Blog

“Marjorie, the humane society just called, they have a black  and tan coonhound pup up here.   Needs a home.”

“Tell them to  Hold her for us.”

“Are you sure?  Coonhounds are hunting dogs.”

“They are so beautiful…affectionate,  loyal…shame to let that dog go too a gun lover.”

And so we  adopted our Tara.  She was absolutely stunning as a pup and as an adult.

Often men would stop to pet Tara…some even wanted us to give her up in hunting season.

“Black and  tan, eh?  Does she bugle?”

“Bugle?”

“Coonhounds Holler like  Louis Armstrong’s trumpet when they tree a raccoon.  Love that sound,?

“How is her nose?”

“Nose?”

“Black and tans are bred to hunt.  Sure not a  house  dog…traced back  to medieval times …to the Talbot Hound.  That hound  was mostly white back in the 16th century.  Some  were used to track  thieves  rather than small game.  Over here they were  bred  in the eastern mountains as great hunting dogs.  Once they get a scent, you  can

forget about getting them back. Best to follow the nose..the bugling… until they tree whatever they chase. Not a house dog.”

“But we  got Tara for the kids…for our house.  We do  not hunt. We hate guns and cannot understand  why hunters want to kill things.”

“Well you got yourselves the  wrong dog, that is for sure.  Better to give her away to a hunter.”

(more…)

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.

(more…)

Impulse.  “Let’s ask all of Andrew’s friends up to the farm to swim in the swamp.”

“boys  and girls?”

“The whole bunch.”

“What about the risks?”

“Risks?”

“Someone could drown…pushing and pulling…water will be  muddied up.”

“Never going to happen….”

(more…)

From: Alan Skeoch

Subject: Barn Building – a skill I seem to lack

Date: January 5, 2018 at 3:01:48 PM GMT-5

To: alanskeoch

STUPID  IS AS STUPID DOES:  A  HARD LESSON LEARNED  IN BARN BUILDING

alan skeoch

january 2018

 

 

 

 

 

“Marjorie, stand  beside the car…Pregnancy getting close to term…we  are going to have a  baby!”“Alan, when  the baby arrives you will have  to pay attention to other things.”
“Meaning what?”
“Meaning,  I will need help.”
“Right!  You can count on me.”
“We can  no longer pile farm equipment and planks on the roof rack.”
“Why not? The baby isn’t going be put on the roof rack, is it?
“Think…think…think, Alan.  Or is that too much to ask?
“Act like an adult for once  in your life.”
So that is when  the great idea came to mind…like  a flash of  lightning.

(more…)

“YES, VIRGINIA, OLD  ENGLAND  DOES EXIST”

On May 27, 1944, a Halifax Bomber, HX 313, was ripped and torn by a German night Fighter after dropping its bomb load on Bourg Leopold, Belgium.

A cousin who I had  never met was the upper Middle Gunner and was killed as the  night fighter shells ripped  across the underbelly of the plane.  Over the last few decades I have been able to reconstruct much of what happened before, during and after that fateful evening.  My use of dialogue may offend sensitive ears.  Sorry about that.  This will be a long story…to be sent in segments.

alan skeoch

Achievements that surpassed me.  Probably a few grads who considered me a fool.  And a few good friends who liked me in spite flaws.  That is how you know colleagues are more than just fellow travellers.