus
Last Friday we had tickets to see David Myles at the DeCoste Centre in Pictou. We have been followers of David Myles and his music over the years. He is an amazing performer and entertainer. He lives in New Brunswick. Many years ago there was a contest to write a song that would entice people to visit there. He won with a song called "Drive right Through" . Apparently that was what most people did to get to the east coast without stopping by what New Brunswick had to offer. Well think he made a difference. Our DeCoste centre has gone through an overhauling this past year. They added on a beautiful library and rental spaces for weddings and other gatherings. They just had a grand opening to show it off. We are lucky to have such a grand place. Our weather has been pretty good so far.. A dusting of snow the other day but mostly decent temperatures. Our greenhouse is coming along nicely but anytime we may be shut down by winter weather. I wish you well Carol and hope you are finally on your way to better health. Take Care. Sus ****
From Doug
Hi. We’ve had our latest round of shots. Our flue shots were a couple of weeks ago and the Covid booster was this week. I don’t know how its done in other provinces but here in BC you have to wait until you get an invitation vie text or email, then, you can go on-line and book an appointment for the shot(s). Us old farts get our invites first, alone with people with underlying health issues etc. We go to the front of the line, so to speak. Then, with the appointment booked, you simply turn up at the appropriate time and place, and have the jab. Those needles they use seem to be so very much better than how I remember it from way back when we were kids. Thinner, sharper, and just all round better. Basically, you don’t even feel it which is a good thing I guess. Long before you finish joking with the nurse who is not much older than your granddaughter, its done, over with. So, we are good to go, at least until next time. I do remember those inoculations way back in grade school. It may have been grade 5 or 7 or whenever and all the kids were terrified. Brubacher started with a ‘B’ so I was always at or near the front of the line. They would send the whole class down to the auditorium where the line would stretch all the way around the room. All the scared kids could see the ones ahead get their shots, and half the kids in there were crying or sobbing. In those days parents didn’t pull their snot nosed little maggot out because they didn’t want to get a needle. You just did it, thats how it was. When it was my turn I remember being surprised that it didn’t hurt near as much as imagination would have suggested. I do remember one kid, a boy named Doug Hoy, who was one of the ‘tough’ kids and who had been all bravado and macho, seeing the kid ahead of him get the jab, and fainted out cold. He was grey as a ghost as they carried him out. After that he was not so bravado or macho. Kind of funny when I think about it. Another thing that happened there that would never happen now was that they ran out of needles and after discussing the matter, decided to simply rinse off the used ones and continue on. Can you imagine that happening now? The ensuing law suit would be in the millions. But, back then things were different and thats how it was. What I do know is that we didn’t die from any of the horrible diseases that were in existence back then and that are now making a comeback because of modern parents and other ‘do-gooders’ not wanting their little rats being vaccinated because it might ‘hurt’. We got our shots then, I still get mine now, and unless you really pay attention, you can’t even feel it happening. Perhaps better needles and definitely better nurses. * We’ve been watching for a chance to do some yard work, given that at this time of year it hardly ever stops raining. That chance came on Tuesday when, for a few hours, the rains stopped. Part of cleaning up the back yard is raking the leaves that fall from our red maple, as well as trimming some branches from it. It’s been getting a bit too big and needed to be cut back a bit. I have to agree with Russ when he says the best thing to do with leaves is to compost them on site, the way Nature does. Under those leaves are where bugs and insects spend the winter, or at least would if the leaves are left in a pile or spread on a garden. Yes, they need to come off the lawn or they will smother the grass but they make perfect cover for flower beds and other bare areas. So, thats where they need to be and thats where we’ve left them. Our red maples out here are a decorative version of the maple, perhaps introduced from the far east but I’m not sure and haven’t bothered to look it up. Their leaves start off green in the spring but turn red during the summer and then turn very red in late summer. They are so bright red in the fall that you almost need sunglasses when raking them.
Doug ****
Have
a
Good One ****
|
