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Volunteers work to restore old gas tractor

Baljennie News
fall rural scene

Most Fridays at the Western Development Museum in North Battleford have been set aside for work bees in the workshop. These are for the volunteers who like to come and museum staff members. Some volunteers from Saskatoon Western Development Museum came to help at the last one. The extra hands have been a great help to take apart an old gas tractor so it can be repaired and made operational again. The museum has been kept busy with many social activities plus some funerals. A big thank you goes out to all the volunteers.

It was good to hear Borden threshing day and supper went over well in spite of the nasty snow mixed with rain to make things wet and damp.

I would like to thank the News-Optimistfor the invitation to Celebrate the Harvest Luncheon Oct. 11 at Pennydale Junction in Battleford. Due to my health problems I was not able to attend. It’s a good way to meet all the country and town correspondent people. There seems to be less and less of us as the years pass by. It would be nice to see more country correspondents sending in their happenings. It’s nice to read each week the ones we have left. Thank you, Becky, for the invitation.

Maybe North Battleford is listed as one of the worst crime cities in Canada on a W5 TV program that gives everybody a bad taste of North Battleford. Just take another look, as North Battleford is not all that bad. There are many more good people and things too, rather than all crime. It only takes a few to make things look so bad. North Battleford is a very busy community with many more things happening. Let’s hope we can keep it that way.

Our weather has changed so much in the last month or so. The trees have shed their dress of coloured leaves. The air, which now is more redolent and spicy, will soon be replaced by cold and icy breath. I love nature’s fickle ever-changing moods. If she smiles, laughs or frowns or constantly broods. So I’ll wait with pleasure for whatever she serves up.

It will soon be time for Halloween. Halloween, which officially falls on Oct. 31 each year is one of the oldest of our community wide celebrations. Some of its customary rites can be traced to ancient Greece and the familiar symbols and activities associated with the holiday have their roots firmly established in Celtic Roman practices that are thousands of years old.

The Celtic festival was associated with harvest celebrations and protecting crops, flocks and herds from demons, believed to be rampant at this time of the year. There were fire sites, fortune telling and masquerades, which started out to be serious but became more frivolous over time.

Enjoy the Canadian tradition of going door to door for treats, but remember to follow all the safety rules.

In modern times Halloween is celebrated throughout the world. In certain parts of the British Isles bonfires are still lit and fortune telling is still popular. In the Middle East countries Oct. 31 is a night for parading and partying.

Get well wishes goes out to Lynda Kuliasa of the Battleford West Place on her recent major heart surgery in a Saskatoon hospital. It will be good to see you up and about soon.