Sunday, September 26, 2010

Wagons and Fairs

What would the world be like without the discovery of wagons? I have fond memories dating back to my earliest years. I used see farmers at this time of year hauling their harvested crops. Horses pulled their load. I remember the milkman delivering our daily milk in the beaches area of Toronto. He used a horse drawn wagon right up to the late 1950's. I reflect back on those days as I stare at this wagon ornament on my ledge. I wish it were filled with a huge bouquet of local fall flowers. Currently it holds this Burbury container filled with a harvested product that I'm not very fond of. But I love the man who owns it and that matters the most. He shares my passion for wagons. During our old farm days he used to let us take turns driving the tractor that pulled our very used and old hay wagon through the fields with us on it.. He would guide Buddy when it was his turn at the wheel. They were a great team. They still are.  

Fall reminds me of wagons and farms and fairs. We will be going to the fall fair soon and we'll visit the wagons on display. It's a family fun thing we like to do. How about you? Got any wagon tales to share? 

3 comments:

George said...

I really like your wagon ornament. I didn't see too many working horse-drawn wagons when I was younger, although farmers would often hitch up a team in the autumn for hayrides and other outings.

MadSnapper said...

adorable wagon

Anonymous said...

Well, wagaons were a wonder. I didn't have a Red Ryder of whatever the name was but I did ride on lots of farm wagons. There was a wagon that we could add sideboards to and then fill it with corn we shucked by hand out in the field. The horse would wait while we shucked one shock of corn and then move on to the next on his own. He knew when we were done.

In the old days, the milk man's horse knew which house got milk and on which mornings. He would pass the rest of the houses without stopping. Or she.

And the ice man used a team to pull his ice wagaon that also stopped only at the houses that got blocks of ice for their ice boxes.