Been snowing, raining then snowing like mad with high winds the past couple days and nights. So haven't bothered to plow. Waiting for the wind to die.
However, had to go out tonight for the annual "Tractor-Parade-Of-Lights" and it was difficult getting out the lane even with my 4X4 truck. So I'll have to fire up the tractor and plow us out tomorrow.
I like plowing at 3 in the morning when the wind dies and there's minimal traffic out at the road,..but so far the wind just won't quit.
The ("Night-time") Tractor Parade was fantastic,..as usual! Police shut down roads in and out of town,(Rockwood) (main highway) for couple hours and a well organized, carefully chosen selection of farmers and equipment make up a very popular and well attended parade. (4000 people last year)
Tractors, combines, new and antique, crop sprayers, grain carts, manure spreaders and hay wagons etc. All beautifully decorated with lights and music and each unit carries (at least) one portable generator to power the lights, the music and to turn things that are normally powered by the PTO. Some PTO's are used but safety is a prime concern so all that normally moving stuff is disconnected so accidents can't happen. Clowns and other folk big and small ride in manure spreaders and grain carts and things that have been made safe for the event. (Oh yes, snow blowers spin and grain swathers turn and all these things are wound with lights but I believe they spin 'em with electric motors and slippable belts,...just in case).
Hay wagons carry live country bands with square dancers and a caller and cloggers doing their stuff to music. They all carry neat signs telling what the equipment is and who the farm family or farmer is that did all the work of decorating and making the machine safe. (But absolutely NO commercial advertising allowed!) The only threat to bystanders would be the skid steer, highly decorated, mainly with lights, sound and hundreds of balloons to make it seem like just a big baloon "ball" and the operator has been carefully checked out along with his machine for safety. As he makes his way along the route he is spinning and doing figure eights etc but has a walking-escort of firemen on both sides of the road to keep the kids and people safely back when the spinning is going on.
The final entry is a huge combine (biggest I've seen) (JD of course) with a small balcony built out the front over the colourfully lit corn head, and standing out on the balcony with a loudspeaker is Santa and Mrs Claus waving and shouting good wishes while throwing candies. That big unit has so many lights you can scarcely see what it is,...just beautiful and with its sound system etc it carries two portable generators. The operator sits in the dark cab doing his job carefully with a walking look-out on each side of the cornhead, while Mr & Mrs Claus do the "carefree" entertaining from the balcony,...very nice!
Police, Firemen and Police horses add to the show but the folk are pretty well behaved and mostly country folk,...although they have begun bussing folks out from the surrounding cities as it gains popularity. I noticed flood lights and filming up the way, so perhaps DVD's or You-Tubes will be available soon? Not sure.
The local churches open their kitchens and sell coffee, hot chocolate and such as hot bacon on a bun and bowls of hot chillie etc. Tonight was wild with the extremely cold winds and driving snow, but the crowds did not seem diminished from last year,...so if the weather can't stop the farmers, it can't keep the people away either!!! It HAS to be dark to appreciate the work of all the lights!
So anyway it may be a tad early but it's coming fast so I'll take this opportunity to wish "ALL" you TBNers, guys and gals where ever you may live,...not just in Canada and the USA, but.."ALL"-over-the-world,.....I wish you "ALL" a very MERRY CHRISTMAS with Peace and Joy in 2010 !!!..........GOD BLESS !!!
CHEERS !
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