The trip to Switzerland that Augustin and Renee went on took place in 1961, eight years after their marriage, that was a long time to wait for a honeymoon. The letters that Edmond writes to them while they are away are very different from his early letters. He writes completely in English, and signs himself off as Eddy. "Maman et Augustin" have become "Mom and Gus"
Edmond, or Eddy as he is now known, has also become much more focused on the "bottom line". The horses have given way to machines and the milk cows to meat. The dairy barn that the Ferme Fleur de Lys used was built by the Woods family. The property and the barns were purchased from the Woods, complete with quite a sophisticated dairy. The barn had automatic waters as well as a trough that was built into the floor to make clean up easier. There was a quiet intimacy with these early dairy cows, with the necessity of handling the creatures twice daily.
The Wood's Dairy Barn
view of the barn roof.
Eddy writes to his Mom and Gus about some of the pressures in this "new" way of farming; "We have to get as many cows per acre as we can. As that's going to be the only income, then will have to farm in volume. Once we get the machinery our expenses per head will get less after we have a certain number". He goes on to explain that they have to take into account the machinery depreciation, interest, repairs, gas, oil and twine, but with 50 or 60 cows the expenses would be about the same as 30 cows. At least then we may be able to make a living. Eddy states that he is "going to forget about clearing little by litte but close his eyes and push everything in a pile and burn. We got to hurry as time right now is not easy with my creditors".
The almost lyrical descriptions of the farm in the early days has been replaced by this urgency to clear the land and get as many beef cows as possible. Caroline Fleur de Ly's letters may have been a welcome contrast as she described the wonder of the central heating, the kindness of neighbors, and the funny antics of the farm animals. In one of her letters she admits to having fallen into the habit of talking to one of the dogs, Sandy, who looks back at her "with her big brown eyes with close attention to every word."
"If you talk to animals they will talk with you
and you will know each other
If you do not talk to them you will not know them,
and what you do not know you will fear."
Edmond, or Eddy as he is now known, has also become much more focused on the "bottom line". The horses have given way to machines and the milk cows to meat. The dairy barn that the Ferme Fleur de Lys used was built by the Woods family. The property and the barns were purchased from the Woods, complete with quite a sophisticated dairy. The barn had automatic waters as well as a trough that was built into the floor to make clean up easier. There was a quiet intimacy with these early dairy cows, with the necessity of handling the creatures twice daily.
view of the barn roof.
Eddy writes to his Mom and Gus about some of the pressures in this "new" way of farming; "We have to get as many cows per acre as we can. As that's going to be the only income, then will have to farm in volume. Once we get the machinery our expenses per head will get less after we have a certain number". He goes on to explain that they have to take into account the machinery depreciation, interest, repairs, gas, oil and twine, but with 50 or 60 cows the expenses would be about the same as 30 cows. At least then we may be able to make a living. Eddy states that he is "going to forget about clearing little by litte but close his eyes and push everything in a pile and burn. We got to hurry as time right now is not easy with my creditors".
The almost lyrical descriptions of the farm in the early days has been replaced by this urgency to clear the land and get as many beef cows as possible. Caroline Fleur de Ly's letters may have been a welcome contrast as she described the wonder of the central heating, the kindness of neighbors, and the funny antics of the farm animals. In one of her letters she admits to having fallen into the habit of talking to one of the dogs, Sandy, who looks back at her "with her big brown eyes with close attention to every word."
"If you talk to animals they will talk with you
and you will know each other
If you do not talk to them you will not know them,
and what you do not know you will fear."
Chief Dan George
Machines cannot be talked to.
Machines cannot be talked to.
`
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