City and Farm Life

Father Clement had a farm ~ wife Edna, girls Eileen and Merle,
Nero, the family dog and several milking cows.
Chickens who daily laid eggs and horses who pulled farm equipment
(prior to Dad’s purchase of a red McCormick Deering tractor
with lugs upon its metal wheels for soil gripping).
Oh! Yes! There was Joey a white pet drake who quacked his way
‘round the barnyard’ seeking food and attention from humans.

In early June, Eileen and I (with pads upon our knees) picked red ripened strawberries from the nearby field. Mom had a fabulous shortcake recipe which she created ~ upon which we we’d top with sugary strawberries and whipped cream for dinner dessert. Deliciously so Good! Following the strawberry season, there were ripened cherries from the orchard’s trees ~ which also grew apple and pear trees.

With baskets hung around our necks, we’d gently select the ripened fruits. Mom, being an entrepreneurial cook (with no cook books available) she excelled in creating mew recipes ~ even submitting her pies and cakes for judging at country fairs. Dad was equally skilled with knowledge of his farm animals...fields of clover, oats, wheat and corn.

As a young girl, I was in love with the horses who dwelt winter-long in the barns except for a daily run for about an hour in the fresh air. When country roads in winter were closed due to snow, Dad would often hitch him to a 4-seater sleigh: and you know: Oh! What Fun it is to ride in a 1-horse open sleigh!

When opening the farm door, the horse(s) would whinny for my attention, hoping for tidbits and delicacies which they’d nibble from my hand. Then I’d back them out of their stalls ~ giving mutual love and devotion while providing their stalls with fresh straw.. So it was with pleasure I assisted Dad with these horses, who in spring and summer, pulled his field machinery (prior to the day he purchased a tractor.) Although now citified, my love for the equine (including our woodland deer) is still foremost in my mind.

The tractor I learned to drive , pulling machinery for planting, cultivating weeds and harvesting; the latter required a tractor, loader and neighbouring farmers who travelled from farm to farm assisting each other with these tasks. Without horses, my task was to drive the tractor...pull a large wagon with a man or two aboard it to arrange the produce and following them was the hay-loader with moving teeth to pick up the cured hay (for example) Often the hay or grain in bales or shocked to ripen in the sun...then travelled by machine to the wagon, all pulled by the tractor which I drove.

One experience I’ll ne’re forget! As a young girl, I had developed a phobia of snakes (probably due to our brick home being near a flowing creek) On a certain harvest day, when driving the tractor, one of the wagon men discovered a lengthy garter snake...which had been lying amongst the bales of cured hay...when it travelled to the wagon, one of the men picked it up...thrust it in the air toward me on the tractor (as a joke). Said snake landed on my shoulder...fell to my lap. So terrified, that putting the tractor in gear...I fled the scene !!! Never to return to the field that day!!!
My father was most displeased because I was essential to his task!

One of my readers questioned why I did not write about my personal family.

Author: MBK...written September 7, 2020
Comments most welcome...mbairdkerr@cogeco.ca