The week’s seems to roll around so fast, I have a job just to keep up with them, but here goes for another week’s viewpoint.
Nice music
On Sunday last we had a such a pleasant afternoon with the Grassy Plains gospel church choir. Lots of good singing and guitar playing. We all joined in too. We always look forward to their visiting us at the Tweedsmuir House.
Old friend
Last Sunday night I received such a surprise phone call from Judy Lightening who has made her home in Whitehorse for many years. I have known Judy all her life and what a visit we had. Judy spent her young life in the Clemretta district, a child of one of our pioneer families. Judy took her education in the Lakes District. We had such a visit talking old times. She is going to visit her old home and friends this summer.
Low water
Winter is not over yet as we still are having some snow falls. We do need the snow for our crops and bring up our lake levels. All our lakes are very low. As Francois Lake is low many folks have had frozen water lines.
Taxi days
This is a little story of my taxi driving days, it could have been a bad trip but turned out ok. I received a message that there was a young girl at Grassy Plains was having a baby could I come and get her to the hospital. So away I went across the lake. She was in bad shape as she had been in labour for three days. She was from the Cheslatta area and spoke very poor English. So I got her to the hospital and went in with her, then I left. Something was bothering me about this girl so I went back to check on her. She was standing on the front step (this was the old hospital), I said to her what’s the matter. I am scared now, they don’t understand me. So I said you come with me so I put my arm around her and back into the hospital with her. In a few minutes I got some action as I was a bit upset.
Anyway she had her baby. I was glad I spent the time to go back and check on this girl. I would like to know if any of her family are still in the district, please let me know.
Delightful time
Last week we had the most delightful evening of music and singing here at the Tweedsmuir House. We had Martina’s students in piano and voice. It’s great to see so many young folks going into music and singing. And to have such a person like Martina to teach both singing and piano. How fortunate can we get such a person with so much musical talent and also willing to share it.
Is spring here?
We were kinda looking forward to spring but it seems spring has not sprung yet. Yes it’s coming be patient. One thing I remember about the prairie we always had a spring like it should be. The gophers would be coming out of their holes and the crocus flowers would be out and the big flocks of cranes, geese and ducks you could almost set your clocks every year.
We do have the birds too, a sure sign of spring. dad would start seeding on mother’s birthday, April the 12. We would have the work horses in off the range and ready to go to work. It was always a fun time for us. Tractors were coming in by then but dad had to have his horses. Horses were nice to work with but they took up lots of time.
Folks just can’t get over the number of birds that’s water birds taking advantage of a few patches of open water. One man counted over 30 swans and lost count on the Canada geese.
There were so many. This is a sure sign of spring. The Red Winged Blackbirds are back and some of our smaller birds. No Humming Birds yet. I have heard they come back on board with the geese. All these birds want to take over the Francois Lake landing.
Short visit
Last week I spent a couple of days in our hospital, I’m now back at the Tweedsmuir House again. Our old hospital is starting to show its age but it is still efficient as ever and the caring of its patient’s has never changed. It’s so wonderful by all the members of the staff. No one wants to go to the hospital but the care you get over comes any negative feelings you might have.
My first taste of a hospital was on the prairie was Macklin and I was about eight years old. Our road to school was very icy and I brought down my horse on the ice.
A neighbour picked me up and took me home. Dad was angry and made me walk to school, so I did. But the fall with the horse had hurt my knee so after school I went to see the doctor in Macklin and he sent me to the hospital, it was a R.C. hospital run by the sisters. They were strict, no fooling. There were two big wards one for women and one for the men, none for kids. There were about 10 men in the ward I was in, I was homesick and big time.
It was a very good hospital, well run. I had a cast on my leg and it was heavy and I fell out of bed, one big guy picked me up and put onto my bed. Everyone thought it was funny but me. I was in a week and was I glad to get home. Dad let me ride the horse again but I had my lesson. The next time I was in that Macklin hospital was when a typhoid epidemic hit Saskatchewan and it was terrible.
There was Ruth, Pete and I. Ruth was 17 years old and she died, what a heartache that was. Peter and I were in the hospital a month or maybe more. A number of Evesham folks also got typhoid fever. Ruth was the only one who died. So sad it was to lose her as she was like a sister. Brother Peter got typhoid the worst and twice he almost died. Once they gave him up. The Provost doctor gave him up and said he has gone but love and prayers brought him back. He told us what it felt like to die.
I must close up now, take care as you drive, slow down, remember the life you save could be your own. God always loves you and so do I.
P.S. The typhoid came in on an outbreak in Vancouver that was not reported.