Many years ago when men worked in the woods for months on end, sometimes it happened that the cook would have to leave for family matters , injury or illness. If this happened often the foreman or camp owner would choose another man they knew had some cooking talent. This happened at one particular camp, the person chosen said he didn't want to be cook, but the foreman gave him a choice, cook or quit. He chose to cook, when the complaints started he again informed the boss he did not want to cook. The boss stated in front of the whole camp at one meal, that the next man to complain about the food in any way would be appointed cook.
The very next day the cook made apple pies with horse manure in one of them. At lunch the next day, ( remember, this is back when men were men, and each could consume a whole apple pie at a sitting) the guy who got the tainted pie exclaimed! " This pie tastes like horseshit!"
Then he remembered the penalty and said , " But , it tastes good, it tastes real good!"

CC#15 A maritime tale.





This lady from Mt. Uniacke in her nineties was being interviewed about the days when she worked cooking at woods camps in Nova Scotia. She told how in some camps it was forbidden to talk during meals, because any complaint about the food might upset a relative or friend of the cook and fighting could break out. If there was any complaints or fighting, it was to be taken outside, the owner didn't want any damage to his cookhouse. Just before she finished the radio interview, she told the interviewer that it just entered her mind that maybe she wasn't that good a cook after all! He said," Why would you say something like that?" " Well", she said, " This interview just reminded me, that all those men, that I used to cook for, are dead!"

CC#16 Heard on CBC Radio