SKATING DOWN THE ICE COVERED ROAD

There was a time  when the fifth line  was regularly ice covered  sometimes so thick and smooth that Marjorie and  Kevin skated from our farm right down  past Kerrs and on to Saunders, then Lietches and Fabers and onward. They could have reached Highway 7 easily. About two miles  of  ice covered road gently sloping south.

Today,  2018, that ice road  is  unlikely as  the plows  and  sand trucks are quick to make the road  safe for cars  and  trucks … and  in so doing cancel  skating ventures.  Safe roads  cancel  out winter romance.

Driving the car to the  farm in these conditions was always a great adventure…slithering  right and left…often with Dad (my dad)  swearing at the top of his voice for he blamed each farmer

for the lack  of upkeep of the roads.   His attitude hearkened back to pioneer days  when farmers were expected to maintain the  roads  that passed their  farms.  Dad could string curse words together as if beads on a  necklace…a  host of adverbs and adjectives faced each

verb and  noun.

Want an example?   (wait for another story…this story is too nice for that)

alan  skeoch

Jan. 2018