Warning: a disturbing image in this post.
We've had to wear our flexibility hats on this vacation. If we had any preconceived ideas of how it would unfold, they have gone out the window. Ted has been fighting a cold, a mild case of shingles, his usual RLS fun, and if that isn't enough, we spent 6 hours yesterday getting to know the Quebec Health Care system better. Fortierville, population 706 (2011 census), has a 6 bed hospital. It's only about 15 minutes from the campground.
Ted needed some emergency surgery. Yesterday, we got to know the locals a little better in the waiting room of the Fortierville Hospital. This is a very French part of the province and our high school French is getting fuzzy. After about 4 hours' waiting, three other families were also listening to the crackly intercom for our name to be called. We all cheered when we heard, "Edward John Van Netten". 6 hours in hospital, a course of antibiotics and three daily appointments to change dressings and we are good to go.
That was yesterday. This morning, a seagull was racing a Canada Steamship Lines bulk carrier.
We left the campground early because Ted had seen a sign in front of a farm house that said, "Sirop de Érable - $6/Canne" We drove in the yard, parked the truck and walked up the steps to the back door. No indication of where to go, but when in farm country.... The farmer opened the door and indicated that we should come in. In our broken French, we asked about the maple syrup. In his broken English he asked us if we wanted light or dark? Fifteen minutes later, we'd learned that he takes his draft horses to pulls in Lindsay, ON. He's had recent open heart surgery and, "I could die any day." His wife has worked along side him for probably 50 years or more and showed us her muscles. Not an easy life. Two cans of maple syrup will be good reminders of this trip next winter.
There is a network of clinics in small towns around the Fortierville hospital. The only appointment available for having the dressing changed today was in Gentilly, two towns west of us. The hole is 1 cm deep. When it heals to ½ cm, we won't need help with the dressings. We have appointments for tomorrow and Friday mornings back in Fortierville.
So.... flexibility hat. You might as well reward yourself to poutine after a trip to Gentilly.
The two ladies in the background come from Bath and Amherstview, ON. The lady on the left's husband does not like taking the back roads. So, she invited her friend to go to Gaspé with her taking any which way they wanted.
We shared a poutine with and Italian sauce.
Because our appointment was at 1, there was no time on either side to go to one of our usual destinations. This is a remarkable farming area. It reminds me of grade 9 history and learning about the seigneurial system where farmers received narrow strips of land along the St. Lawrence River. Those strips are still here, only narrower.
The backroads were buzzing with activity....
.... and it wasn't only the bees that were racing against the clock. Just for Lindsey - a Houle! (purchased by GEA). There are a few big dairy farms in this part of the province. Also, the odd pig farm. These guys were racing to spread manure on a distant wheat field.
Tractors go a lot faster than when we were farming. This guy was racing back to the field to load some 3rd cutting haylege. There were at least 3 trailers, a dump truck and a highway dump trailer hauling from one chopper.
The plain on the south side of the St. Lawrence is quite flat so there are drainage ditches every 400' or so.
We were searching for a dairy farm we'd seen in previous years.
Not this one.
This person was cutting hay. I think they've seen the weather forecast. The haylege needs to dry to around 65%. If it gets lower, it needs to go for dry hay and rain is in the forecast.
The hay in this field was merging several windrows from the cutter into a larger row so the forage harvest can quickly harvest it.
And, there they are harvesting. See it pouring into the wagon?
It took some finagling, but we finally found that amazing dairy farm.
Soybeans have yellowed significantly in the heat of the past two days. Farmers have had to adapt (put on their flexibility hats) with the changing temperatures. The image after this one is the one I warned you about. It looks like these pigs expired in the heat. Ready for market and dead.
In the larger pork operations, dead stock is placed a good distance from the live animals for bio-security reasons. The dead stock truck will pick them up here. Heartbreaking.
Our map of the backroads in this part of the province is well marked up. In future years, we will travel here vicariously in our memories. We hope that these farmers will continue to adapt to their changing challenges.
I think we will leave our flexibility hats close at hand for tomorrow.
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