ON THE LIGHTER SIDE

Time was when farm folk were lean for a reason. They worked from dawn to dusk. Despite eating vast quantities, farmers expended all the calories they took in. Today, farm folk work just as hard and probably more hours thanks to the light bulb but they are doing jobs far less physical.
Talk about calories, my mother-in-law oft talks about her duties as a young woman when threshing time came. Up early and breakfast cleared away, the kitchen turned into a bee hive of activity to be ready for the 12 or 14 workers that followed the threshing machine from farm to farm. Her father usually ordered a 24 pound roast of beef to feed this crew. My mother-in-law’s favourite duty was pie baking; seven fruit pies were to be ready by the mid-day feast. You had to get up before breakfast to fire up the stove and roll out all that pie dough. Keep in mind, there were only 14 men to feed. Are you doing the math here? I’m told none of these fellows was overweight and all had hollow legs into which to stuff this food. And the women couldn’t possibly get girthy either, with all that kitchen work to do.

When it wasn’t threshing time, farm folks got lots of exercise. They usually walked behind farm equipment and a team. Or they walked the fields tending the crops or walked to the other farm to do the chores there.

Today’s farm duties include much more sophisticated machine operation and much less physical exercise. I see some newer tractor controls now are packaged in one little toggle switch with the steering wheel controlled by a satellite beam and deadly accurate to boot. All in the name of efficiency and to reduce operator fatigue. In other words, you don’t burn calories driving a tractor.

With that said; while sitting here on the verandah, I have to wonder about our collective health. After getting the lecture of a lifetime from my young doc, I now am on a walking regimen. So are a bunch of farm friends I know.

Our health in some ways is going backwards with heart attack a number one culprit for the grim reaper’s visit. We eat too much, we are inclined to become lethargic and add the pounds.

So back to walking: I have a route that I vigoursly walk at noon hour. About 1/2 hour later, I have the ticker wound up and I actually feel rejuvenated. I’m told this will add years to my life. Obviously others have been told the same thing; I see way more folks opting for shank’s pony to get around.

Now let’s add something else to the conventional walking routine. Nordic Walking. Think of it as cross country skiing without snow and skis. Two adjustable poles are strapped to your hands and you use them to advance your step further than you could otherwise. I saw them in Europe last year and said to my better 7/8ths that we should get a pair. I use them regularly and they do propel you faster than conventional walking plus
you apparently burn more calories in the same length of time.

Out here in rural Ontario, walking still is not a practical form of conducting business such as going to pick up tractor parts. Farm country is just too big. However, I see many up- town folks slogging to work rather than starting up the clunker. Shoe leather replaces gasoline. Another good reason to walk.

There is a lot of rural Ontario to see and what better way to do it than walking. In our quest for exercise and spending more time in the outdoors, we have also taken on finding more exciting real estate, namely this trails movement. Some parts of the province such as “The Bruce” are well developed with trails. Gaining popularity is acquiring abandoned rail lines and turning them into trails. There is a great walk along the Grand River and also down here in the Banana Belt where you can walk from Windsor to almost Leamington on the former Pere-Marquete rail right-of-way.

I think these trails are good for our health and also for adventure tourism. I hope the issues with land acquisition and costs to prepare these trails for the general public can be overcome for the benefit of all.

I think you may be convinced that I am a strong believer in walking for good health. But enough of the serious reasons for walking. There is irony in all of this. About 150 years ago, the railroad was considered the greatest advancement in transportation. The silver rail would speed up society as people opted for a ticket to ride instead of walking. Now, as the silver rails are being ripped up, folks are walking where the train used
to take them. Does that strike a chord with you, too?