I am starting my news and stories a bit different today.
It’s Dec 2 the start of a special month, Christmas, meaning so much to all of, young or not so young. Lots of wonderful memories.
The dining room here at the Tweedsmuir House is nice and friendly place to get to have a coffee and just visit. I am, a great visitor, it’s a great pass time. A while ago I decided to write a goo morning song and it went over big time so here it is for all of you.
A Good Morning Song by Hugh Neave, music and words.
Good morning, Good morning, Good morning to you
Good morning, Good morning, Good morning to you
You will leave a ray of sunshine, as you go on your way
So keep your voices singing, Good morning each day.
Good morning, Good morning, Good morning to you
I put a nice little tune to it.
I wrote this song one morning and I sang it in the dining room and then went back down later and everyone was singing it, made me feel good.
I have sent this little song to Renay and her June Bug singers top try it out and I think they will like it too. I sang it top Renay over the phone this morning and she liked it.
School concerts
I am going back many years now with many good memories and lot so you will remember those good old time when every little school especially the country schools - they all had wonderful Christmas concerts. They were so much fun. Growing up in Saskatchewan all the school would have concert with a program of singing and plays and Santa with his bag of gifts.
Then when we came to Francois we had concerts here too that we enjoyed. Francois Lake School always had a big one along with Colleymount, Clemretta and Noralee.
It was just the same and there were many little country schools on the Southside back then and they all has Christmas concerts and Santa would be there too.
No matter the size they had a concert. Concerts were important as it gave the kids a chance to show off their talents. The little school concerts are all but gone now, it is just a wonderful memory for us to look back on and enjoy. I remember singing at two Grassy Plains Christmas concerts.
An after thought and I almost forgot Tchesinkut Lake School, small as it was, they always had a big concert. I think Mrs. Gilgan was the teacher back then but I may have to be corrected on this one.
Brrrrrrr
The weather has taken a turn for the last few days and it’s cold. When we get it cold and no snow cover our water lines are in trouble with freezing up. Not a nice thought. With all our years at the landing we were in trouble when we didn’t have snow cover for our water lines. Let’s hope we get snow and I mean sooner than later.
History
I have always enjoyed trying to piece together history of our Lakes District and it’s very interesting. We have so much right beside us and we are living in it.
I have at hand, a hand written pad of foolscap, papers that were presented to me by Doreen Shelford many years ago. These are priceless as it’s history and if it’s lost it would never be replaced.
This goes back over 100 years when Ootsa Lake and Grassy Plains were becoming settled. The names and the year they came in.
So I’ll try to pass on for our readers. It starts out with history told to Fay Short by R. W. Innes. I quote “Harry Morgan, Al Goodwin, Jim McDonald and another man came over the Kamana Pass with a toboggan and dogs in March 1904 to Ootsa Lake and skated the full length of the lake.
Jake Henkel had wintered on Ootsa Lake that winter and the man unknown turned back on the summit. Morgan and Goodwin returned over the Kamana Pass and Morgan went to Bella Coola and Johnny Barker and him brought back pack horses and returned to Ootsa Lake, built a cabin an wintered 1904 - 05 on Ootsa Lake.”
This is just a start of this report. There is also a mention of some of the early settlers who came and settled in Burns Lake. Many years ago now I met a forest employee and we used to visit a lot as he was working in the Ootsa area.
He told me that he had come across some railway survey pegs so as he said that at one time the railway had planned on going through the Ootsa area. Maybe that’s why so many folks had settled in that country figuring on a railway line there.
If the railway had gone on the Southside how it would have changed the whole history of the Lakes District.
Funny story
I will close off with a little story about a Saskatchewan boy of course I’m one of them too.
A good ole Saskatchewan boy won a fishing boat in a raffle, when he brings it home his wife looks at him and says “What in the world are you gonna do with that. There ain’t no water deep enough within 75 miles of here.”
He says “I won it and I’m gonna keep it.” His brother came over to visit, he sees his wife and asks where is brother is. “He is out there in his fishing boat,” pointing to a field behind the house.
The brother heads out and sees his brother in his boat with a fishing rod in his hand. “What in the world are you doing.” The brother says “I’m fishing, what does it look like.” The other brother says “It’s people like you that give Saskatchewan boys a bad name, making everybody think people from Saskatchewan are stupid. If I could swim I’d come out there and kick your butt.”
With all the Christmas celebrations going on don’t ever forget the true meaning of Christmas.
Remember that God loves you and so do I.