Here I am once more trying to get my news back in line, my old machine is toast. It’s at least 30 years old and was a gift from an old friend now long gone. I am sorry to miss out on my usual Christmas write up, I always enjoy writing up for Christmas time. The folks at the Tweedsmuir House had such a wonderful variety of music. Burns Lake is very fortunate to have so much musical talent and good too.
Christmas concerts
Some of us old-timers were talking the other day and one person said how much they missed the old Christmas concerts we used to have. Every school would have a concert and a Santa along with it. They were so much fun for everyone. So many of the little schools on the Southside always had a concert with a Santa and a gift for every child. One concert I was a Santa for the Grassy Plains school. The Francois Lake school always had a big concert with most all the kids taking part and a Santa too. It would be a guess who would be Santa.
The depression
Back at our old home in Saskatchewan the big depression had left its mark and big time as some folks just did not have money for gifts. I was about 10 years old and dad took me aside and said we just don’t have enough money for gifts. Brother Peter was too young to realize what this meant. I kept saying to dad Santa will come. This was on the prairie not B.C. About three days before Christmas one of our friends pulled up with a team of horses and a sleigh and said the station agent asked me to drop off this parcel at Neave’s so here it is. It was a huge cardboard box. So it was taken into the living room. A big sign do not open until Christmas day. This parcel was from a lady called Kate Lang who lived in Winnipeg. She had come from England with our mother and was a great friend and what a friend she was too. After chores on Christmas day we opened the box and what a box it was too. Cans of jam, a can of honey and syrup and candies, socks, mitts, just too much to remember. So Santa did come to the Neave home, talk about a miracle this was one. Miss Lang came to visit us in B.C. She never married and she more or less adopted us as her own. Mother and Miss Lang had been school chums in England and met up again in Canada. As they say wonders never cease.
Church choir
On Sunday last we had the Grassy Plains church choir drop in for a sing song and a visit. We always enjoy their company here at Tweedsmuir House. Lots of the old carols were sung. Brings back lots of memories.
Snow is welcome
So far we have had an easy winter but the last few days reminds us what winter can be like. We do need the snow for next years crops. I well remember a couple of winters with no snow and no hay so this snow is welcome.
St. Luke’s Christmas
On Dec. 22 there was a hymn sing in St. Luke’s Church on the landing. The little church was packed. The music was great and the evening closed down with a nice lunch and lots of Christmas wishes. What a wonderful way to start out Christmas. This brought back so many memories of our loved ones who used to enjoy the Christmas service. Now so long ago.
A new year
Here we are starting out with a brand new year. Clean slate as the saying goes. No doubt lots of resolutions that we hope to keep. As I look back over my many years times have changes. Bringing in the new year was big time. Every little district would have a big dance and party. Since the new drinking laws have come in things have changed, maybe a good thing. Francois Lake always had a big party and dance but it’s been a long time now since there has been a party for New Year’s. They were always lots of fun. I wonder how many resolutions are made and how many are kept.
Will the lake freeze?
It’s always a guess will Francois Lake freeze over. In the old days it was almost a sure bet Francois Lake would freeze over so we could use the lake like a highway so we were able to take in concerts on the Southside. The old ferry would be taken out of service so the frozen lake was a highway. It was dangerous with the ice being unsafe. There were lots of cars, an almost new diamond truck, also four horses and a load of Timothy Seed for the seed plant at the landing that went through the ice. This was Billy Bickle’s outfit. He was trapped with the load but was able to get out. A terrible loss. Just off the north landing there is an almost new car that was Bob Moore’s who worked for Malkins, a grocery outlet from Prince George. What with the milder winters and a better ferry service they do not have to use the frozen lake as a highway. There has also been some drownings as well. Ice is dangerous. I went through the ice saving two folks who tried to cross the lake one spring. I was scared as I still remember it as if it was yesterday. But I saved two lives, a father and his son.
Good memories
As I think about the wonderful years at the lake, what a life we had. Everyday was a day with lots of everything going on. We had the store and post office then I got into the taxi business and cabins. Jo had chickens and a garden, had a cow or two and she sold milk and cream. She had a great business going for her. At that time we had skunks killing her laying hens. This was not the last skunk story. It’s been years now since a skunk had been seen at the landing. There used to be lots of them at one time.
A little joke
One day in a tavern a sailor and a pirate were comparing stories of their adventures. The pirate had a peg leg, one hook for a hand and an eye patch. The sailor asked about his peg leg.
“I lost it in a shark attack,” the pirate said. “What happened to your hand?”
“That I lost in a sword fight,” the pirate answered. And when he was asked about his patch, he explained a seagull dropping fell into his eye.
Astonished, the sailor said, “You mean to say that you lost your eye because of a seagull?”
“Well,” the pirate replied, “it happened the first day I had the hook.”
I will close with my usual remember God loves you and so do I.