More adventures during a Bruce County winter

Then there was winter – a story for a whole book in itself. Read about some of our adventures in Mum’s life story.

A myriad of memories floats across my mind:

Lying in the snow on top of a hill, vainly trying to locate the Little Dipper.

A surprise meeting with Grandpa on the snow-filled road going home from school. He had Prince, the pony, hitched with Minnie, the work horse, to the front bob of the sleigh (horses in photo below).



Stepping out of a blustery day into the warm stable where the cows were lying contentedly chewing their cud, then getting up one by one at the prospect of being milked.

The ridiculous fun of hooking the heavy toboggan Grandpa made for us, on behind the tractor and manure spreader so that Daddy could pull us up the lane where we could slide on one of the big hills while he unloaded the load in a back field.

The determination with which we slid down a hill over and over on the same track, gathering speed and wearing the seat out of our snow pants.

The annoying interruption to fun when we had to go inside to change our soaking wet clothes which we hung on chairs around the stove.

The pleasure of cuddling under a buffalo robe on the back seat of our sleigh as we drove up to spend an evening with John and Jean’s family. When we peeked out, we could see Daddy walking beside the light team, Joe and Daisy, in case a false step took them down over the high river bank.

The feeling of being small and lost as we drove home from Pine River between towering snowbanks on Highway 21. The road was only wide enough for one vehicle but the plough would have made a divot every so often so that a car could back up to one and pull over.

The enjoyment of crunching into a flavourful spy apple that we had brought up from the cellar and polished before we started a game of cards after chores were done.

May, 2020
Ruth Anne Hollands Robinson