the largest community event ever held in these parts. It showcased all aspects of Ontario’s agricultural, forestry, and mining industries along with competitive plowing, music, parades, and concerts. My wife Sandy’s Uncle Stewart, who she


hadn’t seen in 10 years, invited us to vis- it him in New Liskeard. Fortunately, his driveway was just large enough for our trailer. He and his wife Eva were very ac- commodating during our stay, driving us around rural areas, pointing out some of the preparations for the plowing match. We especially liked the numerous individually dressed scarecrows adorning downtown streets, some swinging in the breeze from streetlights like high-flying trapeze acts. We visited nearby Cobalt, a mining town


between 1903 and 2003. Tis was a fasci- nating trip back in time for Uncle Stewart as he and his brother had both worked in the mines. Numerous mining artifacts were on display and Stewart explained how they worked, and how dangerous, noisy, and dusty it was in the mineshaſts. In those days, no one wore ear or lung protection devices, which likely contributed to a se- vere loss of hearing for Stewart and fatal em-


physema for his late brother. Many miners never survived to retirement, but Stewart was fortunate and got out in the nick of time. On his very last day of work aſter five years in the mine, he narrowly escaped be- ing crushed by a falling boulder! Eva showed us her dairy farm, now op-


erated by her adult son and grandson. Tey demonstrated how a robotic feeder on an overhead track provides food for each cow as they stand in stalls waiting to be milked by machine. A computer chip attached to each cow’s ear “tells” the robot the appro- priate blend and amount of feed it should dispense for best milk production. Eva commented that dairy farming had


come a long way since her days of feeding all cows the same diet and milking by hand. A framed plaque hung in her son’s office: DOING WHAT YOU LIKE IS FREEDOM; LIKING WHAT YOU DO IS HAPPINESS. I asked him if he was looking forward to


retirement. He replied, “Not really, I’m quite happy doin’ what I’m doin’.” He seemed as content as his computer-fed cows. Leaving New Liskeard, we headed south,


Scarecrows in New Liskeard.


stopping at Orillia, hometown of Steven Leacock, a well-known author, and humor- ist during the early 1900’s — Canada’s coun-


terpart to American born Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain). Af- ter nearly getting stuck on a narrow back street, we gave up searching for Leacock’s home and continued on to Elmvale. Sandy’s cousin Colin, with the help of his wife Suzie and


their two sons, operates a dairy farm in this rural area that had been passed down from his folks. Again, we came to appreci- ate the hard work and long hours that farmers put into making the various dairy products we purchase so easily from grocery shelves. Elly kept a safe distance from the cows, especially those that


stuck their heads through the gated pens. Had we not coaxed her away, she would have spent the entire day ensnared in an approach-avoidance conflict. On our third day,


Suzie invited us to attend a meeting of the Women’s In- stitute, a charitable organization dedi- cated to improving the quality of life of its members, their families,


and local communities. Our poodle Elly meets a cow. 12 RVT 174 • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016


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