Farmers and ranchers don’t get many vacations, especially not at this time of year, but that’s a good thing. Because vacations can make you sick.
It says so right here, in a National Post story that someone left on the desk.
“Our periodic bursts of rest and relaxation after months of work, studies or family pressures allow our bodies to finally give in to the stresses, bugs and microbes we have been fighting because we simply cannot take the time off.”
If this is true, the rural health system may be sorely taxed once harvest season is over and farmers think they can take a few deep breaths before starting the other fall work.
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Then again, I don’t think eight hours qualifies as a vacation.
Predictably, the story got me thinking about instances that prove the theory. One of my colleagues consistently gets migraines at the mere mention of a day off, for example, and she recently sprained her ankle on the first day of a much-delayed vacation.
My own experience with the phenomena doesn’t really fit the pattern. My sister was the one on vacation, and I was doing her chores. One of her pigs was due to farrow, so I was cleaning out the hog pen preparatory to the blessed event.
The old wooden boards on the pen floor were uneven, and as I swung the pitchfork in a mighty swoop, one of the tines caught on a protruding board. Lickety split, the fork changed direction and plunged into my foot.
I wasn’t too happy with this development, once I stopped hopping around. Never mind that I had to soak my foot in Epsom salts to counteract the effects of pig manure in the bloodstream. The real injury was that hole in a brand new pair of rubber boots.
Vacations? Who needs ’em?
On another tack entirely, we got some sad news here recently. Bob Willett, a journalist and one-time freelance writer for The Western Producer, died Aug. 18 at the age of 80. Born on a farm near Unity, Sask., his obituary indicates Willett started his writing career with the Producer at the age of 15. After a life that included Hollywood journalism, rubbing elbows with movie stars, service in the air force and work with Vancouver television stations, he retired in 1986.
Willett did freelance work for the Producer until 1994, sending his typewritten copy following up with a phone call.
He was a pleasure to work with.
