I was born and raised on a farm East of N. Battleford. The farm raised wheat, barley, chickens, pigs, cattle, a milk cow, a horse, gophers, skunks, badgers, coyotes, foxes cats, dogs, mice, birds, bugs, a girl, 4 boys and some other stuff.  We went to East Hill School behind a horse in the winter and on a bike when the snow was gone.  After grade seven we rode a bus to school in Battleford. Still miss the horse.
In 4-H we did grain plots and welding.  The shop was a busy place fixing farm equipment, welding and occasionally the forge was fired up.   I started doing a little summer fallowing at 12 and driving combine at 13.  After high school I moved to Kitimat B.C. for 2 years and worked in a sawmill.  It was a new mill so I got a lot of different jobs in it.   Worked on the green chain, sorted lumber, sticker stacker, 8 ft band saw, and 12 ft. quad band saw. Makes my 14 inch one seem a little small.  The smell of wood was nice but the farm called me back.
My Uncle gave us an old wood lathe in the late 70’s so we made tools out of worn out metal files and an old screwdriver. That was fun.  Needed a lot of wood and sandpaper.  Never made much.  The farm was a busy place.  Droughts, wet harvests, hail storms and good crops, it can be quite a challenge.  My wife, Pat, and I have 2 daughters and a son and 2 granddaughters living in N. Battleford, we enjoy them all often.
A health issue pushed me into early retirement.  Wood drew me into it’s web.  I never knew of the beauty and character hiding within a tree.  Not many things better than the lathe spinning a chunk of wood and the chips flying.  And the shop… yep I’ll clean it up and organize it real nice …ummm.. ya..maybe tomorrow when the chips stop flyin.
Gordon