A Manure Spreader Full of Memories

Last weekend at Dunvegan Gardens in Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada, I nearly teared up at the sight of (you'll never guess) an antique John Deere manure spreader! It was the identical model to one we had in use down on the farm back in My Old Country (Saskatchewan). I would not even hazard a guess how many times, in Days of Yore, I loaded that spreader to overflowing and hauled it to/from the field.

It was ground-driven, controlled with two levers, reachable from the tractor seat. One lever was for engaging/disengaging the conveying chain and the other for the back beaters/spreaders. We usually pulled it with a Massey-Harris 101 Junior tractor, which I believe was all of about 24 drawbar horsepower! 

Seeing it brought back all the regret of leaving ours (and for that matter, the little Massey tractor we pulled it with) behind in The Land of Constant Sorrow. We could have put it to good use here on our little rural property in the Peace Country of northwest Alberta. If for no other reason than to adorn it with flowers like they do this one at the garden centre!

Humanity, Music, Life and Living

For me, life has always been music and music, life. But it’s been as a listener, and observer of, when it comes to music, and those gifted to make it. I have an acute appreciation for it all the same. In this regard, I don’t recall when I was last as appreciative of, or moved by, a piece of music as that performed live at Massey Hall in Toronto, Canada last night, February 2, 2017. It occurred as the encore for the Canadian bands, Blue Rodeo and The Sadies.

  

Most are familiar with Blue Rodeo, but less The Sadies. Underrated and oft under the radar, it speaks to the musical heritage of The Sadies by mentioning the dad of two band members is Bruce Good. It’s their father, together with their uncles Larry and Brian Good, who comprise the veteran country/bluegrass band, The Good Brothers.

Gord Downie of The Tragically Hip is no stranger to either of the bands. That he took to the stage with them for the encore was not so extraordinary as was his being willing/able to participate. This despite the incurable brain cancer from which he now long-suffers. Watching the performance play out over six and a half minutes; for me, that’s when life and music became as one. 

The song was “Lost Together,” a Blue Rodeo tune first released 25 years ago, and performed hundreds, if not thousands, of times since.  But never under circumstances as last night. Thanks to a quick-thinking someone and YouTube, it was captured forevermore.

If you watch the video, you’ll see Gord Downie first greeted on stage by Blue Rodeo’s Jim Cuddy and next by Greg Keelor, who ultimately does duty on lead vocals. Their respective bands crossed paths many a time over three decades of music. To take nothing away from the moment, Cuddy never takes to the mic where Downie does his best to add his voice to vocals. A big smile was apparent on Cuddy’s face and the others on stage (as was the audience's obvious love and approval) when Downie manages to get some singing done. 

With the support of Travis Good on his left and Dallas Good on his right, to me it appears that Gord Downie’s life was meant for the moment. Oh, to have been in attendance for it!  I hope you watch/listen and savour it as did I. For sure it represents humanity, music, life and the living of it; all to be treasured for long as we can.

The Great Demolition Caper

Today I spent some time with crowbar and sledge hammer in hand, demolishing a small shed on our acreage, Grouses’ Grail. Doing that got me thinking of the past and a story for telling. I’m calling it, “The Great Demolition Caper” and it will be my #FlashbackFriday contribution.

The story, dating back to the early 1960's, involves my late, great, big brother, (Ralph) Garry and his cousin. Randy. It’s about them looking for something to do while my cousin was down on the farm; this and a small lean-to shed on which they set their sights. 

Tacked onto the shady side of another old building in the farmyard, the lean-to had fell out of use. It had once served an important role in the storage and cooling of cream-filled cans before shipping them on the railhead at Pasqua, Saskatchewan, Canada. Inset in the shed’s concrete floor was a 45-gallon drum. This acted as a casing and it was into the well which it created that cream cans were deposited. 

The rickety old lean-to didn’t look like much to anyone never mind a couple of pre-teen boys with hammers and crowbars in hand, just itching to dismantle something, anything! Well, the long and short of it was, the shed came down with much fanfare on their part. It was nothing but a pile of rubble by the time our Dad got home. I recall a sense of excitement, pride and accomplishment (no maybe it was just apprehension) on their part as it was related to him.

Now, I was just a wee lad back then. As such, I wasn’t privy to all the conversation back and forth on their little escapade. But I did get the impression my Dad thought the lean-to still had some more years left in it! I don’t recall who ended up with the cleanup task afterwards, hauling wreckage away and filling in the hole in the ground where once the cream cans cooled.

I do recall, in decades to follow, it being a topic of conversation and mirth at family gatherings, especially ones bringing these cousins together. The Great Demolition Caper! #FlashbackFriday

My brother, (Ralph) Garry Aldridge (March 3, 1951 - February 7, 2016)

“The song is about hope, looking to the future and looking to our children.” ~ Raylene Rankin (Sept. 15, 1960 – Sept. 30, 2012)

Raylene Rankin said it of this song in a CBC radio interview only a few months before her passing from cancer. 

The song was written in 1984, as an anthem for resilience and hope, by Leon Dubinsky from Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada. The Rankin Family released it in 1993. 

Margaret, me and our children were blessed to hear the Rankins perform it on stage shortly after. Lead vocalist Raylene’s crystal clear soprano voice then raised it up to the auditorium rafters and beyond.

Today, in memory of my brother, I dedicate it to his wife, Carol Aldridge, his children, and his grandchildren. 

The song is, Rise Again.

My brother would have been 65 years young today.

Ralph Garry Aldridge (March 3, 1951 - February 7, 2016)

#tbt #RIPGarry