Winter Nights

 

  Steve Apps Photo

The winter nights on the farm, when I was a kid were long, cold, and dark.  No one in our farm community had electricity until after World War II.  So, there were no yard lights piercing the darkness, only lamps and lanterns creating slivers of light in farm homes and barns. And there were no flashlights.

We didn’t let the darkness prevent us from having winter fun.  One thing we did fairly often was walk to Chain O’ Lake, which was about a mile and half from our farm and have a skating party.  There might be a dozen of us, all schoolmates from our nearby country school.

First thing we’d do upon arriving at the lake was to build a good size fire on the shore of the lake, which provided enough light so could see to clamp on our skates.  The fire also warmed u if the night happened to be one of those that was below zero.

One of us would bring a shovel from home, and we’d clear a goodly size area on the ice.  And then we’d skate, forward and backward. Fast and slow. We raced each other across the ice.  We played crack the whip.  We’d stop when we would hear a loud bang.  We knew what it was, it was ice contracting, creating long cracks.  We said this was the lake talking to us.

As dark as the night might be, especially if there was no moon, we could see quite well.  It was walking by starlight, something that few people can or would want to experience these days.  Maybe it was because our eyes were accustomed to dim lighting—that which a kerosene lamp or lantern might provide.  Or maybe it was because that’s all the light there was.  Stay home or walk by starlight—and be thrilled when there was full moon, and more light, much more light as the moonlight bounced from the snow-covered fields.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Don’t let a dark night prevent you from having fun.

WHERE TO BUY MY BOOKS:

You can buy my books at your local bookstore, order online from bookshop.org, or purchase from the Friends of the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose—a fundraiser for them. Phone: 920-622-3835 for prices and ordering, or contact the librarian: barnard@wildroselibrary.
Patterson Memorial Library
500 Division Street
Wild Rose, WI 54984.
www.wildroselibrary.org

If you live in the western part of the state, stop at Ruth’s home town, Westby, visit Dregne’s.  and look at their great selection of my books. Order a book from them by calling 1-877-634-4414. They will be happy to help you.  If you live in northcentral Wisconsin, stop at the Janke bookstore in Wausau (phone 715-845-9648).  They have a large selection of my books.