Right after the Second World War, recreational opportunities were non-existent in our farming community. When the little Boyne River settled down between its banks after a sudden spring thaw, we felt lucky to find a swimming hole gouged out by the churning waters as they swirled through the twists and turns of its course. Swimming […] Read more
Stories by Alma Barkman
A star’s journey suspended in time
The festive season was fast approaching and we knew that many of our young charges in a church children’s club had never acted out the true story of Christmas. The leader suggested that props be made, a pageant rehearsed and parents be invited to the gala presentation. On performance night, I found myself in a […] Read more
Bountiful harvest always produced the fall carrot crunch
Growing carrots has always been a challenge. In years gone by, I had to watch my husband like a hawk or he would plant several rows of the things just because they produced so well. No amount of arguing could convince him that, come September, there was always a glut of carrots on the market. […] Read more
Nurturing a love-hate relationship with tomatoes
Picking that first tomato of the season was a delight to the senses, but harvest quickly transformed into a hectic marathon
Every summer, garden history repeated itself. According to the long-range forecast, we were facing a prolonged drought cycle, but my husband, Leo, was raring to plant the garden before the snow melted. The only moisture I could foresee was the wet blanket I kept throwing on his plans. He’d ask how many tomatoes he should […] Read more
Berry bounty not always worth cheering about
An abundance of saskatoons in the family berry patch meant pies needed to be made, but that’s where the trouble started
I am sure my mother dragged me off to the wild saskatoon berry patch long before I was off the bottle, and she probably put me down on an anthill by mistake, because my earliest recollection of berry picking is being eaten alive by bugs. Along with the hot humid atmosphere of the bush were […] Read more
Sealers see new revival as interest in canning increases
Shelves of canned preserves were once a fixture in many basements, despite an occasional mishap due to ring failure
Exploring the cool, dark recesses of Grandma’s dugout cellar, I would come across the dilapidated old cupboard braced against the far side of the coal bin. An ambitious spider had draped cobwebs from shelf to shelf. I gingerly reached through its gauze curtain to discover a veritable treasure chest of good eating. High bush cranberry […] Read more
General store had everything, including gossip
The Red & White stocked what this rural community needed, and was even able to rescue a floundering school assignment
The Red & White general store was a fascinating place for a small girl to visit.
Christmas gift exchange teaches valuable lesson
The real present received on that cold winter’s night so long ago was an insight into the meaning of giving and receiving
I was in Grade 3 at the time — too young to know the reasons, but old enough to sense the despair that had settled over our small farming community. Crops had been poor, prices low and people had become the passive victims of an economic squeeze. The annual school Christmas concert was to be […] Read more
Laundry day was a winter adventure
The well water was so hard it curdled the soap; instead, snow was hauled in on wash days — which was always on Monday
It was rather a pleasant task in spring, summer and fall to hang the laundry on the clothesline that swung between two maple trees in our big front yard. One year my dad got one of his old work boots soaking wet and hung it by the laces over the clothesline to dry. A pair […] Read more
Family’s stoic old outhouse was a rare source of privacy
Houses came and went, but the old outhouse retained its Spartan lines, a familiar piece of architecture on the home farm. Ours bore all the trademarks of a typical model: the grey, weather-beaten exterior peppered with knotholes, the jagged half-moon carved in the sagging door, the shanty roof bared defiantly to the elements. Over the […] Read more
