Fence Poles

My father built a small sled from wood with steel runners for use in winter. It was about 5 feet long and three feet wide. It was hand pulled and Dad acted as the horse. One Saturday the snow conditions were perfect and we decided, or Dad decided it was a good day to go get a load of fence poles for the pasture. Every year our pasture was used for an ice rink and in the evening fires would be lit and fence poles were sometimes used as fuel.

With Dad doing the pulling and me riding we made our way down to the Big Pond and a wooded area at the head of the pond. Here there were trees of all sizes and Dad said it was Crown Land. In any case he used a hand saw and ax to cut down several trees. Dad preferred Juniper for fence poles as they could stand the moisture and not rot.

These trees were tall and straight and several fence poles could be gleaned from each tree. My job was to use a hatchet to cut off the small limbs to make the pole smooth. Dad with the large ax would sharpen the end and have it ready for use next spring. The sled was loaded with over a dozen poles and it made a heavy load. We were a mile and a half from home and after crossing the ice on the pond it was all up hill.

The sled ran smooth on the ice and Dad invited me to ride. My hands were cold and I was starting to complain. Immediately Dad removed me from the sled and sped up his pace. Without saying a word I had to struggle to keep up. I was perhaps eight or nine at the time. My effort resulted in me getting warm in a hurry. This lesson I never forgot.

We moved off the ice at the bottom of what we called the big hill as we used it for coasting and sliding. The load became heavy even for Dad, and I moved to help. I was not much help but Dad let me think it was. We managed to arrive home at supper time and we were having lamb stew. As we sat down to eat Dad announced that we brought home many poles for our pasture fence and Henry was a big help. I was proud to do some work and receive some recognition. Dad was tough and did not hand out praise readily. That made it special as I still remember my day cutting poles for our pasture with Dad.

Florida Weather At Last

What a difference 10 degrees makes. The sun shone and so did the landscape and peoples faces. We got up and out early this am as it was market day. Instead of very cold weather we were greeted with a sunny warm morning. We decided to do a few things we chose not to do during the cold spell.

The market was busy and the vendors seemed happier and more cheerful. Even the produce was better and in greater supply. Some of the vendors who did not show for a couple of weeks returned and it was just great.We buy fresh flowers every week and the Ladies are the best. They have words of advice for all and their flowers are beautiful. Three dollars buys you a bunch of carnations which will have at lest sixty buds. They sell out every week.

The market is dog heaven and there seems to be a dog for every couple. Next we went on the yard sale circuit. Good weather brought numerous people cleaning their homes and having a sale. My sole purchase was four pool cues for a buck.

Home and on our bikes for a trip to see our birds. There were two young eagles instead of only one. Mother was pouting and left the nest to watch her kids from a nearby tree. She looks worn out trying to feed the babies who are larger than she.

Finally to the owls who were invisible. No adults or even a sign of the yellow chicks. By then we had had enough so we decided to get home to do some work. I replaced a door handle on the lanai and built a magazine rack for the library (bathroom). It was so nice we decided to get the heat pump going after two weeks of rest so we can get swimming and back to our routine tomorrow.

Our day ended with a cookout on the barbie and some wine. Just another perfect day in Paradise.

Garage Fruit Baseball.

Florida is home to many professional baseball teams spring training camps. Here in our immediate area we have the Boston Red Sox and theMinnesota Twins. They're about 18 pre-season games and we are able to see our favourites several times. The Toronto Blue Jays are further north but about 2 hours away.

Many people come for their holidays and make it to the park every day to watch their team practising. There is no charge and you can get up close and personal with the players. While here the players take time out for autographs and talk to the fans.

The players work every day and quit after the noon game. There usually is a mad rush to the golf courses and fishing holes. It is reported that there is an economic advantage to this spring training to the tune of some $30,000,000. This helps the motels, restaurants and other venues to be busy.The ball parks that they play in become home to the local triple A teams which play here for the whole season.

These parks have four to six practise fields adjacent to the main field and become magnets for university and secondary tournaments.There is rarely a vacant seat during the practise season and entry to the games are between $14 to $30. Attendance runs around the 10,000 to 15,ooo. When the Yankees come to play Boston they open the gates for hill sitting for $10. This means you can bring a chair or blanket and sit on the grass adjacent to the game and watch. It is surprising how popular this is.

All over Florida the papers are full of the reports and the forecasting as to where they will finish in the fall. It is truly America's sport and a good one it is. Play ball!

Graduations

It seems that every year some of our grandchildren are graduating. This year we have a grandson who moves up to secondary school and a grand daughter moving up to university. The decisions they make will impact their future life and economic status.

Both of these students are looking forward to their new adventure. Starting secondary school is a big step and that first year is so important. The course selections will lead to a path which narrows the further you go .I say this in spite of the opposite being true since today there is so much specialization and emphasis on the academic free choices are few.

In the past students were treated to more cultural activities such as music and drama. Physical education was mandated up to the eleventh grade and extra curricular activities were encouraged. In Ontario the five year secondary program has been compressed into four years and students have to fill their timetables with compulsory programs and courses leaving little room for the things that made secondary so much fun.

Universities are called upon to offer more and more specialized programs and the general BA, so common in the past is almost worthless if more years are not added.Our grand daughter has applied to five or six Canadian universities and hopes to be accepted in her chosen field. Because it is difficult to get into some programs without a high academic rating, students are choosing courses to meet this requirement and often through necessity avoid the cultural programs.

Developing the whole person is every educators wish but we are often called upon to make those choices which makes it almost impossible.We look at our young children and see a difficult road into the future. My worries will be just that because the students are growing in a modern environment and will meet the challenge just as we did half a century ago.

I look forward to many more steps up the ladder for our grandchildren and will live vicariously through their efforts and achievements.

My First Publication

Daughter Lynda promised me a surprise for my birthday and a surprise it was. Yesterday while I was home (golf cancellation) the door bell rang. I answered the door and was presented with a package from San Fransisco. I eagerly opened it, and there - was a beautiful book.

This book looked familiar as the front and back covers were our photos. On opening, I realized it was a book of my blog posts. I immediately began to read these musings and enjoyed them as if for the first time. Seeing my work in print was a great motivator as I have been working on my own book with the help of my daughter Lynda, for several years.

Sometimes in your life experiences you get a jolt, and this gift was a jolt. I shall work ever harder and with a renewed energy to complete my work and have this same feeling all over again. I would encourage you bloggers to have your work put in book form for your own enjoyment.

Thank you Lynda, for making me feel happy about what I am doing, and helping me along with my dream of completing my book this year.

After Glow

The Olympics are all over and what a great event it was. People of the world came to know Canada a wee bit more and better as we showcased our beautiful country. As I watched the games on American TV I thought there would be a bias shown. The NBC Network did a marvelous job in depicting the games in a fair and decisive manner.

Actually, I never had the sense that it was an American Network as the commentators gave glowing accounts of the venues and the games. I had the feeling that the American broadcasters were reaching out to the Canadian and American audience showing just how valuable and deep our friendship really is.

Time and time again our mutual interests were emphasized and the relationship beyond sports was highlighted. I came away from the two weeks with a much prouder feeling about Canada and a greater understanding of our relationship with our best friend and great neighbour, the United States of America.

I feel a little sad it is all over but I look forward to the next games in Russia and can bask in the after glow of games well played in my home, Canada.

Slavery

Theresa and I were driving to the supermarket and stopped at a red light. As we were waiting we saw this flatbed truck with an unusual load. It was carrying an old wooden boxcar from some railway company. Although we talked about it we never reached a conclusion as to what it was doing in Cape Coral.

We received the answer next day when we were riding our bikes past our local Middle School. There in the play yard was this boxcar. It was part of a display teaching the students about the holocaust. It was one of a few remaining railway cars used to transport people to the death camps in Poland. The boxcar was windowless and small by today's standards and if it were able to talk, think of the tragic stories it would tell.

Large posters were displayed telling the stories of some of the survivors and brought home the cruel realization of mans inhumanity to each other.Jews and other people were picked out to be slaves and worked until they were no longer of any use and then killed. Children seeing this display and hearing first hand the tragic stories were made aware of this horror from the past.

Exactly one week later Theresa and I cut through the local Catholic church yard to observe our eagles and saw a delivery truck in the parking lot. This truck was surrounded by many people who were reading posters and information articles about this particular truck. This truck was about eight feet wide and sixteen feet long with a metal roll up door at the back. There were no windows, bathroom or furniture in this delivery truck compartment. It was the home for slaves, not a hundred years ago but in 2008.

Here in Florida slavery was alive and well in the tomato fields of Southwest Florida. This truck box was the home for twelve migrant workers from Mexico and Central America. They came with a promise to work. Their papers were taken, passports destroyed and enslaved by greedy men who worked them without pay. Any attempt to escape was met by beatings and chains.

This display is making its way around Florida to educate people of this tragic situation. The people who kept these men in slavery were arrested and put in prison for a long time. Conditions have improved in the agriculture industry partially because of this incident.

In ten days we saw slavery and brutality from two different time frames. It was ugly then and is even uglier now. We were shocked when we read about this in the paper and saw it on TV but it is so much more tragic when you see it in the raw.

Slavery is an everyday occurrence in some parts of the world but we never expect to see it in our own back yard.