Forest interview
Kalju Kask
Q: How was the weather during the winter like when you were 14?
A: The winters were cold and the snow sometimes reached 1.5 metres in depth. It was very cold and snowy.
Q: In which month did the winter start?
A: The winter started early, when we went Estonian trick or treating in November. There was already 20-30 cm of snow by that time.
Q: When did the winter end?
A: In April. Then the snow melted.
Q: Your birthday is in April. How was the weather back then?
A: Cold and freezing. Sometimes there was snow and the snowhills melted later. We skiid on the hills. Once upon a time my brother in law visited us with a horse and the snow was up to its belly.
Q: What did the people do with their free time back then?
A: Everybody had skates, skiis and sledges. My brother useed to make skiis. I tried to make myself a pair of skates, but it didn’t work out. I sledged on the hill, that was the children’s playground. Free time was spent outside. When I got skiis then every free moment I skiid. In the morning you left house and in the evening, in the dark, as the day ended, you returned.
Q: what activities did you do in the forest?
A: In the forest i made some wood for heating with a two-man-saw, with a companion. The smaller branches were taken and burned too.
Q: Did people just take some walks in the forest like nowadays?
A: Not really. The people picked berries in the summer, made bath whiskes... Me and my brother helped the hunters make some whiskes. It was for feeding the animals. We made raspberry whiskes and birch whiskes.
Q: You sayd that you made whiskes to feed the animals. If there was animals i assume you did hunt them too, didn’t you?
A: Mostly we hunted rabbits. My uncle had hounds and when he came to visit us at Saturdays or Sundays we went hunting. We had rabbits skins and fox skins.
Q: How did you hunt the foxes?
A: With hounds. Dogs tracked the fox and we catched them.
Q: Did you hunt them with traps too?
A: Yes. When the winter came we used the traps. If we killed a pig, then we put these leftovers near the traps.
Q: Okay. Soo you said that from forest, human got animals and birds, mushrooms and berrys, wood and brich juice. So when there was cadet did you made whiskes to?
A: Yes. We made whiskes and brooms too.
Q: Has forest given anything else to people?
A: Forest is like a paradise. You can hear birds singing and forest protects from winds. You have the fresh air and in the morning there’s birds singing.
Q: Does the forest protects from people to?
A: Yes it does and it’s really calm place. Forest brothers did hide themselves in the forest to be safe from the government. They had punkers in the woods and they stayd there.
Q: thank you!
Link: https://soundcloud.com/triin-nooska/metsaintervjuu-kalju-kask-19012020/s-8txzr