THE LILY POND With fall, when the trees turn crimson and the barley golden, one is reminded of winter and the preparations for it. The vegetables had to be salvaged from the garden and stored in the basement. A big chore was to bank the house and cover up any drafty spots. We used clay or seaweed to do the chore. Our children found it an opportunity to hitch a ride on the trailer, or gather worms from the soil, and let them crawl across their hands. The boys found it a favorable time to tease the girls with the wiggly worms and they could be heard screaming for miles away. The lilies in the pond have faded and the lily pads have folded up. The ducklings that have stayed near their parents all summer have now grown, and are seeking out their favorite spot in the pond. This is where they will come next spring when they return from the south to start their own family. One can hardly see the beavers' house protruding above the water. Soon they will be sleeping comfortably in this new abode, which took them all summer to construct. The muskrats are also preparing for winter as they too, have prepared their nest and stored food for the winter season. The wild geese are seen flying over our fields in a perfect V formation. They are echoing some loud honks as they fly past. The grain fields often become their home for a few weeks. Here they nourish on the barley that is left on the ground after the harvesting is completed. In October the hunters arrive, dressed in their camouflage suits, and spend endless hours waiting to bag up some geese. They deceive the geese by placing decoys near their blinds. The geese become easy targets and then become food for the hunters. One feels some remorse when the wildlife have gone south and there is a chilly feeling in the air. Soon the water turns to ice and before long the children will be back once more on their favorite skating rink, again. The always provided most of their entertainment. As soon as the ice appeared, everyone would be after their father to check the depth of the ice. They watched their father when he did the measuring, and when he announced that the ice was five or six feet thick, the shouts would echo through the trees, and the hockey game 115