Year: 2021

EPISODE 459 ANCIENT TAXI SLEIGH (like Kreighoff pay

EPISODE 459 ANCIENT TAXI SLEIGH (like Kreighoff painted long ago in the 19th century)

alan skeoch

oct. 2021

We bought this ancient taxi sleight about 40 years ago at the Tompson farm and museum sale (I think). Then had it restored by Mennonite

craftsmen in their wood repair shop north of Kitchener.

Why? Good question. We had no horses and no definition plans.

The sleigh reminded us of many of the paintings done by Cornelius

Kreighoff .. best reason I can offer. (see below)

Marjorie contacted the Toronto King Edward Hotel. When the manager got wind of our project he proposed a deal. He would provide a sumptuous New Years'

dinner for our extended family for two New Years' occasions if we could get the sleigh set up

for their Christmas decor. A Totally enjoyable occasion. The sleigh

fitted perfectly into the main floor of the hotel and residents had their

pictures taken riding the taxi sleigh.

Since that time … about 40 years ago … the magnificent sleigh has rested on a wheeled cart in our quasi-blacksmith shop in Mississauga.

It still gives me a spiritual lift every time I squeeze past to get a tool.

alan skeoch

Some would say we are dreamers (borrowed from John Lennon's song

“Imagine”) . But we are not the only ones. Dreamers…have a place

in the human journey, don't they?

alan skeoch

Oct. 2021

October 23, 2021
EPISODE 456 REBIRTH OF “EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE…EVERY MOVE YOU MAKE …I’LL E WATCHING YOU!” AT PARKDLAE C.I. 1980

alan skeoch

Oct. 2021

“What is the best High school in which you taught, Alan?”
“Easy question. The best school is the school in which I are teaching when some wise guy asked that question. It’s up to you to every teacher to make it so.
“Well, which high school?” “I taught at Parkalde for 31 years and at Forest Hill for 1 year. They were both the best” “Proof?”
“By pure chance I came across a series of pictures I took around 1984 at Parkdale Collegiate. Outlandish pictures. Perhaps even offensive to some people. We…staff and students, equally…decided to launch a rock and roll…hard rock…assembly at the centre of which was the Twisted Sister and the Police.
Rock bands.

PLANNING A HIGH SCHOOL ROCK AND ROLL ASSEMBLY

ANNUAL MEETING OF SOME TEACHERS AND SOME STUDENTS.

“Let’s let our hair down and make the assembly hall pulse with rock and roll.”
“Good idea, but let’s make sure we simulate the kind of rock and roll popular right now.”
“Like Whom?”
“Like Twisted Sister….like Sting…like The Police”
“Give the teachers a chance…how about Elvis and Roy Orbison.” “Fine…let’s get things rolling.

I’LL BE WATCHING YOU.
(The year was 1983 or 1984. The setting was Parkdale Collegiate Institute. The players were staff and students. The reason? Does everything have to have a reason? )

“The rock band Police just came out with a great song written by Sting, sir…’EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE…I’LL BE WATCHING YOU’…that’s a good title song for our assembly.”
“How come?” “Student view of teachers, sir, like cops….watching every move we make.”
“Great Idea….this will be our title…”
I’ll be watching you”
“Sounds a bit boring, sir, ”
“How so?”
“You know…teachers as police officers.”
“Ahh…but we won’t be teachers…we will be members of your rock bands.”
“Which ones?”
“Twisted Sister comes to mind…and Sting ….and the Police. Anything that fits the music.”
“Music?”
“Of course…pop music…this is going to be fun…meant to be fun.”
“Dancers?”
“You bet.”

Every breath you take
And every move you make
Every bond you break
Every step you take
I’ll be watching you
Every single day
And every word you say
Every game you play
Every night you stay
I’ll be watching you

[Chorus]
Oh, can’t you see you belong to me?
How my poor heart aches
With every step you take?

[Verse 2]
Every move you make
And every vow you break
Every smile you fake
Every claim you stake

This is the lead singer for Twisted Sister. A lot of people thought he wore a wig. He didn’t.

October 21, 2021
EPISODE 458 AMISH FARMING IN OHIO STILL EXISTS

EPISODE 458 AMISH FARMING IN OHIO STILL EXISTS

EPISODE 458 AMISH FARMING IN OHIO STILL EXISTS

alan skeoch

Oct. 2021

In the film Witness, Harrison Ford punches the crap out of

a punk who was harassing an Amish pacifist who responded

to the punk as his ice cream cone dribbled down is face.

“That's my cousin from Ohio”. Really it was Harrison Ford disguised

as an Ohio Amish farmer.

There was a time about 30 years ago that Marjorie, Kevin, Andrew

and I paid regular week-end visits to Kidron, Zanesville and oher

Amish communiities.

I could not resist the chance to take pictures. No one shoved

an ice cream cone down my throat. Harrison Ford had gone

back to Hollywood.

And life continued as it had for generations…unchanged. Well,nearly

unchanged.

THE AMISH ARE NOT THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT LOVE HORSES

AS YOU CAN SEE in picture above.

alan skeoch

October 21, 2021
EPISODE 457 HELP WHEN THINGS WENT WRONG

Sometimes when things go wrong a person comes along to make

things that seemed so difficult appear simple. Such happened

to me when all seemed lost. My Rogers email just stopped receiving

messages. I could send but not receive. I never knew who wanted

to see me. Blank wall. No matter what I tried I got nowhere until

the Leonards offered help. Rob and Michael Leonard…father and

son. Both computer literate. But both could not understand

my failures to receive emails.

EPISODE 457 HELP WHEN THINGS WENT WRONG

alan skeoch

Oct. 19, 2021

“Alan, I think we should convert to gmail.”

“But that means a new learning curve.”

“Right. But I will help you through the hoops.”

I am 83 years old. Michael is 16 years old. Quite an age

gap. A gap that is not bridged very often. Michael took

my seat at my computer. Turned to me and said.

“Show me how write your stories…the technical stuff. What

buttons do you push.? How do you move pictures from your

photo library to your scripts.?

I will help you move everything

to gmail.”

And so began a 14 day Q and A. Normally, because of my age, I would

be the lead and Mechael the follower. Not in this case.

“Well. Alan, maybe I should write notes on stickies that you can

fasten to your computer in case you miss a step or two.”

Normally, 16 year old boys call me 'sir' or 'Mr. Skeoch' or do

not talk to me at all.. Michael called me 'Alan' as he helped me

through the hoops. I am amused and appreciative.

Notice all those pink stickies. They are instuctions in simple English.

“Now, Alan, what went wrong today?”

In the end the dark clouds began to disperse and a new day dawned.

alan skeoch

Oct. 19, 2021

P.S. TO top it off, both the Leonards serenaded me on

my 83rd birthday.

October 19, 2021
EPISODE 452 FOUR RESCUED NEGATIVES…SOMETHING YOU WILL NEVER SEE AGAIN

There is a story here. Savour the picture…the details…a man slogging his way to the auction wagon, a wagon of Mennonites almost hidden, a few half ton trucks, odds and ends of farm machines, and strips of ice

beneath the snow. I am so glad I rescued these four negatives. Classics.

EPISODE 452 FOUR RESCUED NEGATIVES…SOMETHING YOU WILL NEVER SEE AGAIN

alan skeoch

Oct. 17, 2021

Just an old strip of 35mmm negatives found among my slides.

“I may as well get them converted to digital among the slides…just

cost a few dollars. A test strip. I have a whole binder of these negatives taken around 1960's or 1970's just when the race to

sell old Ontario farms was about to reach fever pitch.”

“Looks rather bleak.”

“Suits the black and white format….tells a story…a sad story.”

“Each time a farm sells there are piles of things up for auction or for

the scrap yard.”

“Alan, are you the only person rescuing doomed artifacts?”

“No, but I may be the most enthusiastic,,,I like to papture the

mood of the auction as well as the treasures.”

“Treasures?”

“Art is in the eye of the beholder”

This is a belt driven cutting box…takes corn stalks and slics them

into bite sized chunks that can be piled silos as ensilage for winter

feeding. Ensilage has a smell all its own…a smell that only farmers

and cattle feel akin to. I rather liked the smell.

And here is a 1950's Farmall row crop tractor. Triangle shaped wheel

base…always seemed dangerous to me…roll over possible. And roll

overs did happen…deadly. Of course you are more interested in the scrap pile or maybe the long fenced lane to the back fields.

And here a Mennonite family arriving with a matched team of black horses. Maybe retired race horses. Why do I think that? Because

their hooves are delicate…moreso than a big team of draft horses with

hair fetlocks. Puts me in mind of Uncle FRank Freeman's team that

he harvessed up to meet the Gray Coach bus from Toronto just

to get mom, Eric and I to the farm on winter week ends.

alan skeoch

Question: Should I invest a few more dollars and rescue a lot more

of these black and whitep pictures? Otherwise they will never be seen again. Yes..I will take them to Digital Treasures…they do such a

nice job.

Note: For the first time in weeks I feel comfortable telling my stories thanks to the help of a 16 year old boy…Michael L. and his dad Rob.

October 17, 2021