I recently was visiting with Gus in Switzerland on his 90th birthday, and as we so often do we were reminiscing about the early days on the farm. We were talking about the hardships of winter on the farm before the road and central heating.
I had asked Gus to tell me about any times they fell through the ice on their winter journeys to Sicamous to deliver goods or purchase supplies. Gus told me that they often travelled with the neighboring farm family, the Wood's, to provide greater safety. The Woods had years of experience on the lake and could read the ice better than the newcomers. One of the safety measures they learned from the Woods family was to walk on the ice carrying long poles. If one was to fall through the ice holding the pole perpendicular to the hole it could assist in getting out of the lake.
Gus told me about one crossing where the families allowed themselves to be fooled by the ice. They had stopped in the middle of the lake for a rest when Gus suggested that they measure the thickness of the ice. It was 10 inches thick. They decided then that they could continue on without their poles and left them in a pile beside the ice measuring hole. They stopped again to speak with neighbors in front of the CPR hotel. They were enjoying catching up on each other's news when Gus's foot fell through the ice. They quickly discovered the ice was very thin the closer they came to shore and decided to head back and pick up their poles.
circa 1940s. The view of the lake captured by ice from Gus's house.
The young farmers were not so fortunate on another occasion when Eddy feel through the ice in "Berger Bay". This was the bay where the Neilson house once stood and it had extensive orchards surrounding it. It was purchased by the Lea and Louie Berger and they were living there when the accident occurred.
Eddy and Gus were not far from shore when Eddy fell through the ice. The ice was too thin for Gus to approach him to pull him out. Eddy was not able to secure a hold on the ice as it kept breaking away. Finally Eddy broke the ice in front of him and headed to shore. Gus went back to the shore and broke the ice as best he could to make a path to the dock. Gus said that when Eddy finally got out of the lake and onto the beach his clothes instantly froze to him. It was a short walk to the Bergers where he slowly warmed up.
"Berger Bay"
Even today we are not without winter adventures, but involving travel on the road, not the lake. Road maintenance has improved over the years but there is still times that the drive into town is a challenge. One of the more infamous stories is once when Eddy had to clear 7 snow avalanches that were across the road in order to get us to school. I have never encountered that with my family but we have declared "snow days" and stayed home from work and school. While Eddy was alive he would not only snow plow his own driveway but much on the main road as well as a service to his neighbors. There is no doubt that a machine is required to clear away the snow. In what I call our "seasons of loss" we have found that snow removal by hand is impossible, even with the reduced precipitation.
circa 1940s. Eddy and Gus attempting to remove a mountain of snow by hand, once again demonstrating the need for youth and good health when farming.
I had asked Gus to tell me about any times they fell through the ice on their winter journeys to Sicamous to deliver goods or purchase supplies. Gus told me that they often travelled with the neighboring farm family, the Wood's, to provide greater safety. The Woods had years of experience on the lake and could read the ice better than the newcomers. One of the safety measures they learned from the Woods family was to walk on the ice carrying long poles. If one was to fall through the ice holding the pole perpendicular to the hole it could assist in getting out of the lake.
Gus told me about one crossing where the families allowed themselves to be fooled by the ice. They had stopped in the middle of the lake for a rest when Gus suggested that they measure the thickness of the ice. It was 10 inches thick. They decided then that they could continue on without their poles and left them in a pile beside the ice measuring hole. They stopped again to speak with neighbors in front of the CPR hotel. They were enjoying catching up on each other's news when Gus's foot fell through the ice. They quickly discovered the ice was very thin the closer they came to shore and decided to head back and pick up their poles.
The young farmers were not so fortunate on another occasion when Eddy feel through the ice in "Berger Bay". This was the bay where the Neilson house once stood and it had extensive orchards surrounding it. It was purchased by the Lea and Louie Berger and they were living there when the accident occurred.
Eddy and Gus were not far from shore when Eddy fell through the ice. The ice was too thin for Gus to approach him to pull him out. Eddy was not able to secure a hold on the ice as it kept breaking away. Finally Eddy broke the ice in front of him and headed to shore. Gus went back to the shore and broke the ice as best he could to make a path to the dock. Gus said that when Eddy finally got out of the lake and onto the beach his clothes instantly froze to him. It was a short walk to the Bergers where he slowly warmed up.
Even today we are not without winter adventures, but involving travel on the road, not the lake. Road maintenance has improved over the years but there is still times that the drive into town is a challenge. One of the more infamous stories is once when Eddy had to clear 7 snow avalanches that were across the road in order to get us to school. I have never encountered that with my family but we have declared "snow days" and stayed home from work and school. While Eddy was alive he would not only snow plow his own driveway but much on the main road as well as a service to his neighbors. There is no doubt that a machine is required to clear away the snow. In what I call our "seasons of loss" we have found that snow removal by hand is impossible, even with the reduced precipitation.
Today on my frozen winter walk,
the sweet smell of horse manure, only now released,
as spring starts it’s slow thaw.
An intensely comforting smell,
like my grandmother, or my father’s acrid pipe tobacco on wool.
That type of smell, not pleasant, but unfolding a memory,
of a horse’s quiet stillness, and the rhythm of being carried on a forest trail.
I wonder what else will be revealed under the covers of old snow?
There are many truths there, remnants of the seasons past.
Like life itself a mixture of the intensely beautiful and the horrific.
It takes courage to face all of that without turning away in disgust.
To keep your eyes steady, accepting what is.
Aware that your walk is on a thin skim of ice, under that waves of water,
wanting to sweep you away, to death, or life.
Make no mistake that each breath is precious, and the desire is strong.
Yes, the rush of spring will bring all of this to us.
Welcome.
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