Teeth and knees

To explain more about the last post...

Okay, I should admit that I didn't shatter my knee when "Ayr Bay Cora" knocked me down. Basically the cow figured out pretty quickly that I did not have a clue what I was doing. After leaving the show ring with Cora (and our third place ribbon), she abruptly stopped, whirled her head back and sent me flying. The next thing I knew I was on the ground and all I saw were hoofs. I looked up to see my father staring down at me saying, "Get up, you're okay." I recall thinking, "Okay? All I see are hoofs. I'm going to die." What I didn't know is that my brother had given me the oldest, slowest cow in the barn to show. Cora just stood there and waited for somebody who knew what they doing to take the reins. I was glad to give them up - that and my third place ribbon, which I gave to my little cousin Ellen from Calgary who still has it hanging on her bulletin board. Although I gave my knee a good wack, it didn't shatter...only my ego took a beating that day.

Speaking of shattering, I managed to crack a tooth on Thanksgiving weekend. Last night I had trip number two of three to my new dentist. I put absolutely no thought or research into picking out my Toronto dentist. I walked down to the Danforth and walked into the first clinic I found. I love my new dentist and his clinic. He took pictures of my tooth and then brought it right up on a computer. There are TVs attached to the ceiling so I could watch Ellen and then the news during my 1.5 hour appointment.

Last night the dentist took impressions for both my temporary and permanent crown. After taking the impressions, the dental assistant handed me a warm packaged wipe and a mirror. I thought "What is this for?" A quick look in the mirror made me burst into laughter: my cheek and chin were covered in the white plaster like substance that had been used to take the impression. With my face frozen, I would never have noticed. The proceeding to 'rinse and spit', I merely managed to drool all over myself. One has to laugh at oneself otherwise it would just be pathetic.

Ayr Bay Farm

My father inherited his farm from his uncle Harold and the name came with it: Ayr Bay Farms. "Ayr" becasue of the Ayrshire cows that made up the majority of the cows in the herd and "Bay" because of St. Peters Bay, the bay of water on which the farm borders. For many years, my father has taken our cows to show at local fairs such as the Dundas Ploughing Match or the Provincial Old Home Week fair in Charlottetown. Showing cattle is no easy feat and many people over the years have told me what a good good showman Dad was. I showed the grand total of 1 cow, which knocked me down, shattered my ego and left knee, but that is another post.

My younger brother has taken over the farm and is continuing the tradition of showing cattle. This year was probably the best showing our farm has had both at Old Home Week and at the Atlantic Winter Fair in Halifax. The pictures above display some of the winnings from Charlottetown. My Mom is pictured with the trophies, which is kinda funny as she has never shown a cow in her life. The other picture shows all the ribbons on display and if I can count correctly I see at least 5 red ribbons. I am glad my bed is serving a purpose in my absence.

The boys also did well enough to make it on the cover of Ayrshire Canada this quarter.

Headlines

I have been processing a collection of film at work. Here are some of the more interesting headlines I have come across:

• Bucky the deer eats with cows
• Norwich Bride and Groom receive Tractor
• Piano Smashing to Raise Money
• Western Fair Hurdy Gurdy man with Monkey
• St. Thomas’ Miss “Hot Pants” contest
• Port Rowan Frog Jumping Contest
• Aylmer chickens have five toes on each foot
• Goderich dog receives death sentence for biting boy
• Two bicycles collide in London
• Annual convention of the Canadian Pigeon Union held in London
• Dog rescued from ice
• Port Stanley lake freezes and boats and a loon are rescued
• Santa visits Dorchester by truck
• Mute swans released at Long Point replace dead swan
• Boy scratched by unidentified cat will undergo rabies shots
• 10 millionth car in the market parking lot
• Tillsonburg’s St. John’s Anglican Church “Jumping for Jesus” trampoline fund raiser
• Two young Prince Edward Islanders visit Controller Frank Flitton at London’s City Hall
• East London couple wins a live cow Your Future’s in the Suds: Psychic Reader Beverly Smith reads beer suds