Things are back to normal after a wonderful Easter time. Everyone you talk to had a great holiday with family and friends visiting is always good for the soul.
Nice calls
I would like to thank so many of friends for their phone calls, just made me feel good to be remembered. When our family were growing up Easter was such a special time and I look back with such good memories of those years so long ago. Now our younger generation have taken over where we left off. It’s a good feeling. On Easter Sunday I was more or less hunting for some Easter music on the tv. I had just about given up trying when low and behold the Mormon Tabernacle Choir flashed across the tube and what a wonderful performance it was. No wonder they are classed as one of the finest choirs in the world. I had no idea they were so big. The music and singing was out of this world, believe me. I wish everyone could have heard them and enjoyed it as much as I did.
Old ferry
When we had the old ferries on the lake the lake had to be clear of ice so sometimes it would be no traffic to the Southside for a week or so.
It was a long late spring and the stores on the Southside were low on stock so Andy Anderson decided he would try to get a load of groceries around the lake. He was in the trucking business. Pete Anderson was working for Andy Anderson (no relation to Pete) I was also working for Anderson trucking at this time. At about noon we loaded up the truck with groceries, it was loaded with everything including three boxes of baby chicks for Bill Harrison Sr. who lived at Wistaria.
As it was spring breakup the road was terrible but we made Noralee about 4 p.m. Then came the fun, the rock cuts and it was a river of mud coming down. Pete Anderson was some driver, nothing scared him as we almost lost the whole load over into the lake a dozen times. Lots of times we had to dig the truck out of the sloppy mud.
I took a shovel and walked ahead of the truck and Andy followed in his car. We at last reached the Nadina post office and store with Earl Osburne had at the time. We had supper and Pete took off for the stores on the Southside and Bill Harrison met the truck with his chicks and wonders never cease the chicks were fine. Andy and I took off for home.
It had started to freeze so we made better time going home. We were two tired guys when we got to the landing, past midnight.
Ice is gone
The good news is Francois Lake is open for the best part. It always gives folks a good feeling. Now the fishermen will be making ready to catch a nice fresh trout and they will be good after the ice has just gone out. What we need now is a couple of heavy rains to bring up the lakes as they are low and a warm rain to start the hay crops. Francois Lake is coming up but very slow.
Looking back
When we took over the store and post office at Francois Lake. It’s now almost 75 years ago. In the first years or so there were very few cars, mostly horses and our hitching rail would have a wagon or a buggy and saddle horses. Some of our customers came as far as Colleymount. We sold most everything. Most everything came Beach Truck Lines direct from Vancouver. Mother always had the teapot on and it was well used too.
We had a big heater in the store and a wood box. The heater stood in a frame filled with sand for the tobacco chewing boys and there were lots of them in those days. Lots of smokers too and the store would be so full of smoke it was a job to see. Mother would say if you must smoke there is the door.
One of our most interesting customers was Bill Anderson. Bill and his family lived 20 miles east of the Landing and the only way out was by boat or horse back. In the winter Bill would ride up on the frozen lake pulling a sleigh with a big box on it.
This was for groceries and mail. He was riding a bay horse called Coyote and he was one tough horse. Bill would have a lunch with us and feed Coyote as they had already come 20 miles. After a rest Bill and Coyote would head for Tchesinkut Lake and ride down the lake on the ice then ride on to Jeffery Buttes, check a bunch of his horses and then on home on Francois Lake.
The round trip was 45 miles.
Thanks Lone Spur
On Wednesday evening last we had the most delightful of music and singing with Bryan Worrall and his Lone Spur singers and musicians. They gave us some real good old country music. We were also treated to some violin playing and to finish off the evening with some toe tapping fiddle playing.
I look back with fond memories of my playing with Lone Spur, it was just like family. As I look back they were great years and I really do miss it. Good music is good for the heart and soul and that’s what we got.
There are two very good letters in the last edition of Lakes District News. Number one is ‘Face-lifts for Burns Lake businesses’ and the second is Dr. Magee’s letter. He has hit the nail on the head, yes we do need an operating room in our new hospital an that’s for sure.
Our Lakes District covers a huge area and we deserve an operating room. If we have an operating room we will have doctors, just wait and see.
Thanks Dr. Magee let’s hope you will get the ball rolling with your very informative letter. Letter number one is also very interesting and the rerouting of the heavy traffic on the main street will in the future have to be dealt with. Many years ago I was a member on the board of trade and I well remember a person brought up the same thing and he almost was run out of the meeting. There will never be enough heavy traffic to change the route but times are changing and it may not be too far away.
Take care as you drive along what’s 20 minutes compared to the rest of your life. Always remember God loves you and so do I.