The Rural Voice, 2000-08, Page 411
porch. This left the rest of the house
cool and relatively tidy, since we
spent most of the summer days
outdoors.
There was an inevitable
excitement about "moving out to the
summer kitchen," rather like the
feeling that cottagers have when they
open it for the first time each year.
Life in the summer kitchen got us
down to basics. The stove, a
cupboard for essential cooking and
eating utensils, hand pump with sink,
washstand holding drinking pail and
dipper, as well as table and chairs,
provided for our rudimentary needs.
A couch and pillows added a little
comfort, and calendars from local
businesses adorned the walls.
Mother did all the canning,
preserving, jam making and freezing
of foods for the winter season in the
summer kitchen; the appetizing
odours of bubbling strawberries and
sugar or pungent dill and vinegar
wafted through the air, and the heat
enveloped us as we stepped inside. It
became the hub of life for the months
of summer.
F
lies are always a problem on
the farm and Dad installed the
screen door in the spring and
P g
removed it in the fall'. We heard the
admonishment "Close the screen
door, you're letting the flies in"
frequently. When flies got really bad
Mother would cover all the surfaces,
close up the doors and windows and
spray for flies — DDT I suppose,
though it makes me shudder to think
of it now. Later we swept up the flies
and scrubbed the surfaces of tables
and cupboards. I wonder now which
was more harmful, dozens of flies or
DDT? Fly stickers hung from the
ceiling also helped keep the fly
population under control.
We spent many happy times in
that summer kitchen..I learned to read
there, pushing the kitchen stool up
beside the table while my mother
washed the cream separator, and I
struggled, sounding out the words of
"Mary, John and Peter." As teenagers
we gathered in the summer kitchen to
hash over the evening after dances,
picnics or ball games.
Sometime in September, after a
few cool days, we arrived home from
school to find that Mother had
decided it was time to move back into
the house proper. This certainly did
BEEF AND DAIRYMEN WHO
THE BEST
DEMAND
J0HNs0N CATTLE WATERERS
fzJ08N5UN
The Cattle Drinker of Choice
• Heavy duty concrete tank (3/8 rebar and libermesh)
• Epoxy painted - trough and outside
• CSA approved
• 12 models - many options
B ; FARM SERVICES
107 1st Ave., Chesley, Ontario NOG 1L0
519-363-3308 1-800-269-2561
Fax: 519-363-2613
Visit our website at www.blfarm.com
See us at
the IPM -
Section 3F
CUT YOUR FEEDING COSTS:
WET or DRY "Blended Corn Gluten FEED"
• Highest "Energy Value" for
your Feed Dollar on the market
today.
• Excellent alternative for
extending supplies of home
grown grains & roughage for
beef cattle.
• High phosphorus and available
level of protein...All Natural
Products
• Fresh products delivered in
tandem or trailer lots.
• Constant supply all year round...
We can balance your ration.
Blended Corn Gluten.
• Consistant mixed feed. Our
drivers are the only ones mixing
this feed.
"The most economical alternative
of feeding beef cattle".
Other Products available:
• Filter Aid
• Dry Corn Gluten
• Corn Screenings
• Call for more information on
"Energy Value".
ENERPRO BY-PRODUCTS
roBob Johnson - Chesley, Ontario
1-800-269-2561
See us at IPM - Section 3F
AUGUST 2000 37