December

5th It’s very foggy outside. I can’t see the water from my lodgings, a distance of about one hundred yards. I wonder when my mail is going to get out. Pretty soon I hope. Wallace gave me a tassel today. I’m making Christmas decorations with the kid’s last lesson this afternoon. We are going to get a volleyball court marked out somewhere near the School tomorrow. The Pentecosts have volleyball around their School.
Pete and I were up at Ted Penney’s last night. Ted is seized by the Holy Spirit! He almost hates the Pentecostals. We had a very nice lunch up there of bread and cheese, pineapple chunks, fig biscuits, marshmallows and two cups of tea. The people around here like to bring out something special for “the teachers”.
Mr. Ted Penney has thirteen children living. Gus Penney has eighteen! This came out last night when Pete was extending the family tree he is making. Big families are the order of the day. Ted has his face washed by “his woman” Clara. Brian, Terry and Pauline are three of the schoolchildren in Ted’s family. I “kept mum” about religion whilst Ted spouted forth “the scriptures” (his quote). Pete’s here to go down the School. He calls in on his way down to the School.

Thoughts about the Food
It’s 9.30 p.m. now and I’m just wading through Grade 5 and Grade 6 workbooks. A part of the book said that many Canadians regard pork and beans as their favorite dish. It’s very nice. At first I thought it looks just like a lump of fat with some beans but it’s really very, very tasty. Rita cooks her haricot beans in molasses with the salt pork. The pork is just a lump of fat. Well, it’s just a lump of fat here anyway. My midday meal today was potatoes and tinned meat. Rita bought one small tin, enough for one person and it was spread between all of us here. Mind you, the other day I did have “fresh meat” – big deal! My mouth waters when I think of it! Well, anything is better than the “fish and bruse” I had up at William’s Harbour by kind (?!?!) courtesy of Charlie Larkum. The “bruse” was softish pulverized bread, absolutely unrecognizable as anything like bread of course.
It’s tiring work marking these workbooks. I’m having too many late nights lately. Regardless of kind mocking from Scott who thinks that three hours sleep is enough for anyone! That’s all he says he needs. Well, he sleeps most of the day anyway so it’s not really surprising!
It’s “raining cats and dogs” outside now. The weather changes so very, very quickly in Port Hope. I’ve been told it’s dangerous to go somewhere only wearing the clothes which suit the weather at the time of leaving. In the afternoon or evening a blizzard could easily be blowing and you could be frozen to death. “Unpredictable” is the best word to attach to the weather out here.

7th…Clive’s in. I put the notice board up in School. I’ve been down at Mary Ward’s most of the evening where I had “lunch”. I had my best mid-day meal on record yet: whole chicken with all the trimmings. It was fabulous.

Effects of the weather
Clive’s sleeping in my room tonight in the sleeping bag which I usually put on top of my bed. I put my clothes on my bed tonight, over my four or five sheets including one medium thick blanket. It’s going to be frosty tonight which isn’t surprising because it’s been snowing for most of the day. To be frosty the sky has to be cloud free. Hence when it’s finished snowing the sky often clears up very quickly to give quite a heavy frost. The heaviest frost we’ve had so far produced a three to four inch thickness of ice out on The Bay (seawater). Vic said he isn’t going to Goose. Tony’s coming down. No charter flight. Well…another week of school is coming up.

“Patience is a virtue”.
How very, very true that saying is. I needed it in School today with the kids. It’s all too easy to work oneself into a sweat about something. The Grade 6 kids just hadn’t done the amount of work that I wanted. Mind you, I suppose all kids are the same. I just felt like “Is it all worth it?” today and the answer now is “Yes!” I am pleased to say. There was a good bit of frost last night and today with about two inches or so around the shoreline. The brook that Pete and I have to cross every morning looks very picturesque with the icy water cascading over its icy banks.
Clive went out at about 2.00 p.m. today on Bob’s long liner. He is planning to be in around next weekend to get up to Goose for Christmas. I wonder if we are all going to be able to get on the mail plane. That would depend upon how much mail it’s carrying! There should be a mail plane in very soon now because the planes have taken over the mail service from the boats. So much depends on the weather out here that it cannot be stressed too much. The mail plane schedule is disrupted to an incredible amount by the weather. If The Bay freezes over with only a thin layer of ice then the planes won’t land. They will land, however, if there is an open enough stretch of water which is ice free. Christmas is a particularly difficult time for the planes to get in and out of this place. PHS appears to be cut of from the rest of the world whilst Rexon’s Cove (where Clive is based) can be cut off from PHS!
Oh! I do have some “news”, (please remember, dear reader, that everything is news out here!) Mumps are just beginning to go round the settlement. Jo Ward and Mary Russell were both absent from class today. I also had to send Austen Ward home because he was feeling sick – weak stomach or something. I’ll tell you one thing…it’s very easy for me to get an attack of diarrhoea. I think it must be due to the food I eat. Today, I had a very nice dinner with Clive of chicken, salt beef, carrots, potatoes and gravy with pie for afters. I had pork and beans for supper about an hour ago. The beans were boiled. Scott was in the woods today with George Penney looking for a spot where they can cut firewood. He’s planning to cut enough for winter and haul it out on skidoo.

I felt sorry on the way back from morning school today…9th…because as Claude, Pete and I were walking back here The Springdale came in on its last call. Last boat of the year. It’s a mail boat but it’s not carrying any mail because the mail planes have taken over. The mail plane had to turn back due to engine trouble on its first flight here. It calls at other settlements along the coast too.
Its late evening now and I’ve just come back from Uncle Bob’s and Aunt Edith’s and their son Vic. They are a very nice couple of old people. I’m taking my photographs round to show them tomorrow night. Before visiting, I was down at the ice rink watching a game between the locals. Pete was already there. We’re planning to go off somewhere to learn to skate on one of the ponds. It’s quite easy to get concussed if you fall heavily whilst learning I’ve been told. I’m just going to try to be careful! It was Ben’s birthday today but I didn’t call in without a present. Oh, I nearly forgot. We also called in on Billy Ward to see how he was doing. Apparently, Scott said, he had a stroke. He was complaining of a bad left leg. Psychological or otherwise? Who knows? He was closely related to Aunt Jessie I believe, maybe her son or something. That’s all for now dear reader, goodnight.

Cruising
10th December I’ve just returned from a “cruise” to Uncle Bob, Aunt Edith and Vic’s where I had a pile of bake apples after just mentioning that I loved them! Which is true. They’re scrumptious! Uncle Bob called them “The Labrador Fruit”. I showed them my pictures and left some leaflets with them. We talked about everything and I phoned up Pete from there and he came along at about 9.00 p.m. It came out that salmon had been sold for only three cents a pound! The merchants were the “baddies”. Everybody agreed. Uncle Bob’s family was one of two families who first colonized Rexon’s Cove. Uncle Bob (Russell) and Aunt Edith are two very nice old people, about sixty years of age I should think. Apparently, Sheila Hinchcliffe (ex- V.S.O.), spent a good bit of time with them when Nellie Stone used to lodge there. Nellie taught at the School at the same time that Sheila was out here. Nellie is now married to Bill Larkum and she has gone, or, very shortly is going to St. Anthony’s Hospital for maternal reasons. Ha!
I also went down to the rink because some of my kids were playing. They went down after I had kept some of them in for not knowing their tables well enough. I have just finished a week of testing them.
I’ve just returned from a “cruise” to Mrs. Jim Sampson’s where I stayed all evening. Pete was down at the rink. He said he was going to watch the hockey which was very rough apparently. I called in on Stephen and Sandra Cook at about 10.00 p.m. on my way back just when they were feeding their quiz team with hot dogs – an opportune moment! I had a nice snack there and then came down to bed. It then started snowing at about 10.45 p.m. I wonder how thick (“tick”) it will be in this morning. I battened myself down and walked home with my photographs and guide book of Exmouth. The people here seem to really like me coming into their homes and showing them my photographs and pictures. I call it “some good fun” too. It’s really very nice to just go into somebody’s house (whom you are already acquainted with beforehand of course) and spend an hour or two just talking and picking up lots of news about things.
Mrs. Sampson’s son, Aubrie, was recently suspended from School for five days and he didn’t return to see Claude. Mrs. Sampson is victimizing Claude who, from what I know of him, is doing a good, worthwhile job.

Tidying up the place?
We’ve just got a garbage can to put outside the School. Maybe it will be used. It’s ingrained into the people here to drop their litter anywhere. Maybe the garbage can will have some effect? Only time will tell.
There was no mail plane today and I’ve heard that there won’t be one tomorrow either!!! The mail service is “something shocking”. Pete said that he had heard on the radio that a hovercraft was going to operate along the coast starting in March next year. That probably means March 1971 knowing the speed at which things get down around here!

Supper
12th…I’m just waiting for it at 5.40 p.m. It looks as if we’ve got chips and salt fish. Good old fish and chips. Well, another week has gone by. It always seems to be Thursday or Friday out here! Time certainly flies by.
I think I forgot to mention that Scott put down some “canvas” (lino) two days ago. He wasn’t in the woods today because of the snow that is thawing which also makes it very difficult to stand upright. Pete slips all over the place in his $28 mountie boots (he was done!) and I find it very easy to land on my bum! I’ll describe my walk or slide to School in the mornings.

Morning Walk to School
I leave this house at about 9.15 a.m. or thereabouts depending upon whether or not Pete is early or late. We walk down and often meet Claude, Ed Osman and Stephen Cook. The latter two we pass going in the opposite direction to the Pentecost School. I navigate the frozen bog down by Edgar Hicks’s store and then get on to the icy road. After about thirty yards I come to a fairly steep part of the road with a drop of about six feet within twenty yards and manage to get down onto the level part of the road. So far I have also crossed one of the two bridges to get to School. The first bridge doesn’t have any water running under it. I walk along the road until I come to the second bridge, passed the generator house and turn off the road to School. The whole walk only takes about four to five minutes, that’s all.
School went well today. I find it great. Teaching is a job with a lot of ”ups and downs”, like any job I suppose. I don’t think that I could get a better teaching practice than I am getting out here. I ‘ll go through what the “typical lesson” is like, if you can ever have on that is!

Typical Lesson
First of all I give out the work for the lesson which involves a good deal of detailed explanation to the particular Grade I’m with. I have to tell the other two Grades to find some work to be getting on with whilst they are waiting for me. By rights, I think I should first give out the work to Grade 4 but very often it doesn’t work out like that. Grade 4 takes the longest time for explanation so I often start giving out work to Grade 5 who will otherwise get restless like any of them do. Anyways, I’ll work through the three Grades in that way, jumping back and forth from Grade to Grade when one of the children will say “I can’t do it teacher, sir!”
By the time I have given work to all three Grades the first Grade has very often almost finished and I still have the homework to mark and more homework to give out. I’ll go round and work over the homework with those children whom I feel need it more than the others. I check, or try very hard to check-up on every piece of homework I give out. By the time I have checked homework I still have the homework for the same night to explain and “give out”, in other words tell them where to find it in their books. The above “typical lesson” has evolved and gets mixed up quite a bit but I suppose that is the best description I can give of my “typical lesson”!
Midnight is right now and I have been cruising around with Pete and Clive. Clive came in today from Rexon’s Cove to catch the mail plane up to Goose for Christmas. He’s knocked off school a week earlier than “we”. Apparently he will make it up later on Saturdays.

Fighting
Bill Larkum was thrown out of the restaurant after he’d been in an ugly fight with Merv Kippenhuck. He was badly cut and bruised. Nellie Larkum (Stone) who is expecting a baby was worried about Bill. The people in PHS don’t like the people in Rexon’s Cove and vice versa. Bill had been drinking and so had the others I expect who had been involved in the fight. After drinking, too much fighting breaks out in this place – ignorant participants. I am steering well clear and so is Pete.
Tonight we cruised from Scott’s to Uncle Bob’s to Vic’s to Ben and Ursie’s. The latter was by far the nicest where Ursie gave us a smashing lunch. They are a wonderful family who are much more sensible than many people I have met her, very nice people who make this place so nice.

13th…It’s 12.55 p.m. and I am writing this by the light of my oil lamp that is on a chair by my bed. I’ve just returned from an all-evening cruise to Jesse Russell’s (wife of Hayward Russell, mother of Neta, Harvey, Joy and Marian.) She has promised me a bottle of bake apples to take home with me and a mat made from bit and pieces, called a “Raggymething” I think, or something like that. I enjoyed it up there a lot. I had a great feed of bake apples for my lunch and entertained the kids with ordinary tricks of the hand and others. They are another very nice family. The people here are marvellous. I feel so much at home here it’s unbelievable.
Clive’s mail plane wasn’t in today. The weather was dirty up at Goose and all flights were grounded. I scrapped old paint off the School sign and with Pete put the first coat of fresh paint on. We’ll do the letters later. I am closing for tonight. I should have been asleep hours ago. Oh well, a nice lie-in tomorrow, or rather today.

Reading and Having Faith
I’ve just finished reading “The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck to Scott from page 101 to the beginning of Chapter Thirteen, page 112. This is a very good book and Scott enjoys it almost as much as myself:
“And here’s a story you can hardly believe, but it’s true, and it’s funny and beautiful. There was a family of twelve and they were forced off their land. They had no car. They built a trailer out of junk and loaded it with their possessions. They pulled it to the side of 66 and waited. And pretty soon a sedan picked them up. Five of them rode in the sedan and seven on the trailer, and a dog on the trailer. They got to California in two jumps. The man who pulled them fed them. And that’s true. But how can such courage be, and such faith in their own species? Very few things would teach such faith.
The people in flight from the terror behind – strange things happen to them, some bitterly cruel and some so beautiful that the faith is refined forever.” P112
There is a lot to meditate on in this book. For example, Chapter 11, pages 106-107, my own translation poor or otherwise:
The man who has sold himself to work land is a poorer man, in moral and material terms, than the man who owns and works his own land.
I agree with that almost fundamental and nearly primitive ideology if you like. I think Will has read that book, whilst he was in America maybe? If you don’t believe or have faith in God then you force yourself to have faith in the goodness of people. You have to try and forget about “Man’s Inhumanity to Man”.

Back to earth dear reader…
It’s blowing a storm today. It wasn’t very pleasant getting over to Church either. There was a congregation of ten, with Claude, the lay preacher, preaching. I found it rather funny listening to and maybe helping with the singing. The organ doesn’t work which meant no music. I go to “Church” because I am sure the parents like to see “teacher” there. Pete and Clive didn’t come. There isn’t anymore news except there’s a meeting tomorrow about the shocking mail plane service.
I feel like another member of the family and I felt deeply, for the first time, that I’d like to come back here to Port Hope after Teacher’s Training. I wonder?

I went with Scott on his skidoo up to Harold Rumbolt’s tonight, 15th, to try and get a piston for his power saw. It was great fun. Over the past two days we’ve had about two feet of snow with drifting in places due to high winds. I was over at Mrs. Ward’s with Pete and Clive and I also went down to Ursie’s and read to John – a great family. There was a meeting tonight, which I didn’t go to, about the mail plane. I didn’t go because I am not out here long enough to worry about it. I wonder what was decided? Claude was asked by Edgar to call the meeting. Otherwise not much news. School went OK. With mumps going round there were only seventeen kids in. Signing off, I want to do some reading.

Having Fun in the Snow
16th…It’s still snowing outside like it’s been for the past three days. I wonder how much longer it can keep on snowing? It just seems like it will never stop. The wind is causing the snow to drift quite a bit. I’ve been up to my knees in the stuff on more than one occasion. The kids outside the School were just diving headlong into the snow mounds and Douglas was tunneling through it this morning. I’ve only just returned from the School where I had to keep some kids behind for talking and for copying each other’s work. School is going along fine.

Putting Christmas Decorations Up in the School
Damn it! I have to go back over to decorate it after supper. Well, I haven’t got to go but I will. At the meeting last night they decided to send a telegram of complaint to E.P.A. about the mail service. The phones are also “out” here. (The Bell Telephone plane will be in before too long, maybe I’ll go up to Goose on it.) Clive’s still in here feeling very self- conscious I fancy. I know I’d feel guilty if I was him. The floor in this house where I am staying is very cold. You can’t put your feet on the floor first thing in the morning – it’s that cold! My feet feel rather cold at the moment as I lie here on my bed.
It’s 10.00 p.m. and I’ve just come back from the School where I’ve been with Pete, Clive and Claude putting up Christmas decorations. Clive and I also had a game of football and rugby in Pete’s classroom after moving some of the desks over to one side. It was a good bit of exercise and great fun. I returned home and just finished “Grapes of Wrath” for the moment. Another quote worth noting I think is,
“the quality of owning freezes you for ever into “I” and, cuts you off for ever from the “we”.
In this settlement there is a community spirit which is marred by the business men here: Edgar Hicks, Bart Penney, Ray Hiscock, Billy Parr and Sam Penney. An actual example of what I mean is the dam that Bart and Ted Penney built on a brook near to the School. From what I can gather, a good many people on the plant get their water from this brook. Their supply would be cut off if the dam was built. This dam was pulled down one night last week by some of the people here. I call it a good job because Ted and Bart should have run a thorough survey of local opinion before trying to get running water just for their own houses. Bart and Ted had allowed for water to still come down the brook below the dam but in winter this diminished supply would freeze completely thus preventing a good many people from getting water for both drinking and washing.
When it’s cold here it’s really cold!
I have to be careful when I am walking because it’s very easy to go up to your knees in the snow. With the strong wind blowing the snow has drifted to three and four feet in places. Even across the road there are two foot drifts. In addition to the drifting, the skidoos have moulded the snow covering the road into a wave like motion. In those parts of the road that run parallel to the water’s edge it is quite difficult to move along.

17th…put the base of Santa’s sleigh together over at the School, finished about 10.00 p.m., no plane today.

18th…I’ve just returned from Mrs. Ward’s, where Pete stays, after chatting with Pete and Clive. Clive’s in a bad state about the mail plane that is supposed to come in tomorrow. We’ve been without a mail service since 28th November I believe. E.P.A. in Goose have given feeble excuses why they didn’t call at PHS. One of them being, “There’s too much mail for PHS!” To my mind it looks as if E.P.A. can do just about what they like with people here. I think there will be too much thin ice on the Bay for the plane to pitch here tomorrow. And Clive won’t be able to get out. If the plane comes in on Saturday I’ll be going up to Goose on it with Pete and Clive which should be a jolly escapade if it comes off. Nothing tried nothing ventured.

Walking on Water!
The weather has been much clearer for two days now and for the first time, Claude, Pete and me walked across the ice from the School to Edgar’s store. It was considerably quicker than walking the roundabout way along the road although, mind you, it was slightly nerve racking walking across the ice that was cracking and groaning as you moved. We got across safely. The ice was quite thick, about fourteen inches I should say but that’s only a guess going by the depth of the water I happen to know. The ice forms mounds in places where it has heaved up and buckled due to expansion.

Keeping Warm
I really have to button-up against the cold because it gets through small holes or openings very easily. For instance, when I was walking along the road last night with the top button of my Parka undone it felt as if I didn’t have anything on underneath. In fact I had my Shetland wool jumper, shirt and vest! By the way, I’m not wearing my long johns yet! I don’t think I’ll need to either with the over-trousers I have. When I have them and my parka on it’s like walking about in a sleeping bag, no worries. In really cold weather I need a couple of jumpers on under my Parka up to now. So far, that’s only been on one occasion.
Well we break-up for Christmas tomorrow, 19th. Today we were putting up the School’s decorations. It was quite enjoyable although the children and Claude didn’t realize that we were still in school. There would have been a riot on our hands if we had let the kids do what they wanted. I found it was just a case of making sure they had plenty of jobs to do…drawing, sticking things up, making paper chains or sleighs or lanterns or whatever. I’ve got a great bunch of kids when they are busy, like any children I suppose! A lot of work has to be put in to make Christmas decorations. It takes along time to do what apparently looks like a small amount of work. I think the School should look very nice by the time we’ve finished.

19th…Pete and Clive went out on the mail plane today. I’m very glad I didn’t miss the last day of school because there was a real Christmas spirit in the air. I’ve just come back from making the Christmas sleigh and it should look OK when it’s finished with the gift paper. Someone has to put in a lot of work into making Christmas decorations!
The mail plane brought a lovely pile of mail today with my pay-cheques (two together.)

20th…I was feeling rather “lonesome” today I think. After going down to Ben and Ursie’s late this evening I felt much better. I don’t know what it is. Anyway…today down at the School I finished the Santa sled and space ship for the parade that is coming off tomorrow, weather allowing. It’s been snowing today and still is at this moment. A “wet snow” is falling that is rather unpleasant. I drew a Santa Claus and painted it with “Red Fire” enamel paint. I’ve just stuck it on my bedroom wall.
Pete was unkind leaving the family he’s staying with because he is “somebody different” to them and he kept their evenings short. It’s very easy for time to drag by out here.

21st…I’ve just come back from Ben’s (at midnight) after having spent the evening cruising around. It’s very nice being welcomed everywhere I go. I hope to go up to Goose on Wednesday’s mail plane. To catch it, I just have to be ready for it at any time, that’s just how it is. Nobody here has much forewarning about its arrival. The Bay is frozen over past the pier now so I expect the plane will land on skis when it comes.

Parade
We had the school parade today at 2.30 p.m. and it went very well. The only mishap was that the top of the moon rocket fell off en route because I hadn’t fastened it on securely enough. Anyway, it was good fun and I took some photographs of the gay occasion. There should have been more children there than were present. The majority of my class were there but very few of Pete’s kids came along. Maybe they were too small because the snow was too deep in places. Tonight I went up to my waist in the stuff because I missed the path! One good thing about the snow is that it’s very soft to land on! The last piece of news is that “The Springdale” is due in tomorrow! This is its last trip. I wonder if it will get through the ice OK. I expect so because it’s only three or four inches in most places.

Boxing Day
Sorry about the gap in this diary but this book has been packed away in my overnight bag that is all ready to take to Goose. Well, what’s happened?

“The Play”, “The Time” and “The Show”
I gave up a chance of a free trip to Deer Lake with the Light and Power men because I didn’t think I would be able to get back in time for start of School. Actually, there are a good few houses in this settlement now with electricity but that doesn’t include our School! At The Play over at the School, I collected $40 at 50c. per head, 25c. per schoolchild. After the Play there was a “Time”, on Christmas Eve that was all good fun. I’ve given Christmas presents to people here. I’ve been given, three pairs of socks from Mary Russell, Ursie and Clan and Scott and Co. Two handkerchiefs from Uncle Bob and Aunt Edith and one tie from Mrs. Ward and Co. The mail plane is sadly overdue. When it comes it will land on the ice now. I cleared wood for Ben today and helped him get some water. Two days ago I cleared a pile of wood for this house. Scott and Claude have gone to Mary’s Harbour. I suppose I have had an enjoyable Christmas here. I am glad I didn’t miss it. The weather is intensely cold at –15 degrees Fahrenheit last night! Regular brass monkey weather I call it. The water froze on my Parka and over-trousers today as it splashed from Ben’s water barrel whilst I was transferring the drinking water from one barrel to the other!
I’m writing now up at Wince Clark’s. If the going is good we are off on his dog team tomorrow, 29th up the road. It should be great fun. I’ve just come down from Stephen Cook’s where I’ve been for most of the evening. Stan Penney, Mildred Russell, Wince and Doreen and the two kids are here. I’ve just had supper here including bake apples for second course and I had dinner at Stephen’s which was most definitely an English dinner! I think Sandra must cook it in a different way. Ivan Coish came in yesterday from Mary’s Harbour and Claude got his new skidoo. I believe they have gone out back today.
I was at my first “Show” last night, called “Gun Fury” with Rock Hudson as the hero. It was a good old – fashioned western. The whole affair was 1950’ish I should say. I think I can say it was the best Western I’ve been to because the theatre itself was just like the ones you see in the films. I was sitting with about fifty others on wooden benches and the film was shown against a white cloth strung up from one wall.

Trip on the Dog - Team
The names of Wince’s dogs are, Prince, Flurt, Frisk, Jill, Busker, Trot and Happy. 29th…It was a fabulous trip on the dog – team, with Wince, which lasted for about an hour or so. We went up the High Road as far as the “Drum Barker” (de- barker for the logs when Bowaters was here) and then came back. It was the best trip I have ever made in my life because it was great fun hanging on and it wasn’t unsafe even when we were careering down the “down grade” parts of the road. I took some photographs and Wince took one of me being dragged along by the dogs which happened when I slipped as I was holding them and off they went! We left Wince’s house at about 1.30 p.m., starting off with the dogs going under Sam’s house (Sam Kippenhuck’s house is nearby, about forty yards from Winston Clarke’s.) I put the harness on the last dog which Wince held after he’d done the six others. These seven dogs were put in their traces and were controlled just by word – of – mouth from Wince, their master. “Uk” is the word used to turn to the right and “Ada” is used to mean turn to the left. Wince didn’t even have to bawl at them because he is their master. Mind you, the team would have been much better with a leader and another two dogs. Wince said Happy (Charlie Ward’s dog now with Wince) was useless. Today’s ride was an experience I’ll never forget with those huskies heaving away ahead of the komatik and yours truly hanging on to the few ropes strung across the sledge. Lying on these ropes was a chain that Wince held in his hand whilst we were moving. He just jangled it to get harder work from his dogs. It worked too. Those huskies know whose boss and they like their master. I hope their will be more trips with the dogs to come. I was also cracking or trying to crack the dog – whip that, incidentally, Wince didn’t take with him. “Practice makes perfect” are the only words needed when I talk about using a fifteen foot dog – whip! When used properly by Wince it cracks to give just about the same noise as you get from a .303 rifle being fired. That would certainly give somebody “some big cut!” Wince gave me a small lighter as a souvenir and also today Aunt Maude Burden gave me a cushion cover to add to my collection of oddments.

A Poor New Year’s Eve
Just spent what I would call a poor New Year’s Eve. Well, I suppose it could have been worse. I was down at the restaurant. Just signed my December pay cheque over to Scott and Rita that will cover payment for November and December OK.