The weekend coming up and looks like it might be a good one.
There’s a nip in the wind reminding us spring is not here yet. I try to remember when we have had so many water fowl around the landing. The fields are clearing of snow and so the geese have moved where there will be some feed for them.
The geese look so small when you compare them with the swans. Our dad told us a story about a spring during the homesteading days on the prairie.
A big flock of Sandhill’s landed on the field and they were short of meat so Dad shot one. It was too big for the oven so they cut its legs off and cooked the rest of the crane. They were looking for a good dinner. Dad said it was so tough a knife would not cut it up so they tried the dog and it found it too tough. So once more they went back to eating Jack Rabbits. No more Sandhill Cranes for him.
Nice music
Last night the Tweedsmuir House was treated to a hymn sing with the Decker Lake Mennonite choir. Everyone takes a part in the singing from the very young to the not so young. It’s all enjoyed by the residents we always look forward to their coming.
Last week we had a violin rehearsal with so many young folk. What a group of violin players we had. To learn violin is not as easy as it looks. At one time I played violin for dances but the only violin was my dad’s and it was very valuable to drag out to dances so I went back to guitar and stayed with it for my life. Hats off to these teachers, you are doing a good job, keep it up.
Bite out of your buck
Dear old Canada Post is sure taking a bit bite of your buck again. It really did take a bite this time. Overseas is now $2.50 and Canada is 85 cents. Canadian in a book 85 cents, bought in single $1. U.S.A I have not got yet but it will be up there. Just heard $1.20 letter post for U.S.A.
I well remember a Canadian stamp was three cents. This big hike will hit all overseas mailing. Imagine $2.50 for a letter. So far I have a very good price rate on my phone for overseas so to compare $2.50 for a letter, maybe cheaper to phone after all.
Mostly good stories
As I sit down by my machine and I wonder what will I write about this week sometimes little stories come into my mind and I wonder if I have already sent them in for my readers. Burns and the Lakes District have been our home for over 73 years. So many changes have come about. Some good and some not so good. All in all it’s been a wonderful place to spend a lifetime.
I sometimes in my minds eye I see a little six year old kid riding across the open prairie heading for school all alone. Summer and winter never missing a day. Evesham school had a large barn for the horses and Dad had a stall for my horse.
He also made a deal with one of the big boys to put me on the horse and start me for home. It was pretty soon and I could get on myself. Some of the town folks would say to Dad that kids too little to send off all alone, what if he got thrown how would you find him. Well here I am still upright and those early years made me a better rider of which I am proud of. Lots of prairie kids were in the same boat.
Tie making
When we first came here logging and tie making were big time and as time went on it became much bigger. There were little mills all over sawing ties. At one time it was reported there were over 100 mills banging away.
On the Southside there were still lots of tie hackers working away. Every spring Jack Nicholson would boom ties down the lake to Fraser Lake. These big booms crossing the ferry channel would bug the ferry skipper and would lead to bad feelings.
There was also a siding in Burns Lake where ties were loaded. The ties were all hand loaded and it was a hard back breaking job. I used to talk to the loaders and watch them work. It was kind of an art the way they would get them onto their shoulder and trot up the ramp into the box car. This was not for me. These tie loaders never seemed to stop, they had a system and a kind of a way of working.
Great entertainment
On Saturday evening in the Lakes District Secondary School multipurpose room by our Lakes District Arts Council we were treated to one of the most delightful programs that I have ever seen.
The first was a program with the eagles wings of song and dance. This was a Fijian family group of the original song and dance. This was followed by Veenesh Dubois Under the mango tree, this was a one woman show and what a show.
It was kind of a show that you would wish could go on forever. Both these shows were top of the line entertainment, what I would call spellbinding.
Thanks to our arts council for your wonderful choice we are so fortunate to have you. Please watch the posters for the future shows they will be good.
A little joke or two
Mother to her daughter. What kind of person is your boyfriend? Is he respectable? Of course he is mom, he is thrifty, doesn’t drink or smoke, has a nice wife and three well behaved children.
Two fellows were at a party one said to the other your wife sure brightens the party. Her presence is electrifying. It ought to be, the other man replied, everything she is wearing is charged.
Take care, have a safe week, always remember God loves you and so do I.