The Rural Voice, 2003-03, Page 8Portable Seed Cleaner
Clean and treat your
grain for seed
DON'MAR PORTABLE
SEED CLEANING
Grey Bruce Area
BUSINESS FOR SALE
Established customer base
Includes machine, screens, etc.
Willing To Train
519-371-7281
519-534-2078
LESLIE HAWKEN
&SON
Custom Manufacturing
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4 THE RURAL VOICE
Carol Riemer
Weather or naught
Carol Riemer
is a freelance
writer who
lives with her
husband and
two
children near
Grand
Valley,
Ontario.
These days, speculating on the
weather can be best described as a
game of chance. The very uncertainty
of it spells danger. Yet, tinged with a
subtle touch of mystery and intrigue,
it's still tempting to try to second
guess Mother Nature.
Like it or not, weather defines
country life. Invariably, it determines
our ability to travel into town along
muddy or snow -packed roads. It
contributes to the size and quality of
the harvest and signals the emergence
of the annual mosquito and black fly
populations. Weather affects the
accumulation of water in the well, the
pond and the marsh, and it regulates
the flow of sap during maple syrup
season. It can cancel buses and close
down schools on nothing more than a
whim.
There are days, of course, when
the blustery north wind gently
subsides, and the sun comes out to
melt away those last, lingering traces
of winter. Fences and garden beds
suddenly reappear, and the landscape,
still grey and anemic, begins to
stretch out in anticipation of spring.
Other days, less benign, return with a
cold, damp rain or late snowfall that
sends us shivering back inside,
searching for the warmth of the fire.
Country weather requires a full
woodshed before the first snow falls,
and a pair of tall rubber boots in
anticipation of the muddy spring
runoff.
In the days between the ravages of
winter and the arrival of spring, my
well -used snow shovel and rusty old
garden rake renew a passing
acquaintance at the back door. And
just when the snow blower is looking
forward to a vacation, the lawnmower
is busy gearing up for another season.
Thuhderstorms in the country can
be quite spectacular. A sudden flash
of lightening, and the night sky turns
as bright as day. Thunder rumbles
through the peaceful landscape, with
the fearsome force of a runaway
train.
I recall some childhood stories that
attempted to explain, in more
comforting terms, what caused all the
commotion. While entertaining, these
tales neither managed to calm my
anxiety, nor satisfy my curiosity. My
poor, old dog took no solace in them
either, choosing instead, to pace and
whine at the foot of the bed.
Years later, those same old stories
failed to keep our children from
storming in at four in the morning for
a little parental reassurance. Since
then, I've learned that the amount of
sleep a parent gets during a
thunderstorm is usually in direct
proportion to the ferocity of the
storm, and the number of small
children and furry critters that occupy
said household.
Contrary and cantankerous;
country weather has changed my way
of thinking when it comes to being
prepared. Closets burst with a variety
of raincoats, snow suits, toques, long
underwear, work gloves and several
different types of boots. I've come to
rely on flashlights, oil lamps, candles
and waterproof matches, as much as
the tins of soup and bottled water I
have stashed away.
True, weather is only part of the
challenge of country living, but it is a
major influence, and its unpredictable
nature continues to make us more
keenly aware of our own
vulnerability. It helps us to appreciate
those serene summer days, when
there isn't a cloud in the sky, and
reminds us to help each other in times
of difficulty, when sudden storms hit.
It strengthens our communities, and
brings us together.
Weather or naught, it's a safe bet
that country dwellers will continue to
withstand all the mystery and intrigue
that Mother Nature can provide. A
strong commitment to rural life and a
determination to overcome adverse
conditions are things, you might say,
that just come with the territory.0