Archive for the ‘Egmont and Egmonsters’ Category

The Egmont Heritage Centre website has a new photo gallery.

When you finish your hike to and from the Skookumchuck Rapids stop by the Egmont Heritage Centre for a glimpse into the history of Egmont and the surrounding area. There is a great display of Vivian and Easthope engines, fishing and logging equipment, Native history, a bottle display and lovely depression glass.

Be sure to look for my little blue May Day dress which I wore at the Egmont May Day Celebration many, many years ago. I’m also very proud to say my Mom’s spelling test with 100% is on the school desk! My Dad’s boat the ‘Maryann W’ is depicted in the mural which you will see immediately upon entering the main door. Emily Gray painted the mural and when you look at the picture on the EHC webpage the totem pole actually looks as if it’s standing in front of the mural.

I’m very proud of the EHC which houses so much of my family history and Kent and I volunteer as often as possible. I’ve only touched the tip of the iceberg here, but I’ll be happy to walk around the museum with you, pointing out various family members and their contribution to our unique community of Egmont.

I AM AN EGMONSTER!

Sunday morning, Pop and I loaded his pickup with the accumulation of supplies he bought over the winter months and headed to Egmont. As we drove toward Vancouver, the North Shore mountains appeared in the high clouds - covered in new snow. Snow glistened off the roofs of houses high on the mountainside, making them stand out. When were those houses built? I hadn’t noticed them until the bright snow made them ultra visible.

The ferry was on time and we were in the wheel chair lane so loaded second which is great when you want to get to the cafeteria before the huge lines! I bought lunch for us and we ate in the truck.

Since I changed our plans to leave home Sunday instead of Monday, the Sechelt income tax office was closed. Pop said, “That’s one of the reasons I planned our trip for Monday instead of Sunday”. Ya, well, it’s not ALL about you Pop, I didn’t say, but that’s how I felt. I love Pop dearly and would do just about anything to make his life smooth - at nearly 95 he deserves that I think!!! He likes to make plans and stick with them but he knows Kent and I are absolutely certain to change his plans at the last minute. I always try to accomodate his plans, Kent’s plans, Crystal’s plans and my own, and they don’t always jive, so I’m flexible and ‘work it out’. I explained to him the hours Crystal is working this week together with her school schedule and how it is more important ‘WE’ fit her schedule so she doesn’t have to take time off to give me a ride home, from whatever location I return to.

At this point, I didn’t know if I’d take the bus home, get Pop to drive me to the ferry in Langdale or if I might happen to catch a ride with someone.

We stopped for gas then groceries (again with Pop ‘mentioning’ how if we’d traveled on Monday the liquor store and the bank would have been open). I got out to put the scooter lift down for Pop while he struggled with his seatbelt, the door, his cane and the cat. As opened the door to stand up, the damn cat darted out and ran. I set my purse in the bed of the pickup and went after him. Poor little Sylvester knew immediately he was in a strange place and looked for somewhere to hide. I tried to stay calm and talk to him while Pop stood and watched and worried. I could hear someone in the distance say, ‘Oh, look at the cat!” Sylvester led me around the IGA building, just out of reach, running each time I got close. I lunged for his tail when he was under a table and I didn’t let go. I had to pull him backwards, but got him, scolded him and carried his shivering little body back to the truck.

Pop had his scooter down by this time and he suggested I go get started on the shopping. Okay then, I grabbed a shopping cart and headed in to do my duty. 3 minutes in to the store, I realized I didn’t have my purse. WTF? I’m never that careless to leave it in the vehicle, but I knew I’d locked the truck doors and the parking lot was nearly empty. This was Madeira Park, you know - an area where the only thieves who’d steal anything are the crows. I turned to go back outside and there was Pop right behind me on his scooter with my purse in his basket. He’d noticed it in the back of the pickup and brought it to me. I was amazed! Nope, life wasn’t all about him at all - he’d saved my bacon when I least expected it. Thanks Pop!

25 minutes and we were ‘home’. I unlocked the gate, let Sylvester out of the truck, with Pop saying, “I wouldn’t have let him out until we got up to the house”. Cats are smart - heck, I think he’d have found his way to Pop’s all the way from Madeira Park if I’d left him… Actually, I wouldn’t have left him. I’d have waited him out and told Pop that which. Anyway… Sylvester beat us to the door of the house.

I unpacked the truck while Pop unloaded his scooter and went to the service building to turn on the water. Everything looked great around the house - inside and out. The grass is growing and will need cutting soon. The rhodos and lilacs are budding, the foxgloves I planted last year are growing like weeds and of course the weeds are growing fastest of all.

Pop and I worked for an hour unpacking and putting away. Pop makes good use of the scooter and has a system for unloading. He lifts whatever bags or boxes he can handle onto the scooter bed and rides the stuff to the porch or the picnic table and unloads. At 95 minus 2 months, he more than pulls his weight! Finally we had most of his goods put away and he said, “Well, I think we’ll be ready for a drink in another hour”. I said, “I don’t think I’m waiting another hour!”

I threw a yam in the oven to bake and Pop fried us a T-bone steak. By 8 o’clock I was ready for bed, thinking I’d read for an hour or so. I hit the pillow and my lights went out - for 12 hours. I woke 4 or 5 times through the night, as is usual for me, but it felt good to be back in Egmont!

This was one of our projects at Egmont. Looks like a lot of work, but with 11 of us working together it took about 12 hours to build the woodshed, saw the logs, split the blocks, stack the wood and clean up and rake the ground. Many hands made light work!

(You may click on the picture to enlarge it - sorry it’s so dark - but that’s British Columbia for you in December mid afternoon…)

Well, actually it was backbreaking work and we were all very tired on New Year’s Eve - everyone but me stayed up til midnight. I only made it through 2 bottles of champagne and I was out (and missed dinner) - darn - I feel as though 2008 hasn’t even arrived yet…

We’re off to Egmont today, to do the annual clean-up of Pop’s property.

Graeme and Lise, Mike and Tracy, Sean and Lee-Ann, and Jill, Jon and Spencer will all be with us. Don’t worry - we won’t work the entire time!!!

See you in a week or so…

Happy New Year!

Pop phoned me Sunday evening to say he was still alive and well. His electricity was out 4 days and the phone was out 6 days so I’ve been just a little concerned about his well-being! I knew my cousin Billy and his girlfriend Mo were around and would let me know (somehow) if Pop needed me to come get him.

The storm took down over 90 trees on the Egmont Road and the power and phone lines were down in many places. Pop said the winds were 100 miles an hour - a hurricane like he’s never seen before in Egmont. The water between his point and Captain Island was being whipped up into the air like foam. His new metal roof survived but he said it was rattling in one corner as though it was going to fly off. There’s an area where the wind pulled it loose and it will need a bit of repair, but overall it withstood the storm the way it should.

The shop didn’t fare as well, with 4 metal panels being torn off. Pop has found 3 of them but the 4th is a mystery. Perhaps Kent or I will be able to find it if it’s on the beach or in the brush. The shop door was also damaged - the bolts were torn right out as the wind pummeled it. It will need some major repairs.

Oh, and a tree top broke off near the house and scraped the porch. Pop said it was a tree Auntie Alice gave Mom years ago and it had grown quite tall. He said Mom was just letting him know she was nearby!

The woodshed roof blew off but Pop repaired that already - he needs his dry wood to keep the fire going when the power goes out again.

The net shed, which has been awfully rickety for the last few years, came down as well. We expected that, unfortunately, and Kent and I moved most of the fishing equipment from it in August and stored it in another, safer shed. There were still lots of nets and heavy ropes stored in it and hopefully they will tangle on the rocks and remain until we can rescue them. Pop said he saw the white door floating in the bay but he can’t go get it.

The floats were okay as he and Billy put another line on them just the day before - luckily.

Pop needs a few groceries and plans to go to Pender Harbour tomorrow if the weather holds - although now snow is in the forecast! He wants to stay in Egmont until the end of the month. We’ll go get him the minute he says he’s ready, but for now I think he’s enjoying being there with Sylvester to keep him company.