Interviewer: What is this called? Speaker: Those are called skid-tongs. Interviewer: Skid-tongs. Speaker: Or log-tongs they could be called. Interviewer: Log-tongs. Interviewer: And- and when you're skidding, there's two horses- there's a whipple-tree here- here a double tree, a swivel hook and the swivel hook- hooks into that. And when you're the teamster, you got to pick that leg of the tong up and swing it. ... I know one- one set of my log tongs went to Japan and apparently they're building- doing log building over there and that's where they went.

Interviewer: What ah kinds of fences did you have? Speaker: Log fences. We had all log fences. Interviewer: Were there any different kinds around there? Speaker: Oh, well cedars, big cedar logs and s-- big logs and, take it to (inc), put them on the fences.

Interviewer: You said rail fences. Did- would you use that name for any fence that's made out of- of wood? Speaker: Ah, well, out of wood, yes, or- that was, ah, that was- they used rail- rail fences or a log fence before we ever got wire. Interviewer: Mm-hm.

Interviewer: What's the difference between a rail fence and a log fence? Speaker: Well, the- the log is the- is just the- the whole tree put down and they just took and put them up, ah- it took, ah, three logs to make a- a row, one on top of the other and- Interviewer: Yeah. Speaker: Crosses between them. ... Yeah, the log fence was just, ah, built, ah, in one straight row and when they- they come to the- the end they put the- the next panel up past the other, a foot, you-see, and through and across where- and put them on- one on top of the other of the logs.

Interviewer: Through and across. Speaker: Yeah. Went across, yeah. Interviewer: I see. Speaker: Oh yes, there was some big log fences.

Speaker: You can string around the- the- drive in pickets and string it around quick. Interviewer: Not nearly as much hard work as the- (laughs) Speaker: No. Interviewer: As the log. Speaker: Uh-huh. Interviewer: The rail fences. Speaker: No. The log fences, mind you, when they- c-- counted the time from the (inc) to the bush and cut these along cedars, lugged them out as horses and rolled them into place but you had a fence for, well, that you never needed to go back to for years and years.

Speaker: The long rails. Interviewer: Whole- ah, they- they hadn't been split. They had- they were made out of a complete log that they just laid in a zig-zag fashion. Speaker: Mm-hm. Interviewer: This. Speaker: Well that was what we called a log fence. Interviewer: Oh it would be a log fence. Speaker: Yes. Interviewer: If it- if the wood hadn't been split. Speaker: Mm-hm.

Interviewer: It's rails if it's split. Speaker: Rails, mm-hm. Interviewer: Logs if it isn't. Speaker: (inc) Interviewer: Yeah. If it's complete wood that hasn't been split it would be a log fence. Speaker: Mm-hm. That's right. That's right, mm-hm.

They stay up far better- you take a rail that's pretty light, and when they're crooked like that, they're kind-of bound. M-- the- the- the- they stand the wind before they go down. A straight log fence, if there were anything you'd have to have put pickets in. Or the logs would blow off.

Speaker: And now we're- we were talking about fences. But when our old log fences got done, we started putting up barbed wire. And barbed wire is no good for sheep. And we had to do away with our sheep. They'd go through that barbed wire and behind them there was wool. So we- oh yes, we had sheep here for quite a few years. Interviewer: Mm-hm. Speaker: When we had log fences we were alright. But when we got- the old logs got done and we started to put up barbed wire, it was no good for sheep. Great for cattle. They won't touch it.

Interviewer: Was your um, farm entirely fenced? Speaker: Yes, it was. Uh, the farms- Interviewer: What kind of fences? Speaker: Were, were- Interviewer: Sorry. Speaker: Oh, they were log fences, a lot of log fences. Interviewer: Mm-hm. Any other kinds? Speaker: And um, we had some wire fences.

... our farm was a corner lot that was roads on both sides, and we had wire fencing and on the left, but then um ah the other was split um poles, and they called it railed-fence. Some of them were log fences, too. Interviewer: Yes, I've seen those. Ah, were there any other kinds of fences?

Well ah- while I'd be busy in the garden or-something, one day she took Kira for a walk. And they w-- we had log fences along and ah sh-- they went down the laneway and aunt-Melissa get tired and so she said to Kira, "Well we just sit in the fence here," so they sat on the log fence and Ernest; he was down across on the other property.

I think there- sometimes we don't use our time wisely and we just lollygag, but we go biking in our- I think there's always something to do.

Interviewer: You said you used to have your- your wood just outside the back here? Speaker: Yes, by the long fence out there. Interviewer: Uh-huh. How would you get it to come into the- to bring it in? Speaker: Oh, carry- dig it out and carry it in your arms.

Speaker: Oh, they were log fences, a lot of log fences. Interviewer: Mm-hm. Any other kinds? Speaker: And um, we had some wire fences. The wire fences were usually between the farms, separating two farms. Interviewer: Oh, I see. Speaker: But, if we wanted to separate fields, sometimes it was uh- was it long fences we called them, or what was that we called them? I can't just think. There'd be cedar poles, you-know? Interviewer: Yes. Speaker: Warped together, it was a lot of work making them and the cattle didn't seem to- they seemed to respect them.

Interviewer: Did you ever get into trouble with a bull? Speaker: Well yeah, they used to chase me the sometimes. There was a lot of times that I just- I remember one time with a long fence. Interview: Yeah. Speaker: And the bull was snorting and he- was he ever coming. And there was a wee hole like that. And I just threw myself in it and he ate the fence when I went through. That was once. But there was lots of times.

Speaker: Seven, f-- six years, yeah- Interviewer: Mm-hm, wow. Speaker: That was long ways ago (laughs).

And so that 's another huge effect of market-value assessment. Like someone else might say, "Well, it 's great. 'Cause look it, your house is worth so much money." But it 's like, "I 've lived here all my life and I would have loved to have retired here. But that 's not gonna be in the picture if I want to travel or just have some extra cash."

So I always put a picture of him right up there so I- I say "Look it I married a hunk, you ladies can all be jealous." No way I tell- I tell them so much I think they think I 'm lying. I tell them everything, everything. Well you-know-what-I-mean.