Cape Breton's Magazine

land. Leona: (Our father) had that all planted. And every one of us worked in that garden, weeding. Tom: That was intervale land. You'd go down that deep and you wouldn't get a stone...all pure leaf mould. Leona: Oh, Dad had a big farm--he was one of the fortunate ones because he had--he was getting a disability pension from the government for his war service. In the '30s--late '20s, early • 30s--he was getting $40 a month, which more than bought the staples. You know: flour and milk and but? ter. And he had acres and acres of turnips and carrots and cabbage and cauliflower-- everything--and he used to ship it out to the Cosmopolitan Stores in Sydney (on the Aspy). and he'd get a credit voucher for whatever the value of that amount of pro- "Famous last words." "Come on, Mom, you know I'm a good driver." "I know. But it's a big occasion and you'll be out with your friends. If you wind up having a few drinks you mightn't be so terrific driving home." "I won't drink. I promise." "That's easy enough to say now." "Well, I can always get a lift back with one of the others." "I have a better idea. ''f''''''''' '""' Why don't you all share a cab ?? I Ifl instead? It won't be that B B B 'L . expensive and you might be '' doing yourselves a favor." "Maybe you're right. Maybe none of us should bother with a car after all." "Good. Now tell me, what time do you expect to be home?" "Aw, Mom." trust Seogram For a free chart on responsible drinking limits, write to us. P.O. Box 847, Station H, Montreal, Quebec. H3G 2M8 duce wasi And probably before the last trip--maybe the second-last trip of the Aspy--he'd mail in his list of staples he thought he'd need for the winter. And they'd come back--the Cosmopolitan Store would ship them back on the second or last trip of the Aspy. and we'd be well stocked then for the winter. Along with that, he'd stock up all the vegetables he needed for himself, and my mother used to bottle a lot. Once they got their own in, and what was left, I remember going over to North Ingonish and the Centre in the horse and wagon selling vegetables. All the surplus was sold door-to-door. Tom: And he got his fish (that way). And of course, you didn't have to worry too much about meat. There was lots of deer around and no game wardens. And the Mounties didn't bother you too much if you took one out of season. And rabbits, partridge. But I can tell you a very funny thing that happened. In 1936-- we used to get terrible flooding on the Valley. And the house was built--the flat inter? vale land--and there was a step, that was 20 feet above the level of the intervale land. And we'd see'that whole garden just flooded. Just ice--because it's such a narrow space when you start up the Clyburn Valley--that used to plug up, and that'd flood that whole valley. And I can re? member it being flood? ed, and all of a sudden the flood went out. And this was in April. And my father looked out, and there was a young beef steer coming down there. Now I mean, it (had) spent the winter back in the hills some? where, or probably born back there--and hair that long on it. Do you remember that, Leona? My father getting ahold of it by the ear and hauling it in. Well we had fresh meat for a couple of weeks. And he took a salmon out of there the same year that was 5 6 inches long. It'd been up in the river all winter. And it got high and dry when the water went