News from Up North
December 29th, 2013 · 1 Comment · Posted in News from Up North, rural life
Raising livestock on pasture means lots of walking for me tending the animals. They need to be fed, they need to be watered, they need to be moved from one paddock to another. That can be a problem this time of year when the ground is covered with snow and ice. Especially ice. We get a thaw, then another freeze. Ice forms in great pools as well as little pockets. I recently took a hard fall right outside the front door when I stepped on a sheet of ice hidden under a new layer of snow.
But thanks to a tip from longtime gardener friend Silvie, I needn’t worry quite so much about where I step. I ordered a pair of these Yaktrax through the mail. They’re a series of metal coils attached to rubber webbing that fit over the bottoms of my boots for a whole new level of traction. I’m much less likely to slip walking out to the orchard to check for eggs in the chicken coop, and my work goes that much faster because I don’t have to be quite so careful where I step.
This may be the best $21 I ever spent on Ebay. Just another example of an aspect of farming we never imagined when we first contemplated starting a farm in Upstate New York….
Congratulations to 12 youngsters recently certified in snowmobile safety in Greenwich. The SnoBlazers club teamed with John Rieger of Country Power Products to offer the class. Rieger has been involved in the safety program for more than 35 years.
Kudos to kids in Mrs. Stokem’s second class in Salem who are now in possession of the prestigious “Goldie”–or golden garbage can–in recognition of their dedication to keeping their environs clean. The award is given by the custodial staff. So far, four different classes at Salem Central School have been recipients.
Music from Salem is back! The group, which offers so much fine musical programming during the summer, is scheduled to present an evening of Baroque music and dance at Hubbard Hall in Cambridge on January 4 beginning at 5 p.m. Tickets are a suggested $20.
Finally, thanks go out to teachers and students in the forestry program at the Southwest Vermont Career Development Center who’ve been cutting firewood for people who have trouble affording their winter heating bills. High school juniors and seniors enrolled in the two-year class participate in the “Wood Warm” program under the direction of David Dence. So far, the program has delivered 12 cords of wood to area homes in need.
Happy New Year!
This edition of News from Up North was culled from actual news reports in the Washington County Area and is presented here for the enjoyment and edification of our readers. As always, stay alert and please drive carefully.
Glad To have been able to suggest something useful!