Here we are not too far for another month, July waiting to come in. Let’s hope we get some more heat. Maybe it’s just waiting. One thing looks like a good hay crop coming along and that’s very important. Trout fishing has been very good and so has the char. One thing I miss is trout fishing, that was my main sport. Boy would I like a trout feed. I think I enjoyed eating them more than catching them. Back on the prairie we would fish for perch and they don’t hold a candle to a trout or char.
Grandchildren
Just had a pleasant visit my two Irish granddaughters who just stopped in this morning on the way to my Francois Lake family. They came from Bangor, northern Ireland.
Both girls were born here and also went to school at Francois Lake so it’s like coming home, which it really is. Their mother Kathleen and the older sister will be coming from northern Ireland next month. So it will be wonderful to have the whole family once more at the lake. They have so many friends here to visit which will keep them busy talking over those old school days. Also our big family which will keep them busy too and we are great visitors.
A word of warning if you have chickens, the foxes are busy raiding chicken houses. Our family have really been hit hard. Last month Richard and Margaret Neave lost their whole flock. All good layers. The fox dug under the gate and cleaned them out. Then last week Marie and Rick Hunter were cleaned out. Another nice flock of heavy layers. If a fox wants to get into a chicken yard they will get in regardless. When we had chickens at the landing a skunk got into our chicken yard but I got rid of him and that solved that problem.
This spring we seemed to of had lots of grouse but of late they have gone. The foxes are finding the nests and killing the young ones. Hence poor grouse hunting.
Gamblers
My story a week or so ago when I talked about the gambling in Burns Lake, my brother Peter took me up as he drove taxi for Margaret and Ernest Carlson the same time I was in the taxi business. He looked after the Bucket of Blood and two big poker games in the old hotel. I did some Bucket of Blood and Jack Wilkinson on the Island and that kept me busy. Brother Peter did a lot of Pendelton Bay. This is interesting as I wonder if any old-timers will remember. Some body put a lovely team of horse harness and all in the pot, the poker pot value was $1500.
They were hauled around a lot, even as far as Grassy Plains. Peter said they were loaded so much they would almost load themselves. They were black Belgians and very well broke. The Carlson’s bought Peter a new meter, put out by the Ford company, and it one year it fell apart. It was just junk. All this took place in the early 50s and at that time there were at least 10 cabs in the area and all busy. Lots of construction going on at that time.
The Ootsa Lake skins dam was pie in the sky for me as I just happened to be at the right place at the right time. At that time I was driving a Ford station wagon. I could let down the back seats and make room for light freight including dynamite and very often cases of hard liquor. These trips were good paying too. As I look back these were good days and the nice people I worked with.
Grads
I have at hand the graduation of the L.D.S.S. grads of 2014. How proud they must be. It’s another milestone passed in their lives. There are so many lovely young ladies and so many handsome young men. Burns Lake should be very proud also and I know they all are. They will all be passing out into a new world full of adventure, like opening the pages of a new book.
It’s now almost 60 years ago since my brother Peter went to high school in Burns Lake. There was no bus system available so dad rented a cottage from Mrs. Rush and shared it with some of his friends also taking high school from Francois Lake. After a year or two bus service came to Francois Lake. Through the early years a number of high school students used to board at our home during the school week. They were such nice young folks and were treated like our family. The first school at Francois Lake was St. Luke’s and I have a photo of the students on the front stop with their teacher. The year was 1918 or 1920. The new school was being built at the time. This was a one room building with wood heat, outside toilets and a small barn for the kids horses.
This is all history now. Something of interest St. Luke’s on the lake will celebrate 100 years next year. It’s amazing that the old building still stands strong and tall and with care will last many more years. It’s now some years ago that our new school was built fully modern but St. Luke’s was once more used as a class room until the school was finished. History repeating itself so to speak. During those early years St. Luke’s was used to store Timothy Seed in as the plant was over full. They filled it so full the sides spread out and steel rods had to be put in to pull that building together again.
My dad, Joe Corbett and Clarence Corliss managed that job. Every time I go into the church I notice those rods. Through its many years there have been funerals, weddings and baptisms. All these ad a bit more history to the old building. I think the number of photos taken through the many years would fill lots of books. Just ran into some dates, St. Luke’s was used as a school in 1920 with Dan O’Connell as teacher, then once again in 1939 and 1940 with Mr. Kennedy.
Makes it a bit more interesting to have the proper dates.
Thought for the day
Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
Have a safe week, enjoy the day, it’s special. And always remember that God loves you and so do I.’
