The Rural Voice, 2004-10, Page 6"Our experience
assures lower cost
water wells"
104 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
KELLY PORTABLE
SEED CLEANING
Available to Clean
Beans & Fall Wheat
Convenient and
Economical
Serving Mid -Western
Ontario
Ripley, Ontario
NOG 2R0
395-5960
1-888-844-1333
2 THE RURAL VOICE
Carol Riemer
Giving more than just thanks
Carol Riemer
is a freelance
writer who
lives with her
husband and
two
children near
Grand
Valley,
Ontario.
Fall leaves drift aimlessly across
our driveway, brilliant colours caught
in the sudden grip of a cool morning
breeze. Heading out to the shed for
my gardening tools, I stop to watch a
couple of young deer cautiously
approaching from a neighbouring
field.
Catching sight of me, they stand
perfectly still, sniffing the early
autumn air for any sign of danger.
Suddenly, several gun shots rip
through the gentle silence, echoing
across the marsh, as a flock of
Canada Geese flies overhead.
Startled, the deer quickly dash for
safety, while I retreat to the house,
breathing a small sigh of relief at
their departure.
I admit that I don't have much in
common with hunters. Perhaps it's
because our paths rarely cross. Over
the years, most of my spare time has
been spent nurturing wild birds at the
feeder, dutifully filling the birdbath,
cleaning out the birdhouse for
another family of swallows, and
saving countless frogs and toads from
their death -defying leaps in front of
the lawnmower. Generally, I try to
maintain a low profile in our little
corner of the ecosystem.
Whenever I do make myself
known, it usually has something to do
with coming to the rescue of a giant
tortoise being hounded on a hot
summer day by several free roaming
dogs, or helping a family of ducks out
for a morning stroll, to make it safely
across the road — small, but necessary
offerings of support from someone
who appreciates sharing a little bit of
the country with these wild creatures.
When you think about it, sharing
has a great deal to do with country
living. The collective sense of
community that characterizes our
everyday life appears to be most
evident at this time of year. Families,
friends and neighbours come together
to share in celebrating the harvest.
Country fairs abound, and farmers
markets are filled with fresh produce,
flowers, music and crafts. House
tours display a variety of heritage
architecture, and museum exhibits
centre on preserving the past. In
supporting local theatre and art
shows, we continue to encourage
culture to thrive in the country, just as
it does in the city.
Maybe it's'not so much about
what we get out of the country, but
rather what we put into it that matters
most. Planting trees, especially those
long -living species such as maples,
oaks and spruce, may be one way of
providing a long-lasting endowment;
one that will eventually aid in
reducing the effects of global
warming, and eventually create a
kinder, gentler environment for
everyone. Carefully managing our
water supplies and addressing the
need to reduce, reuse and recycle will
also promote a co-operative effort in
maintaining the very essence of
country life. The idea of giving
something back may not be new, but
in this time of continuing cutbacks
and change, it still has some merit.
With Thanksgiving approaching,
I can't help but think about all the
things we have to be thankful for,
living in the country. There's a
timelessness to the land; something
that we can all connect to. Seasons
soon disappear, and the years have a
way of dissolving into decades that
eventually define the centuries.
Living in a century -old
schoolhouse may have coloured my
perspective, yet I know that, within
the country spirit, there exists a
willingness to preserve what we have
for the future. It's a quality that not
only engenders a growing respect and
appreciation of the countryside, but
one that reflects a way of life that has
always found purpose and
satisfaction in giving more than just
thanks.0