On Sunday evening tere was a spaghetti dinner held at the Immaculata church.
This was a dinner with the proceeds to help the churches sponsored students. They are from Kitui, Kenya.
In Kenya the government will not pay for secondary students to attend school. Students who attend Grades 8-12 have to pay for their education. If they can not pay they will be sent home.
They must pay the full amount. The goal that evening was to raise money to help pay for two sponsored students. It’s very hard for girls to get an education. Our education may have a few flaws but compared to other countries it’s pie in the sky so to say.
Fantastic concert
On Sunday night at the Lakes District Secondary School multipurpose room we were once more treated to another special evening of music that was out of this world, believe me.
This was called Mediterranean Nights in the Lakes District. It’s amazing what a guitar with professionals can do, spellbinding to say the least.
Pavlo and his three companions gave us such an evening, it seemed over too soon. Hats off the our arts council for presenting us with such a variety of musical entertainment of such high class. Thanks again to the financial sponsors for your generous support and again for those who give time and energy to make it all happen. We are all very fortunate.
I must not forget the art display for all to enjoy.
The Southside folks were able to enjoy Pavlo in concert on Oct. 24. This was in the Grassy Plains Community Hall. This was sponsored by Rio Tinto Alcan and Lakes District Arts Council. This was such a wonderful program to be shared by the Southside folks.
Geri MacNab won the guitar at the Grassy Plains performance and John McFee won the guitar draw in Burns Lake.
More equipment
Monday morning looking out my office window two more loads of heavy mill equipment from Ootsa Lake mill going out.
Come visit
My door is always open to any of my friends to stop in and have a coffee and what’s called a chin wag. Tell a few stories of the old days and just visit. Lots of history in and around the lakes.
I had such a nice visit with my great old friend Harold Clark. We have so much in common and I bet you know what we talk about, you guessed it horses we have known and had worked with.
Harold tells me that I have known him when he was no bigger than an over sized grasshopper and that’s a lot of years. Yes, there are so many wonderful old friends in our Lakes District. We arrived here by accident and it has been the best move we ever made. We made our life here and I’m going to finish it here for as long as I can, there as been no better place to finish it off than our Lakes District. This invitation is not only for the guys but the ladies are also very welcome.
School bus
Every morning I notice the school bus stops at the store to pickup children, another one comes over on the ferry to bring students from the Southside.
It’s not too many years ago that if you wanted to go to school you got there by yourself and it was hard. Some kids never finished school. There was a small fund that students from the Southside could board on the Northside and finish high school.
For many years we had students stay with us. Then the whole system changed and the school bus came into being and the students were transported to the larger schools.
The greater part of my education was in Saskatchewan. One room as a rule up to Grade 7. Some of the teachers had only just had Grade 12 themselves as teachers were hard to come by.
Most of the students either rode or drove horses as there was always a big school barn. A big old wood heater, shard the water bucket, wash basin and towels.
Winters were tough but we managed. I look back with a feeling of nostalgia many times and I think I would like to live them all again. Not long after we left the prairie school busses came into the picture and those little old country school houses became history.
Now I’m going back a lot of years when the school bus on the Southside came into being. There was nobody with an “A” class license, expect Ernie Carlson and I, so Major White who was the school district administrator for the school district called on me.
I had to take the first school bus run on the Southside. Wilton Marker was to drive the bus but he failed three times but thank heavens on the forth he made it.
The bus I drove was a Reo with straight cut gears and so wide that on the Uncha Lake run the trees beside the road hit both the front and the back of the bus. There are some folks left that remember my first run.
Mrs. Florence Harrison was teacher at the Danskin school and Mrs. MacIntosh was teacher a Grassy Plains. Florence always met me with a glass of dandelion wine on my way back to the ferry. She was known for her great wine and it was great and it had quite a kick as well... sure cheered up this old bus driver.
Little story
As I was walking down the street I stopped to buy some treats. The lad who sold them had such charm. I talked with him, he seemed so glad. If I was late would do no harm. And as I left he said to me “I thank you, you have been so kind, it’s nice to talk to folks like you, you see I’m blind.” Oh God forgive me when I whine, I have two eyes. The world is mine.
Have a safe week, slow down as the life you save could be yours. God always loves you and so do I.
A little warning and I think a good one. The wild game are starting to move and it’s on our highways so be careful especially in the evenings. A moose is bigger than your car .