Good mourning Hugh

Well, he did it, and what an uproar he created. There were about 6-8 oldtimers from two different political persuasions, were going to have him fired. The next week he hit those 6-8 with the fact it was the first time in their lives they actually agreed on anything. With that the rest of the community, dug their heels in behind our favourite clergyman. It was rather dicy for awhile though.

Regular heat wave here this morning, all the way up to zero on the thermometer. Same time yesterday had 12 below.

I had to laugh the other morning when the suburbs of Toronto were getting that freezing rain along with their 800 minor colisions. Radio interviewed a highway patrolman who called it as it was, people driving too fast for conditions. The next interview was a man in a SUV, couldn't understand why it was so slippery, it wasn't that cold. Then the tire companies don't help with their adds claiming their !@#$% tire will give you excellent traction all the way down to -30.

Some of those folks just need to experience a drive in a log truck, in the bush, with a trucker too lazy to put his chains on with temps right on freezing mark. Experience the thrill of spinning out, going down the hill backwards on wet ice, or worse still loosing it heading down hill with the load of logs behind you. I've had it happen even with the chains on.

I remember once being 12 miles back a single lane road, rolled down hard packed snow. 3 trucks and we were all loading as it started freezing rain on top of that snow. Just while we were finishing our loads, ice build up was close to 1". There were numerous elevations on that road 50' in a 1/4 mile. We agreed I'd go first as I had the best chance of making it, as I didn't have pup behind. We stayed in CB contact, yet not too close in case someone came down a hill backwards. 1.5 hours later we made it to the black top. It was a hair raising journey, and needless to say we didn't go back for a second load. All of this happened in the dark as we'd all left home shortly after midnight trying to beat the mild weather. We trucked that road without chains when it was extremely cold.

Dad had a "cream route" so he had to travel to farms regardless of how bad the weather was. Farmers used cream separators (IH maybe?)then, sold the cream in 10 gal. cans and used the milk to make slop for the hogs. Dad had a '38 Ford flathead V8. When snows were deep he would take off the duals, put chains on the inner wheels and hit the road. That Ford could go anywhere when he got some full cans on it. To this day I think of that Ford when I see a truck stuck in snow with wheels spinning; if they are hauling light loads, all they'd have to do is take off those outer wheels and away they'd go.

The old guy that drove their school bus was not a well man, (heart). Those boys kept him on that route 10 years after he was really able to be there. They put chains on bus for him, they shoveled snow when bus got stuck, and they even drove the bus when he wasn't feeling the best. Years after that one of the then young men told me it was a very hush hush arangement between bus driver and students. They never dared tell their parrents what they were doing.

I started to school the year our district got school busses. Every driver they hired was an ex log truck driver. We never knew what a storm day off school was. Those old boys got us to school in every kind of weather. I realize they didn't have to contend with idiot SUV drivers trying to make 75 mph on shear ice. They probably made those winter bus runs and never saw another vehicle. It is quite different today.

Let's get the seed out. Time to go before long! :>)

Allan