How to Make a Guy Feel Old (When he is Old Already)

     This morning I was listening to my favorite radio station, CBC,  when a little item came on that caught my attention. Yes, the Beatles released "Love Me Do" on this date in 1962! You could have knocked me over with a feather! The Beatles and fifty years ago! It just didn't sound right. But give my head a little shake and yes it would be fifty years ago. Hard to believe.

     I didn't listen to the Beatles that much when they first came out. I was still listening to country and western mostly.  I did listen to Elvis when he first came on the scene. I also listened to Paul Anka, Neil Sedaka, Buddy Holly, Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan... I began listening to and appreciating the Beatles long after they had become well established.  I am the kind of music listener who doesn't listen to the new stuff immediately. I discover the music long after it was out and then listen to it. 

    I also find it interesting that I lived in the Arctic for five years and was cut off from all the current music. I had to discover that a few years later.

    So this morning it was quite a shock to have to stop and think how long ago the Beatles became established stars. To any eighteen year old, fifty years ago is something they cannot comprehend. I get fifty years easily because I've lived it. It's just that sometimes it takes a minute to rattle through my brain.

    Keep on enjoying good music.

E coli Found in Beef Products

    The huge XL beef processing plant at Brooks Alberta is suspected of distributing   products contaminated with e coli. XL processes 1/3 of all beef in Canada and distributes to all provinces and states. They kill 2500 animals per day. The plant has been shut down since Sept. 28. Modern industrial meat processing is an amazing operation. Much is done mechanically. They have a huge water supply. There are labs that check meat and the plant. However , these plants seem to run into problems with E. coli contamination from time to time. What's going on?

     About a dozen people in Alberta and Saskatchewan have e coli and some has been traced back to the plant in Brooks. I have not heard of other people with E. coli. Young people and elderly people are more susceptible to the most harm from E. coli.

     About 1500 different products have been recalled because of possibilities of being contaminated with E. coli.

     The Canadian Food Inspection Agency(CFIA) is working on this problem and trying to find a solution.

     A few years ago meat inspectors were cut down to a very low level and the plants were expected to do their own testing.

    On the farm my Dad butchered a beef and hog each year. The beef was usually a cull in somewhat poor condition and the hog was a sow. Dad maybe had one pail of water and that was to wash bone sawdust from the cavity when the carcuss was halved. We never had a problem with E. coli and neither did our neighbors.

    I did some travelling with aboriginals. When a moose or caribou was taken it was butchered on location. First, the tongue was taken out and cut into strips. The strips were put on sticks beside the fire so that they could cook. Tongue done this way is absolutely delicious. Other butchering continued. By the time the tongue was cooked the heart was cut in strips and put on the fire. We ate and had tea. By the time the butchering was done so was the heart and we ate again. If they camped in the location they would put strips of meat over poles and dry it. Otherwise it was put in the canoe to take back to the settlement for processing. This type of processing did not run into E. coli problems.

      Inuit traditionally ate raw whale and seal. I tried the raw arctic char and it's just like candy. Again no problems with e coli. 

     So what gives in the large plants.? Are they relying too much on technology? Do they not know how to butcher? Are cattlemen using procedures that cause the animals to have higher e coli counts in their system?  In the above examples of farmers and aboriginals, they all knew to be extremely careful and not allow entrails to be opened and spill contents. 

     Since we depend on the large industrial plants for our beef, I am worried. Too many times these plants have problems with E. coli. People can become seriously ill with e coli and deaths can also take place. 

Getting the Cows

     This week I listened to a very humorous motivational speaker who was brought  to Red Deer by the Red Deer River Naturalists. Al Batt comes from rural Heartland Minnesota and I thoroughly enjoyed his presentation.

    Al's theme was mentor ship. He used his father as an example. Al was the youngest in a farm family that was very busy. One day seven year old Al asked his father if he could have a job. Al's Dad said, "Well what do you have in mind?" Al said, "I'd like to drive the combine. " The "no" answer came pretty quickly. However, Al's Dad gave him the job of getting the cows from the pasture twice a day. Al was very happy and set about to do his job as best he could.

     One morning when Al was looking for the cows he saw something white on a fence post. Little Al thought it was a ghost. Al took the cows home and told his Dad. Al's Dad immediately took him by the hand and went back to see the ghost. Al's Dad explained that it wasn't a ghost on the fence post but a snowy owl. His Dad told him all about snowy owls and that is what got Al interested in birds so that today he is a highly respected ornithologist. 

    This story reminded me of my own farm experience. I had to get the cows morning and night starting when I was about five years old which was about 1944. The cow pasture was always close to the farmers's yard and was usually submarginal land if possible. Sometimes it took a very long time for me to find the cows as I had so many interesting things to look at . The area was only about half developed so there was still some excellent native habitat. So I knew where Saskatoons, chokecherries, Pincherries, raspberries, strawberries and a whole lot of other good things were.  There were sloughs, willows brush and grassland. It was super habitat for birds. 

I don't have a picture of my brother when we wee little so here he is long after the days of getting cows.

    I always had to take my little brother along. He was less than a year younger than I was. He was a pain. I liked to talk to myself but I didn't like anybody to listen. I would make him walk behind me but he would sneak up behind me and listen. I would make him walk ahead but he would go so slow I would catch up to him. He didn't know how to chase cows, according to me, so I blamed him if the cows went the wrong way. So we got a lot of free fighting time in when we got the cows from the pasture. This job had to be done in all weather. To this day I still like walking in the rain.

    Before I was given the job of getting the cows it was my Mom's job. Mom would have to take a three year old (me) a two year old ( my brother) and a one year old (my sister) in a carriage. I often think of poor Mom and how difficult her life must have been. One day my Mom asked me if I wanted to see a very pretty bird. She told me I had to be very, very quiet. We crept through a ditch and willows. We were crouched down low and there I saw it. Right at eye level I saw a mallard drake swimming on a small pond. It was very near to us and I stopped breathing as it was such a beautiful thing. 

    So Mom was my mentor. She took time from a hectic , chaotic schedule and showed me a very beautiful bird. I've been a birder ever since. Nice mentor Mom! Thanks for setting me on a most enjoyable life time activity.

    So Al Batt reminded me of when and where I got my interest in birds and so the mentor ship theme was reinforced for me. From about 1955 on this type of farming was discontinued. I often think about what farm children miss by not having to "go for the cows."

    Now I realize that for many readers this post will have very little meaning because they never had the experience " of getting the cows."  I hope that you will be mentors to others in other areas. 

Antique Dilemma

      Many people are very interested in antiques.  Some people have a general interest and anything that is somewhat old is interesting to them. Some people are mainly window shoppers and they enjoy looking through antique stores just to see what's there. Some have very specific tastes and collect only salt and pepper shakers . Some want salt and peppers from a definite time period made in a precise fashion. Many people spend much time and money on their antique hobby.

    My Dad had an auction sale in 1974 to dispose of his household effects. Dad was really pleased and happy with the prices paid. When he found out that many items were bid up for their antique value he was somewhat insulted. Many things he had were bought on auction sales so by the time he was ready to part with them they were old. At that time people were becoming more interested in antique articles.

     I have a lake property which I never developed. We spent much time out there. My last post told how I sold my travel trailer. The trailer had been used when we spent time at the lake. We also built a garage and set the garage up as a summer kitchen. We bought a propane stove and fridge. We hauled a picnic table  in and had  a comfortable camping facility. We had many fun summers.

     The other day someone was in the garage. A few days later they emailed me and asked if I might be interested in selling my  stove and fridge. What a deal! I thought I'd never sell those items. I thought I would have to take them to the waste disposal site. 

    My wife wanted to know what the guy wanted these things for. You guessed it. He wanted them for their antique value. He is planning to set up a place and wants to work these items in somehow as antiques.  

    I don't remember where we got the stove from but the fridge has a story behind it. We started looking for the propane appliances in 1980. At that time there were radio spots where some one could advertise items. Somebody said they had a propane fridge. We phoned and it sounded like something we might like. We went out to look at it and found that it did not have a freezer. The old fellow thought for a while and then said one of his old farm neighbors might have one. He phoned for us and yes they still had their propane fridge. 

    So away we go and found that the fridge was in an open shed and hadn't been used for a while so it was pretty dusty and dirty. The fridge had been purchased in 1948. The lady assured us that it would work and told us how to start it. She looked around the yard and found various draws and shelves.  Well, we wanted a used propane fridge and this might be the only one we could find so we bought it.

    My wife spent many hours cleaning up the fridge so that it was perfectly clean. This fridge served us extremely well.

    So now I know how Dad felt when his household effects sold for antique value. I don't know whether to laugh or cry or does that mean I have mixed emotions. 

On Losing a Longtime Friend

     Yesterday I said goodbye to a friend of forty years. The parting had been coming for a few years and finally it happened. Yes, I sold my old travel trailer yesterday!

     I bought my 16 ft travel trailer in 1969. It was the same day that I picked up my new son from the adoption agency. So as the saying goes if walls could talk this little trailer had a million stories to tell.

    We had been campers as a couple. We wanted to keep on camping but with little kids we needed something that had more protection and conveniences. In the trailer we would be dry, warm and have all kinds of space to bring along necessities. So supplies and clothing were much easier to handle. 

    We didn't travel extensively but did get far from home once and made many short local hops. Mostly the trailer sheltered us at a lake lot that we bought. The lot, development, lake and beach provided the kids with all kinds of places to play and explore. We have many stories to share. When my daughter was six , she accidentally stepped on a wasp ground nest. As the wasps came up and started stinging her she froze and howled. We could hear her from 400 m away. It wasn't a funny story but just one of the many adventures. Most adventures were of the happy type. Many hours were spent sitting at the table playing games. When we cleaned the trailer out we found the old games and left them there.
  
     We advertised the trailer for several months. There were many inquiries and some people seemed really interested. The last caller seemed really interested. He came to look at it and I'm sure had made up his mind before he came as he had the money in his pocket. What's more he had two boys who were five and six. These little guys were just bug eyed over the trailer. They took it home and slept in it the first night.

"Out of the garage the old girl's easin."

"Out to the road she bounces"

Out of the gate so slowly

"The last time ever I saw her." I get tears looking at this shot!

    So it was with some mixed feelings that I parted with my old friend. But the writing was on the wall. I had not used it for seven years and I was not ever going to use it again.

    So goodbye old friend with some sadness and a lot of happy times.

Fall Equinox

    Sometime in the next few hours the sun will be shining directly on the equator for a few brief moments before it crosses to shine more directly on the southern hemisphere. That means we get the last day of summer and first day of fall. So it's the beginning of a darker colder season for us. In the southern hemisphere they are looking forward to increasing light and warmth. 

A huge aspen in brilliant color although the left side is still hanging on to the green.

Contrast with green and yellow on the same tree.

     So the equinox is a day with some significance. Ancient peoples knew that the day and night were equal. They also had a pretty accurately established the time. They had more fun than us because the equinox was celebrated in some fashion according to the different cultures. 

A green ash  in fine color.

Some maple behind caragana which hasn't turned color.

     So here we go enjoying colorful foliage and reaping our crops. I have harvested most of my vegetable garden. I'm waiting for a few good frosts before I take out carrots,  turnips and parsnips. My few carrots may be finished before we get the good hard frost. 

     So to the southerners enjoy your spring and summer. For us northerners we will have to make some changes to survive comfortably and find different things to do outdoors for fun.

A Senior Ripoff

      Yesterday while I was having breakfast, I discovered a ripoff the affects mainly seniors.

      I had two boxes of the same cereal on the table as one was just about empty so I had  a full one so I could have the usual cereal serving. I happened to notice that the weight of the old box was 1.45 kg. (Sorry, I don't know what this is in the English system.)   The weight on the new box was 1.24 kg. So the new box weighed 210 gm less or .21 kg less. So this is almost 15% less. And you guessed it the price was the same for both boxes. 

     Today when I did my shopping the price on the 1.24 kg box was $7.49. That's almost a twenty percent percent increase from $5.99.  Now that's a real big kick in the pants. How low can some big food companies go so that they can squeeze out more money from little old age pensioners ?

    So why is this mostly for seniors? Well, many young people don't eat breakfast. Raisin bran is consumed mostly by seniors as it keeps them in great condition. Would kids eat raisin bran? I think not. So this company hits hard on seniors.

    So therefore I have made the accusation that seniors are being ripped off. 

    Now I could include pictures of the boxes of cereal to provide evidence of this scam but I would have to take off the name of a very big cereal company or I may be liable for slander just because I inform seniors 
that they are being ripped off.

     I think I'm going to have to find some hot cereal that is far less expensive than the cold cereal. That'll teach them for ripping me off.