The Lansdowne Letters: On Canoes and Procreation

No, the canoes and procreation aren't connected!

I'm sure somewhere, sometime
canoes have been used for such.

My father was having trouble enough
just trying to negotiate the strip of water 
between the Father's Island
and the DOT dock on the mainland
in his little Hudson Bay Post canoe.

The Father's Island from the DOT Dock

Photograph by Rev. Father Ouimet, OMI

Lansdowne House, Northern Ontario, Canada
Fall, 1960
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue

All Rights Reserved

It's Friday, and that means

another post based on 

my father's Lansdowne Letters

from long ago and far away.

I'm sharing two anecdotes 

from Dad's letter of Tuesday, September 20, 1960:

On Canoeing ~ in my father's words:

"I think I have finally mastered that confounded canoe.
Before yesterday I was having a lot of trouble in rough water,
especially if the wind was against me.  

"There were a couple of days 

when I just couldn’t get across to the mainland.  

Luckily this was before school had started.  

"The Father got me all straightened out though.  

It is all a matter of where you sit in the canoe.  

"On a calm day it is easiest to control it from the stern, 

but mostly you sit in the center.  

"On really rough windy days, though, 

you have to sit right up in the prow, or you just can’t steer it.  

"Yesterday I almost had my feet hanging over the front, 

but I got across, even though there were whitecaps on the water.  

"Whenever you sit either in the stern or on the prow, 

it is necessary to carry about fifty pounds

 of rock in the other end as ballast.  

"Shifting this ballast around is a lot of exercise in itself.  

I have taken over an inch off my waist already, 

most of it being sweated off in or around that confounded canoe."

Looking Toward the Hudson Bay Post

and the DOT Dock

from The Father's Island

Photograph by Donald Blair MacBeath

September, 1960
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue

All Rights Reserved

On Procreation ~ in my father's words:

"I had quite a long talk with the local Indian chief today.  

He does not speak a word of English, 

but he brought along his interpreter – big time eh?  

Just like a bunch of bloody diplomats.

  

"The chief is Protestant, 

and he is quite disturbed 

that I am living across at the Mission with the Father.

"I explained that it was the only place 

that I could find to stay."

  

Friends gather in the kitchen 

at the OMI Mission in Lansdowne House.

OMI:  Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate 

Center: Father Maurice Ouimet, OMI

Flanked by:  Chicago Bill (left) and Mr. Baker (right)

Back Row:  A Sleepy Uno Manilla and Brother Raoul Bernier, OMI

Photograph by Donald Blair MacBeath

September, 1960
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue

All Rights Reserved

  

The chief "was very pleased to hear 

that I was bringing up my family 

as soon as the government built a new teachers residence.

  

"He was also interested to hear that I had five children.  

He said that maybe I could work hard 

when I get my squaw up with me 

and catch up to him.  

He has eleven."

I just have to say,

"How can you not love men?"

They're the same everywhere ~

Here, there, now, then.

Fundy Blue signing off.

Canoeing in Northern Ontario

Wikimedia

Losing the Fitbit War

"How can you have so many more steps?

exclaims the Ever-Patient?

"There's something wrong with your Fitbit!"

We're comparing steps after a gorgeous fall day

at the Denver Botanic Gardens.

Lily Pads, Denver Botanic Gardens

"We were together the whole time!" he complains.

"Hummm," says I. 

 I know exactly what has happened.

"I don't think so, Babe.

I calibrate my Fitbit all the time. 

I'm walking to St. Anthony,

and it's a long way 

to the northern tip of Newfoundland.

I want my miles to be right."

"Humph," says he, not wanting to concede.

"What can I say?" I reply.

"You're part vampire."

 Hiding His Sparkle

With a perfect autumn day,

a Chihuly exhibit, 

and events marking the end 

of the Jewish High Holy Days,

the gardens were mobbed.

Terry does not do sun or crowds well.

This is just one of the secluded spots 

we stopped at to quietly sip coffee:

a dim, cool oak grove.

I don't do quiet well.                                

Nor do I light for long.                                       I entertained myself by                                 
shooting Terry and our table.

Suddenly I became aware of a rustling in the grove.

I paused and listened.

A blur flashed to my right.

 What the?

                 

And then I was scrambling.

The grove was alive with scurrying squirrels!

When squirrels scurry

you scramble ~

If you want to catch them

on their frenzied hunt 

to find and bury acorns!

Find It

Clamp It in Your Mouth

Bury It

Cover it Up

Hunt for Another

The Fitbit count is no mystery, Babe.

While you're chillaxing,

in the dim cool, sipping coffee

I'm chasing enterprising squirrels.

I took 553 photos in just under three hours

scampering all over the gardens:

up, down, around and around.

When you photograph anything that moves,

or doesn't, that step's count gonna climb!

Denver Botanic Gardens

Sorry, Babe!
You're never going to catch me!

The Lansdowne Letters: Fun Is What You Make It

Sometimes I miss simpler times
living in isolated communities.

Some of the best fun
and the richest experiences
I’ve had happened when I lived
in Westport, a vibrant outport
on the lonely coast of White Bay, Newfoundland.

Waiting for the Coastal Boat

Westport, White Bay, Newfoundland

Early Summer, 1975
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue

Or in an Indian fish camp 
on Lac Seul, Ontario
with eight other people:
my mother, my siblings,
John, Fritz, and Kokum.

         The Garrick and MacBeath families
         gather somewhere on Lac Seul.

        
       V-Shape:  Louise (me), Barb, Fritz, Roy
       Left:  Bertie and Mom (Sara)

 
                                                              Donnie:  above, girl in front

                                                              David:  one of the Garrick brothers

                                                              with children and/or nieces and nephews 

        The MacBeaths and the Garricks:  below     

         Donnie ~ first and front girl left                    Lac Seul, Ontario, Canada                 
           Louise, Barb, Fritz, and Roy                        Early Summer 1961                         

         Bertie and Mom ~ far right                           © M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue

And, of course, in Lansdowne House!

When you have little,
maybe not even electricity 
or a radio,
you make your own fun.

Mom (Sara), we five,
and our beloved Gretchen
picnicking somewhere
on the shores of 
Lake Attawapiskat.

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue

Mom, Gretchen, Bertie, Louise

Donnie, Roy, and Barb

The tiny white community of Lansdowne House

totaled fourteen once my father arrived:

Father Ouimet and Brother Bernier ~ Oblate Missionaries

Uno Manilla ~ Teacher, Roman Catholic Mission School

Two Mitchells ~ Hudson Bay Company

Brian Booth ~ HBC Clerk

Three MacRaes ~ Department of Transport

Three MacMahons ~ DOT

Margaret Kelly ~ Nursing Station

Donald MacBeath ~ Anglican Indian School 

Dad (Don) and Brian Playing Cribbage

Dad and Uno's "Cottage"

Lansdowne House, January 1961

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue

The tight-knit white community
led an active social life,
Oblate Father and Brother included.
They played cards and other games 
with great vigor and serious competition. 

Wikimedia ~ Adam B. Morgan

One distinct memory 
my young Baptist self had
was standing by the kitchen table 
in the forestry building
and watching Mom and Dad playing bridge 
with Father Ouimet and Brother Bernier.
I was holding my breath 
and waiting for lightning to strike.

Five days after arriving in Lansdowne House,

Dad was in the thick of things.

Dad wrote on Sunday, September 18, 1960:

"I was invited out to dinner last night by the MacRaes, 

one of the two married couples at the DOT Station.  

They are a very nice young couple.  

You would like them if you met them.  

"Their names are Duncan and Maureen MacRae.  

They have a little four-month-old baby, Duncan Jr.  

I had a lovely dinner and a most delightful evening 

talking and teaching the MacRaes to play chess.  

They are most anxious to learn the game.  

They want me to come over Wednesday night 

for another talking and chess session.

"They are a lovely young couple.  

They even say grace at mealtime, 

and that something you don’t see too often now.  

I am getting quite religious myself up here.  

The Father, the Brother, and Uno 

say grace and cross themselves before every meal, 

so I say my own grace before each meal.

"You should have seen me setting out 

for the MacRae’s for supper.  

There I was all decked out 

in grey flannels, white shirt, blue blazer, tie, cufflinks, 

trench coat, rubber boots, and carrying my shoes 

to wear when I get where I am going.  

It is certainly different than anything 

that I have been used to up till now.

Dad heads out
for his canoe
on the first day
of school.
He dressed
like this too
when invited
for dinner.
He's taller than
the door!  LOL!
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue  

"I didn’t leave the MacRaes until 1:00 o’clock in the morning; 

I couldn’t get away before that time.  

When I finally did leave it was quite overcast, 

and the water was quite choppy, 

so Duncan drove me home in his speedboat, 

and we towed my canoe behind.  

I can tell you that I came back across the water 

much more quickly than I went over there.

"Well, I have only been up here five days so far, 

but I have loved every minute of it.  

The country is lovely, 

and the white people up here 

are so friendly and hospitable, 

and the Father and the Brother are such congenial landlords.  

"Besides the two invitations to the MacRaes, 

I have been invited to Milt and Iona MacMahon’s 

at a date convenient to me.  

The MacMahons  are the other DOT couple up here, 

and the Mitchells run the H. B. store."

 Uno and Dad
 with baby Duncan
 on Uno's bed
 in their two-room "cottage."

Three of Fourteen

Lansdowne House,  Late 1960 or Early 1961

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue

That's it for this edition, folks!
Signing off:  Don and Louise

IWSG Redux: Thank You!

What a fun day yesterday was!

As an IWSG co-host, 
I had the opportunity to visit
so many great member posts!

If you are a writer out there
looking for a writing group to connect with, 
looking for information and inspiration,
this group is a great place to start.

I was excited about 
the IWGS eBook anthology 
that the group is compiling
for a projected December release
before yesterday.

After reading 
what members posted 
for the anthology 
on their blogs yesterday,
I'm even more excited.

I predict that this eBook will become
a valuable and frequently referred to resource 
for writers in all stages of their writing journey.




I've only been a member of the IWSG for a few months,
but I'm grateful that I found the group 
and took the plunge to join.

Sometimes it's hard for a beginning writer 
to find a physical group in his or her vicinity
that will welcome and inspire a newbie.
Certainly that's my experience.

So this morning, I want to send 
a heartfelt and grateful thank you
to Alex J. Cavanaugh,
the founder of the IWSG,
for creating a wonderful group and website
where writers can meet, share, and communicate.

I can't even begin to imagine
how Alex does all he does for the IWSG
while writing and publishing Amazon bestsellers.
I can only say, "Wow!" 

And, I want to send 
an equally heartfelt and grateful thank you
to IWSG members 
for welcoming and encouraging me.

The collective knowledge of IWSG members
and their willingness to share it
is both amazing and helpful.
Somehow helpful just doesn't seem to be a big enough word!

Just a personal note:
If I haven't responded to your welcome comment
on my blog, I will.
I ran out of stream last night 
from hippity-hopping
through so many great blogs!

Writing Boy with Little Sister

Albert Sameul Anker, 1875

wikimedia

Happy writing, everyone!

Writer Beware!

Happy First Anniversary 
to the Insecure Writer's Support Group website!
To visit, click here.

If you'd like to see that first post,
click here.

To become a member of the IWSG,
click here.



Last spring, as a newbie member of the IWSG,
I volunteered to co-host October's IWSG Post Day.

What's that old Alexander Pope adage?
“Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.”



Little did I know that it would be an anniversary day.

Nor did I know that it would be a day of posts
for an eBook anthology that the IWSG team is publishing:
The IWSG Guide to Publishing and Beyond.

Nor did I know that all IWSG members, Facebook members, and followers were invited to contribute.

Do I know how to pick a month to volunteer, or what?
LOL!




Joking aside, I am thrilled to be a co-host 
on such an auspicious day!

My wonderful co-hosts who are stepping up to help 
IWSG founder Alex J. Cavanaugh today are
Kristen Smith, Elsie Amata, and Suzanne Furness.
Visit them, thank them, and follow them (if you haven't yet).

I hope everyone has had fun this past month
writing and polishing his or her contributions.

I worked on a piece about writing.
Then a few days ago Alex sent out a request 
for contributions on publishing and marketing.

Yikes!  I haven't published my book yet.
Actually I'm still writing it.
So out I crawled on a long skinny tree limb,
and I came up with a piece on publishing ~
300 words exactly, Captain Ninja!
I can't pare another syllable.

Here are directions for submitting your contribution 
of 200-1000 words to the IWSG eBook anthology:

1.  Anthology submissions of 300 words or less can be posted 
     as your contribution for IWSG Post Day.

2.  After you have posted on October 1, 
     go to this page on the IWSG website
     and enter your link at:
     http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-guide-to-publishing-and-beyond.html
     The deadline for submission is Thursday, October 2, 2014.

3.  If your anthology submission is over 300 words,
     email it to theIWSG@gmail.com  
     also by October  2nd. 

4.  Be sure to state which category you are contributing to,
     add a one-line by-line, and permission for the IWSG to use it in
     the eBook anthology.

So here's my contribution:  
Title:      Writer Beware!
Topic:     Publishing
By-line:  Louise MacBeath Barbour (Fundy Blue) 
               Blog:  Standing Into Danger @ http://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com

Permission:  The IWSG has my permission to use Writer Beware!
                     (text and photos) in its eBook anthology.

Don't let the word Beware scare you,
my post is meant to be helpful.



****************************************   
Writer Beware!


It’s a heady time for writers.

The Internet has cracked open publishing

like a gull dropping a clam on a rock

to get at the mollusk inside.

Never has publishing a book

seemed so accessible.

Fundy Gulls on the Hunt

But writer beware!

Publishing is riddled with pitfalls

that can thwart your plans

like Fundy rocks can frustrate a hungry gull.

Fundy Rocks

Nova Scotia, Canada

I'm no famous author.

I've written reports,

published articles and a short story,

presented at literacy conferences,

and established a blog with a growing readership.

I'm writing my first book

and imagining it on bookstore shelves.

But I have observed several writers

as they wrote, published, and marketed their books:

It's a tough mollusk to crack.

There is a surfeit of information

available on publishing a book,

and there are many ways to publish.

Most can cost you more

time, energy, and money

than you ever dreamed.

What have I scavenged

as I observed writers in my life

strive to accomplish their goals?

1.  It takes grit to publish a book.

2.  You must be very clear about your purpose for publishing 

      and the time, energy, and money you can invest.

      These will determine which publishing route you take.

3.  You'd better understand your chosen route thoroughly.

4.  It's worth the cost to have a lawyer 

     examine any contract before you sign it.

5.  Know your legal rights 

     and protect the copyright to your book diligently.

Can you publish your book?

Yes:  I’ve seen the most surprising people publish!

Is it worth it?

Sometimes:  But you can increase your odds for success

with a keen awareness of your purpose, resources, and rights.

Like a gull searching for a suitable rock,

you can use your intelligence, experience, and resourcefulness

to crack open publishing

and extract your dream.

Gulls on Peter's Island

Between Long and Brier Islands, Nova Scotia

Meet you on a bestsellers bookshelf somewhere soon!