Due to failing health, Dad was unable to continue writing, but extracted a firm promise from us to continue and finish his autobiography.
All through 2006, his condition worsened. He was re-admitted to hospital where there appeared nothing could be done.
During this period of hospitalization, Dad attained his 100th birthday. On June 4th the Cavalry Temple church honoured him at a special service. He was taken there by special transport. There was a slide show with pictures of him all through his life with his favourite music as a background to the show. He was presented with a plaque engraved with his chosen scripture.
On the day itself, 8th June 2006, family joined him for a luncheon which was held in a private room at the hospital. Before that date, several of his grandchildren managed to take time off work to fly to Brandon to visit with him. First Mark then Cathy, Kai, Michael and Joan came for the actual birthday. His niece Joan came in from Kitchener which pleased him.
Then on 10th June, we arranged special transport to take him to Lawson Lodge where a special Tea party was held in his honour. More family and many friends attended and he received many certificates cards and letters of congratulations. A special visitor representing United States Social Security arrived to present him with their certificate of congratulations with a view to confirming his existence! Even Her Majesty the Queen sent her congratulations in a card with her photograph. Dad thoroughly enjoyed the whole day, and was decidedly exhausted on his return to the hospital.
The family suspected the main symptoms were the result of Lyme Disease, but the hospital was unable to confirm this diagnosis. It was decided that, after much deliberation, Dad needed the care level of a Personal Care Home. He himself; in one of his clearer moments, agreed and chose the Dinsdale Care Home for his new home.
On September 19th 2006 a room became available and Dad moved into what would become his home. For the next four months, he was well taken care of and became quite fond of the staff and appreciative of all their efforts to make him comfortable. His health continued to decline and he experienced aspiration pneumonia as his ability to swallow became a problem. Strong as he was, he survived the first episode much to everyone's amazement. However, the second episode found him weakened. He himself no longer wanted to continue in this state. On January 22nd 2007, early in the morning, he breathed his last, finally at peace.
Showing posts with label Cathy Cameron. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cathy Cameron. Show all posts
The Blythe Sojourn (1998 - 2000)
As practising Seventh-Day Adventists, and total vegetarians as well, life in Blythe is somewhat different to that of Marsha's home in Canada. Here, there is a complete absence of meat of any kind which includes beef, chicken, fish, pork etc. Eggs and cows milk are not used, but analogues are substituted, such as flavoured gluten from flour, a chicken substitute made from soy and cleverly prepared to look like and taste like chicken meat -called "Wham", also produced from soy, and pleasantly flavoured There are also several varieties to represent and replace meat and fish spreads, and a milk-like product is made to replace cows' milk
Great emphasis is placed on the use of fruit, vegetables and all natural products, and even the timing of meals is somewhat different; larger meals being preferred as the first meal, and smaller ones in the late evening. In view of the recent furore about "Mad Cow Disease", there is a great deal of regard about the food one eats, and a lot of people are now looking at their food intake much more seriously.
It does, however, take some adjusting to, but there is no doubt that the benefits derived from a vegetarian diet could be very helpful.
Life in Blythe is rather quiet. It is a new area of California in which Gordon and Arna are now living, and as a result, there are just a few friends. ' The area is a new one, and the houses are all newly built. The town was originally an agricultural one, in this low desert area, but with a large prison now erected here, most of the residents are in some way connected with it. By virtue of being low desert, the daytime temperature rises to around 100-120 in the summer, and during the winter, it stays at about 70°F, which makes it a pleasant place to spend the fall, winter and early spring.
I spent a few days here, just a couple of years ago, and I could see the vast improvement which has taken place in just a short time. There are all the regular amenities of a town, with lots of churches, government buildings, public library, supermarket etc., and the streets are nice and wide with proper paved sidewalks.
The main activities of this city are due to the fact that the prison is situated here. There are several thousands of inmates, and apart from what little agriculture there is, everything just revolves around the prison. There is not a great deal of social life, and an extrovert like me could be quite bored. And so I returned to Canada on May 3rd 1998.
On my return to Brandon, I quickly realized I would have to reconstruct a completely new lifestyle. So I joined the Brandon Y.M.C.A. and the nearby Riverview Club. At the ivy,, I recommenced swimming, which I am hoping will help my hip which, for well over a year now has been quite painful. Gordon suggests using the back stroke will be of great benefit to the condition. I combine it with an excellent steam room and "Whirlpool" bath. At the Riverview Club, I do "Floor Shuffle Board" which is a rather mild form of light exercise. I certainly have no intention of ending my life rusting out in a swivel recliner chair, watching T.V.
My latest 'project' is to pre-pay my funeral expenses, and I have already had an interview with the local funeral director concerning this.
During October 1998, a one week's visit was planned with Maureen and Paul from the U.K. to visit Ritchie and family in Edmonton, Alberta.
The bottom flat of 1759, 9th Street was nicely remodelled and looks real good, providing excellent accommodation for both Maureen and Paul in two separate rooms. Maureen and I traveled by air - (one-way only for Maureen) while Paul, Aubrey and Marsha drove up to Edmonton by van. I however, did the entire trip by plane. While in Alberta we had Agnes' daughter, Ellen over to our hotel and spent a good three hours or so with her.
Paul was a little indisposed and had to be treated, before returning to the U.K. We enjoyed a reasonable 4-5 days during our stay there and I took the entire family to a good oriental restaurant, chatted over the phone with Ed Jarvis, who had recently lost Jackie his wife, and I condoled with him.
This year, 1998, we had a long fall season. No snow appeared until some time in November, and temperatures were quite pleasant.
As I record this, it is now January 1999, and the temperature goes as low as -30°C. There are intermittent snowfalls, and one has to keep the driveway clear for obvious reasons. I seldom spend the winters here in Brandon, and so I am doing my best to adjust. However, I may yet go to Gordon in California before too long.
During this period, just after I got back from our trip to Saskatoon, Gordon seemed anxious to have me once more at his house in Blythe Ca. As I already had one more return trip available on my Senior coupon with NorthWest Airlines, I decided to make use of it before it expired in March 1999. So, once more, I set fly to Blythe Ca. on January 27the 1999. Marsha induced Aubrey to take a week's leave from his job and go along with me. Yet another late winter visit to Gordon and Arna. This is probably the last time I will visit this area, since Gordon has now been promoted to oversee the Susanville Correctional Institution as C.M.O. (chief medical officer) and is now at the top position there. You may recall that he once worked there.
As a result, he and Arna will be moving home again in a short time, and are about to sell their property in Blythe. Since arriving here with Aubrey, Arna is still employed by the local hospital as a nurse in the obstetrics department. She works 2-3 days a week, and is on call as well.
When Aubrey and I arrived in California, we landed at the ultra modern Ontario Airport, and the weather was just delightful. The surrounding mountains were glistening with snow at the top, with the sun shining on them. A truly picturesque sight!! Arna met us at the airport, and joining a shuttle service we drove through beautiful Palm Springs to a point where Arna's sister Zeta met us, following which we proceeded on the 2-3 hour drive to Blythe, with Aubrey taking over the driving. We stopped at Lisa's home and enjoyed an excellent supper there (all vegetarian). With Gordon arranging to set up his house and work-place in Susanville, and Arna at her job at the hospital in Blythe, it was arranged to use Arna's car, after Aubrey had taken her to the hospital. So, on the day following our arrival, we did some shopping at "Albertson", the only supermarket in town.
As Aubrey was spending just one week with us, it was decided to make a pleasure trip to see the London Bridge at Lake Havasu in the state of Arizona. It was a three-hour ride by car and Aubrey drove all the way and back. Here is a short description of the London Bridge at Lake Havasu in the State of Arizona.
In 1963, Robert McCullock (Snr.) bought the original London Bridge, which was built in 1831. As the bridge began to sink into the river Thames over which it was built, it was dismantled stone by stone, and brought over to Lake Havasu from London England and re-constructed over a man-made inlet on the Colorado river, and is now a major sight-seeing attraction there. Narrated tours are offered aboard various types of watercraft like houseboats, canoes, pontoon boats and sailboats, and the entire build-up around and under the bridge is very strongly reminiscent of a typical London England scene.
The entire area is very scenic and there is no lack of facilities for enjoyment. On the return drive, we were stopped by a highway patrol car and charged for speeding! However, the tour was greatly appreciated by us all, and we captured quite a few photographs.
The day after our return from our tour of the London Bridge we all visited the Seventh Day Adventist Church with Arna. This was Saturday, January 3e - this branch of the family being 7th Day Adventists -after which we lunched at Lisa's place, their home being just around the corner from Gordon's house. With Aubrey's return to Canada booked for the 3rd of February 1999, we did some shopping around Blythe, Aubrey filling in some spare time with cooking supper for all, which we certainly enjoyed. Early on Wednesday morning, we left for the airport in Ontario, Calif. and saw Aubrey safely to his place for Brandon.
Following that, life for me in Blythe became somewhat slower, with Arna working at the hospital some of the time. Up to this point, I had not seen Gordon, but he did call most nights, saying how he was progressing with setting up his work in Susanville and arranging to move back to the Yankee Hill house. I made do with taking long walks and keeping the yard tidy.
Gordon's property on Yankee Hill was rented to a family mainly to take care of it, and the well established orchard there, much of which Arna is responsible for creating. Now that they are returning back to be nearer to Gordon's new work-place in Susanville, this property of his is not too far away, and they plan to make it their home once again. The tenants have already moved out, and the home on Yankee Hill is now in the process of renovation (carpets and paint etc.) and the move should be a "fait accompli" in a short while. Surprisingly, the weather in Blythe is cooler than I expected but it has been explained to me that being a desert, with no trees, just sand and scrub growth, after it heats up during the day, the temperature just evaporates at night, sincere there is nothing to hold it in. Quite a contrast to life in Brandon, Canada.
Saturday February 13th 1999. Once again I attend the Seventh Day Adventist Church. The service and hymns are all in Spanish, with an English translation of the sermon after every sentence or so, which somehow tends to confuse me, and causes a break in fully understanding what is being said. With just a limited knowledge of Spanish. I find it difficult to follow. Today. at the service. I met Julio Robinson, one of Arna's nephews who, about forty years ago, Emma and I baby-sat when we first visited California. He is now a married man, with a couple of children.
On Sunday 14th February, Arna, who is an ardent bird-watcher (called a birder), took me to the Salton Sea International Bird Festival in the Imperial Valley, California. Several shows were put on, such as how to distinguish birds by colour, shape, etc. Lots of pictures were displayed on a screen and various peculiar features of each type of bird were pointed out. Following this, a lady bird and animal trainer came on and she showed how with proper care and patience, a small parrot could be trained to push objects off the table, and even play basketball. She had a macaw trained to fly to the outstretched fingers of various members of the audience. There was also a monkey, displaying several tricks. Later on a huge bird, a South American vulture was brought on and several flights were performed by it. Finally, an albino boa constrictor was exhibited, white in colour with cream spots. It was about three years old and weighed about sixty pounds and was roughly fifteen feet in length. The trainer had it wrapped twice around her waist with four to five feet left over.
At this point we took a lunch break and then resumed to a one to two hour symposium, which featured photographs of birds in Morocco, north West Africa. Some of the speakers were associated with the Cornel University. Arna certainly enjoyed these shows.
A dull period followed this, in which I made arrangements to return to Canada on March 15th 1999. will Gordon will be coming back to Blythe on the last day of February 1999. At least, I'll be able to see him for a couple of weeks before leaving. Actually, he returned to Blythe from Susanville on the 27h February, one day earlier, and we were glad to have him back.
During that dull period aforementioned, following the bird show, I enjoyed two separate outings with friends, neighbours of Gordon and Arna. The first was a supper date with Dr Mohamed Olavi, a colleague of Gordon, who invited me to a home-cooked meal, comprising an exotic salad, saffron flavoured rice done up with select pieces of beef and a variety of fruits. He is Iranian, and is a qualified and boarded surgeon as well. He returns to Iran occasionally but enjoys working in California. At the moment, he is unattached and he prepared the meal all by himself. I need hardly tell you how much I enjoyed that evening.
The other outing was from our next door neighbours Christopher and Juana, both of whom invited me to what I believe is the nicest eating place in Blythe - "The Sizzler". We had chicken and all the usual accessories, but the tone of the place was very impressive. There were lots of "Snow Birds" in attendance as well.
Christopher was originally from British Honduras, while his wife Juana is of Mexican or Spanish origin. She is a housewife with three children, one of whom - an eighteen-year-old boy is now in the Marines. The other two kids are at school.
The Blythe house has not yet been sold, but several people have looked at it. Gordon traded his Honda for a new Toyota type enclosed 4-runner vehicle. It is certainly more practical for long country runs and climbing hilly terrain. He will be here in Blythe for at least one to three weeks.
We plan to go to Loma Linda University from March 8th to 10th for Gordon's ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support). I will go along with him and hope to visit the Pharmacy section where I spent the last six-seven years of my working life. Arna will also be attending her continuation classes in nursing about the same time.
In talking to Marsha and Maureen over the telephone. there is a plan for the three of us to be together in England some time in April - May this year (1999). It will probably be my last visit to the Old Country.
All set now to take my leave of Blythe. Gordon and I plan to set off for Palm Springs on Sunday 14th March 1999, where we are invited to stop over for a fruit lunch at the home of Dr Alavi's lady friend. en route to a motel in Ontario (Ca.). Here we will overnight so as to catch the 8.05 a.m. plane for my return trip to Canada.
The timing of my visit was good. The weather in Blythe is now beginning to change from a very pleasant winter (60° F. average). It is now beginning to warm up when it finally reaches 120°-140° F.
Just about right for a winter 'stop-over'. I made the journey quite easily from Ontario Airport (Ca.) to Minneapolis where I had to wait a bit. then on to Winnipeg. Aubrey and Marsha were waiting for me and on the way home to Brandon; we had a real nice supper at the "Key". Back to my old quarters at home in 1759 9th Street. I feel so greatly relaxed.
Wednesday 12th May we were taken to see Oklahoma! at the Lyceum Theatre. The area in which the Lyceum is situated is quite a maze and after quite a little effort, we finally made it, just about 5-10 minutes late.
This theatre is built in a series of about one dozen winding staircases, and it certainly reminded me of the trip I made to Radio City Music Hall two years ago. The decor in the theatre was spectacular and the performance very good. It lasted about 21/2 hours. What a fitting climax to Marsha's holiday in Britain and we all thoroughly enjoyed it.
And so it comes to May 13th and we regretfully see Marsha off this morning, on her way back to Canada and her house.
On Sunday 16th May, Gordon called from Yankee Hill Ca., where he spends weekends from his work in Susanville. Arna has not yet left Blythe. He said the home was all ready and waiting for full occupation. He wanted to know when I was coming. Having told him of my sinus problem, he suggested frequent hot compresses, so I am trying that.
Monday 17th May, Maureen and I visit the doctor (Dr Straikh) an Indian. After examining Maureen who had a swelling on her neck, I complimented him on the way he talked to her and examined her. I mentioned how he reminded me of the way Gordon handles and talks to his patients. He appeared to be flattered by my observation then offered to look at my sinus situation. He prescribed a nose drops made of 0.5% Ephedrine and did not charge. The pharmacy which supplied the drops did not charge either. This is really the first time I have had a sinus complaint and it really bothers me.
At Maureen's home (115 Eastcote Avenue) I do my best to help in tidying up the garden and hedge in front etc. I also bake a little bread and make some granola. During the following week we do some shopping etc., and I make valiant attempts to cut the front and back lawns with a "weed-cater", since the regular mower has some fault and would not work. It is later found to have a broken belt, which is replaced.
During the week, the covers for the living room furniture arrived and the fitter made a good job of it. The final touches are now all in place and the home is now at the very best it has ever been in all of its many, many years.
During my last few days in Britain, it is arranged that Paul would take us driving into Kew Gardens where we spent the greater part of the afternoon. What a wonderful selection of plants from every part of the world, and so delightfully displayed. Small wonder this garden is without question the very finest in the entire world. We took a series of photographs. Before I flew back to Canada the following Thursday, we had quite a few visitors who came to say goodbye.
On this occasion, I did not find it possible to visit my best friends, Sonny and Joyce Barrow, who live in Lincoln, and are about two hours away by fast train. Joyce was somewhat unwell, and I was not in top condition either. This friendship went all the way back to our teenage years, and has lasted ever since We are both nonagenarians.
The flight back to Winnipeg via Toronto was uneventful and reasonably comfortable. I enjoyed complete Hospitality Service and was wheeled all around the huge Heathrow Airport, as well as at the Toronto Airport. The service was good, and I think it is an encouragement for seniors to travel more. The food also was good, and both 'take-offs' and 'touch downs' were smooth. Marsha and Mary Carr were at the Winnipeg Airport waiting for me in the new Chevy van they just acquired for the business. My sinus condition still persists, so I go to visit my doctor in Brandon. He is such a cheerful fellow, and enjoyed my description of "Elveden Forest", Center Parcs. He told me that the managing director of these parks is a good friend of his. My doctor is a Scot by birth. He prescribed a new preparation "Nasonex"", and it is simply wonderful. Sinus almost gone.
It took quite a couple of weeks to overcome 'jet-lag', especially since there were two adjustments in just one month.
Returning to my old Canadian haunts I re-joined the floor Shuffleboard Club, playing every Tuesday and Thursday for a couple of hours each time.
I didn't lose any time putting the garden and lawns into shape, and with the help of our neighbours, this was quickly done. I put in potatoes, onions, carrots and tomatoes right away, and we went overboard a bit and put in some expensive perennials like 'dogwood' etc. in the front strip around the house. Already the kitchen garden is coming alive, potatoes, onions and tomatoes all alive and looking healthy. During this summer (1999) I keep busy with trimming the fruit trees mowing the very extensive lawns (both front and back) and at the moment I am painting the entire front fence along Balmoral Bay as well as along the rather large driveway.
Keeping active is certainly helping me to stay fit and enjoy what is left of life for a 93-year-old!
During the fall of 1999, I made plans to go to the Moose Jaw Mineral Springs and Hotel for a 4-day tour, but the trip did not materialize. The travel company, Fehr Way Tours cancelled the trip as they did not have a sufficient quota to warrant having it. I had planned to take Marsha along, as we were both disappointed.
The decorative trees on our front lawn have grown quite tall and spreading much, that the leaves, which are now falling (of a golden brown colour), are now just cluttering up the front entrance. Will wait a while before trying to collect them.
October 26th 1999. Arranged to travel to Gordon in Yankee Hill on November 7th and will travel on the usual Senior Coupon ticket, allowing me two return trips within the space of one year. Last Sunday afternoon on October 24h, I took Aubrey, Marsha and Dori to the Fall Festival Supper Dance at the Canadian Veteran's Hall and we really enjoyed it.
November 7th 1999. All set to travel this morning for Yankee hill via Minneapolis. Was met at Sacramento Airport by Gordon and Arna, who arrived about half an hour late, just before I was beginning to telephone. I settled in as much as possible, and although the house was not yet completed (a good lot of the packages were still in the garage unopened). There was a lot of cut wood piled up in the yard in preparation for the Y2K experience.
Gordon works in Susanville Ca. and is now at the top level in the medical section. He travels the two-hour car ride every weekend, and both he and Arna are making an effort to re-establish a permanent home in Yankee Hill, while they lived in Blythe. The home here was tenanted and now that they have returned, there is quite a bit of work to do to bring the home and the big orchard back to normal.
As Seventh Day Adventists, they attend the local church here and of course, I just pop along. The nice little apartment which Emma and I occupied when we lived here in 1984 is now loaded with surplus furniture, but is still a very usable place for a couple. It is fitted with every convenience. I renewed my acquaintance with the two nearby neighbours who still live here, and they seemed to still enjoy me. From the large glass sliding door which goes out to the back porch, it is possible to see the area, near to Lake Oroville where Emma's cremated ashes lie. We had both decided on cremation and I have already made arrangements to have my ashes placed in the Brandon Cemetery when I pass away. I made every effort to arrange for my ashes, when I die, to be strewn along with Emma's on the bank of Lake Oroville, but the authorities notified me that it was recently decided not to permit this, since houses were now being built in this area.
On December 1st 1999, Arna and I went visiting the Senior citizens Club in Paradise as well as the Performing Arts Auditorium, and on the way we paid a visit to the Knibbs, old friends of ours.
On the way back home, it seemed that I felt a bit faint, and Arna, who was driving, said she that I became pale. She tried to find my pulse, but said it was absent. She then drove us straight to the emergency department of the feather River Hospital, and there I was examined and recommended to remain at least for the night for examination, etc. After lots of tests such as heart monitoring, electrocardiogram, blood pressure, I was advised, with Gordon's consent (who we called by telephone) to stay overnight since my hemoglobin was quite low.
I was put in a room with a man who was fat (357 pounds) and Doctor Mansell, a good friend of both Gordon and myself, was to take care of me. He is a specialist and gastroenterologist, and was indeed very friendly indeed, bringing me a flowering Azalea plant for my room. I was also removed to a single room, complete with shower and television. The following day, he took care of my stomach, inserting a flexible tube through my mouth into the stomach complete with a tiny camera at the tip, and photographed the site. It disclosed a bleeding ulcer on my duodenum, and he proceeded to take care of it.
The beauty of the technique was that during the procedure, there was no pain or even discomfort, having taken care of this through an intravenous drip in the arm. There was just a slight roughness in the throat where the tube passed into the affected area. Following this disclosure, I was advised by Dr Mansell that since I was now in hospital it would be wise to have my colon examined, as an upset stomach could really cause infection of the colon, where much of the body's debris is found. So, on Friday evening I was taken back to the surgical. room and again, there was no discomfort during the surgery. Again, pictures were taken and what was disclosed required a bit of trimming.
On the following day, I was discharged and I must say that the treatment at the hospital was particularly good. Many year's ago, (about 20 years) I had occasion to spend a day or two at this hospital, and I must say there is a vast difference in the very modern technique and care of this institution. I was discharged on Saturday 3rd December 1999, and Gordon who collected me, drove straight to the church before going on home. We even had a lunch after the service, prepared in the annex of the church.
At this point, I must recall that my wife's memorial service was held in this very building, after she had passed away in 1984.
Today is December 7th 1999 and Marsha called. It is their wedding anniversary and tomorrow is Aubrey's birthday. I tried to get through by telephone but the lines were all busy. However, later that night Marsha called and we were able to have a little chat. She said they were both off duty and were going out to have a little celebration.
On the following day, Maureen called and we too, had a little chat. During our conversation, my voice just disappeared and I had to conclude the conversation in tears. It was the first time I have shed tears for a long time and I was quite upset with myself.
At the hospital, I was treated with very powerful drugs and these have affected my brain a great deal.
As an example, I would begin to speak, then all of a sudden, would be unable to complete the words to end the sentence. A sort of "intermittent confusion" due to powerful antibiotics. As a result, both Gordon and the surgeon who attended me, stopped the treatment of the antibiotic drugs. It is taking some time to resume my slurred speech. Having stopped all medications for a few days, I have now regained the ability to speak normally. At this point Dr Mansell gave me a different type of medication called "Zantac", and this seems to be helping somewhat.
I now include, as a separate chapter, a copy of the various procedures done at the hospital to take care of my ulcerated stomach, and also of the work done on my colon. It would seem that the news of my illness got around quickly, and I received messages of comfort from Marsha, Maureen, Joan and Mark in Santa Barbara, and Michael in St Lucia.
It is quite obvious that I will have to spend some time in California, as it is now the heavy winter season in Canada. Perhaps it is just as well that I became ill while in California, as I may have had to wait a while for surgery if I was still in Canada.
I was indeed very fortunate in having Dr Mansell, who is not only a very popular Gastro-enterologist, but also a colleague of Gordon, my son, and a good friend of our family as well.
Following a visit to Dr Mansell's office, I was told to have a blood test at the lab, since my haemoglobin was too low. It did show an improvement, but we are trying to increase it still further. Am still awaiting the bill for hospital services etc. I am afraid it will be quite a large one. But we will soon find out. Today is Wednesday 22nd December 1999 and Christmas is just three days off. Had a long chat with Maureen yesterday, and she is just fine.
Gordon came home from his workplace in Susanville and spent the next few days with us here in Yankee Hill. It was a quiet affair, and it is suggested that next week, which involves the year end, and the apprehension that Y2K (the much discussed Millennium) is causing, and he has to be on duty throughout the night of December 31st as a precautionary move; to be on hand in case of emergencies that we (Arna and I) stay over at his two-bedroom apartment and spend the weekend with him. So we packed up and did just that.
While in Susanville, I had the privilege of being allowed to go through the prison, past the electrified gates and all the security needed to avoid prisoners escaping. It was quite cold going from one enclosure to another, for as you know, Susanville is somewhere in the region of 4-5 thousand feet above sea level. It was quite amazing how much protection there was to prevent escapees. I spent several hours with Gordon and his group of senior officials who were at "stand-by" in case of an emergency, and a possible riot over the Y2K situation. But fortunately, nothing happened. It was,
however, to avoid any such possibility in case there was a 'glitch' over the change over to the year 2000. Fortunately, there was lots and lots of food and drink to take care of the long waiting. After hanging around for quite a few hours, Gordon took me home, though he returned to be on call (if necessary) and did not get home to bed until about three o'clock in the morning.
For following day, Saturday 1st January 2000 was also the Adventists Sabbath, so I accompanied Gordon to church, and we afterwards bad the midday meal at Elvis's (Robinson) place, where a lot of other church members accumulated. On the following day, Sunday, Gordon drove Arna and myself back home to Yankee Hill, returning the same afternoon to his workplace in Susanville. The drive each way takes two hours.
Back on Yankee Hill after the brief spell at Susanville, Arna and I pitched into clearing up the house and finding places for articles still stored in the double garage. We certainly tidied up Gordon's office, made space for his computer and other accessories to be removed into it. Having done this, we then proceeded to fit up a guest bedroom, especially since Mark, Barbara and Aidan will be spending a short time with us here. We did a reasonable job on this, and left the computer etc. for Gordon to move over to his office when he comes down next weekend.
There area number of pine trees, towering above the house and in very close proximity to the building. which shed pine needles and dry leaves in the fall and early winter. This provides a grave hazard to the home especially during the summer months. For the third time during the last year, Gordon has had to climb onto the roof, clear the leaves and needles away and unblock the draining gutters of the accumulated stuff. This is a rather risky operation, as one has to get quite close to the edge to do this and for people of advanced years, like Gordon, this is certainly not recommended. I mentioned this to both Arna and Gordon and suggested that the pine trees be either cut down or severely trimmed to be away from the house which will obviate the need to clean the roof of leaves etc.
Apart from the danger involved, there is also the fire hazard. Frequent forest fires are started by lightning, and in a thickly wooded area like this a lot of damage is possible. Pine needles and leaves are excellent fire material; the fire brigade refuses to handle situations where homes are built too near to combustible trees. Arna, however, is a great tree-lover, and refuses to consider removing or even severely trimming the trees adjoining the house. We had quite a discussion about this.
For the first time since I arrived in California rain fell with rather strong winds. This is as wintry as it gets in this part of the state so we are kept indoors, cleaning and tidying up in preparation for Mark, Barbara and Aidan's arrival in a couple of days for a short visit.
They arrived promptly on Saturday afternoon. It was good to see how well they were. Aidan, at just one year old was as ambulatory as ever and was truly a very charming little fellow. Mark and family drove in from the Sacramento Airport in a hired car which they kept for the duration of the stay here. We had a nicely furnished room set up for the trio.
Gordon was down for the weekend so it all fitted in well, as the following Monday was a holiday, Martin Luther King's birthday.
I am still awaiting the hospital bill; only little bits and pieces of it have come in, but not the major one.. It scares me! I must admit, however, that it was indeed fortunate for me to have Dr Mansell as my doctor. He is not only an expert in his field, but also a very kind person. He even brought me a flowering Azalea plant to brighten up my room, and also provided me with ample supplies of the medications (as samples) that I would normally have had to purchase. On a previous visit to California I almost had a game of golf with him but I guess he was too busy, as it never took place.
Apart from the excellent service provided by the doctor, the hospital also gave me "Medication Education Sheets" which gave suggestions regarding: 'How to take' (medications); 'Missed doses'; 'Side effects, etc. and 'Precautions' with respect to 'side effects'. After a couple of days I noticed that there was a difficulty in speaking. I found it impossible to say words, and it really bothered me.
Reporting this to both Dr Mansell and my son Gordon, I was advised to stop the medication. It was apparently too powerful and the temporary lack of speech no longer existed. Another of the tablets, Zantac, seemed to induce "Tackycardia", which is a rapid heart beat. So this too was reduced to a much smaller dose per day.
As I record this, it is about a full month since I left the hospital, and I seem to be mending rather well. I take regular walks in the early mornings using the rather hilly terrain on Yankee Hill and doing my normal daily calisthenics. The absence of meat, fish, etc. from the diet here seems to be of some benefit to me and the vegetarian diet is certainly helping me to keep in shape. A great deal of fruit is eaten - what a pity this is not easily attainable in Canada.
On Friday 11th February, Gordie my grandson arrived for the weekend to spend it with us here in Yankee Hill. He now works in Seattle, Washington and we were all happy to see him. He has written a book "Tao of Time" and hopes to have it published soon. While here with us this weekend, he will give a 'talk' on matters biblical, and it should all tie in with his proposed publication. We propose holding his talk at the home of Gladys Mansell in Paradise before he returns to his workplace in Seattle, in the State of Washington. He looks remarkably well.
Today also, Michael called us from St Lucia and we were so glad to hear from him. He is still travelling from island to island - Trinidad, Barbados, Dominique etc. in pursuit of his present job of selecting possible students for higher education, but in June of this year he has an appointment in Virginia to do lecture tours which, he says, will last for about one year.
Joan too called us from Santa Barbara where she is with her son Mark and Barbara and their little son. She will spend about one month there after which she goes over to Cathy, her daughter, in England. From their conversation with me, it is very obvious that they are still very much in love with each other.
In the course of my stay in California during the winter I was introduced to a widow, Adele Bryson, who is a friend of Gordon and Arna. She lives a good deal further along the wooded area of Concow, which is further along from Yankee Hill. After several visits to Gordon's home, she became quite friendly and I offered to take her to supper one evening at the 'Home Style Buffet'. Three times married, she proved to be quite interesting. I am sure she will be a really good friend.
Tuesday 23 February 2000 was quite an unusual day here in Yankee Hill California. In the first place, Arna had gone to Blythe on a weekend visit to see her mother who is ill and just Gordon and I were at home. A violent rainstorm blew in and just by chance, Gordon had to return to work early that morning. As explained, his workplace entails a two-hour drive along a mountainous highway all the way to Susanville, and the rain continued incessantly.
At about 9.00 am, without any warning, the lights went out and all the electrical appliances, freezer, refrigerator, cooking stove, microwave, washing machine and drier etc. In addition, the telephone also died. As a result, all alone, I was left almost incommunicado. Alone in a large house, I waited a full fifteen minutes before deciding on my next step. Then I decided to check on my two sole neighbours, a good couple of hundred yards away. I drew a blank from the one neighbour, but the other one, a couple of hundred yards further away helped me a bit with their telephone, which was working and was not connected to the electrical system.
In contacting these two neighbours, I had to dress up so as to weather the storm outside and got really wet feet. It would appear that the storm had damaged the connection to our district and the telephone people were doing their best on repair work.
By the time I got back home, the water supply had also stopped, so here was I in a large house, all alone, with no electricity, water or telephone access to the rest of the world and in an isolated area, quite far from any town. Fortunately, there is a wood-burning stove in the living room, and this I kept at full blast, feeding it fresh logs from time to time.
As you know, this home has it's own well-water supply, but the pump that furnishes the property is electrically operated. Hence the fact that our supply was cut off However, there was enough distilled water in bottles in the house so there was no problem, but I did collect some stored washing water from a reservoir, which was kept in the basement.
Some time during the midday, I heard a slight tinkle coming from the master bedroom and following the sound, I noticed a tiny telephone in this room. Apparently, it was one I had no knowledge of It was fortunately in working order, so at last I was able to contact both Arna in Blythe, and Gordon in Susanville - was I relieved? But the rainstorm continued to rage along and I learned from Arna that she should be back that same night at about 11.00 pm. Gordon was helpful in suggesting that I do not worry too much, to depend on the flashlights we had, rather than consider using kerosene lamps, which were also available.
The neighbours, (the Middletons) were very kind in coming over and suggesting to take me to have a meal at one of the restaurants, but I declined, thanking them for their offer. Towards 3.30 - 4.00 pm it darkened quite a bit as the skies were overcast and still raining, when to my surprise and joy, the lights came on almost at 4.00 pm on this day. I heard the phone ring, and I recognized that whatever damage had occurred had been taken care of. The call came from Maureen and did she cheer me up!
After finding the telephone in the master bedroom, a call came through from someone I had met many years ago, and, when she heard of my situation, she offered to "rescue" me and take me to her home in Paradise until the situation became normal. I assured her that I was not scared but would survive quite easily. Later that evening, this 'Good Samaritan' drove her car, accompanied by her son, all the 20 miles from her home in Paradise to bring me a supper, consisting of hot soup, a green salad, some fruit, and a large bottle of Cranapple drink. Although I only knew her slightly from many years ago, this is the kind of friend one delights in having. How can anyone forget such a wonderful performance as Gloria Pablovitch's?
Several hours later, Arna came home through the wind and rain, driving her truck all the way from Sacramento to Yankee Hill. By that time, conditions were back to normal and we resumed a more ordinary life.
Great emphasis is placed on the use of fruit, vegetables and all natural products, and even the timing of meals is somewhat different; larger meals being preferred as the first meal, and smaller ones in the late evening. In view of the recent furore about "Mad Cow Disease", there is a great deal of regard about the food one eats, and a lot of people are now looking at their food intake much more seriously.
It does, however, take some adjusting to, but there is no doubt that the benefits derived from a vegetarian diet could be very helpful.
Life in Blythe is rather quiet. It is a new area of California in which Gordon and Arna are now living, and as a result, there are just a few friends. ' The area is a new one, and the houses are all newly built. The town was originally an agricultural one, in this low desert area, but with a large prison now erected here, most of the residents are in some way connected with it. By virtue of being low desert, the daytime temperature rises to around 100-120 in the summer, and during the winter, it stays at about 70°F, which makes it a pleasant place to spend the fall, winter and early spring.
I spent a few days here, just a couple of years ago, and I could see the vast improvement which has taken place in just a short time. There are all the regular amenities of a town, with lots of churches, government buildings, public library, supermarket etc., and the streets are nice and wide with proper paved sidewalks.
The main activities of this city are due to the fact that the prison is situated here. There are several thousands of inmates, and apart from what little agriculture there is, everything just revolves around the prison. There is not a great deal of social life, and an extrovert like me could be quite bored. And so I returned to Canada on May 3rd 1998.
On my return to Brandon, I quickly realized I would have to reconstruct a completely new lifestyle. So I joined the Brandon Y.M.C.A. and the nearby Riverview Club. At the ivy,, I recommenced swimming, which I am hoping will help my hip which, for well over a year now has been quite painful. Gordon suggests using the back stroke will be of great benefit to the condition. I combine it with an excellent steam room and "Whirlpool" bath. At the Riverview Club, I do "Floor Shuffle Board" which is a rather mild form of light exercise. I certainly have no intention of ending my life rusting out in a swivel recliner chair, watching T.V.
My latest 'project' is to pre-pay my funeral expenses, and I have already had an interview with the local funeral director concerning this.
During October 1998, a one week's visit was planned with Maureen and Paul from the U.K. to visit Ritchie and family in Edmonton, Alberta.
The bottom flat of 1759, 9th Street was nicely remodelled and looks real good, providing excellent accommodation for both Maureen and Paul in two separate rooms. Maureen and I traveled by air - (one-way only for Maureen) while Paul, Aubrey and Marsha drove up to Edmonton by van. I however, did the entire trip by plane. While in Alberta we had Agnes' daughter, Ellen over to our hotel and spent a good three hours or so with her.
Paul was a little indisposed and had to be treated, before returning to the U.K. We enjoyed a reasonable 4-5 days during our stay there and I took the entire family to a good oriental restaurant, chatted over the phone with Ed Jarvis, who had recently lost Jackie his wife, and I condoled with him.
This year, 1998, we had a long fall season. No snow appeared until some time in November, and temperatures were quite pleasant.
As I record this, it is now January 1999, and the temperature goes as low as -30°C. There are intermittent snowfalls, and one has to keep the driveway clear for obvious reasons. I seldom spend the winters here in Brandon, and so I am doing my best to adjust. However, I may yet go to Gordon in California before too long.
During this period, just after I got back from our trip to Saskatoon, Gordon seemed anxious to have me once more at his house in Blythe Ca. As I already had one more return trip available on my Senior coupon with NorthWest Airlines, I decided to make use of it before it expired in March 1999. So, once more, I set fly to Blythe Ca. on January 27the 1999. Marsha induced Aubrey to take a week's leave from his job and go along with me. Yet another late winter visit to Gordon and Arna. This is probably the last time I will visit this area, since Gordon has now been promoted to oversee the Susanville Correctional Institution as C.M.O. (chief medical officer) and is now at the top position there. You may recall that he once worked there.
As a result, he and Arna will be moving home again in a short time, and are about to sell their property in Blythe. Since arriving here with Aubrey, Arna is still employed by the local hospital as a nurse in the obstetrics department. She works 2-3 days a week, and is on call as well.
When Aubrey and I arrived in California, we landed at the ultra modern Ontario Airport, and the weather was just delightful. The surrounding mountains were glistening with snow at the top, with the sun shining on them. A truly picturesque sight!! Arna met us at the airport, and joining a shuttle service we drove through beautiful Palm Springs to a point where Arna's sister Zeta met us, following which we proceeded on the 2-3 hour drive to Blythe, with Aubrey taking over the driving. We stopped at Lisa's home and enjoyed an excellent supper there (all vegetarian). With Gordon arranging to set up his house and work-place in Susanville, and Arna at her job at the hospital in Blythe, it was arranged to use Arna's car, after Aubrey had taken her to the hospital. So, on the day following our arrival, we did some shopping at "Albertson", the only supermarket in town.
As Aubrey was spending just one week with us, it was decided to make a pleasure trip to see the London Bridge at Lake Havasu in the state of Arizona. It was a three-hour ride by car and Aubrey drove all the way and back. Here is a short description of the London Bridge at Lake Havasu in the State of Arizona.
In 1963, Robert McCullock (Snr.) bought the original London Bridge, which was built in 1831. As the bridge began to sink into the river Thames over which it was built, it was dismantled stone by stone, and brought over to Lake Havasu from London England and re-constructed over a man-made inlet on the Colorado river, and is now a major sight-seeing attraction there. Narrated tours are offered aboard various types of watercraft like houseboats, canoes, pontoon boats and sailboats, and the entire build-up around and under the bridge is very strongly reminiscent of a typical London England scene.
The entire area is very scenic and there is no lack of facilities for enjoyment. On the return drive, we were stopped by a highway patrol car and charged for speeding! However, the tour was greatly appreciated by us all, and we captured quite a few photographs.
The day after our return from our tour of the London Bridge we all visited the Seventh Day Adventist Church with Arna. This was Saturday, January 3e - this branch of the family being 7th Day Adventists -after which we lunched at Lisa's place, their home being just around the corner from Gordon's house. With Aubrey's return to Canada booked for the 3rd of February 1999, we did some shopping around Blythe, Aubrey filling in some spare time with cooking supper for all, which we certainly enjoyed. Early on Wednesday morning, we left for the airport in Ontario, Calif. and saw Aubrey safely to his place for Brandon.
Following that, life for me in Blythe became somewhat slower, with Arna working at the hospital some of the time. Up to this point, I had not seen Gordon, but he did call most nights, saying how he was progressing with setting up his work in Susanville and arranging to move back to the Yankee Hill house. I made do with taking long walks and keeping the yard tidy.
Gordon's property on Yankee Hill was rented to a family mainly to take care of it, and the well established orchard there, much of which Arna is responsible for creating. Now that they are returning back to be nearer to Gordon's new work-place in Susanville, this property of his is not too far away, and they plan to make it their home once again. The tenants have already moved out, and the home on Yankee Hill is now in the process of renovation (carpets and paint etc.) and the move should be a "fait accompli" in a short while. Surprisingly, the weather in Blythe is cooler than I expected but it has been explained to me that being a desert, with no trees, just sand and scrub growth, after it heats up during the day, the temperature just evaporates at night, sincere there is nothing to hold it in. Quite a contrast to life in Brandon, Canada.
Saturday February 13th 1999. Once again I attend the Seventh Day Adventist Church. The service and hymns are all in Spanish, with an English translation of the sermon after every sentence or so, which somehow tends to confuse me, and causes a break in fully understanding what is being said. With just a limited knowledge of Spanish. I find it difficult to follow. Today. at the service. I met Julio Robinson, one of Arna's nephews who, about forty years ago, Emma and I baby-sat when we first visited California. He is now a married man, with a couple of children.
On Sunday 14th February, Arna, who is an ardent bird-watcher (called a birder), took me to the Salton Sea International Bird Festival in the Imperial Valley, California. Several shows were put on, such as how to distinguish birds by colour, shape, etc. Lots of pictures were displayed on a screen and various peculiar features of each type of bird were pointed out. Following this, a lady bird and animal trainer came on and she showed how with proper care and patience, a small parrot could be trained to push objects off the table, and even play basketball. She had a macaw trained to fly to the outstretched fingers of various members of the audience. There was also a monkey, displaying several tricks. Later on a huge bird, a South American vulture was brought on and several flights were performed by it. Finally, an albino boa constrictor was exhibited, white in colour with cream spots. It was about three years old and weighed about sixty pounds and was roughly fifteen feet in length. The trainer had it wrapped twice around her waist with four to five feet left over.
At this point we took a lunch break and then resumed to a one to two hour symposium, which featured photographs of birds in Morocco, north West Africa. Some of the speakers were associated with the Cornel University. Arna certainly enjoyed these shows.
A dull period followed this, in which I made arrangements to return to Canada on March 15th 1999. will Gordon will be coming back to Blythe on the last day of February 1999. At least, I'll be able to see him for a couple of weeks before leaving. Actually, he returned to Blythe from Susanville on the 27h February, one day earlier, and we were glad to have him back.
During that dull period aforementioned, following the bird show, I enjoyed two separate outings with friends, neighbours of Gordon and Arna. The first was a supper date with Dr Mohamed Olavi, a colleague of Gordon, who invited me to a home-cooked meal, comprising an exotic salad, saffron flavoured rice done up with select pieces of beef and a variety of fruits. He is Iranian, and is a qualified and boarded surgeon as well. He returns to Iran occasionally but enjoys working in California. At the moment, he is unattached and he prepared the meal all by himself. I need hardly tell you how much I enjoyed that evening.
The other outing was from our next door neighbours Christopher and Juana, both of whom invited me to what I believe is the nicest eating place in Blythe - "The Sizzler". We had chicken and all the usual accessories, but the tone of the place was very impressive. There were lots of "Snow Birds" in attendance as well.
Christopher was originally from British Honduras, while his wife Juana is of Mexican or Spanish origin. She is a housewife with three children, one of whom - an eighteen-year-old boy is now in the Marines. The other two kids are at school.
The Blythe house has not yet been sold, but several people have looked at it. Gordon traded his Honda for a new Toyota type enclosed 4-runner vehicle. It is certainly more practical for long country runs and climbing hilly terrain. He will be here in Blythe for at least one to three weeks.
We plan to go to Loma Linda University from March 8th to 10th for Gordon's ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support). I will go along with him and hope to visit the Pharmacy section where I spent the last six-seven years of my working life. Arna will also be attending her continuation classes in nursing about the same time.
In talking to Marsha and Maureen over the telephone. there is a plan for the three of us to be together in England some time in April - May this year (1999). It will probably be my last visit to the Old Country.
All set now to take my leave of Blythe. Gordon and I plan to set off for Palm Springs on Sunday 14th March 1999, where we are invited to stop over for a fruit lunch at the home of Dr Alavi's lady friend. en route to a motel in Ontario (Ca.). Here we will overnight so as to catch the 8.05 a.m. plane for my return trip to Canada.
The timing of my visit was good. The weather in Blythe is now beginning to change from a very pleasant winter (60° F. average). It is now beginning to warm up when it finally reaches 120°-140° F.
Just about right for a winter 'stop-over'. I made the journey quite easily from Ontario Airport (Ca.) to Minneapolis where I had to wait a bit. then on to Winnipeg. Aubrey and Marsha were waiting for me and on the way home to Brandon; we had a real nice supper at the "Key". Back to my old quarters at home in 1759 9th Street. I feel so greatly relaxed.
Wednesday 12th May we were taken to see Oklahoma! at the Lyceum Theatre. The area in which the Lyceum is situated is quite a maze and after quite a little effort, we finally made it, just about 5-10 minutes late.
This theatre is built in a series of about one dozen winding staircases, and it certainly reminded me of the trip I made to Radio City Music Hall two years ago. The decor in the theatre was spectacular and the performance very good. It lasted about 21/2 hours. What a fitting climax to Marsha's holiday in Britain and we all thoroughly enjoyed it.
And so it comes to May 13th and we regretfully see Marsha off this morning, on her way back to Canada and her house.
On Sunday 16th May, Gordon called from Yankee Hill Ca., where he spends weekends from his work in Susanville. Arna has not yet left Blythe. He said the home was all ready and waiting for full occupation. He wanted to know when I was coming. Having told him of my sinus problem, he suggested frequent hot compresses, so I am trying that.
Monday 17th May, Maureen and I visit the doctor (Dr Straikh) an Indian. After examining Maureen who had a swelling on her neck, I complimented him on the way he talked to her and examined her. I mentioned how he reminded me of the way Gordon handles and talks to his patients. He appeared to be flattered by my observation then offered to look at my sinus situation. He prescribed a nose drops made of 0.5% Ephedrine and did not charge. The pharmacy which supplied the drops did not charge either. This is really the first time I have had a sinus complaint and it really bothers me.
At Maureen's home (115 Eastcote Avenue) I do my best to help in tidying up the garden and hedge in front etc. I also bake a little bread and make some granola. During the following week we do some shopping etc., and I make valiant attempts to cut the front and back lawns with a "weed-cater", since the regular mower has some fault and would not work. It is later found to have a broken belt, which is replaced.
During the week, the covers for the living room furniture arrived and the fitter made a good job of it. The final touches are now all in place and the home is now at the very best it has ever been in all of its many, many years.
During my last few days in Britain, it is arranged that Paul would take us driving into Kew Gardens where we spent the greater part of the afternoon. What a wonderful selection of plants from every part of the world, and so delightfully displayed. Small wonder this garden is without question the very finest in the entire world. We took a series of photographs. Before I flew back to Canada the following Thursday, we had quite a few visitors who came to say goodbye.
On this occasion, I did not find it possible to visit my best friends, Sonny and Joyce Barrow, who live in Lincoln, and are about two hours away by fast train. Joyce was somewhat unwell, and I was not in top condition either. This friendship went all the way back to our teenage years, and has lasted ever since We are both nonagenarians.
The flight back to Winnipeg via Toronto was uneventful and reasonably comfortable. I enjoyed complete Hospitality Service and was wheeled all around the huge Heathrow Airport, as well as at the Toronto Airport. The service was good, and I think it is an encouragement for seniors to travel more. The food also was good, and both 'take-offs' and 'touch downs' were smooth. Marsha and Mary Carr were at the Winnipeg Airport waiting for me in the new Chevy van they just acquired for the business. My sinus condition still persists, so I go to visit my doctor in Brandon. He is such a cheerful fellow, and enjoyed my description of "Elveden Forest", Center Parcs. He told me that the managing director of these parks is a good friend of his. My doctor is a Scot by birth. He prescribed a new preparation "Nasonex"", and it is simply wonderful. Sinus almost gone.
It took quite a couple of weeks to overcome 'jet-lag', especially since there were two adjustments in just one month.
Returning to my old Canadian haunts I re-joined the floor Shuffleboard Club, playing every Tuesday and Thursday for a couple of hours each time.
I didn't lose any time putting the garden and lawns into shape, and with the help of our neighbours, this was quickly done. I put in potatoes, onions, carrots and tomatoes right away, and we went overboard a bit and put in some expensive perennials like 'dogwood' etc. in the front strip around the house. Already the kitchen garden is coming alive, potatoes, onions and tomatoes all alive and looking healthy. During this summer (1999) I keep busy with trimming the fruit trees mowing the very extensive lawns (both front and back) and at the moment I am painting the entire front fence along Balmoral Bay as well as along the rather large driveway.
Keeping active is certainly helping me to stay fit and enjoy what is left of life for a 93-year-old!
During the fall of 1999, I made plans to go to the Moose Jaw Mineral Springs and Hotel for a 4-day tour, but the trip did not materialize. The travel company, Fehr Way Tours cancelled the trip as they did not have a sufficient quota to warrant having it. I had planned to take Marsha along, as we were both disappointed.
The decorative trees on our front lawn have grown quite tall and spreading much, that the leaves, which are now falling (of a golden brown colour), are now just cluttering up the front entrance. Will wait a while before trying to collect them.
October 26th 1999. Arranged to travel to Gordon in Yankee Hill on November 7th and will travel on the usual Senior Coupon ticket, allowing me two return trips within the space of one year. Last Sunday afternoon on October 24h, I took Aubrey, Marsha and Dori to the Fall Festival Supper Dance at the Canadian Veteran's Hall and we really enjoyed it.
November 7th 1999. All set to travel this morning for Yankee hill via Minneapolis. Was met at Sacramento Airport by Gordon and Arna, who arrived about half an hour late, just before I was beginning to telephone. I settled in as much as possible, and although the house was not yet completed (a good lot of the packages were still in the garage unopened). There was a lot of cut wood piled up in the yard in preparation for the Y2K experience.
Gordon works in Susanville Ca. and is now at the top level in the medical section. He travels the two-hour car ride every weekend, and both he and Arna are making an effort to re-establish a permanent home in Yankee Hill, while they lived in Blythe. The home here was tenanted and now that they have returned, there is quite a bit of work to do to bring the home and the big orchard back to normal.
As Seventh Day Adventists, they attend the local church here and of course, I just pop along. The nice little apartment which Emma and I occupied when we lived here in 1984 is now loaded with surplus furniture, but is still a very usable place for a couple. It is fitted with every convenience. I renewed my acquaintance with the two nearby neighbours who still live here, and they seemed to still enjoy me. From the large glass sliding door which goes out to the back porch, it is possible to see the area, near to Lake Oroville where Emma's cremated ashes lie. We had both decided on cremation and I have already made arrangements to have my ashes placed in the Brandon Cemetery when I pass away. I made every effort to arrange for my ashes, when I die, to be strewn along with Emma's on the bank of Lake Oroville, but the authorities notified me that it was recently decided not to permit this, since houses were now being built in this area.
On December 1st 1999, Arna and I went visiting the Senior citizens Club in Paradise as well as the Performing Arts Auditorium, and on the way we paid a visit to the Knibbs, old friends of ours.
On the way back home, it seemed that I felt a bit faint, and Arna, who was driving, said she that I became pale. She tried to find my pulse, but said it was absent. She then drove us straight to the emergency department of the feather River Hospital, and there I was examined and recommended to remain at least for the night for examination, etc. After lots of tests such as heart monitoring, electrocardiogram, blood pressure, I was advised, with Gordon's consent (who we called by telephone) to stay overnight since my hemoglobin was quite low.
I was put in a room with a man who was fat (357 pounds) and Doctor Mansell, a good friend of both Gordon and myself, was to take care of me. He is a specialist and gastroenterologist, and was indeed very friendly indeed, bringing me a flowering Azalea plant for my room. I was also removed to a single room, complete with shower and television. The following day, he took care of my stomach, inserting a flexible tube through my mouth into the stomach complete with a tiny camera at the tip, and photographed the site. It disclosed a bleeding ulcer on my duodenum, and he proceeded to take care of it.
The beauty of the technique was that during the procedure, there was no pain or even discomfort, having taken care of this through an intravenous drip in the arm. There was just a slight roughness in the throat where the tube passed into the affected area. Following this disclosure, I was advised by Dr Mansell that since I was now in hospital it would be wise to have my colon examined, as an upset stomach could really cause infection of the colon, where much of the body's debris is found. So, on Friday evening I was taken back to the surgical. room and again, there was no discomfort during the surgery. Again, pictures were taken and what was disclosed required a bit of trimming.
On the following day, I was discharged and I must say that the treatment at the hospital was particularly good. Many year's ago, (about 20 years) I had occasion to spend a day or two at this hospital, and I must say there is a vast difference in the very modern technique and care of this institution. I was discharged on Saturday 3rd December 1999, and Gordon who collected me, drove straight to the church before going on home. We even had a lunch after the service, prepared in the annex of the church.
At this point, I must recall that my wife's memorial service was held in this very building, after she had passed away in 1984.
Today is December 7th 1999 and Marsha called. It is their wedding anniversary and tomorrow is Aubrey's birthday. I tried to get through by telephone but the lines were all busy. However, later that night Marsha called and we were able to have a little chat. She said they were both off duty and were going out to have a little celebration.
On the following day, Maureen called and we too, had a little chat. During our conversation, my voice just disappeared and I had to conclude the conversation in tears. It was the first time I have shed tears for a long time and I was quite upset with myself.
At the hospital, I was treated with very powerful drugs and these have affected my brain a great deal.
As an example, I would begin to speak, then all of a sudden, would be unable to complete the words to end the sentence. A sort of "intermittent confusion" due to powerful antibiotics. As a result, both Gordon and the surgeon who attended me, stopped the treatment of the antibiotic drugs. It is taking some time to resume my slurred speech. Having stopped all medications for a few days, I have now regained the ability to speak normally. At this point Dr Mansell gave me a different type of medication called "Zantac", and this seems to be helping somewhat.
I now include, as a separate chapter, a copy of the various procedures done at the hospital to take care of my ulcerated stomach, and also of the work done on my colon. It would seem that the news of my illness got around quickly, and I received messages of comfort from Marsha, Maureen, Joan and Mark in Santa Barbara, and Michael in St Lucia.
It is quite obvious that I will have to spend some time in California, as it is now the heavy winter season in Canada. Perhaps it is just as well that I became ill while in California, as I may have had to wait a while for surgery if I was still in Canada.
I was indeed very fortunate in having Dr Mansell, who is not only a very popular Gastro-enterologist, but also a colleague of Gordon, my son, and a good friend of our family as well.
Following a visit to Dr Mansell's office, I was told to have a blood test at the lab, since my haemoglobin was too low. It did show an improvement, but we are trying to increase it still further. Am still awaiting the bill for hospital services etc. I am afraid it will be quite a large one. But we will soon find out. Today is Wednesday 22nd December 1999 and Christmas is just three days off. Had a long chat with Maureen yesterday, and she is just fine.
Gordon came home from his workplace in Susanville and spent the next few days with us here in Yankee Hill. It was a quiet affair, and it is suggested that next week, which involves the year end, and the apprehension that Y2K (the much discussed Millennium) is causing, and he has to be on duty throughout the night of December 31st as a precautionary move; to be on hand in case of emergencies that we (Arna and I) stay over at his two-bedroom apartment and spend the weekend with him. So we packed up and did just that.
While in Susanville, I had the privilege of being allowed to go through the prison, past the electrified gates and all the security needed to avoid prisoners escaping. It was quite cold going from one enclosure to another, for as you know, Susanville is somewhere in the region of 4-5 thousand feet above sea level. It was quite amazing how much protection there was to prevent escapees. I spent several hours with Gordon and his group of senior officials who were at "stand-by" in case of an emergency, and a possible riot over the Y2K situation. But fortunately, nothing happened. It was,
however, to avoid any such possibility in case there was a 'glitch' over the change over to the year 2000. Fortunately, there was lots and lots of food and drink to take care of the long waiting. After hanging around for quite a few hours, Gordon took me home, though he returned to be on call (if necessary) and did not get home to bed until about three o'clock in the morning.
For following day, Saturday 1st January 2000 was also the Adventists Sabbath, so I accompanied Gordon to church, and we afterwards bad the midday meal at Elvis's (Robinson) place, where a lot of other church members accumulated. On the following day, Sunday, Gordon drove Arna and myself back home to Yankee Hill, returning the same afternoon to his workplace in Susanville. The drive each way takes two hours.
Back on Yankee Hill after the brief spell at Susanville, Arna and I pitched into clearing up the house and finding places for articles still stored in the double garage. We certainly tidied up Gordon's office, made space for his computer and other accessories to be removed into it. Having done this, we then proceeded to fit up a guest bedroom, especially since Mark, Barbara and Aidan will be spending a short time with us here. We did a reasonable job on this, and left the computer etc. for Gordon to move over to his office when he comes down next weekend.
There area number of pine trees, towering above the house and in very close proximity to the building. which shed pine needles and dry leaves in the fall and early winter. This provides a grave hazard to the home especially during the summer months. For the third time during the last year, Gordon has had to climb onto the roof, clear the leaves and needles away and unblock the draining gutters of the accumulated stuff. This is a rather risky operation, as one has to get quite close to the edge to do this and for people of advanced years, like Gordon, this is certainly not recommended. I mentioned this to both Arna and Gordon and suggested that the pine trees be either cut down or severely trimmed to be away from the house which will obviate the need to clean the roof of leaves etc.
Apart from the danger involved, there is also the fire hazard. Frequent forest fires are started by lightning, and in a thickly wooded area like this a lot of damage is possible. Pine needles and leaves are excellent fire material; the fire brigade refuses to handle situations where homes are built too near to combustible trees. Arna, however, is a great tree-lover, and refuses to consider removing or even severely trimming the trees adjoining the house. We had quite a discussion about this.
For the first time since I arrived in California rain fell with rather strong winds. This is as wintry as it gets in this part of the state so we are kept indoors, cleaning and tidying up in preparation for Mark, Barbara and Aidan's arrival in a couple of days for a short visit.
They arrived promptly on Saturday afternoon. It was good to see how well they were. Aidan, at just one year old was as ambulatory as ever and was truly a very charming little fellow. Mark and family drove in from the Sacramento Airport in a hired car which they kept for the duration of the stay here. We had a nicely furnished room set up for the trio.
Gordon was down for the weekend so it all fitted in well, as the following Monday was a holiday, Martin Luther King's birthday.
I am still awaiting the hospital bill; only little bits and pieces of it have come in, but not the major one.. It scares me! I must admit, however, that it was indeed fortunate for me to have Dr Mansell as my doctor. He is not only an expert in his field, but also a very kind person. He even brought me a flowering Azalea plant to brighten up my room, and also provided me with ample supplies of the medications (as samples) that I would normally have had to purchase. On a previous visit to California I almost had a game of golf with him but I guess he was too busy, as it never took place.
Apart from the excellent service provided by the doctor, the hospital also gave me "Medication Education Sheets" which gave suggestions regarding: 'How to take' (medications); 'Missed doses'; 'Side effects, etc. and 'Precautions' with respect to 'side effects'. After a couple of days I noticed that there was a difficulty in speaking. I found it impossible to say words, and it really bothered me.
Reporting this to both Dr Mansell and my son Gordon, I was advised to stop the medication. It was apparently too powerful and the temporary lack of speech no longer existed. Another of the tablets, Zantac, seemed to induce "Tackycardia", which is a rapid heart beat. So this too was reduced to a much smaller dose per day.
As I record this, it is about a full month since I left the hospital, and I seem to be mending rather well. I take regular walks in the early mornings using the rather hilly terrain on Yankee Hill and doing my normal daily calisthenics. The absence of meat, fish, etc. from the diet here seems to be of some benefit to me and the vegetarian diet is certainly helping me to keep in shape. A great deal of fruit is eaten - what a pity this is not easily attainable in Canada.
On Friday 11th February, Gordie my grandson arrived for the weekend to spend it with us here in Yankee Hill. He now works in Seattle, Washington and we were all happy to see him. He has written a book "Tao of Time" and hopes to have it published soon. While here with us this weekend, he will give a 'talk' on matters biblical, and it should all tie in with his proposed publication. We propose holding his talk at the home of Gladys Mansell in Paradise before he returns to his workplace in Seattle, in the State of Washington. He looks remarkably well.
Today also, Michael called us from St Lucia and we were so glad to hear from him. He is still travelling from island to island - Trinidad, Barbados, Dominique etc. in pursuit of his present job of selecting possible students for higher education, but in June of this year he has an appointment in Virginia to do lecture tours which, he says, will last for about one year.
Joan too called us from Santa Barbara where she is with her son Mark and Barbara and their little son. She will spend about one month there after which she goes over to Cathy, her daughter, in England. From their conversation with me, it is very obvious that they are still very much in love with each other.
In the course of my stay in California during the winter I was introduced to a widow, Adele Bryson, who is a friend of Gordon and Arna. She lives a good deal further along the wooded area of Concow, which is further along from Yankee Hill. After several visits to Gordon's home, she became quite friendly and I offered to take her to supper one evening at the 'Home Style Buffet'. Three times married, she proved to be quite interesting. I am sure she will be a really good friend.
Tuesday 23 February 2000 was quite an unusual day here in Yankee Hill California. In the first place, Arna had gone to Blythe on a weekend visit to see her mother who is ill and just Gordon and I were at home. A violent rainstorm blew in and just by chance, Gordon had to return to work early that morning. As explained, his workplace entails a two-hour drive along a mountainous highway all the way to Susanville, and the rain continued incessantly.
At about 9.00 am, without any warning, the lights went out and all the electrical appliances, freezer, refrigerator, cooking stove, microwave, washing machine and drier etc. In addition, the telephone also died. As a result, all alone, I was left almost incommunicado. Alone in a large house, I waited a full fifteen minutes before deciding on my next step. Then I decided to check on my two sole neighbours, a good couple of hundred yards away. I drew a blank from the one neighbour, but the other one, a couple of hundred yards further away helped me a bit with their telephone, which was working and was not connected to the electrical system.
In contacting these two neighbours, I had to dress up so as to weather the storm outside and got really wet feet. It would appear that the storm had damaged the connection to our district and the telephone people were doing their best on repair work.
By the time I got back home, the water supply had also stopped, so here was I in a large house, all alone, with no electricity, water or telephone access to the rest of the world and in an isolated area, quite far from any town. Fortunately, there is a wood-burning stove in the living room, and this I kept at full blast, feeding it fresh logs from time to time.
As you know, this home has it's own well-water supply, but the pump that furnishes the property is electrically operated. Hence the fact that our supply was cut off However, there was enough distilled water in bottles in the house so there was no problem, but I did collect some stored washing water from a reservoir, which was kept in the basement.
Some time during the midday, I heard a slight tinkle coming from the master bedroom and following the sound, I noticed a tiny telephone in this room. Apparently, it was one I had no knowledge of It was fortunately in working order, so at last I was able to contact both Arna in Blythe, and Gordon in Susanville - was I relieved? But the rainstorm continued to rage along and I learned from Arna that she should be back that same night at about 11.00 pm. Gordon was helpful in suggesting that I do not worry too much, to depend on the flashlights we had, rather than consider using kerosene lamps, which were also available.
The neighbours, (the Middletons) were very kind in coming over and suggesting to take me to have a meal at one of the restaurants, but I declined, thanking them for their offer. Towards 3.30 - 4.00 pm it darkened quite a bit as the skies were overcast and still raining, when to my surprise and joy, the lights came on almost at 4.00 pm on this day. I heard the phone ring, and I recognized that whatever damage had occurred had been taken care of. The call came from Maureen and did she cheer me up!
After finding the telephone in the master bedroom, a call came through from someone I had met many years ago, and, when she heard of my situation, she offered to "rescue" me and take me to her home in Paradise until the situation became normal. I assured her that I was not scared but would survive quite easily. Later that evening, this 'Good Samaritan' drove her car, accompanied by her son, all the 20 miles from her home in Paradise to bring me a supper, consisting of hot soup, a green salad, some fruit, and a large bottle of Cranapple drink. Although I only knew her slightly from many years ago, this is the kind of friend one delights in having. How can anyone forget such a wonderful performance as Gloria Pablovitch's?
Several hours later, Arna came home through the wind and rain, driving her truck all the way from Sacramento to Yankee Hill. By that time, conditions were back to normal and we resumed a more ordinary life.
Our Four-Day Holiday at Elveden Forest (1996)
We arrived at Elveden about midday, and after signing in, we parked the car and waited at the reception centre until 3 p.m. which is really starting time, since the villas had to be made ready for us to occupy.
We relaxed at the seating just above the sub-tropical swimming pool, and helped ourselves to some light refreshments. We then unloaded our car and set up house in our delightful little villa No. 816, adjacent to a nice man-made lake which runs along all the homes there.
We met up with Cathy and family who had already arrived ahead of us, and we invited them to have supper with us, which we promptly cooked in the excellent cooking arrangements there. We entertained the Cameron family until it began to get dark, when they left and returned to their home in London. They were duly grateful for our invitation to be with us for at least the one day.
While waiting at Reception for our villa when we first arrived, we got to chatting with two fellows, who, like ourselves were also waiting for their places. It so happened we talked a little of golf, and being both golfers, they invited me to join them in a game on the next day. We promptly booked ourselves to play at 8.00 a.m. Unfortunately, it rained heavily that night, and we had to cancel. I was really disappointed.
On Tuesday 27th August, we walked over to the 'Sheldrake', one of the many restaurants there, and had a barbecue supper. There was every kind of meat and you just helped yourself to whatever you wished from the well set tables.
We had rented four bicycles, one each for Paul, Ron, Maureen and me, and it was fun having to use this type of transport at my age! I had not ridden a bike for well over 40 years, but after a few wobbles and skids, I finally got the hang of it, and continued using this mode of transport until we departed.
Even at night, we rode all over the place, visiting the Plaza which supplied every possible need from A-Z.
On the second evening, we dined at the 'Country Club and this was by far the best supper I had (Baked Trout).
On our final evening here, we used a Smorgasbord at the Plaza, where you had a choice of almost anything. We spent a long evening there, it being rainy, but that great big entertainment area of sport, and all possible needs one can have, and all under one cover of solid rigid plastic roofing, made you forget what was going on, on the outside.
On the very last evening of our stay of four days at Elveden Forest, Maureen and I really enjoyed the sub-tropical swim area. We first investigated the hot tubs, popularly called Jacuzzis, trying out both of them. Following about 10 to 15 minutes of this, we ventured into the swirling water-run of the main pool, which takes you on its own force all around the circle of this large pool. We did this a few times.
You do not have to swim as the foamy water just pushes you all around, and it is safe, since the depth of water is never more than 3-5 feet, not forgetting there are life-guards all over. Then over to the 'waterfall' area, where the water comes rushing down on you from quite a height. This was surely the finest swimming experience I've ever had in all my long life.
The following morning we packed up, returned the four rented bicycles and after a delightful stay of four days in this semi-tropical paradise, we got ready to leave for Wales. Before closing this chapter of one of my most enjoyable holidays, here is - An Overall Description of Center Parc's Elveden Forest Holiday Centre
The whole concept of the Center Parc (Centre Park) is to provide a relaxed holiday environment in a natural and healthy setting, with all the amenities of modern living in a partially converted forest area. Great effort was made to ensure safety, and to this effect, motor vehicles were restricted to a special spot just outside the villas or homes, and yet not over far from the living quarters. As a result, bicycles were the popular method of getting around, and these could be rented, and definitely were rented as soon as one settled down in his villa.
This particular centre we were at is in Elveden Forest, and is just one of three such places, the others being Sherwood Forest and Longleat.
Elveden is 400 acres, and contains about 800 individual 'homes' called villas, and each is situated on the fringe of a man-made lake on which are swans, cygnets, geese, goslings, ducks and fish. Rabbits and squirrels were all around, and appeared to be quite tame.
The individual villas are in several sizes, capable of housing couples, threesomes, or four to six people. All are very well equipped with every convenience from colour TV sets to all kitchen, bedroom and bathroom requirements. The villas are all centrally heated and provided with sky-lights to enhance natural lighting.
An obvious effort was made to keep the forest as natural as possible, just sufficient thinning of the undergrowth was done to ensure safety and visibility. Tiled pathways were provided to each villa, and this made it very comfortable for access and ease especially when it rained. It is remarkable how easily and quickly I managed to ride a bicycle, something I had not done for about forty years. I should admit, however, that I did suffer a few scrapes and wobbles, mainly from a question of balance.
It was unbelievable how well arranged the shopping, sports and recreation areas were. To begin, that whole section was under a tough plastic cover, so it did not really matter what the weather was, it was always very accessible. This covered enclosure embraced a complete supermarket, several speciality shops, many restaurants, even including a smorgasbord. Interspersed around were man-made ponds, with live carp swimming, and tropical foliage around, with delicate bridges spanning the ponds, and leading to a subtropical swimming area, which was truly a wonderful arrangement.
The water was never cold, just medium, and the depth was never more than 3 to 5 feet, in addition to which there were several life-guards. There were many features in the swimming area, such as a waterfall effect, a swift white-water section, and a really shallow portion where even tiny kids could play in safety.
The most thrilling part is this sub-tropical swimming area was the cascading waterfall which created huge waves, and which was always pre-arranged with a Tarzan-like howl for kids enjoyment. The cost of this swimming-hold was a paltry twenty pence. Under this huge canopy of very rigid plastic, on the other side of the swimming area, there was the games section which included several ten-pin bowling alleys, tennis courts, badminton courts, table tennis facilities, as well as snooker (pools).
Needless to say, one can spend a complete day in this area if desired, but there were so many other outdoor sports such as golf, (9 holes), archery, and bike treks, etc. that a wide choice was possible.
With the hundreds of bicycles in use at the resort, there are several parking places for them, in areas close to the many places of interest one can visit. All cycles are provided with locks, and it is wonderful to see how kids as well as older folk (like me) get along on them. Speaking of the two men with whom I had arranged to play golf, (which was washed out by rain) one of them was on his third visit to this park, which just goes to show how attractive this place is. If I was living in England as I once did for seven years, I would certainly want to go on repeated visits to this delightful place.
Trip to England (1996)
Following my decision to spend a couple of months with Maureen in the UK, (July 12th to September 8th) I found it unwise to sign up for golf this season. The summer was a bit late, and the golfing season is quite short here in Canada. So I chose not to sign up at my club. In any case, I realize that at my age, one cannot play his best golf My golf buddies were quite disappointed, even though they are 15-20 years younger than I.
So on July 12th 1996, I flew over to London and Ron and Maureen met me at Heathrow airport the following morning. The flight was uneventful, and took all of seven and a half hours. This was now July 13th 1996.
As usual, I took about 2-3 days to adjust to the jet-lag. On Sunday 14th July, we went to collect some plants from a nearby Garden Centre and what we selected would certainly help to brighten up our garden. We followed this with a visit to Lensbury Club, where Maureen is a member, and enjoyed a barbecue lunch there on the extensive grounds. There was quite a lot of people present, as well as a steel band playing Caribbean tunes.
Since this was the last day of the famous Hampton Court flower show, we took off there to enjoy this rare display of floral culture. It took us just over two yours of steady walking around to see the exhibits and, even then, we didn't see it all. These gardens surround the Hampton Court Palace, the one time home of king Henry 8th, and this place, along with miles of superb hunting grounds stretching along the Thames River, is now preserved as a tourist attraction.
Expecting Gordon and Arna to join us from California, the first week was spent tidying up, and putting the front and back gardens in shape.
Both Ron and Maureen had pre-arranged to attend an Amway conference in Cardiff, Wales, the coming weekend, and it was planned that I should spend it at Sonny and Joyce Barrow's home in Lincoln until they returned. However, Joyce came down with a runny nose and it was decided that rather than risk becoming infected, I would take a "rain-check". Paul did come over to keep me company, while his parents were away, rather than staying at home alone. Paul is quite a "chef', and he prepared quite an excellent dinner for us both. Before he returned to his home in Milton Keynes, I took him to a nearby Indian restaurant where we had a typical Oriental meal which we both enjoyed.
Got in touch with my grand-daughter Cathy and her family. Her mother Joan, is now in England spending three weeks before she returns to St. Lucia via Barbados next month.
I keep helping with the gardens, mowing the grass, clipping the hedge and watering the plants. I plan to visit the City (downtown London) this week, taking Maureen with me. I really want to see what changed there are since my last visit to the UK. To be truly honest, I was quite disappointed with the trip. The weather was hot, and the subway system was poor with delays all the way. However, we had purchased one-day travel cards at £3.50 each ($7.00 Can.), which allowed us to use either bus or subway. At one point, when the underground train had stopped due to some delay on the line, we decided to surface and take a bus instead so as to get to Madam Tussauds Wax Museum, but we lost our way somewhere in Maida Vale.
While sitting on the upper deck of the bus, we met an Englishman who offered to direct us to our destination. He even escorted us there, chatting all the way and very friendly indeed. His name was Peter, and he said he worked for government security, and had been all over the world. Served in the Army, Navy and Airforce and was on his way to Rio de Janeiro next week. He may have been bragging, but I tested him by asking some pertinent questions like, 'Have you seen Brasilia?' To which he replied, 'Even though it is the capital, Rio is much more important and very interesting.' In reality, he was in the secret service and chatted quite sensibly, and was indeed a great help to up in finding our way around in that confusing area.
After examining the pros and cons of visiting Madam Tussaud's Wax Works and the Planetarium and taking the sight-seeing bus tour around London, we abandoned the whole idea. The queue lines were interminable and the weather was hot and the charges quite exorbitant. Also, Maureen was never one to enjoy baking in the sun of the open-top deck of the tour buses. So instead we purchased a couple of packages of nicely put up lunches and some cold drinks and did a ten minute walk to Regents Park. We found a shaded bench on the side of a large lake which runs through the park. Here we could see lots of holiday-makers in little canoes paddling along the lack with swans and ducks swimming about, and there were lots of pigeons which took care of the crumbs and scraps from our lunches. We finally took to the underground trains and wended our way home quite tired.
On Sunday 30th July, we visited Cathy and family who now five in Tottenham in north London. It was a car ride of about 45 minutes, using quite a bit of the North Circular Road. Her home is in a newly built-up area called Bream Close'. The homes are small but quite practical, and ideally suited for her family of four, two boys aged 5 and 3. We met Joan, her mother, who is now on holiday from St Lucia, and it was a pleasant get-together after a long absence. We had a nice supper there, and before leaving, invited the family to have supper with us the following Thursday. Joan will be leaving for her home in Barbados in a few days.
It is quite remarkable how prices have soared in England since my last visit here. As an example a small ice-cream cone costs $2.72 (Canadian).
On Saturday 3rd September I decided to ride into the City and compare how London looked today, with how I remembered it a few years ago. I took Maureen along to act as a guide and helper, as she knows the busy areas better than I, having worked in many places in this huge metropolis.
So we purchased travel cards as usual, which as I said are good for one day and you have a choice of either underground rail or bus. We changed trains and buses several times just showing our tickets and did our best to get our money's worth.
On one of the subway trains we met and chatted with a nice little lady who promised to give Maureen some information about ballroom dances near to where we live. We spent a lot of time looking through shops in Oxford Street. 'Debenhams' was particularly interesting, and we did have lunch there.
We found a souvenir shop in Oxford Street called 'Churchill Gifts', and hope to go back there some time to select souvenirs for family and friends back in Canada. We also visited Westminster Abbey, which as usual, was crowded.
We got home late in the afternoon and had Fish and Chips for supper - just delightful- as only the English could make it.
On Tuesday, August 6th Daphne, my niece, and her husband John Wright visited us, and I entertained them to an Indian "Tandoori" supper at a nearby restaurant. On the following day, Wednesday 7th August, Maureen and I attended what is described as a "Tea Dance" at the Brent Town Hall in Wembley - a truly grand little affair. We made friends with a group and certainly enjoyed the afternoon. The dance music was recorded but delightful. Both "Ballroom" and "Latin" music was played, and the dance floor was not only large, but very smooth. The weather was just perfect, and the dress very casual and comfortable. We danced from 12.30 to 3.30 p.m. What fun we had trying the 'Latins' and 'Cha-Cha-Chas’! Just confirmed that I’ll be going to Joyce and Sonny Barrow in Lincoln on Saturday 10th August until Tuesday 13th. The train ride to Lincoln takes three hours.
Leaving King’s Cross railway station at 9.a.m. I was met by my life-long friend, Sonny,-whose real first name is Eugene- and taken to his home in a hired chauffeur-driven car to St. David’s Close, where, many years ago he purchased a delightful bungalow-type home. It is in a very select area, each of the surrounding houses has ample garden space both back and front, and they are all very well and beautifully kept. I enjoyed a room all to myself, overlooking the garden in the back. It was delightfully comfortable, a real home away from home. On the following day I was driven to a pub nearby, where we had a fine dinner.
What long chats Sonny and I had! Our friendship went back to when we were teenagers, and we certainly enjoyed recounting and almost reliving all those glorious days between the ages of 14 and 19 years, when we were young rebels. I was certainly brought up-to-date on things relating to Guyana, and who better to discuss this than with one who was Minister of Housing in the land where we were both born and lived for so many wonderful years.
Unfortunately, Sonny has a spinal problem, and is unable to stand erect in an upright position. Apart from that, however, he is very sound in mind and limb, and rides a bicycle with ease.
He takes a keen interest in Guyanese affairs, and is also very busy compiling a family tree, which absorbs a lot of his time. He and I have a number of similar views covering things like, the ageing body, religion, euthanasia, creation and evolution, the presence of life in outer space, etc. etc. It was certainly one of the nicest weekends I have ever spent, and was sorry he lives so far away.
Promptly, at midday on Tuesday 13th August 1996 he engaged a car and saw me down to the rail station on my way back to London and Maureen’s home. Leaving Lincoln, I had to change trains at a half-way point back to London. I was unaware there were two trains going in the same direction and both to ‘Kings Cross. I took the first one that came, and that one, an express, got into ‘Kings Cross’ one hour before the expected time. I was hoping to contact Maureen to tell her of this as soon as I reached Kings Cross, but unfortunately, there was a security alarm at Kings Cross station when I got there, and the authorities had shut down the entire subway station there, as they suspected a strange package left unattended had contained a bomb. However, no bomb was discovered, but there was so much confusion as a result, that I failed to get in touch with Maureen, who was also affected by the emergency.
As a result, I bought myself a ticket for the underground tube system, and wended my way home, arriving there about hour later. Maureen, who had already left home to meet me at Kings Cross, telephoned home and was assured I had arrived there without further mishap. On the following afternoon after resting up a bit, Maureen and I took off for the ‘Tea Dance’ at the Brent Town Hall in Wembley. She and I danced quite a lot, doing some of those unusual bits like the Rumba, Samba, and Tango as well as the regular Fox-trots, Waltzes etc. What a glorious dance hall this place is!
On Friday, August 16th I walked from our home to “Barham Park”, which is just a ten minute stroll, and really enjoyed the scenery there. It is quite a large park and the flower display is really delightful. I just could not resist taking a few shots of the flowering banks, and the general surroundings. I also visited the library, which is really a part of the park. It was a truly gratifying walk, and I spent a good two hours absorbing it all and enjoying it as well.
Today, Saturday, August 17th we are having a Cantonese supper. It is amazing what a variety of food I have eaten while in England. Tomorrow, we will have British Fish and Chips, while on the next day it will be an Indian supper, followed by a Chinese meal later in the week – and so on ….
On Sunday 18th August I made several telephone calls. First, I called the Barrows, thanking them for their hospitality. We chatted quite a bit, as old friends will do after a long absence. Then I called Cathy, my grand-daughter in Tottenham and was also able to speak to her brother Kai, who had just returned from the U.S.A. where he attended a convention. We also confirmed that Cathy and family would be joining us next Monday at ‘Elveden Forest in Suffolk for just one day. Following that, I got in touch with Marsha in Canada. She was having breakfast and was preparing to go to church, where she had to sing at the morning service. She and Aubrey had just returned from carrying out some of the duties of ‘Hardinge Enterprises’. They are certainly developing quite a business of their own. Finally, I telephoned Gordon in California and was lucky to be answered by him personally, since it was his week off from his workplace in Susanville.
This morning Monday 19th August, I am writing this in a barber’s shop, quite close to Maureen’s home. Incidentally, the barber remembered me, having cut my hair almost five years ago, when I was in England on a visit.
With the impending approach of my return trip to Canada, I have decided to spend today, Thursday 22nd August roaming through Oxford Street in search of souvenirs to take back home. As Maureen is off work today, she is coming to help me in my search and choice. We did pick up quite a few things from ‘Churchill’s Gift Shop’, but are these little things pricey!! But we do manage. Using our one-day travel cards, we push on to Cathy, who lives in Tottenham. She and her family have quite a neat little home, and her two lovely sons are growing fast. The older is five years, and his brother is three. As to be expected, we arrived home rather tired after a long day. Maureen and I are now in the throes of preparing for our next week, the real high point of my visit to the UK.
So on Monday 26th August, we set off for the holiday villa in Elveden Forest where we will spend the next four days, along with Paul, Maureen’s son. We will have Cathy and family for a short while, then away we go driving into Wales to spend another few days with Daphne and her husband whose home is there. The plan is to pick up Paul at Milton Keynes where he lives and works, and go on to Elveden Forest – one of the Center Parc Holiday locations. Cathy’s group will meet us there. After the four day sojourn at Elveden, the four of us, Paul, Ron, Maureen and I will drive to Wales, a good five to six hour car-ride.
Return to Britain | Visits to Family (1993)
It was truly amazing how, at my 87 years of age, I was able to cope with such a strenuous schedule but two days later I came down with a sore throat and runny nose, which was inevitable after mixing with 43 other people in fairly close contact for all of six days. So I went to Maureen's doctor, whom I had met some years ago and he prescribed for me. Incidentally, the visit was free, and being a senior, the medication (28 Erythromycin tablets) was also free at the chemist's shop. How can you beat that for socialized medical care?
Today, the 16th July 1993. Ron and Maureen are leaving for Birmingham to attend a grand three-day Amway function called "Family Reunion" to be held there. They are returning on Sunday evening.
It was arranged that I would spend the week-end at Lincoln with my lifelong friends, Sonny and Joyce Barrow, who live there. Unfortunately, Joyce developed a serious bronchial condition, and the visit had to be scrapped.
However, Paul will come down from Leicester and keep me company. He is doing a computer course at the college there which is a good two to three hours away from London. I visited Cathy a few days ago, and will spend a few days with Kai and his family on Monday 19th July.
Accordingly, I caught the British Rail at King's Cross station around 11.00 a.m. and journeyed to Cambridge where he, his wife Kavitha and my great-grandson Kamal live. They have secured a delightful flat, and I was pleasantly surprised at its layout and situation - £400 a month -. Kai is not only now a proud parent, but also a Ph.D. (physics), Kavitha is an Arts graduate, and the little Kamal is a healthy little fellow. I over-nighted there, and Kai took me touring Cambridge, and showed me all principal places. I took a picture of "Kings College" before returning to Eastcote Avenue by the following day's train. Before departing, however, I treated this young family to an oriental meal at one of the good restaurants in Cambridge.
On Thursday evening of 22nd July, Daphne my niece, now married to John Wright, came over and took me to dinner at a Chinese restaurant. As you know, Daphne is the daughter of Aria, Emma's sister (now deceased).
During my stay in Britain and the continent I must have sampled five or six different ethnic dishes but I must say I enjoyed them all.
Maureen and I had English, Indian and Chinese type foods. At Cambridge I was introduced to Malay type meals, and during the six day visit to the continent, I ate French and Dutch type food as well. Most of it was light, vegetable, and quite well prepared. They were all practical and very sensible. We certainly made the most of this experience.
Tomorrow, Saturday 24th July, I will go to Wembley Central and try to select a few gifts as souvenirs to take back to Canada. I have already re-confirmed my reservation for departure on Sunday 25th July and was even given a seat number 17F on Air Canada.
Visit to U.K., France, Belgium and The Netherlands (1983)
Returning from Paradise in April 1993, after hibernating from the Canadian winter for about three months, I was invited by Ron and Maureen to join them in England and, also to take in a short tour of Europe visiting Paris France, Brussels Belgium, and Amsterdam in The Netherlands.
I left Brandon at 4.50 p.m. for Winnipeg by car, and took off for London Heathrow at 8.15 p.m. by "Air Canada", in June 1993. The overnight service and flight just perfect.
Got into London at 10.00 a.m. and was met at the airport by Maureen. No problems at all with customs etc. and joined the underground train for Maureen's home in Greenford. Ron joined us later in the day after his work.
Called Sonny Barrow and chatted with him and Joyce. Called Cathy and chatted with her. Went walking around the home area during the evening, to re-acquaint myself with the old surroundings.
Today, 29th June 1993, I go to have lunch at her workplace in their restaurant. It was a "Smorg" type meal, and truly delightful. I was afterwards introduced to her supervisor and other workers in her office. Leaving her at work, I made my way home via a visit to Selfridges in Oxford Street, where I finally got some of my favourite white Cheddar cheese. During the evening I was taken to an "Amway" meeting at the home of the Wests.
Wednesday 30th June. Visited Cathy at her home in Turnpike Lane and met her husband Cecil and her small son Christian. Spent a couple of hours with them.
Thursday 1st July. I go to Wembley Central with Maureen to shop. What a difference there is now in this once very familiar area!
On Friday Paul comes down to Eastcote Avenue to spend a couple of days with us. He cooks a really fine meal for us on Saturday, and we certainly appreciate and enjoy it. Later in the day, Maureen's friend, Esme Broumpton, visits us and will spend the night here. She is a part of our group for the six day tour of Belgium, Holland and France.
Sunday, 4th July 1993. Ron, Maureen, Esme and I take off for our trip at 10.30 a.m. We travelled by the Underground system to a collection point, where the entire group of about forty met, then we were all bussed to Dover, where we boarded the Channel ferry and crossed over to Calais. This boat was a great big "Sea-Link" (P & O) and very comfortable.
Reaching Calais, we joined our coach "Cosmos", and travelled all the way along the English channel coast to Brussels, where we spent that night. Did not get into our hotel until midnight as the traffic was very heavy.
A good night's sleep followed by a rather excellent breakfast, after which we toured Brussels. As you know. Brussels is now the capital city of the European Community, and this was duly pointed out to us by our guide. We visited a world famous chocolate factory, and was given a demonstration of lace manufacture which was invented by this country. We further did the whole city. after which we drove into Holland and arrived at the Pullman hotel in Amsterdam at about 6.00 p.m. After a delightful dinner here at 7.30 p.m. I telephoned some old family friends of ours, the Nobregas, who now live in Enidhoven. Kathleen, born Barrow, was an old flame of mine in our teenage years, and I had a good chat with her and her husband Jules.
Tomorrow, Tuesday 6th July, 1993, we plan to do the canal ride through Amsterdam, lasting for one whole hour. Glass-topped boats with all-glass sides are used as we pass through the heart of this great city, viewing the various types of massive buildings which line both sides of the canal.
At various intersections, roads cross the canal, and we run through the created tunnel where the boat goes under the roads which cross.
We do the famous Rijksmuseum, in which are displayed some wonderful paintings of Rembrandt and Van Gough. There were several murals, many of them about 40 by 30 feet in size. One particular painting, depicting Lot and his two daughters after the fall of Sodom was brilliantly done. Along the canal ride, we were shown how the cluttered and majestic homes along the sides of the canal managed to get their furniture into their homes, via the windows, using external hooks and ropes up the many floors above ground level.
Leaving the city we visited a famous cheese factory, and sampled many kinds of cheeses and wine, and saw the well-known Dutch shoes made of wood, and how they were manufactured. On returning to our hotel, we passed the celebrated Red Light area, and even saw through an open glass window, one of the ladies, dressed in the briefest of bikinis, in an effort to attract the attention of patrons.
Before leaving Holland, we visited a famous diamond factory where we were given a demonstration of how diamonds are cut and polished. It was explained how diamonds lost 50% of their size in shaping and cutting, and interesting to learn that each cut and polished diamond has 57 facets.
We also visited an area in which several working windmills were installed, and how picturesque they were.
At this time of the year, the world famous tulips were not in bloom, but our tour of Holland was most rewarding. We certainly enjoyed every moment of it.
On the following day we took off for Paris at about 9.00 a.m. and arrived there around 3.00 p.m. Our hotel here was very modern, and we helped ourselves to breakfast in their self-serve cafeteria. We then toured a few of the many outstanding features of this great city such as the "Eiffel Tower", "Place de la Concorde", Site of the "Bastille", "Napoleon's Tomb", the "Louvre", the "Opera House", "Cathedral of Notre Dame" etc. etc.
We also enjoyed a one-hour ride on a special tourist long boat (of which there were several) on the River Seine, from which we could see all the magnificent buildings lining both sides of this famous river. We were shown areas on which, during World War I, the battles of the Somme and Verdon were fought, and in which over one million lives were lost in the then trench warfare of those days.
During our stay in France, we were given a demonstration of how perfumes were made. It included using tons of flowers in melted grease, adding fixatives to hold the scent. A farewell dinner was provided for our group of 44 people and this was held at a most impressive spot overlooking Paris from a high hill. The dinner was a great success. It was a full-sized meal with everything provided including cocktails, red and white wine and champagne. We were then given a ride in an open type glamour train which circled the illuminated hilltop area, on which the restaurant was situated. After rejoining our coach we returned to our hotel where we would spend our last night.
Boarding our coach at 9.00 a.m. we took about three hours to reach Calais where we embarked on the P & 0 ferry for Dover. The weather was fine during the greater part of our holiday, but when we got to Dover it was really pouring rain and many of us got soaking wet. "Even the heavens were weeping with joy to see us return".
Before we left Paris, and I have especially left this bit for the last, most of the tourists in our group decided to attend a cabaret. We chose one called "La Novelle Eve" (the New Eve) which was being performed at a music hall just across the street from the world-famous "Moulin Rouge". Before the show started champagne was served in individual glasses to the little tables around which we sat.
There was a blaze of glory and the girls came on clad in the briefest of bikinis with a few feathers for decoration beneath which they wore form fitting body suits with a few who were completely topless.
Of course they must have been carefully selected for shapes and sizes, and they were all extremely supple and acrobatic. They certainly reminded me of the "Rockettes" whom I had seen perform many years ago at the "Radio City Music Hall" in New York City.
Many glamorous formation dances were done, and the lighting helped considerably to produce the desired effect. They appeared several times doing different routines, and this was interspersed with comedy acts in which the comedian would appear in different national costumes, displaying how each would re-act on finding an American dollar bill in the streets. The Japanese dressed comedian provided us with the biggest laugh, when on seeing the money, he simply unslung his expensive camera, took a picture of the money, and sublimely left it where it was.
There was, also, a very wonderful display of juggling where two performers did some of the most unusual feats I have ever seen. There was also an acrobat who really entertained us. All in all, it was a wonderful performance, but after all, we were in the gay city of Paris, France.
Before I close this six-day holiday in Belgium, France and The Netherlands, I would be remiss if I did not mention what wonderful ships the ferry boats of the "P & 0" lines are. To board them, one goes up six ramps and I figure there must be at least five separate decks. These boats are fully equipped to serve every possible need, and on both crossings, I found them very stable indeed in spite of the very turbulent waters of the English Channel.
Thus ended a wonderful six days of enjoyment, and we finally reached Dover at the base of those forbidding White Cliffs of which we've heard so much.
We reached home - 115 Eastcote Avenue late that evening very tired indeed.
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