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Country Roads And A Rooster’s AnatomyReading the title, you might think this about farm roosters which wander out onto the country road. Driving along and seeing them without warning may create a disaster for the poultry, but not to worry. No animals are harmed in this story. Farms can be found on many types of country roads. Some are dirt or like ours, a gravel road.Unless you have driven or lived on a dirt or gravel road in dry conditions meaning no rain for a long time, you might not realize what can happen. It doesn’t matter how fast someone drives their car, truck or even tractor down the road, a dust cloud can shoot up in the air behind the motorized vehicle. It can be a mechanized “rooster tail”.Note… no rooster tail feathers are lost in this case of a rooster tail.Depending on the wind conditions, the dusty rooster tail may linger or be blown away. Sometimes, someone in the house might hear a vehicle driving on the rod, but miss seeing them. Their “rooster tail” might still be hanging in the air drifting away from the road. To combat the dust on such roads, the township or other rural jurisdiction might lay down a brown oily substance on the road. Those using that road usually detest the application when it’s first done. You see, the substance when wet, splashes onto the vehicle and its undercarriage. When dry, the road doesn’t create any dust, which is a benefit.Those who knew my father, know he hated to get his car washed. He wasn’t impressed after he got his car washed, spic and span in town and turned on to our road to see and smell the brown oily substance. I’m sure many others thought the same way when seeing the road, whether they had a clean or somewhat dirty vehicle. ... See MoreSee Less

2 hours ago ·

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TRIVIA TUESDAYWho is this woman? ... See MoreSee Less

5 days ago ·

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**Farm Auction Sales**Years ago, after the snow melts and into the summer and late fall, people driving on the country gravel roads might encounter a traffic slow-down caused by many cars parked along the side of the road or many people walking toward a farm auction sale. Nowadays, if you witnessed a traffic slow-down like that, it‘s because home owners have yard sales.Those who never lived on a farm or knew someone from a farm probably are unaware how big an event, the farm auction sale is, and what it represents.Auction sales held on farms are held for many reasons, but the three main answers to the question “Why are they selling?” are it could be that the family has sold the farm, passing it to the next generation farmer, either a family member or another family who has seen the potential of the farm and has the financial backing to make such a purchase. Perhaps the farm owner has passed away and the farm is sold as “The Estate of”, and thirdly in today’s trying economic times, bankruptcy.The new farm owner and family as well as the farm family selling the property are usually both excited when they signed on the dotted line of the paperwork to sell and purchase their home and place of work.In today’s society, working for ever changing employers, primarily caused by the economic times and being part time help, the length of employment for one company has drastically reduced. It’s the same rarity as a professional sports player being associated with one team for their entire career. This is different with the farming profession.Retirement from a job in industry or government means a send-off with a retirement luncheon, plaques or certificates from the different levels of authority in the retiree’s last organization, and speeches. A farmer lives and works the land and cares for his livestock for all his life. To step away from it one day, even if things to do in retirement have been decided, it’s a drastic and emotional step to take.The selling farmer and family will likely move from the farm, whether it’s a mile away or a different area of the country to be closer to their children and possibly grandchildren, moving from, in some cases, the only place they’ve known and called home can almost be a bereavement or grieving experience.If a family farm owner has passed away or bankruptcy happens, the emotional strain is obvious.With the farm sold as an example, an auctioneer must be hired to handle the selling of the household and barn belongings, livestock and machinery not purchased by the new farm buyer.Once the auctioneer is hired, activity on the farm speeds up. The family and the auctioneer meet to discuss what date is mutually available and convenient for both the farmer and the auctioneer, the number of head (livestock) will be sold, farm implements like machinery, and antiques are to be considered for the sale.Before the Internet age, the advertising of an auction sale was done primarily by word of mouth. Sale posters made on large sized paper advertising the auction listed the farm name, proprietor name, location of the sale (usually the farm, by lot and concession number in the county), the day, date and time of the sale. The year wasn’t mentioned because the sale would be about six weeks away and it would likely cost additional money for the production. These posters would be sent to farm related businesses to be displayed in their stores on bulletin boards or in windows. The auction ads could be also found in the classified ads of local newspapers.Once that step is completed, the family must begin deciding what should be moved to their new home, what might be offered to family and friends as keepsakes, items to be sold at the auction, and what should be thrown out as worthless garbage all of which have to be done before the auction sale is advertised. This can be stressful because of attachment to certain objects and the move from the farm can be happening at the same time.Neighbourhood farmers would pitch in and come to the farm and help with things at the barn from cleaning out the box stalls to sweeping down the cobwebs from the barn walls and cutting grass around the house and barn to make the place inviting to prospective buyers of the sale items.Ladies in the neighbourhood and family friends would assist the farmer’s wife washing items that would be sold like teacups and other non-antiques. Careful dusting would be done to antiques like oil lamps and lanterns, and old bottles. These items would be placed in the yard on tables and flat surfaces like a door laid across two saw horses.The auctioneer has men who work with him or her at all the auctions. As one of their duties they help with lifting beds, dressers, tables, china cabinets and other heavy pieces which need to be moved outside on the surrounding lawn for the auction. Our sale was auctioned by Roy and Rod Williams from Campbellford.One of them sold the household items put on tables and the lawn around the house. There were three generations, my Grandma Nelson, my parents and me selling some belongings.At the barn, the cattle being sold were prepared for sale by many farm friends. I think it was Roy who sold the farm equipment and cattle.It was a weird feeling when we drove away from the farm that night. ... See MoreSee Less

6 days ago ·

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