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The Rural Voice, 2002-07, Page 14"Our experience assures lower cost water wells" 102 YEARS' EXPERIENCE Member of Canadian and Ontario Water Well Associations • Farm • Industrial • Suburban • Municipal Licensed by the Ministry of the Environment DAVIDSON WELL DRILLING LTD. WINGHAM Serving Ontario Since 1900 519-357-1960 WINGHAM 519-664-1424 WATERLOO CANADIAN CO-OPERATIVE WOOL GROWERS LIMITED Now Available WOOL ADVANCE PAYMENTS ' Skirted Fleeces * Well -Packed Sacks For more information contact: WINGHAM WOOL DEPOT John Farrell R.R. 2, Wingham, Ontario Phone/Fax 519-357-1058 10 THE RURAL VOICE Mabel's Grill The world's problems are solved daily 'round the table at Mabel 's. "So are you going to buy a membership in the new fitness club that opened in town?" asked Molly Whiteside as she gently nudged Dave Winston's growing midriff with her elbow while she delivered his pancakes and sausage, covered in maple syrup plus two pieces of toast with jam. "Are you?" wondered Dave. "The thought of you working out in those skimpy little tights might be the thing to get me interested in joining." "And the thought of seeing you in shorts and a T-shirt would keep me from joining," countered Molly. "How many bloody fitness clubs does this country need, anyway?" grumbled George McKenzie. "Yeh, have you noticed there's getting to be a fitness club on every corner at the same time the census says there are fewer farmers than ever," said Dave. "There's fewer of us but people are getting so much food they're getting fat and have to work it off. I think we're doing something wrong here, boys." "And nobody wants to spend more money on food but they've got money to burn off fat at some expensive club and don't complain at all," said Cliff Murray. "Let's face it, people just live too soft a life these days," said George. "Kind of weird isn't it," said Cliff. "We get all these labour saving gadgets then they save us so much labour we have to get treadmills and stationary bikes to give us the exercise we could have had for nothing if we hadn't got the labour saving gadgets in the first place." "You get all these people living in town with a postage -stamp lawn and they're cutting the grass riding around on lawn tractors," said George. "While you guys are still cutting 10 acre hay fields with a scythe," said Mabel with a sideways look as she passed the table. "I'II admit we have it easier than the pioneers but we still have a lot of physical exercise," said George. "Oh yeh, you look like it," said Molly, pointedly looking at George's stomach. "I gotta admit," said Cliff, "when I go to a farm meeting where there's a meal I'm amazed watching farmers pack it in. They still heap their plates as if they were going out to sling 2,000 bales of hay into a mow." "Kinda hard to convince the politicians we're starving when we're bustin' the buttons on our shirts," admitted Dave. "Kinda hard to convince politicians you're starving when the parking lot's bulging with four-by- fours," said Molly. "I haven't noticed too many members of parliament who look malnourished," said George. "They make sure they've always got enough to pay the food bill." "Yeh, wouldn't it be nice if we could just put together a committee and decide to raise the price of soybeans to something that would give us a decent living," said Dave. "Wouldn't it be nice if they had to come to us and beg for money," said Cliff. "And we could give them half what they asked for," said George. "Yeh, but before you change places, how would you like to have to get elected every four years to keep your job?" said Molly. "Ouch!" said Cliff. "The way some people around here talk about farmers these days, I'm not sure any of us could get elected." "Yeh, to listen to some people at these anti -hog -barn meetings we seem to be lower than politicians on the popularity scale," said Dave. "Hey face it," said Molly. "The politicians are no direct threat. They're not spreading manure when you're having the family barbecue next door." "Oh they're spreading it, alright," said George, "but thankfully they're confining it to Toronto and Ottawa."0