Labour Day

Can you believe the end of summer is here so soon? It seems we were just getting started and already it's over. At least, that's the way it feels, now that Labour Day has arrived. We even got an extra week this year and still it seems that summer was too short. Probably because it was so darned cold and wet for most of the season here in Ontario.

Did you know that the Labour Day tradition was started in Canada in the 1870's as a result of labour disputes? In 1882, an American labour leader was here visiting, liked the idea and went home to New York and organized one of his own and thus the tradition was begun in the States. At least, that's what it says in Wikipedia.

How are you celebrating this last day of summer? My sister and I are headed off to another farm auction today. The listing refers to a "small anvil and a blacksmith vise" that will be included in the offerings. The last auction we went to had this "pegleg" vise, which Janine recognized from her iron sculpture/blacksmithing classes up in Haliburton which she has done several summers in a row now, but she stopped bidding on it just under $100, so it will be interesting to see what happens this time if the vise for sale is one that she thinks she needs to have. I'm looking forward to seeing what's available but I'm really going along to make sure she doesn't get carried away and buy one of the several horses that are on offer!