Another lovely day on its way. Sun is shining and it’s so bright just makes a person glad to be alive.
Always enjoy every day as if it were your last because someday it will be. Just a little nip in the air but that’s part of spring that we can enjoy. As Mark Twain wrote and I quote “Everyone talks about the weather but nobody does anything about it.”
Water low
Maybe a good thing too. Lot’s of our lakes are very low this year no doubt due to our light snow fall and such a dry fall. Francois Lake is the lowest that anyone can remember and this is not very good. What we need now is some heavy rains and who knows we just might get it. Water lines are our biggest worry as so many of us depend on getting our water from the lake.
Entertainment
Last week we were once more treated to some top of the line singing and music with Martina’s students and what an evening this turned out to be. What talent we have, both in singing and piano.
Everyone in Tweedsmuir House enjoyed every minute. You could see even the students enjoyed themselves. These students are taking something that will last them a lifetime and can never be taken away. Thanks to you Martina, you will always be remembered.
Good friend
Dennis and Rose Jaycox, who now make their home in Cecil Lake, B.C. and formerly of the Southside, spent a few days last week visiting family and friends. Dennis and Rose spent many years at Grassy Plains where Dennis was pastor of the Grassy Plains church. Dennis was a good friend as we spent many happy days riding horseback and singing together.
As I look back they were fun times that I look back on. Dennis also is pastor of the church in Cecil Lake. Good friends are very precious and I feel Dennis is one of my good friends. We both shared a great love of horses and enjoyed riding, this kinda grows on a person. That can not be taken away.
Busy time
Spring is always a very busy time especially for the ranchers and farmers. Lots to clean up after the snow goes. No matter how tidy you have to keep the place clean, it gets untidy. Now it’s a time for calving, lambing and maybe a colt or two which is a bit of a bonus. They always seem to be special. One year here at Francois Lake we had four foals. Every mare we had was having a colt. This was a bit of a nuisance when we had the trail rides. The last year we were in Saskatchewan we lambed out about 100 so we were busy as they seemed to take more care than the cows did. The miracle of birth is something we never tire of. Looking back although we were always busy they were wonderful years of my life.
Post offices
When we first took over the Francois Lake general store and post office in 1941 it was a very busy general store. We sold all the things a general store should. The post office was a busy office. Andy Anderson had the mail delivery service twice a week, Monday and Friday. He also brought the mail for all the Southside offices.
I think there were 13 offices from Southbank to Wistaria and all the in-between offices. Norman Schreiber handled the mail delivery and it was a busy one. The post offices were well used. On Friday Andy brought out the mail for Colleymount, Trout Creek, Clemretta and Noralee. Everett Hickey picked up the mail on Saturday morning, delivered it to these offices, brought the mail bags to our office to be held over until Monday for Burns Lake.
The Nadina post office was closing down in a week or so. The rural mail has closed all theses small offices down. Everett Hickey lived about a mile west of the landing so it was very handy for him to pick up the mail for the post offices west of the landing.
Everett was moving up to his Colleymount ranch so during the winter months it became much harder to keep the mail run so for some time I took the run. Del and Mrs. Cassidy had the post office and store at Colleymount. Then onto Clemretta where Mr. and Mrs. Cowan had the office, then onto Noralee where Mr. and Mrs. Newgard had the Noralee post office and store. I had lunch there and then back home. All these offices were so friendly which made that mail run a pleasure.
I really missed it when the big change came in. The folks wanted more mail days so it all changed. So the Carlson brothers, Ernest and Emett, took over the run direct from Burns Lake, Francois Lake and onto the offices Colleymount, Clemretta and Noralee giving them an extra mail day.
The Southside mail still left our office with Norman Schreiber three times a week. Although I had the taxi business I still made time to take the mail run for the Carlson brothers. They also gave me a big Chev station wagon so I was also able to take passengers.
The Colleymount Noralee road was tough going both summer and winter, terrible on any vehicle. The Carlson family were nice to work for and with. I have very good memories of those years. I was very careful driving the Carlson vehicle so I could always go back and drive for them. I never got stuck on the Colleymount run but I ran late many times.
Here are a couple Reader’s Digest jokes
An old farmer is inconsolable after his dog goes missing. He takes out an ad in the newspaper, but two weeks later, there’s still no sign of the mutt. “What did you write in the ad?” his wife asked. ‘Here, boy.’
A guy walks into a bar and finds a horse serving drinks. The horse asks, “What are you staring at? Haven’t you ever seen a horse tending bar before?”
The guy says, “It’s not that. I just never thought the parrot would sell the place.”
Always remember God loves you a lot and of course so do I.
