I sure miss the “Noontime Whistle” that used to blow in Saint Johnsbury Vt. about ten miles away and over two ridges from deer camp there in the North East Kingdom.
I never knew if the actual whistle was in the St. J rail-yard down by the river on Railroad Ave or maybe at the Purina plant there… but my better guess is that it was at the Fairbanks Scale plant about a mile closer to camp.
We couldn’t hear it every day, the weather being the deciding factor but some days it was like it came from one on the dairy farms that were only a couple of miles from us in the direction of St. J… but now those dairy farms are gone too. “Pat” Patterson owned and operated the closer farm and when I was about 8 my Dad brought me there and Pat was milking his cows by hand. Pat looked up at me and said “Open your mouth boy.” so I opened up just in time to catch a stream of warm delicious milk. Two barn cats were sitting there waiting their turn.
…all sadly gone to memories now.
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"I'm a Setter man.
Not because I think they're better than the other breeds,
but because I'm a romantic - stuck on tradition - and to me, a Setter just "belongs" in the grouse picture."
George King, "That's Ruff", 2010 - a timeless classic.
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