84-Lancastar Farming, Saturday, December 2, 1993
Onbei
a farm
-And a
hazar
Joyce B
No. Stop. Slow down. Hold up.
Wait just a cotton-pickin’ minute
here.
Or, to borrow an expression
from round-headed cartoon boy
Charlie Brown;
“Aaauuuuggggghhhh!”
I don’t want to stop the world
and get off. But could I just ease
off to the side a minute to catch
my breath, please?
Suddenly, we’re being emo
tionally assaulted, mentally
knocked off our feet, swept along
by the tide and thrown headlong
into a season many of us just
aren’t ready for. Again.
Halloween decorations were
turning up in stores in late August,
just as the fall pumpkin harvest
was about to get underway. By
mid-September, jingly-bell
sounds and Christmas reds and
greens were already fighting for
shelf space with Thanksgiving
turkey napkins and cornucopias
overflowing with plastic veggies.
Santas set up shop in the malls
days and days before last week’s
traditional mega-shopping Black
Friday.
On the day before Thanksgiv
ing, to this farmhouse came the
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rush-thc-scason proverbial last
straw. The first 1994 spring
planting seed catalog arrived in
our mailbox.
Aaauuuugggghhhh!
This gardener is definitely not
in a mindset of thinking about
spring garden seeds.
Despite several sub-freezing
mornings with heavy frost whiten
ing the meadow, the most durable
chrysanthemum blooms ruggedly
cling to deep-maroon-colored life
in the flower borders. Our last rose
of summer—a pink one from our
giant, razor-thorned, hat
snatching climber was finally
pul to rest last week.
A few tiny cauliflower heads in
the vegetable garden remain crisp
and fresh, snugly wrapped in their
leaves. Overside redbeets are fat
and firm. Two stalks of horserad
ish root grow thick, lush top
growth. And better garden plan
ners than I continue harvests of
celery and tumpis, carrots and
spinach.
Even as I write, I remember a
semi-hardy trailing vine that needs
to be repotted from an outside
planter and moved to the green
house before single-digit tempera-
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tures arrive.
Piles of golden maple leaves
cluster in comers of the yard,
against fences and in sheltered
spots around the buildings. The
bulk of the leaf fallout piled up on
the grass was chopped with the
lawn mower and hauled to the
fields with the front-end loader
bucket. The dog and cats love to
curl up in the soft, insulating leaf
collections remaining in sheltered
comers.
And the dead, dried stems of
late-growing weeds linger beside
frozen lumps of well-aged toma
toes, prodding my conscience
over unfinished garden chores.
Now is the time to let it rest and
compost down to organically
replenish the soil. Gardens and
gardeners are ready for a pause.
Instead, now is the time to
enjoy the seasonal scent of sim
mering cinnamon sticks and spicy
bayberry candles. To hang a red
ribboned wreath on the door and
HU baskets with pine cones and
shiny red balls. To carry armfuls
of fragrant pine and cedar boughs
inside and drape them with spark
ly tinsel. To bake buttery cookies
md moist fruitcakes.
In these few busy weeks before
the holiday, it is time to remember
distant friends and loved ones
with cards and notes. To read a
seasonal story to a child and hang
in Advent calendar. To celebrate
the Christmas season. Now, not
three months ago.
At the risk of sounding
Scrooge-like, perhaps the postal
service could please just
temporarily misplace spring seed
catalogs under the mountains of
holiday mail.
And drop them in our boxes
when we really need them like
when the stores roll out their
bikini displays in January.
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Farm Workers Should
Protect Their Hearing
UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre
Co.) Many farmers have some
thing in common with many rock
musicians: hearing damage. Far
mers should take steps to protect
their hearing before it’s too late,
says a safety expert in Penn
State’s College of Agricultural
Sciences.
“Loud rock music averages
abdut 115 decibels,” says Dr.
Dennis Murphy, professor of agri
cultural and biological engineer
ing. “Farm noise ranges
between9o and 140 decibels, well
above the BS-decibel limit at
which industrial employers are
mandated to provide hearing pro
tection for workers.”
Consistent, repeated exposure
to such volumes can damage hear
ing before you notice any change,
Murphy warns. “You may even
think you’re getting used to the
noise, but it’s more likely that
you’ve already acquired a mild
hearing loss.”
Hearing loss has warning signs,
however. “Ringing, buzzing or
whirring in your ears may indicate
temporary hearing loss,” says
Muiphy. “If you listen to the radio
or television at a volume uncom
fortable to others, you may have
some damage. Frequently asking
people to speak up also may indi
cate hearing loss.”
How can you tell if you need
noise protection? “If you need to
shout to be heard three feet away,
the noise is too loud,” Murphy
sais. “Reduce the noise level or
wear hearing protection. Protect
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ing your hearing today can save
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Even though surveys show far
mers recognize the hazards of
excessive noise, they rarely use
hearing protection. “Some farmers
believe that ear protection is
inconvenient, unhandy or too
time-consuming,” Murphy sais.
“It may take some getting used to,
but the benefits far outweigh any
inconvenience.”
Noise protection devices come
in two basic forms - muffs that fit
over the years and plugs that fit
inside. On average, these devices
reduce noise volume by about 2S
decibels. They are available from
health and safety catalogs, drug
and sporting goods stores or
through licensed audiologists.
When choosing hearing protec
tion. consider cost, comfort and
effectiveness. “Muffs are comfort
able for longer wearing times but
are not effective when obstructed
by glasses or hats,” Murphy says.
“Hearing plugs are less noticeable
than muffs and are small enough
to fit in a pocket”
Disposable ear plus may cost
less than $l. Muffs cost from $5 to
$BO. “Disposable plugs are conve
nient, but can become expensive if
used regularly," he says. “Reus
able plugs or muffs are a better
choice for frequent wearers.”
Activities such as shooting
guns, listening to loud music or
attending loud concerts and sport
ing events also can damage your
hearing.
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