After years of contributing stories to local magazines and newspapers in southern Ontario (The Rural Voice, The Rural Route, Old Autos) as well as broader readership covering the breadth of North America (Vintage Truck, Legacy Quarterly) David figured it was time to put some of his accounts into book format for an even wider audience to enjoy.Growing up in rural southern Ontario in the second half of the twentieth century provided the author with a wealth of personal experiences on which to base his stories. As well as having a good memory, David also credits his ability to being a good listener.As a kid, despite being told to "go outside and play" when relatives visited, I was much more interested in hearing the "old folks" reminisce about the good and not so good old days of their youth. I was fascinated with their attention to detail both extraordinary and trivial about events and people they knew.It occurred to me the characters of which they spoke represented much more than those faded photographs gathering dust in cupboard drawers. These were people just like me ... individuals who lived, worked, laughed, cried, loved and were loved and had talents of varying degrees and flaws as well.So sit back and relax while David relates a few of these stories from a simpler time, a seemingly ageless time when one-room schools and family farms formed the fabric of rural communities, small town main streets bustled with activity and steel-railed arteries were the adhesive that connected rural and urban culture. An innocent time before our lives were blurred with cynicism, dreams knew no boundaries and the future barely crossed our minds.