Orion Water Delivery

When we lived on our Orion half section homestead (10 miles) south of Orion in southern Alberta the spring run-off arrived and our well water usually gave out early before the hot summer season. The two mile trip to the Manyberries Creek by horse and wagon had enough for less than week.

Then my brother Paul, age 12,would have to hitch up our team of horse and wagon and bring the barrels of water home throughout the summer until fall began to change to winter season, bringing winter's snow which filled our double boiler that sat on our stove.

On this particular July day the last two barrels were loaded and clanged into each other with a resounding clash. The team of horses bolted in fear. There was a dike by the roadway near our one room school and the horses had to race up a half way high bridge and trail. I tried to hang onto something but when the horses got stalled trying to climb up the dike I had a few moments to make a fast decision and jumped out of the wagon into to the ditch. My brother Paul ran up to get me and brought his two year old small bleeding sister home for our Mother to patch up. With no fenced yard we had to watch out for our neighbour's bull, Seafoam, who tried to race for our trail. Fortunately the lower small bridge would keep him from reaching us.  

NEW CIGARETTE ON THE BLOCK

The first anniversary of the land mark "Surgeon General's Report on smoking and Health," brought the first government report linking smoking to lung cancer and heart disease and the kickoff to decades of tobacco-control efforts. We have seen progress in the half century and we see adults make progress by 42 percent to 18 percent and high school teens dropped in 1997 to 14 percent in 2012. Even so, smoking remains the leading preventable cause of death.

Efforts to market a smokeless cigarette began in the 1960's but the idea languished until 2005. China began exporting them first to Europe and then to the U.S. An estimated $1.5 billion in 2013 and then more than 100 companies began to sell e-cigarettes and you can buy them at Walmart. and then larger companies got into the game by featuring celebrities.

With these new type of cigarette we do not know what other worrisome chemicals are being scattered around in our bodies making it difficult for doctors to diagnose health challenges, that can lead to an early death. Having a part in music, sports and family life in general, as well as church and travelling the world, gardening or giving a boost to others can bring their own set of pleasures.  

HOW TO TREAT EYE DISEASE

The four most common conditions - cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and age-related degeneration are leading causes of vision impairment. It not only reduces your quality of life but is linked to more falls, car accidents and even a shorter life span. Eye exams should begin regular every year or two beginning at age 65. You can be tested by an ophthalmologist (M.D.), a doctor trained to diagnose and treat eye disorders. Cataracts are cloudy areas in an eye's lens as we age and lead to hazy, blurry vision and sensitivity to glare. A professor of clinical ophthalmology at Columbia's College of Physicians and Surgeons at Harlem Hospital says "If an older person can read and watch TV, they don't generally have to have their cataract removed. Its an individual decision." There is insufficient evidence from studies to know whether tinted-lens implants might also be linked to problems. Millions of adults suffer from diabetic retinopathy which includes damage to the blood vessels in the retina at the back of the eye causing vision loss. Blood can sometimes leak into the retina blurring vision. Surgery can stabilize vision and reduce the risk of blindness by 90 percent, according to the National Eye Institute. Doctors can inject intravenously and identify blood vessels in the retina to detect any problem areas. Blood leaking into the retina often happens during sleep. That is why people with diabetes should get a comprehensive eye exam at least once a year. A dye injected intravenously is used to identify blood vessels in the retina and detect problem areas. Laser surgery can stop blood leakage and stabilize vision and reduce the risk of blindness by 90 percent. Severe bleeding may require surgery. A tiny incision in the eye can drain the bloody fluid and replace it with a salt solution and patients can usually return home the same day.

If an eye disease leaves you or someone you care for with weakened vision, ask your doctor about accommodations and devices that may enhance the remaining vision and information on community groups that offer special services.  

Bob Davis

EAT THESE FOODS AND BE HAPPY AND HEALTHY

ALMONDS - Are great in salads. Add three almonds per day to oatmeal, as well as to salads, Place any of these foods in a blender and enjoy a long healthy life.

AVOCADO - Half an avocado is great for adding to these smoothies as well as salads.

BLACK BEANS - A half cup of black beans can be included to any soups and salads.

BROCCOLI - can be added to salads as well as served as a side dish.

KALE, SPINACH, WALNUTS, - are all good for tucking into some "on the run" snacking. Keep some dark chocolate handy to please your sweet tooth, or do like my brother-in-law does. He adds all or any of of these together and places them all in their blender with necessary liquid, and his cancer scare can no longer be found in his system. He and his wife, my sister, get needed exercise before or after enjoying this nourishing and healthy meal.

WALKING WITH A FRIEND

We walked up a slope where dandelions grew,

But some said not to like them, though in secret I do.

They rescued the hungry when they were in need,

Then spring came along with more wonderful deeds.

They offer bouquets should a stiff frost arrive,

Then you bring them inside to keep them alive.

Fast forward in time, you soon learned how to speak

In silent sign language, that it is really quite neat,

Your willing fingers can twist turn and bend,

Each joint with delight, then a period at end.

Celebrate your country, when attending school,

And for those without voice, its is a great rule.

And there are more secrets, more lessons to learn,

No boring school classes and more credits to earn,

Because parents soon see it is quiet for all,

With family and friends, a neat gentle call.

So with smiles and stories in your new silent voice.

It adds to your joys and you're so glad for your choice.

Prairie Life

If a task has once begun,
Never leave it 'til its done,
Be the labour great or small,
Do it well or not at all.

The above verse is likely one of many my father taught me in 1926 during those frequent fence post high Alberta snowstorms while their first four children were already in classes at our one room country school just over a mile away. I watched my Mother mixing up the ingredients for making bread while boiling the empty flour sacks for an hour to remove the printed advertising on them. She sewed these sacks into undergarments to provide cotton underwear for the family. An hour or two pumping the treadle of her Singer sewing machine while My father finished reading the weekly newspaper,"The Free Press Prairie Farmer." If the gallon syrup bucket was empty, school lunch bread was spread with pork lard. June 30 ended the school year and the Weeks family hosted a picnic held among the trees that had been planted by them a hundred years ago. Anyone attending  was  welcome to bring their favourite outdoor food to the picnic to share with all.

The theme among the farmers was "Lets hope our crops won't be hailed out this summer.”