Birch Lake -The Fire Tower: Chapter 4 of 4
Photo (Web) Fire towers in the early years were flimsy wooden affairs. Over the summer of 1944, dad took a job with the Saskatchewan Forest Service as an observer at one of the hundreds of fire towers that had been erected throughout Northern Saskatchewan, this one above is similar to the one dad worked near Meadow Lake. After that one summer, we often returned to Meadow Lake for the yearly Stampede.
Spring, 1944
Mom repeatedly called: “Hoo hoo, Harold, where are you? Hoo hoo, Haarooold.” There was no answer and she was more than worried. At three and a half, I was always running around outside playing, but when mom hadn’t heard me for a while she went out to see what I was doing. She knew that dad was in the bush cutting wood and sometimes he would take me along, but would always tell mom first. She probably thought I was into some kind of mischief that would not be far off the mark for a three-year-old.
Mothers! So trusting of their little boys!
The full story, including this Chapter, is now in book form;
This Book is available from
Kindle Direct Publishing
Book 2 -Trails North an and West: The Pioneer Way 1824-2024 is now available from Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) You can search by book title or author name. A preview of the first seventeen pages is provided (link on bottom left on the KDP order page). The preview also includes the Table of Contents.
Note: When ordering four or fewer books, they will be printed and shipped within Canada. An order of 5 or more books may be printed and shipped from the United States. Postage is included in the purchase price when ordering from either country.
If you are thinking of sending books as gifts to others, you may consider having those books mailed directly to the recipient(s), by Amazon, at time of ordering. In this way, you would avoid Canada Post fees which currently run about $20.00 (plus tax) for one or two books, if enclosed in a single mailer.
For more background information on the story, go to the lead story on this blog.
Cheers,
Harold
Link to Next Post: Martineau River Logging Camp (Beginning of Part II)
Link to Last Post: A Place in the Sun
Link to Family Stories Index
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Tags: Dave McNeill, Elizabeth Dewan, Harold McNeill, Irene McNeill, Joyce Hayden, Laura McNeill, Meadow Lake , Tonnie Wheeler
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Comments (2)
What great stories! So many names you mention ,I remember my dad talking about. He was very good friends with Marge and Albert. He used to talk about Irene lots. When we moved back from Powell River in 1956 we lived in Tart Dewan’s old log house for 2 years until dad got lumber from logging on the island to build new. I remember dad taking me to what he called the Dave McNeill place to see where he and mom lived when they were first married. It was a very beautiful yard site. You speak of your dad looking for his place in the sun. Well my dad must have gone to BC looking for that too however he hated the rain so came back to Sask. to eek out a meagre living on the rocks of Birch Lake. However I have good memories there. I used to ride my horse like the wind and spent many days riding checking cows and sheep on the island. Don’t know if I would have wanted it and different.