On being a farm wife.' ll Joyce Bupp -And other hazards It’s a boy. And a girl. And a boy .. and a girl.... and another .... Well, we’re not sure exactly what it is. Or, what they are, to be more correct But let me back up. At 7 a.m. last Friday morning, our son glanced out the back door window and made the announce ment we’ve been awaiting for sev eral weeks. “The baby geese are going in the water!” Sure enough, with both mama and papa Canada geese coaxing from the water just off the wooden edge of our mid-pond nesting “is land,” one little gosling hopped off the edge. And another. And an other and another, until five little bodies bobbed around. Those five small balls of yel lowish-brown fuzz paddled their little legs furiously, keeping pace with the effortless glide of the adult pair. A chilly wind whipped the steely-gray pond waters on this morning, sending dark clouds eastward to threaten the sun’s at tempts to warm the day. But the coolness of the early hour and downright cold tempera tures of the pond were no deterrent to the little flotilla, circling the pond awash in obvious parental pride. It almost seemed the pair was parading their accomplish ment around their neighborhood - AG BAG BALE BAG 1 - Roll of 20 Bags sl9s™ KEY-AID FARM STORE a sort of goose good-news pro clamation. That this pair of geese chose to return to our pond for a second season was a source of tremen dous satisfaction for us. And, we know it’s at least the same male because of the distinctive sprink ling of white feathers among the sleek black coloring of his head. Though we nearly dumped the canoe into the icy drink last spring, the nesting “island” we maneuvered midpond had promptly been claimed by the pair of nesters. A wooden-pallet floor, fastened at each comer to one of four posts driven into the pond bottom, was just large enough for a spacious nest and a sort of porch on opposite sides. The Farmer added a roof over head - not necessarily according to wildlife nest-building recom mendations - but apparently ap preciated by the geese. They fought off every other feathered being that made even an attempt to land, and eventually hatched out and protectively nurtured one very fast-growing baby. This season was a repeat, with the male chasing off all other geese, along with threatening every tractor and truck that drove by the pond. But, for whatever reason, this year he chose to tolerate ducks. 3 Ply Protection Inside Black, Outside White 1739 W. Main Street Ephrata, PA 17522 717*738-4241 Two mallard males cruise the pond regularly, though the fe males have disappeared to nest in the meadow. A pair of ring-neck ed ducks paused briefly along their migration to northern sum mer homes. And this year’s feather-in-the cap, er, pond, is a pair of wood iducks. If there are clowns in the duck world, wood ducks would have to qualify. While the females are fairly somber in striped brown hues, the males flaunt coloring of iridescent blue, purple, brown and ja green head with duck-taii-hair do, all accented with outlines of | while. Stunning. Even more astounding was watching them nest-scout, the male pacing around the chimney of our old springhouse, while the female checked out the pondside willow. Ducks in tree? And chim neys? According to the field guides, wood ducks nest in hollow tree cavities as high as SO feet up, with the babies jumping to the ground after hatching. Ouch! Other chores were briefly aban doned that morning to erect im promptu wood duck nestboxes - in the pond and 10 feet up in the wil low. After a brief swim around the pond, our mama goose herded her brood back to the nest for a warm ing nap. Papa kept vigil from the nest porch, flaring at the manure truck each lime it rumbled past. Somehow it seems fitting that we should salute mothers at this time of year when new life is so abundant and nurturing instincts so visible. So, to mothers, who nurture and nest, cherish and chide, direct and delight us, for giving us the best gift ever - love - we say Reduces Waste in Storage Low Production Cost Per Ton of Silage Transport and Feeding is Simplified 5 - Rolls (100 Bags) or More slBs®° I!®" Store Boon: ' Moo.-Thur*.-Fir. 8-8 r——jgr i _____ Tues.-Wed. 8-5:30 | Sat. 8-3 mg | ■ ■ fl-" PDPP Takes Cheers To School HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.) During this season of proms and graduations, the Pen nsylvania Dairy Promotion Prog ram (PDPP) and Pennsylvania dairy farmers are providing parents and s.tudents a sensible way to conduct their celebrations. To date, more than 100 Pennsyl vania secondary schools will be incorporating the CHEERS Non- Alcoholic Dairy Beverage Prog ram into their springtime parties. “We recognize that parents and students are concerned about drinking and driving,” said Brian Ross, PDPP program manager. “Our board members and other dairy farmers are likewise con cerned about the safety of today’s youth. The PDPP established CHEERS last year to offer a party program that uses healthy dairy beverages and eliminates the use of alcohol.” Every year, thousands of indivi duals are fatally injured in alcohol related automobile accidents. Many of these accidents occur dur ing the spring when young people are out at prom or graduation par ties. Too often, high school stu dents use alcohol because it makes Preserve Food The Right Way WILKES—BARRE (Luzerne Co.) Preserving some of those good things growing in your garden or purchased from your nearby market will make next winter seem a little shorter. But there are some definite pitfalls in the preserving business. If you don’t do it right, the trouble might be greater than the worth. There are people ready to help you get the job done with the great -a Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 11, 1991-B5 their party more sociable. CHEERS takes that social aura, removes the alcohol, and adds nutrition and safety to the party mix. The program offers recipes for Grasshoppers, White Russians, Strawberry Daiquiri’s, and Orange Blossoms, which are made with milk, ice cream, and other dairy products. “Since Pennsylvania is ranked fifth nationally in the production of dairy products, we felt that Pen nsylvanians could respond to the prom and graduation safety issue by offering nutritious dairy bever ages,” said Ross. “The PDPP is proud to be able to provide stu dents and parents this healthy and safe alternative to their celebrations.” The CHEERS program pro vides each school a party pack, which includes napkins, recipe brochures, table tents, stickers, and banners. In addition, schools that serve CHEERS beverages at their parties can send a polaroid or 35 mm picture of their party display to the PDPP and receive a $35 reim bursement for their rental equip ment and beverage expenses. est measure of safety and reliabili ty, and they are called Master Food Preservers. Trained by Penn State’s Cooperative Extension, these people have volunteered to help citizens of Luzerne County. If you have questions about pre serving food at home, call a Master Food Preserver in Luzerne County by dialing (717) 825-1701 or (717) 459-0736 ext. 701. KANGAROO 3 SNEAKER SALE 20% OFF OUR ALREADY LOW PRICES ALL KANGAROOS IN STORE (While Supply Lasts) Buy 10 Pair at 20% Off, GET ONE PAIR FREE! LEACOCK SHOE STORE 64 Old Leacock Rd., Ronks, PA (717) 768-7440 Closed Memorial Day, May 27 M,W, Th 8-5 • T-F 8-8 • Sat. 8-4 GENERATORS Sales ★ Service ★ Rentals * Complete Generator Systems * PTO * Portables * 2-1600 KW “We Service It If You Have It And Sell It If You Need It’’ 34 W. Mohler Church Rd. Ephrata, PA 17522 Tel: 717-738-0300 Fax: 717-738-4329 ACHINERY
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