SORRY IF OUR ABSENCE HAS MEANT YOU HAVE NO BED TIME STORY.
EPISODE 876 MARJORIE FINDS A PUFF BALL…AND WE ATE IT
alan skeoch
SEPTEBER 13, 2032
“ALAN, LOOK WHAT I FOUND.”
“ GIANT PUFF BALL…WHERE WAS IT?
“IN THE DITCH…DO YOU THINK IT ’S EDIBLE?”
WE ATE AFEW SKICES IF THIS PUFF BALL
Puff ball mushrooms are very strange. They appear suddenly almost anywhere and
grow immense in short time. And they are edilble but be careful. They are only
edible when very young,,,,when all white. Totally white inside and spongy.
OLD PUFF BALLS LOOK LIKE UGLY VOMIT
No one in their right mind would eve eat an old puffball because they look sick…ugly
internal contents become sickly green … the colour of fresh vomit. Even a
complete fool would not touch a mature puffball. If it is kicked like football
a cloud of spores burst forth. Old puff balls are ghastly.
But young puff balls are as pretty as fresh bread. And look like fresh bread.
They can be sliced like fresh bread using a good sharp bread knife. Use a gentle saw like action.
Peel the thin rubber like crust and the puff ball is ready for the frying pan..
Easiest way to eat a puff ball is to put some butter in the frying pan, then add the slices
of the puff ball. Sprinkle with salt nd pepper. Garlic salt is best…gives best flavour.
Fry until both sides are golden brown or even darker brown.
Then eat the slices like you would French Toast or pan cakes.
What do they taste like? Rather bland. Very bland.
Today Marjorie’s puff ball tased like garlic salt.
alan
Note: Mushroom hunting is tricky.. Some mushrooms are good. Some are bad…very bad.
Fresh puff balls are really good. Old puff balls are disgusting. It’s easy to tell the difference.
SOME OTHER PUFF BALL RECIPES.
You can also cook up large slices of puffball and freeze them to use as the base for wonderful gluten-free pizzas (see below). Or try the convenience of breading the raw puffball with the parmigiana breading below and freeze them. Pull them out later, fry them and bake them for a quick pre-prepared dinner. Puffball Fries freeze up equally well. Pull them out of the freezer and in 15 minutes you’ll have crispy fries to dip in your favourite sauce – a great appetizer or snack.
Cooked puffball has a texture kind of like tofu, but more soft and melting (a bit like a sugarless marshmallow). You can use puffball just like you would tofu and most other mushrooms in recipes. I still have so many ways I’d like to try it, so I hope I find some puffballs again next year.
Try puffball some of these ways:
diced, sauteed, and added to any pasta sauce
raw, cubed in salads
diced, sauteed, then tossed in with chives and beaten eggs as you scramble them
cut slices, dip them in a mixture of equal parts soy sauce and water, plus a dash of sriracha or hot sauce, then pan-fry them in butter or oil until brown
cubes, strips, or slices, breaded and fried
grill or fry thick slabs and use them as a meatless burger on a bun with toppings
toss them in with stir fries
sauté cubes of puffball with onions, peppers, tomatoes, and Italian seasoning
use thin slices of sauteed puffball instead of pasta in lasagna
EPISODE 855 DID A FERAL TOM CAT COME FOR A VISIT WITH CHELSEA BUN (father of our kitten)
alan skeoch
august 31,2023
IMAGES OF OUR KITTEN (ABOVE)
IMAGES OF FERAL TOMCATS (BELOW)
ALAN, I NEED HELP
“Alan, stop the tractor, I need help!”
“What’s the problem?”
“The cat got out…I saw her heading for the swamp,”
“How did she escape?”
“I have no idea…doors were closed.”
Our new family addition is CHELSEA BUN so named because she
looks like a Chelsea bun…dark with patches of cream coloured fur here and there…one definite whitish paw and a
cream coloured dollop between her eyes. She is not likely to win a prize at a cat show. Here tail is broken. But she is the
smartest cat we have ever owned. Smart enough to dart out a crack in the door without us noticing.
You go around the swamp from one side, I will go the other way shaking the food bag.
Maybe we can get her before a coyote does.”
“Not much danger of coyotes here at the farm.”
“City coyotes are far more numerous.”
“A few years ago neighbourhood cats roamed quite freely today we have not seen
a cat for years. Cats make a good coyote dinner except for the fur which is obviously excreted in coyote dung.
Few coyotes at the farm. But they are present if unseen. So we were a bit anxious.
We were given Chelsea Bun by a farm neighbour, Elizabeth Porter. She had a surprise batch of kittens in March
…the result of a feral Tom Cat who briefly visited and left his calling card. Tom cats are rare. Most are
,fixed, (i.e. castrated) . Tom cats are generally unwelcome…like stallions, bulls, boars and other males.
We did know one thing about the father of our kitten. He was tortoise shell …. like the Chelsea bun.
But that is all tha was known. No one saw him do the ‘job’ on the neighbour farm cat. It was likely a night time
romance.
“Our kitten must look like the father” said Elizabeth. So different from their mother.
I searched one side of the swamp and could hear Marjorie shaking the cat food box. We found nothing.
“Where did you see her?”
“Down by he Shaver barn…..she darted across to the swamp. Lean and swift…no intention of
being tricked by food.”
“Let’s give up and hope she comes back on her own.”
So we went back to the farm house and guess what we found?
“Alan, the kitten is back in the house.”
“Impossible.”
Chelsea Bun was snuggling up against Marjorie as if nothing had happened.
And nothing had happened, No escape at all. Then sho in hell were we searching for in
the swamp?
“I think that was Chelsea Bun’s father. Looked exactly like Chelsea Bun….tortoise shell colours.
“A wild cat…feral”
“But our farm is several kilometres from the Porter/Kilner farn Seems a long distance.”
“Maybe not.”
“Do you think the Tom cat came to see his daughter…to see Chelsea Bun?”
“I think that is pushing things. Cats are not people.”
“Maybe he is living in one of our barns but cautious and never seen.”
“Like the coyotes.
EVIDENCE SEEMS TO SUPPORT THE IDEA THAT THIS FERAL TOM CAT WAS REALLY THE FATHER
OF CHELSEA BUN, DID HE REALLY COME TO CHECK UP ON HIS DAUGHTER?. NOW THAT IS PURE CONJECTURE.
TOM CAT TERRITORY
1,351 acres (2.1 square miles)
EXCERPT: The scientists found that the feral cats had home ranges that stretched across large areas; one male kitty’s range covered 1,351 acres (2.1 square miles). They roamed over a wide variety of habitats, most often in urban areas and grasslands, including a restored prairie.
In winter, they preferred urban spots, forests and farmland, all places that would provide greater shelter from bad weather and help them keep warm. Cats that had owners, meanwhile, tended to stick close to home, with their range sizes averaging a mere 4.9 acres.
Feral kitties were also more active than cats that had homes. Unowned cats spent 14 percent of their time in what the scientists classified as “high activity” (running or hunting, for example), compared with only 3 percent for kitties with owners. “The unowned cats have to find food to survive, and their activity is significantly greater than the owned cats throughout the day and through the year, especially in winter,” saysstudy co-author Jeff Horn of the University of Illinois.
In addition, the feral cats’ daily activity patterns—sleeping during the day and being active at night, which likely reflects the behavior of their prey, small mammals, as well as lets them better avoid humans—was very different from kitties with homes. Those animals were most active in the morning and evening, when their owners were likely home and awake.
Only one owned kitty died during the study, compared with six feral cats. Two of the feral cats were killed by coyotes, and the researchers believe that at least some of the others were killed by other cats, as the owned kitty was. Cats that live outdoors, even just part of the time, are at risk of death from other cats as well as diseases
POST SCRIPT
ONE winter evening about 30 or 40 years ago we watched the milking time at the Townsend dairy farm. (near Bellwood) There were 23 feral cats
watching along with us. I counted them. Occasionally cousin Eleanor would grab a teat and direct a shot of milk at one of the cats. Not a drop
was lost. These cats had all arrived on their own. They were feral. Warm home for the winter.
EPISODE 874 honey bees at the royal york hotel august 28, 2023
alan and marjorie skeoch
Marjorie Skeoch along with five retired teachers managed to find a bee yard high among the sky scrapers of Toronto waterfront.
The bee yard is quite famous but few have ever had the tour of the roof garden of the Royal York Hotel. The roof garden and huge bee yard
are smack dab in the centre of Toronto where steel and glass high rise offices and asphalt roadways and cement walkways make green ways
seemingly non existent. So the Toronto bee yard a top the Royal York has achieved international fame.
Here is your chance to get there courtesy of Marjorie and her friends.
(Marjorie Skeoch (photos)
august 28, 2023
‘
HONEY HARVEST
Every September, Fairmont Royal York’s Apiary Team, led by Executive Sous Chef Andrew Wilson, harvest honey from our very own rooftop bee hives. Previous harvests have bestowed upon us award-wining honey and this year’s golden bounty could prove to be just as exceptional.
2,100 frames of honeycomb were extracted from seven hives, which produced approximately 400 lbs of sweet, liquid honey which will be featured in our menus throughout the hotel. From our Chef’s Table, to our Banquet Buffets, to unique in-room amenities – add a little sweetness to your next visit with us.
ABOUT OUR BEES In 2008, Fairmont Royal York became the first hotel in the world to introduce a rooftop apiary. During our peak season, the apiary’s seven hives are home to half a million honey bees and seven queens. Toronto Beekeepers Collective and Urban Beekeeper Melanie Coates tend to the bees, that produce an average of 400 lbs of honey each year. Fairmont Royal York’s honey has won awards at the Royal Winter Fair for over five years and is a popular ingredient used by our Culinary Team.
Our Rooftop honey is a symbol of our commitment to PLANET 21, a comprehensive global program that brings together employees, guests and partners to drive sustainable growth.
When it comes to décor, we love shopping both old and new–and home expert, Michael Penney does too. That’s why he created his décor store, Penney and Coin Port Hope, to showcase and sell some of his fab thrift finds and antiques and how you can mix them into your modern spaces. Watch the video to see Michael take Marilyn on a tour of his store and find out the story behind opening his location in this historic Ontario town.
Think you might like the shop owned by MIchael Peney. He has a terrific sense of colour and design.
Big things to buy and little things to buy…all out of the ordinary. Just a walk through his store is
a pleasure.
IS PORT HOPE STILL RADIOACTIVE?…Radiation and cleanup
Port Hope is known for having the largest volume of historic low-level radioactive wastes in Canada.[6]These wastes were initially created by Eldorado Mining and Refining Limited and its private sector predecessors, resulting from the refining of radium from pitchblende. Radium was used in radioluminescent paint (such as aircraft dials), and in early treatments for cancer.[7]
During World War II, the Eldorado plant produced exponentially more uranium oxides, which the United States used in the Manhattan Project that created the first nuclear weapons.[8] This plant, now under the ownership of Cameco, continues to produce uranium fuel for nuclear power plants.
In 2002, a large amount of contaminated soil was removed from beachfront areas.[9] More recently, a testing program began of over 5,000 properties, with a plan to remove and store contaminated soil that had been used as landfill. Over a billion dollars is expected to be spent on the soil remediation project, the largest such cleanup in Canadian history.[6]
CLEANING UP RADIOACTIVE WASTE THAT WAS USED AS LANDFILL FROM 1933 TO 1988…a sobering story. PORT HOPE AREA INITIATIVE WEBSITE — The Port Hope Project involves the cleanup of historic low-level radioactive waste. Remediation and restoration on local properties as part of the Port Hope Area Initiative may include excavation, removing waste, verifying soil meets cleanup criteria and backfill.
Professional services company GHD has been selected as the contractor for the next phase of the Port Hope Area Initiative (PHAI), to remediate legacy low-level radioactive waste of affected properties for residential and road allowances.
Along with Bird Construction, its partner and project lead, the company received a notice to proceed with early work for a multi-year task order under the previously announced PHAI Master Construction Contract by Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL).
One of Canada’s largest remediation projects, the multi-year initiative is being implemented by CNL on behalf of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited.
“There are a lot of properties that CNL has been investigating in Port Hope, identifying where the waste is. This project really represents the next phase as CNL scales up the effort to bring the project to a close,” said Paul Gallaway, GHD’s engineering manager for the PHAI activities, who described the project as fascinating and complicated.
The PHAI consists of the cleanup and long-term management of more than 1.2 million cubic metres of legacy low-level radioactive waste from more than 1,000 industrial, institutional and residential properties in Port Hope and Clarington.
The waste is the result of radium and uranium processing in Port Hope between 1933 and 1988 by the former Crown corporation Eldorado Nuclear Limited and its private-sector predecessors.
Where is low-level radioactive waste being relocated?
Approximately 450,000 cubic meters of historic low-level radioactive waste are being relocated from an existing waste management facility on the shoreline of Lake Ontario, to a new, near surface facility (engineered containment mound) about a kilometer north of the current site.
How much radioactive waste will be removed from Port Hope?
Scott Parnell is the General Manager of the Port Hope Area Initiative, which is in charge of the cleanup. He says that after decades of planning, the first loads of an estimated 1.2 million cubic metres of historic low-level radioactive waste will be on the move.
Note: This is my anniversary gift to Marjorie… WE CELEBRATED IT TOGETHER….OUR LIVES HAVE BEEN FILLED WITH JOY
OUR 60TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
THE OLD MILL DINING ROOM, AUGUST 20, 2023
marjorie and alan skeoch
august 24, 2023
We were married August 24, 1963. Some would think that was a long time ago.For us, Marjorie and me, those
60 years seem like yesterday. Seems we have sampled life deeply in all its twists and turns .. super events.
Right from the moment we first danced at a Victoria College, U. if T “get to know each other” dance through all those 60 years.
Marjorie had lots of boyfriends to choose from. Nice guys, I met most of them. But the chemistry between us was like
a magnet. We have been kindred spirits for those 60 years.
We were lucky enough to have had two boys Kevin and Andrew, whose upbringing was an unending joy. We tried to
show them that love triumphs. That the world in which we spend our life is a good place. That life is meant to be shared. We are social
animals.
. Nice! Now there is a word worth a comment. Marjorie is a very nice person. I felt that the first time I danced with her. before I even knew her name.
And now sixty year later she remains one of the nicest persons I have ever met….and ever will meet.
She has enriched my life.
OUR WEDDING RECEPTION , AUGUST 24, 1963
ROGER MILLER
LITTLE GREEN APPLES
And i wake up in the morning with my hair down in my eyes and she says hi And i stumble to the breakfast table while the kids are going off to school, goodbye. And she reaches out and takes my hand and squeezes it and says how you feeling hon? And i look across at smiling lips that warm my heart, and see my morning sun.
And if that’s not loving me, then all i’ve got to say, God didn’t make the little green apples, and it don’t rain in indianapolis in the summer time. And there’s no such thing as dr. seuss or disney land and mother goose, no nursery rhymes. God didn’t make the little green apples, and it don’t rain in indianapolis in the summer time. And when myself is feeling low, i think about her face and go and ease my mind.
Sometimes i call her up, at home, knowing she’s busy. And ask her if she can get away, meet me and maybe we can grab a bite to eat. And she drops what she’s doing and she hurries down to meet me, and i’m always late. But she sits waiting patiently, and smiles when she first sees me, because she’s made that way.
And if that ain’t loving me, then all i’ve got to say, God didn’t make the little green apples, and it don’t snow in minneapolis when the winter comes. And there’s no such thing as make-believe, puppy dogs or autumn leaves, no bb guns. God didn’t make the little green apples, and it don’t snow in minneapolis when the winter comes.
alan skeoch
august 24, 2035
Our Golden Wedding Anniversary
“…and smiles when she first sees me, because she’s made that way.”
EPISODE 867 JACKSON SKEOCH…BASIC TRAINING IN CANADIAN ARMY 2023 Private Jackson
skeoch, PPLCI
alan skeoch
august 7, 2-2
Our grandson, Jackson Skeoch, joined the Canadian army A year ago To be precise he is now Private Skeoch in the PRINCESS PATRICIA’S LIGHT CANADIAN INFANTRY
His sergeant and officers have put him through Basic Training that was designed to assure new recruits were physically fit. We attended his graduation at CFB Edmonton alonng
with some 50 or so new rercruits . Today, August 11, 2023 that number has been reduced to 13. How did this happen?
STAGE ONE: GETTING INTO THE CANADIAN ARMY AS A POTENTIAL RECRUIT. ..BASIC TRAINING
“Grandma I can now make my own bed?”
“Is that part of Basic Training in the Canadian Army, Jackson?”
“Training sergeants seem to think so. If the corners are not perfectly square they make us do ouR again and again and again.”
“Seems joining the Canadian Army is basic housekeeping.”
“Bet you can’t make youR own bed Grandpa?”
“Correct. I thought basic training was gruelling.”
“It was. Watch this”
And there on a street corner in Edmonton, Jack and his partner fell to the ground and began doing push ups
with lightning speed. In the time it would take me to do one, they would do ten, Then they stopped leapt to
their feet…real for combat.
“Sergeants make us do push ups for slight infractions or no infractions.”
“Are sergeants tough on you?”
“You bet they are. Everything is a trial and failure followed by “Skeoch, give me sixty!”
“Make yoou angry Jack?”
“No I expected Basic Training to be tough. Some guys were not ready and they quit”
STAGE TWO: THE HAIRCUT CAPER….SHAVED HEADS
AN army barber shaved Jack bald ….all recruits wee treated the same which marked them as army boys. They became targets for
the local tough guys in Edmonton which could have led to fist fights had not the sergeants said
“If you get into fights
in Edmonton you will be just let go by the army.” (my words)
“Why recjruits have their heads shaved?
“lots of reasons. Standardization for instance….everyone looks the same. Sense of equality. Comrades. Clean break with previous life. Originally
to ensure no recruit spread head lice.
And so Jack survived Basic Training at CFB Edmonton. There was a graduation ceremony in an air force hanger
which we attended. We met the sergeants who were easy to talk to but the recruits kept their distance from them.
Jack had learned one of the fundamentals of army life. The Chain of Command. “That will keep us alive in combat.
We back up each other and follow orders.”
Not every potential army recruit is accepted. A great number are turned away.
Jack was accepted. His friends were not. There were 52 recruits in his Basic Training unit. A little over a year later that
number had fallen to 13.
It is a long story…stays with me.
STAGE 3 AUSTRALIAN ADVENTURE— CANE TOADS, DEATH ADDERS AND DEADLY SPIDERS
“QUIET! This is part of our stealth training. Do not make any noise”
“Imagine , the two of us are the only recruits sent to Austraia for stealth training.””
“Hush! For God’s sake shut up.”
“And here we are crawling on our stomach through one of the most dangerous places on earth.”
“If you keep talking we will fail.”
“Damn scary place. Three deadly creatures are on the ground with us…”
“I’d rather not be reminded,”
“Did you know Australia has ten deadly spiders, one of which loves this tropical jungle.”
“You mean the Death Adder?”
“yes and others hanging from webs that we cannot see.”
“Remember our Australian instructor who brushed a big spider from his shirt”
“Paralysis , but he recovered. The spiders are awful but the CANE TOADS are worse.”
“Right. Never touch one of those sons of bitches…they are toxic. Death Adders population on Magnetcic
Island has been decimated by cane toads. The snakes think cane toads are food…just touching the cane
toad skin kills the snakes.. A good thing I guess but the cane toads are bloody dangerous for us. “
“And they just stand there in the dark,. We could touch one and not know it until we passed out, The Aussie
have an antidote thankfully. “
“Invasive species from South America….In 1937 cane toads were released to control insect pest in sugar cane fields…62,000
released …now immense problem. If a dog licks a cane tosd, the dog dies and the toad inflates itself but hardly moves,”
“One of the Aussies says to also keep clear of the big Kangaroos…the males get huffy and can attack.”
“Jesus, We passed by several to night…they got in our way…heard one huffing.”
“Do you think we can win this stealth competition Jack?”
“yeah … think so …”
“I think the Aussie patrol will win.”
“They know this jungle .. know the dangers ,,, we are newcomers .. Last week we were in camp Shiloh in’
the middle of a Canadian winter,, February. How could we expect to win a stealth competition in the jungles
of Magnetic Island/“
“I wonder how the Aussies would survive if the temperature was 20 below zero?”
“Snow and ice”
“How about a summer filled with black flies, mosquitoes, blow flies, ground wasps, moose flies”
Defences
Specimen from El Salvador: The large parotoid glands are visible behind the eyes.
The skin of the adult cane toad is toxic, as well as the enlarged parotoid glands behind the eyes, and other glands across its back. When the toad is threatened, its glands secrete a milky-white fluid known as bufotoxin.[52]Components of bufotoxin are toxic to many animals;[53] even human deaths have been recorded due to the consumption of cane toads.[31] Dogs are especially prone to be poisoned by licking or biting toads. Pets showing excessive drooling, extremely red gums, head-shaking, crying, loss of coordination, and/or convulsions require immediate veterinary attention.[25]
Bufotenin, one of the chemicals excreted by the cane toad, is classified as a schedule 9 drug under Australian law, alongside heroin and LSD.[54] The effects of bufotenin are thought to be similar to those of mild poisoning; the stimulation, which includes mild hallucinations, lasts less than an hour.[55] As the cane toad excretes bufotenin in small amounts, and other toxins in relatively large quantities, toad licking could result in serious illness or death.[56]
In addition to releasing toxin, the cane toad is capable of inflating its lungs, puffing up, and lifting its body off the ground to appear taller and larger to a potential predator.[52]
Since 2011, experimenters in the Kimberley region of Western Australia have used poisonous sausages containing toad meat in an attempt to protect native animals from cane toads’ deadly impact. The Western Australian Department of Environment and Conservation, along with the University of Sydney, developed these sausage-shaped baits as a tool in order to train native animals not to eat the toads. By blending bits of toad with a nausea-inducing chemical, the baits train the animals to stay away from the amphibians.[57][58][59]
“For God’s sake shut up….keep your eyes peeled for death adders, spiders or cane toads…and enemy spotters with guns”
“I’ll buy you a beer if you will kiss a cane toad.”
“What was that noise?”
CONCLUSION OF PARTS 1,2 AND 3
JACK RETURNED TO CANADA AFTER 3 WEEKS CRAWLING THROUGH THE JUNGLE OF MAGNETIC ISLAND.
HE HAD SVERAL HUGE WELTS ON HIS BACK WHICH WERE DIAGNOSED AS POISON IVY. NOT SO. EVENTUALLY THE WELTS DISAPPEARED
BUT THEY WERE NOT POISON IVY.
IF YOU VISIT AUSTRALIA DO NOT SPEND YOUR HOLIDAY CRAWLING ON YOUR STOMACH
THROUGH THE TROPICAL JUNGLE OF MAGNETIC ISLAND. I FORGOT TO TELL YOU ABOUT
THE MEAT EATING ANTS.
STAGE FOUR: JACKSON WINS HIS RECCE BADGE NEXT EPISODE
alan skeoch
august 17, 2023
POST SCRIPT
“Cane toads have reduced the population of a deadly reptile by nearly 90 per cent in Australia, but on this island they are thriving.
Off Townsville’s coast, Magnetic Island is a haven for holiday makers, backpackers — and death adders.
Listed as Australia’s ninth most dangerous snake, the death adder has a distinctly stumpy look with brown banding and a peculiar triangular head and lives under leaf foliage where it sits and waits for its prey.
Their numbers have dwindled on Australia’s mainland with scientists reporting one death adder population dropped by 89 per cent in the past 30 years.”
CANE TOADS ARE TOXIC
Nearly 25 tears ago, Marjorie, Andrew and I were touring Australia and thought it would begun to find
some ofthes giant Cane Toads in a sugar cane field in Queensland. We were naive,. We were stupid.
Thankfully some local people intervened. “The damn things are toxic..stay clear of cane toads…an invasive
species that have made our cane fields actually any fields dangerous to explore.”
What is basic training for the army?
Basic army training is training that army candidates undergo to enable them to succeed in a military environment. The training tests candidates on their perseverance and emphasizes basic military skills, weapons handling, ethical issues and first aid. A significant portion of the training entails physical fitness to prepare candidates to deal with actual war and harsh conditions they may deploy to during their active military service.
How long is basic training for the army?
The answer for how long is basic training for the army is 10 weeks, with class time taking 62% of the duration, field time taking 25%, and 13% of the time dedicated to physical training. The training takes place at different locations depending on whether you are a full-time or a part-time candidate. For full-time candidates, basic training takes place at the Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School in Saint-Jean-sur-Ruchelieu, Quebec. Part-time candidates take their basic training at a Canadian Armed Forces training centre or a local reserve unit location. Here are the key elements of basic training you need to know:
Physical fitness evaluation
The physical fitness evaluation takes place during the first week of basic training. Candidates undergo a fitness test to establish their level of physical fitness. The fitness test comprises four components:
The sandbag lift: This test, which takes a maximum of three minutes and 30 seconds, involves 30 consecutive lifts of a sandbag weighing 20 kg from the floor to a height of one metre. The candidate alternates between left and right sandbags.
Intermittent loaded shuttles: This test involves performing 10 consecutive shuttles, alternating between loaded shuttles with a 20 kg sandbag and unloaded shuttles. The test is to be completed in five minutes and 21 seconds.
Sandbag drag: The candidate in this test carries a sandbag weighing 20 kg and pulls a minimum of four sandbags on the floor over 20 metres without stopping.
20-metre rushes: In this test, the candidate starts from a prone position, completes two shuttle sprints, and drops back to the prone position every 10 metres for a total of 80 metres.
Candidates who pass all four tests proceed with the other segments of the basic training. If you fail in any of the components, you may re-do the test within 90 days. If you still don’t pass all four tests after the 90-day period, they release you from the training centre.
Physical training
Physical training is among the dominant sessions of basic army training. Candidates undergo rigorous and regular physical training to prepare for the field exercises. Physical training also prepares candidates for the 13-kilometre march in full combat gear and the fitness standards of the army.
Field exercises
Candidates for the army undergo various field exercises to sharpen their military skills. Field exercise involves activities like firing weapons, using a compass, reading maps and full combat gear marches. Candidates also learn topics such as setting up personnel and communal living arrangements and cooking food in nonconventional ways.
Confidence course
The confidence course entails diverse physical tasks to enhance the confidence of army candidates to handle tough challenges. Tests in the confidence course may involve tasks such as scaling walls, climbing nets, and crossing ditches while hanging from monkey bars.
Swimming
Swimming is an important aspect of basic army training. The swimming test entails jumping into a pool of water and swimming for 50 metres while wearing a life jacket. Candidates also somersault into the pool without a life jacket, tread water for two minutes, and swim for 20 metres.
Daily routine
The typical daily routine during basic army training starts at 5 a.m. and ends at 10 p.m. Candidates spend their daytime performing physical exercises, marches, classroom sessions, and practical lessons on various military aspects. They spend the evenings maintaining personal equipment, cleaning the living quarters and preparing for the next day’s activities.
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