Mountain Reflections

Reader Contribution by Bruce Mcelmurray

This time of year in the mountains on our homestead there is very little going on. Snowfall is sporadic and the days are warm and what snow has fallen is slowly melting away. Any projects inside the house have already been done and those outside that need to be done are not yet accessible due to the still sloppy conditions.

In a few weeks we will need to be outside doing those chores when weather conditions are more favorable. In the mountains we receive snow until the middle of May so we may still get additional snow. It is this time of year we sometimes get dumped upon with large quantities of wet snow. Starting an outdoor project and then having it covered in deep snow is an aggravation. Hence it is better to just wait a little longer and enjoy our time sitting on the deck in the sunshine thinking and reflecting.

One of the things I think about is about how things used to be compared to present developments. When I was small we used to sit around in the evening and listen to the old Philco radio. I could listen to the Lone Ranger saga and then we would listen to talent shows. It wasn’t until a few years later that I even knew what television was. Now we can see talent shows and they are even on our cell phones or tablets. While we are told we must look forward and not back I find that by looking back I can more appreciate what we have today. Not only our modern technological progress but things have changed in many areas. Our automobiles are safer and much more efficient. Our homes are insulated and more comfortable. There are even differences in having a back yard garden.

We now have modern sprays that kill weeds and fertilizers that make growth faster and larger. Pesticides that kill harmful bugs. Back when I grew my first garden you would get on your hands and knees and pull weeds and use a couple blocks of wood to kill insects who would compete for the produce. Much harder than attaching a sprayer to a garden hose but not nearly as harmful either.

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