Onbei
a farm
-And a
hazar
Joyce B
Despite squinting eyelids, the
anticipated phenomenon couldn’t
be seen.
Then again, maybe it was just a
“sense, an expectation, that kept
my eyes scanning skyward for the
usual sign. After all, the moon was
out, but beginning to be faintly
clouded over. Dampness hung in
the air. Everything was right for it.
And the weather forecasts were
dropping ominous hints.
Minutes later, the sky having
darkened to a full blackness of
night, there it was, standing out in
the theatre of the heavens like a
glaring spotlight
“Did you see the ring around
the moon?” I asked The Farmer as
he returned from moving heifer
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groups. “It’s giant; absolutely
humongous.”
Mentally, a list checkoff
started. Shovel. Salt. Blanket.
Coveralls, gloves, boots. The first
time I ever recall seeing such a
huge, impressive ring around the
moon was followed hours later by
one of the heaviest snowfalls of
recent years.
In less than 36 hours, it would
be necessary to depart for an over
night trip. With such a spectacular
bad-weather warning like the one
circled overhead, there was no
way this driver would back one
tire out of the garage without a
truckful of emergency road
provisions.
Never mind that the last several
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times I’ve seen such a moon ring
the expected bad weather never
materialized. Okay, so even
Mother Nature mixes her signals
on occasion. But isn’t it interest
ing how we condition ourselves to
respond to certain stimuli, even
after just one memorable
experience.
A red light bums round-the
clock just inside the glass
windowed storm doors on the
milk house entrance. Hooked to
the milk tank cooling compressor,
the steady red glow is an “all’s
well’’ signal that the milk is cold.
Should it start warming, the light
begins to flash.
Seeing the milkhouse pitch
black at night sends us literally
running to the bam to determine
what failed. Fortunately, it has
usually been just a bad bulb. Fear
of lost livelihood - spoiled milk in
our case - is a powerful response
stimulus.
Solomon’s steady barking simi
larly sends us hustling to the door
to investigate who or what is stir
ring around the farmstead. Few
visitors miss his noisy attention.
And, he’s alerted us several times
to meandering heifers or a loose
cow out snitching feed. He barks,
we check. Classic conditioning.
Honking horns, a ringing tele
phone, a bawling cow, a crying
child - all catch our attention and
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push our response buttons. And
those little, everyday responses
offfcr lots of insight into us as
individuals.
The sight of dry soil in a single
houseplant sends me trucking to
every windowsill, water container
in hand. I suffer from a severe
psychological defect - the inability
to water just one plant. This
response stems, no doubt, from
lingering guilt over having
neglected a few in my time.
Having gotten caught short a
'couple of times over the yean on
kindling to start the wood stove.
I’m a conditioned branch-and
twig-picker-upper. This response
is actually a multi-beneficial one,
offering a cleaner lawn, less wear
and tear on the mower blades,
happiness to the dog who thinks
my sole purpose in life is to throw
sticks for him to “fetch,” plus the
physical benefits of frequent
bending exercise.
Conditioning also sends us
bending for bottles and cans
tossed along our roadsides. This
response is fueled by the adrenalin
of anger at slobs conditioned to
believe the whole world is their
trash can.
Food is a powerful response
conditioner. I have, before pot
pourri became so popular, sim-
Lanoutsr Farming, ''Saturday, l Maretr 2,t1891*83<
mered cloves to replace less pleas
ant cooking odors. “What are you
baking?” was the invariable ques
tion of smiling anticipation, fol
lowed by the grumbling of disap
pointment at no freshly-baked
cookies.
And, after finding missing
some special treats I’d recently
purchased, I accosted the obvious
culprit with a vocal chewing out.
“Mom,” was the grinning, con
ditioned response. “I figure any
thing I find in the house that’s edi
ble is fair game for eating.”
This Mom is now conditioning
herself to hide things better.
Cambria Society
Lois Hughes was the guest of
honor at a meeting of the Cambria
County Society of Farm Women.
It was a surprise party held Febru
ary 7 at the Cambria County
Cooperative Extension office,
Ebensburg.
Lois was honored because of
her election to a three year term as
2nd vice-president of the Society
of Farm Women of Pennsylvania
at the annual State Convention in
Harrisburg, January 7 & 8. She
will serve three years as vice
president before assuming state
presidency.
Lois is a member of the Cam
bria Township society which was
organized in Wilmore, on April
23, 1921. Her husband’s grand
mother, Matilda Hughes, was a
charter member. Her mother-in
law, Emma Hughes, is now a hon
orary member and Lois has been a
member since 1956.
She has served in many of the
local and county offices and was
state treasurer for three years. In
1971, she won the honor of Farm
Woman of the Year at the state
level.
Lois is married to I. Roland
Hughes and has six married sons
and daughters and nine grandchil
dren. They live on a farm in
Portage.
Lois is an active member of the
United Church of Christ and has
served as a 4-H leader for many
years.
KEN CLUGSTON
(717) 665-6775
CRAFT-BILT
CONSTRUCTION INC.
FARM-HOME BUILDING
1242 Breneman Road
MANHEIM, PA 17545
PH: (717) 655-4372
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637-A Georgetown Rd.
Ronke, PA 17572
(or leave message)
(717) 687-8262
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