VOLUME TWENTY THREE, NUMBER EIGHT
DECEMBER 2009
Christmas tree on the farm in Adams County, southeastern Pennsylvania, where the author grew up, as she remembers it. Drawing by Carol O. Allen
Cold Christmas, warm memories of family farm By Carol O. Allen
It was cold on the farm. Hay and straw had been harvested and stored in the barn, the winter wheat sown. The smell of rotting leaves and the crackle of dry cornstalks were replaced by the call of the pheasants and shots aimed at all manner of game—squirrels, rabbits, pheasants and deer, all gleaning leftovers of the harvest—and the occasional wayward barn cat. Schools and businesses were closed so that men and boys could go deer hunting. Then winter set in with a low, pale, lemon-colored sun, long cold nights, sparkling night skies and steaming breath. Noises were magnified in the crisp dry air. The house was cold; there was no indoor plumbing except for the “dry” sink in the kitchen—water was piped in to
a metal basin with no drainage. Wood had to be brought in for the stoves in the kitchen and the living room. The door to the attic was sealed for the winter. The smell of wood and kerosene burning pervaded the house and yard. In the evening, the kerosene heater threw lacy shadows on the ceiling continued on page 7
INSIDE: Holiday fire safety, Page 2 Catching up with new residents, Page 3 Fresh fish, not only on Fridays, Page 6 Dressing up for dinner, Page 8