Books

Dr. Chase’s Almanac

Nowadays we seem to have the Farmer’s Almanac, and maybe we did when I was a boy too, but what I remember most is the Chase’s Almanac.  Like all of the, full of anecdotes, and bathroom reading material, and planting times etc.

Oh me Nerves!

Oh me Nerves!

But I think what stood out most were the ads.  I’m not sure where the almanac came from, whether we bought it, or if it were delivered door to door, but the ads were for things that no store carried, or at least none that I remember.  The biggest being Dr. Chase’s Nerve Pills.  As my buddy Eric would say, Oh me nerves!

Another thing I remember was that it had a puzzle in the middle.  I guess one crossword a year was enough for most people!  Actually if memory serves the crossword was part of some contest.  Anyone have any pictures or memories of it?

The Bookmobile

As long as I can remember I’ve loved to read.  I can remember reading Hardy Boy books way back when they were almost as big as me.

This was instilled and reinforced I’m sure by the travelling Bookmobile from the Newfoundland Public Libraries.  I think there was a library in Clarenville when I was a boy, perhaps in the fire station building? I forget for sure, but most of my reading came from the bookmobile.  These travelling libraries used to come to some rural towns back in those days, perhaps most, I really have no idea, but I remember it fondly.

Many a Hardy Boy adventure, and lesser known adventures such as Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators, Tom Swift, and quite a collection of English kids books by Enid Blyton (anyone else read Five Find-Outers and Dog?) were inhaled voraciously by me.

I am also pretty sure I first read one of the first sci-fi fantasy books I ever read from here, that being A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle.

I still love to read to this day, and will always remember the smell of books in that little mini-bus, the walls filled, a desk installed behind the driver so he could just spin a chair round and stamp the little pocket at the back.

Was an event and treat to see that bus come down over the hill and run out to wait for the doors to open.

If anyone has any pictures of it, or recollections to add, let me know!