Snowbirds (feathered)

Large flock of snowbirds have arrived in the area with their brown and white plumage.  Heron still at the lake. 

July 6, 1899

From Bob Lyon's book, Touring the Past, A guide to Old mines, ghost towns and historic sites of North Hasting.  Quoted from Bancroft Times.
    A woman evangelist in an address the other day said: 'There is a man in this house who is untrue to his wife.  I am going to throw this hymn book at him.'  She raised the book as if she was going to thrown it, and every man but one ducked his head to avoid the book.  Then she blistered the dodgers and lauded the one true man.  It was afterwards learned that he was deaf and dumb.

Just to pick berries!

The following story, by Doreen (Townsend) Oakes, was recorded by Valerie Smith in her book, Harcourt's Sons and Daughters (2003).  This is surely true, but still incredible, since very few people these days would ever think of this 'journey' to get berries.
     "Every summer was a busy time doing down preserves.  We picked strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, rhubarb and cranberries.  A lot of time we found raspberries and blueberries on vacant farms and in areas where there had been previous log cuts.  Sometimes we left at dawn (from Harcourt), walked to Elephant Lake, took the row boat across Elephant Lake, up the York River to Benoir Lake, walked up the hill to Mason Farm, picked raspberries and blackberries.  We would  carry the heavy buckets back down the hill to the shores of Benoir Lake, pile into the boat and Dad would row the boat back down the lake system to Elephant Lake.  We would wearily pile out of the boat, get our buckets and walk all the way back home.  We would not get back until dinner time at night."

Power outage

If power is lost, Hydro One has a great hotline, 800-434-1235.  When you give your phone number, they can detail the number of residents without power and an estimated time of repair.  Very good service.

Ripples or riffles?

The narrows between Elephant Lake and Baptiste Lake is a well known area in the late winter since snowmobiles cross over an extended length of open water for excitement.
    Some people believe it is called the "Ripples".  But actually, historical maps and descriptions call it the "Riffles". 
     In the book Touring The Past, by Bob Lyons, he mentions a family moving to the "Riffles" in 1929 to try farming, but no roads.  And, one of the children "got some schooling by walking the four miles to 'the north school' at Highland Grove."  Could that have been along a concession road that is now called Clarke Rd?  But before there was a road?

Moose results

The one week of hunting moose with guns has resulted, in our area, of one bull calf and one adult bull being harvested.  Although the hunters reported many cows with calf, there were no tags available for them.  One bull moose tag was not filled.
     One large bear was reported in the area.
    Two weeks of hunting for deer start the first Monday in November.

Smart students, smarter teacher

This reference comes from Harcourt's Sons and Daughters.  Don Outram outlines an incident, early 1960's,  recorded by Valerie Smith.
    "Don recalls at one time they had a Miss Bierworth from Bancroft come to teach them.  She had a unique way to discipline certain classroom misbehaviour.  It appears each spring one student or the other would pick some wild leeks and bring them to school.  As Don recalls, "if you ate the leeks your breath would smell terrible, so the teacher would make you take your desk and workbook out in the hall.  Sometimes half the room would be out there.  One of the boys tried this trick on Miss Bierworth.  It did not work.  She went to her desk, pulled out a paper bag and took out a hand full of leeks.  She ate a piece and then passed the bag around to the rest of us to eat.  No one tried that trick again."

                    (Perhaps more meetings should have leeks available in the spring.)