Living on the farm we had a lot of chores to do as there more than one or two persons could handle. I know that quite a few of you lived in either the city or in a town or village and perhaps didn't have a whole lot of chores.
One such chore that fell on my shoulders was cleaning out the chicken house. Every Saturday I had to clean that pesky old chicken house or the hen house as my mother used to call it. The chickens cackled and fluttered and made a wild dash for the outdoors. Our chickens were what they would now a days call free range chickens. Well in those younger years of mine, it was only natural that chickens be outside, feeding themselves with what ever they could find. At night we chased them all inside to keep them from any predators that might be slinking around. It was done so often, those chickens knew what to do and where to go. Brown eggs were a norm on the farm. Dark egg yokes were frequent and when that happened, we knew the hen had been outside eating the grass.
Chickens are cannibals, they will eat anything, their just like goats in a way, if they can eat it they will. Chickens will eat other chickens if left to their own devices. Mom and Dad used to buy a lot of oyster shells for them to keep the egg shells hard, if the shells were soft, it simply meant the chickens were not getting enough calcium.
During the day chicken hawks, (as we used to call them) frequented the barn yard. Quite often when we went out to the barn yard, there would be a hawk or two flying around. Every once in a while, as I was cleaning that stinky old hen house, one would try and enter into the building, pesky things they were.
Chicken manure is worse than cow or pig as far as I am concerned. The ammonia is much stronger and besides that, there were little tiny red mites that you had to be careful of. It seemed that these mites were quite common with chickens. Mom or Dad would spray the chicken house every once in a while to kill those mites. Scrape, shovel and load on the wheel barrow, carry it over to where ever it was that I was suppose to take it, sometimes there were six or seven loads to take. Not an easy job. Today it would poop me out with the shovelling, never mind pushing the wheelbarrow.
There were roosters among those chickens, and I loved to tease them. Along with the roosters, there were ganders, drakes and goats. With time on our hands, mine in particular, I would try and imitate these creatures. I actually didn't do to bad in that area as those poor creatures used to chase me around the farm yard when I did it. Every so often though they would get the best of me. In that event, up onto the top of what was called the tractor shed I would scramble out of there angry clutches. My mother had to rescue me a number of times from up there. If she only knew why I was up there in the first place she would have probably told me to stay up there as it was my own fault and figure out how to get down or give me a "talking to" as she would have put it.
Now that billy goat was another matter, he didn't like me milking the nanny goat and I didn't like milking her either. Have you ever tried to milk a nanny goat? You had to milk her from her rear, not from the side. It was actually real funny to watch mother milk her Mother usually did the milking as that old goat never bothered her. (You had to know my mother) It got where Mother had to milk the nanny because when that old billy goat saw any of us kids try to milk her he got quite upset, which is where we landed trying to get away from him. I don't even remember why we had goats in the first place.
I loved teasing the chickens, I would softly cluck at them when picking the eggs and those hens would answer back.
There was a trick to gathering eggs, you had to move slow, be gentle and talk quietly. Hens don't like noise or sudden movements. You slid your hand underneath the chicken from behind to get the eggs. If you did it from any other direction or did it fast she became quite upset. If the chicken started clucking, (her clucking was different from normal tones ) you knew she was sitting on a clutch of eggs getting ready to hatch them. She was then called a brooder. hatching her own eggs. Once in a while you saw that old rooster strutting his stuff and you knew a poor hen would be getting hit on. That hen usually became a brooder.
Now as I mentioned there were other creatures on the farm and that old gander really didn't like me at all. He took quite an offence with me trying to imitate him. So between the rooster, the goat and the gander, guess where I was quite a bit of the time. Yup, on the tractor shed roof. Let me tell you a bite from the gander hurts worse than a peck from the rooster.
We all learned how to make our chores fun and we would make games up to see who could finish first or make other games of the chores. I think back to those days and at times, wish I had the freedom I had then. I can certainly attest to that fact, even though I complained, bitterly at times, of the chores that we kids had to do. Really, in the long run, it didn't hurt us one bit. It taught us responsibility.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
The Past
The family had Thanksgiving on Sunday this year over at my son's place. It was hard for me being there, as I sure missed Ron at this occasion. This brings back some memories about long ago. 64 years in fact. Even before I was married.
The family was talking about when they first started school as there were some little ones there and about how soon they would be starting school. In fact, a 4 year old is in nursery school. Well I never attended nursery school or even kindergarten but I did start school when I was 4 years old. Gowancroft school in 1946 was in danger of folding as there were not enough children to keep it open. Or it was thought that it couldn't be kept open. The solution was that I would start school at the tender age of 4, straight into grade one. How well I still remember that first day of school.
Front seat, side row, terrified out of my tree. The teacher kept looking at me and it took me a few years to understand that she didn't have a clue as to what she could teach me at that age. She ended up giving me pictures to colour and to cut out. I believe that's how I spent my first day at school. Sure learned at lot.
As time went on I learned to print and count numbers. Years past and I ended up doing grade 4 or grade 6, (it was one or the other) another year, in order to put me into the right "grade". But I never really did great in school. My spelling started out with 100% and each time I write an exam my grade slowly kept coming down. Art was another topic we did and the teacher told me my imagination was putting too much into the pictures I was drawing. I had to learn to do just what was wanted and no more. How I struggled with that.
School was hard for me, I struggled throughout my school years just to make a 50% grade. It sure was different in college though. I did much better then. I finished my grade ten (10) and then I went in for LPN. I did graduate but didn't pass the grade, so go figure out how I could graduate and not make it as an LPN. From there, I did a lot of being a waitress as well as worked in a private nursing home.
I met my husband while I was taking my training, but it was a good year later when I met him again and then we became engaged. One of the best decisions of my life. He was one of a kind. About twelve years or so after we were married, both of went and received our G.E.D.
Three children later, I returned to college and took secretarial and was offered a job in the Provincial Building. I have learned many skills during my life time. Let's start from the beginning.
1. Took the LPN training
2. Nursing home (private) in Killarney
3. Waitress in Killarney
4. Worked in the laundry in Winnipeg on the irons
5. Hostess for Champs or what is known as Kentucky Fried Chicken now a days on Maryland Ave.
6. Worked as waitress in Maryland Hotel, Westward Hotel, and the Village Inn.
7. Went to work at the Souris hotel restaurant and then in the bar (so I could have Sundays off to be with the family.)
8. Joined Toastmistress, (was also called International Training in Communication and is now known as Power Talk)
9. Learned leadership skills, speaking in public, and much more.
10. Wrote and took pictures for the Brandon Sun for both feature and news articles.
11. Wrote local column for local papers, Souris Plaindealer, Boissevain Recorder and at that time, the Deloraine Star.
12. Generations (an insert of the Brandon Sun)
13. Grain News, wrote feature stories and photographs.
14. Wrote and had published numerous poems taking second place in a couple of places.
15. Did a demo record with my song.
16. Spoke at numerous places
17. At ITC (International Training in Communication) club level, I held President, secretary, treasurer, Vice president and numerous committee chairs.
18. At Council level I also held President and Secretary positions and numerous committee chairs.
a) Speech Contest
b) Writing Contest
c) Accreditation Chair
d) Membership Chair
c) and more
19. Sat on the Village of Elgin Village Board
20. Resource Coordinator for a Senior Group
21. Sitting on the Assiniboine Regional Health Board District Advisory Committee (15 year member)
22. Sitting on the board for the local Economic Development Board.
23. Marriage Commissioner (performs weddings)
24. Telemarketer
25. Sales
26. Raised three children, one who is hearing impaired, grandmother of seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
27. Driven a school bus
28. Moderately proficient on the computer.
29. Volunteer for the Elgin and Area Lions
a) President, vice, secretary and committee chairs.
30. Zone chair for the 5m13 Lions of which Elgin club is a member.
31. Was with the Legion Ladies Auxiliary and held officer position.
32. Was zone chair for the Legion Ladies Auxiliary for 2 years as well as zone secretary for 2 years.
33. For hobbies I used to collect stamps, now it's lapel pins and buttons.
34. What kind I say after 68 years of living, of course there is more here than meets the eye.
Now I am retired and cleaning out the house, I certainly don't need all this stuff I have here around me. Time to clean it out. Anyone for yard sales or auctions?
The family was talking about when they first started school as there were some little ones there and about how soon they would be starting school. In fact, a 4 year old is in nursery school. Well I never attended nursery school or even kindergarten but I did start school when I was 4 years old. Gowancroft school in 1946 was in danger of folding as there were not enough children to keep it open. Or it was thought that it couldn't be kept open. The solution was that I would start school at the tender age of 4, straight into grade one. How well I still remember that first day of school.
Front seat, side row, terrified out of my tree. The teacher kept looking at me and it took me a few years to understand that she didn't have a clue as to what she could teach me at that age. She ended up giving me pictures to colour and to cut out. I believe that's how I spent my first day at school. Sure learned at lot.
As time went on I learned to print and count numbers. Years past and I ended up doing grade 4 or grade 6, (it was one or the other) another year, in order to put me into the right "grade". But I never really did great in school. My spelling started out with 100% and each time I write an exam my grade slowly kept coming down. Art was another topic we did and the teacher told me my imagination was putting too much into the pictures I was drawing. I had to learn to do just what was wanted and no more. How I struggled with that.
School was hard for me, I struggled throughout my school years just to make a 50% grade. It sure was different in college though. I did much better then. I finished my grade ten (10) and then I went in for LPN. I did graduate but didn't pass the grade, so go figure out how I could graduate and not make it as an LPN. From there, I did a lot of being a waitress as well as worked in a private nursing home.
I met my husband while I was taking my training, but it was a good year later when I met him again and then we became engaged. One of the best decisions of my life. He was one of a kind. About twelve years or so after we were married, both of went and received our G.E.D.
Three children later, I returned to college and took secretarial and was offered a job in the Provincial Building. I have learned many skills during my life time. Let's start from the beginning.
1. Took the LPN training
2. Nursing home (private) in Killarney
3. Waitress in Killarney
4. Worked in the laundry in Winnipeg on the irons
5. Hostess for Champs or what is known as Kentucky Fried Chicken now a days on Maryland Ave.
6. Worked as waitress in Maryland Hotel, Westward Hotel, and the Village Inn.
7. Went to work at the Souris hotel restaurant and then in the bar (so I could have Sundays off to be with the family.)
8. Joined Toastmistress, (was also called International Training in Communication and is now known as Power Talk)
9. Learned leadership skills, speaking in public, and much more.
10. Wrote and took pictures for the Brandon Sun for both feature and news articles.
11. Wrote local column for local papers, Souris Plaindealer, Boissevain Recorder and at that time, the Deloraine Star.
12. Generations (an insert of the Brandon Sun)
13. Grain News, wrote feature stories and photographs.
14. Wrote and had published numerous poems taking second place in a couple of places.
15. Did a demo record with my song.
16. Spoke at numerous places
17. At ITC (International Training in Communication) club level, I held President, secretary, treasurer, Vice president and numerous committee chairs.
18. At Council level I also held President and Secretary positions and numerous committee chairs.
a) Speech Contest
b) Writing Contest
c) Accreditation Chair
d) Membership Chair
c) and more
19. Sat on the Village of Elgin Village Board
20. Resource Coordinator for a Senior Group
21. Sitting on the Assiniboine Regional Health Board District Advisory Committee (15 year member)
22. Sitting on the board for the local Economic Development Board.
23. Marriage Commissioner (performs weddings)
24. Telemarketer
25. Sales
26. Raised three children, one who is hearing impaired, grandmother of seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
27. Driven a school bus
28. Moderately proficient on the computer.
29. Volunteer for the Elgin and Area Lions
a) President, vice, secretary and committee chairs.
30. Zone chair for the 5m13 Lions of which Elgin club is a member.
31. Was with the Legion Ladies Auxiliary and held officer position.
32. Was zone chair for the Legion Ladies Auxiliary for 2 years as well as zone secretary for 2 years.
33. For hobbies I used to collect stamps, now it's lapel pins and buttons.
34. What kind I say after 68 years of living, of course there is more here than meets the eye.
Now I am retired and cleaning out the house, I certainly don't need all this stuff I have here around me. Time to clean it out. Anyone for yard sales or auctions?
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