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Berry picking was often a social occasion, when groups of people would set off together to gather strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries or other berries to eat, preserve or make jam. Mothers would take their children out for an afternoon of picking berries, sometimes for enjoyment, other times to gather much needed food stuffs.Florrie Tibert of Freeport remembers having 100 jars of wild strawberry jam in her basement for winter. Others, such as Evelyn Smith, remember picking blueberries and selling them to local storekeeper Austin Westcott, paying for her Grade 10 text books with the profits. Women and children in Tiverton picked blueberries to sell to Norman Robbins, one of that villages' many storekeepers. He in turn shipped them to Saint John for sale there.
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Sometimes the weather was as much as a hazard for farmers as fishermen.Lost On Land In Fog September 1965
What was expected would be a job for Truro R.C.M.P and their police dog was called off when Mr. Mendal Bates ,retired Freeport carpenter was found.
Mr. Mendal Bates, 77-year-old retired carpenter went out to attend his cattle Tuesday afternoon a short distance from his home. When he failed to return a search party, comprising of Freeport and Tiverton residents was organized, however, their powerful lights failed to uncover any trace of the missing man.
It wasn't till the next morning between 9 and 10 a.m. that Mr. Bates was spotted walking about in the woods several miles from his home, a spokesman related. He said he walked around about all night, which is probably what kept him alive. The fog was very cold and wet. He was soaking wet when they found him.
Apparently Mr. Bates suffered no ill effects from the experience.It is understood Mr. Bates got bewildered in the dense fog and could not find his way out of the woods.
Mr. and Mrs. Bates and son Rawleigh, life-long residents of Freeport, have many friends who share in their thankfulness that Mr. Bates returned home safely and well.
(Taken from Digby Courier)
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