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"A Family Tradition for 128 Years" CARTWRIGHT Essayists explain what they love about home Family's left city noise far behind My family coming to Cartwright all started in the summer of '94, when the four of us decided that it was time for a change. And so, within a short time, we moved from Scarborough to Nestleton, of Cartwright. Now, if you were asking me why I like living in Cart- wright, I can tell you, right off the bat, that it's alot more peaceful here than in the city. At night we hear crickets instead of cars going back and forth. During the day we hear tractors working in the fields instead of sirens wail- ing up and down the road. We see the stars at night in- stead of a smog covering the whole sky. We smell the fresh scent of the flowers instead of the everyday pollu- tion from the factories. In the morning we wake up to birds calling each other and not the clicking of the street lights as they go off, one by one. If you have been to the city or have ever lived there, you will know exactly what I mean. Then there's the neighbors to appreciate. They always lend a helping hand when you need one. Our neighbor 18 a fine example. She is always baking us something good, and is always willing to help in any way she can. I don't think there has been one time when I have walked into the General Store without saying hello to someone I know or without someone speaking to me. That sure doesn't happenin the city! Another thing I like about living in Cartwright is the freedom we now have. We have abarn. We have cats and a dog (even though they don't really like each other, there's still room for all of them.) The one thing that I have realized as I have been thinking about this composition is that I feel comforta- ble here. I can call this home. Carrie Joyce-Hugget, Gr. 4-5 Division Nature speaks here in Cartwright What really makes me love Cartwright, is the fact that it is so peaceful. I love waking up to the cool fra- grant breeze through my window, the hum of bees collecting nectar, the chirp of crickets outside and the slap of the flyswatter when dad makes a fresh kill. 1 take enjoyment watch- ing the corn and hay grow from day to day. And he shouting of my brother when the dog runs through his garden. But my favorite thing about living in Cart- wright, is the people. In Cartwright, neighbors are family and I love baking cookies to welcome a new neighbor. Ilove helping my neigh- bor get his cattle back in when they got loose. I also love the look on mom's face when she sees what they did to the flower garden. Ilove the cry of newborn kittens, and the motherly- ing proudly on a bale of straw. The 'ribbit' of frogs in the pond and the "cock- a-doodle-doo" of that an- noying rooster next door at 6:00 on a Sunday morn- ing. There are no noisy cars roaring by at all hours, there are no loud parties at 4:00 in the morning and there are absolutely no mean neighbors. I think the Guides, Scouts and 4-H Clubs play an important role in our community. You learn to serve others and not just yourself, you learn to be patient with one another and you learn practical things like sewing, cook- ing and taking care of a garden. | ' If you want to lend a helping hand in our com- munity, you can do things like pick up litter in the park, take a friend to church, take your children skating or even stop to welcome a person who has just moved into the com- munity. Sometimes I close my eyes and listen to nature. Nature speaks in many languages. And nature will keep speaking if we preserve and protect our home: Cartwright. Sarah Stapley, Gr. 7-8 Division [4 Bailey Gould, 6, was the primary winner in this year's essay contest at the Blackstock fair. She lives on Mountjoy Rd. with her mother. Cows, sheep, a donkey... I live on Mountjoy Road with a great backyard, a swing and slide. Cows, sheep, a donkey and a horse and some wolves live by. I ride on Pat's bus. My babysitter lives in Bl ackstock. Mrs. Bradburns class was fun. Grandpa lives on Edgerton Road. Figure skating, T-Ball and movies at the Town Hall. Isaw Bill Lishman flying by. I planted sun flower seeds. They are big but no flowers et. d A parade, animals, rides, friends, food and balloons, all at the Blackstock Fair. That's why I like living in Cartwright. Bailey Gould, Primary Division Country girl at heart finds roots in Cartwright 1 came from the city. Although not an urban dweller by nature, sometimes there 18 no choice. Thankfully, we arrived at a time in our lives where my husband and I could make a move, and we very soon found ourselves on a small farm, near a small town. Being a country girl at heart, the cows in the field, the farm machinery, and the local traffic of pickups and tractors was quite acceptable. But what I had forgotten, as it was so long ago that I once lived in the country, was the quiet. Looking from my south porch, there is only the neighbor farm activity. At night, there is nothing. Serenity reigns - until some late night car comes whistling past. But who am I to complain? In my youth, that could very well have been me. And then there's the stars. Although they are occasionally hidden, it is by earth's natural cover. My little girls actually can get to know the constella- tions from the real thing (before we had to use books). Don't get me wrong, you can see the stars in the city, once in a while, but is it safe to go out to see? One of the first vivid memories my children have of country life is that of running wildly at night, around the house, in the dark. Here's the clincher: unsuper- vised! Where we came from, kids didn't go out in the fenced- in backyard without supervi- sion, in the day time! Sometimes, when sleep eludes me, I will step outside in the still of the night. The silence is deafening. Then again, the peace may be broken by the welcome sound of the coyotes in the near distance, or a rustle in the grass, or some crickets tuning up or winding down for the evening. My children have experi- enced the greatest culture shock. Within days of arriving, they were sent to the barnyard to fetch some manure for my flower garden. There were protests, but it was delivered. Now they are eating some deli- cious cherry tomatoes, and enjoying the fruits of their labor. Just the other day we were driving along with the windows down, and my eldest exclaimed: "aaah! Chicken manure." I didn't realize that she had turned into such a con- noisseur! The eldest wasn't much for flora and fauna, but will weed the garden, and look at the creatures that her sister discovers. The little one chases frogs, caterpillars, grasshop- pers, and anything else that moves. She is currently incubating a monarch butterfly, which she captured in the caterpillar stage. She fed it milkweed until it "disappeared" - only to be found in it's gold studded bright green cocoon. Things the children haven't done up until now: Ride a horse (they now both ride indepen- dently), have a cat (we have one male, three females and need I say all have had kittens? current count is three little ones who all need good homes), own a dog (we have a delightful little "mutt" who loves to chew and chase the cats), see a new born calf (still down and steam- ing), ride their bicycles wher- ever they want and stay in sight and never leave the prop- erty, cross the road on their own, take a moonht walk, sleep in the barn (being cooed to sleep by the doves), have a wiener roast (and it's not camp), ride in the bucket of the tractor, go barefoot from morning to night. The list goes on, but I'm sure the picture is clear of the amount of freedom and wholesome atmosphere that is available to them. The children have made many friends. I even like them. I also like their parents, the other siblings, and don't mind if they go to their house. Everything is family oriented. Everyone is welcome, even if you just dropped in. Everywhere you go you eat! Meetings and pot luck suppers are a source of joy and tension. If they ask me to bring any- thing, I'm still at the rice krispie square or jellied salad stage. There's no way I could measure up to so-and-so's but- tertarts or apple pie. It's a feast to behold. Here you are part of the product of living the way your mother taught you and part of it from necessity. Face it - there just isn't a take-out store on every corner. News travels fast in the country. When you're sick or injured, there are phone calls. Can we help? Do you need any- thing? The kindness 1s over- whelming. When we first moved in and were unknown to many, the neighbors came. There were trees, plants, post holes, busy people, working people taking time, giving advice, loaning a tool. It seemed that our friends just instinc- tively knew when and where to lend a hand. And I can't say enough about that delicious home baking. My neighbor does all the things that I dread - she bakes, she washes windows and she irons her clothes! Maybe someday she will shame me into taking up these things. For now I'll just be grateful to accept her cakes and tea biscuits, I'll chat to her while she irons, and I'll look through her nice clear windows. The best thing about this community is that it is open to newcomers. We have felt very welcomed and accept- ed by those who have been here all their lives or for generations. Cartwright's biggest asset may be its land, but its best resource is its people. I love it here! Cathy Joyce-Huggett, Adult Division ---- em. SE ------