Francolini's
1982: Point Aux Pins
It is June 29, 1982. Yesterday we moved out to the Point. I am sitting on the lawn near the beach and the children are playing in an old wooden boat, searching for Mudfish and crayfish. Steven Jimmy Merwan Michael Yorke Layla and Joanna are all searching.
Brendon is
putting his flippers on. If I closed my eyes, the river sounds and the
children's voices take me back a generation. My turn you already had the net! Shut up Merwan! I want the flippers! There's five Mudfish here, let me see the net!
No! Let Jimmy use it he's faster with it! They're gone now! You should have let
me have the net! These flippers are too small! Steven don't! Who wants to make
waves? There’s a crayfish! Come over here and stir it with the up with the
flippers! Let’s make a Sandcastle.
The voices of
the past! Michael, Jimmy, Paul, Patrick, Mary Jane, and Suzanne. It could be Attles
Alley or Kurt’s or Pozzebons or Delairs.
Oh
nostalgia time Katherine!
Brendon had
his first solo sail in the “sunflower” yesterday in breezy and unpredictable
winds heading into the bay. John and Michael Punch were on the beach shouting
instructions! I should've had a movie camera for that one. He almost tipped
several times but righted amidst shouts just-in-time. He lost his hat and then
nearly went over trying to get it. It is his prized Bluejays baseball cap.
Time out to
threaten Michael Yorke with a stint in the cottage for throwing sand! Rachael
Punch is still a water baby. The water as always here, is icy in June. She
spent hours and it yesterday, rolling around and wallowing in it on her
stomach, making her arms go in the crawl movement and her feet. Donna shakes
her head. Kyle is more cautious.
“There is a hornet”, there is a hornet it's on
your head Michael!” Smack! Sorry Mike I had to hit you in the head to get
it.
Mary Jane, John, Donna and Michael and the
Yorke's Wilf and I were out here yesterday. Suzanne in Thunder Bay for a few
days with the children arrived home about 8 PM. Wilf brought the Olsens out,
Suzanne came out later with a new friend Steve Cooney. He is a sports writer
for the Soo star. Seems like a nice man. He has been separated from his wife
for some time, has two children Leslie and Luke 10 years and six years. We
visited for a while after the urchins went to bed and they left.
Mary Jane
is working today and Suzanne is taking care of her lawn and garden. They, Mary
Jane and Suzanne are buying the groceries today so we are on rations until they
get here. We weren't going to move out until today but the day was so lovely
yesterday that we packed essentials and came out. The reason they are buying groceries together
is that Mary Jane says that Suzanne will buy all the no-name cheapies, and
Suzanne is afraid Mary Jane will be extravagant.
This
morning we all biked down to the Allagash and Brendon fished unsuccessfully. I
took pictures of a still pool, water lilies and daisies growing out of a jagged
piece of cement and of Brendon fishing in the spot Suzanne and Doug Greco used
to sit and catch sunfish.
July
7, 1982 Francolini’s Point Aux Pins
Suzanne's
holidays are over today and she goes back to work. She has had beautiful
weather. The first summer holidays she has had in years, and she needed it.
Emergency at the general is a mad house these days. It is going to be expanded
but at the moment it is a chaotic place to work. We met her in Thunder bay when
we were on our way back from our Western trip. She had spent three days with
Sandy and Billy Petzel.
The days here at the point are going by fast
the holiday has been marred by a tragic accident. The boy one of the Nanne’s
who was visiting next-door at Daley’s was terribly injured in a motorcycle
accident.
The Olsens and Petzels Arrow Lake and Thunder Bay July 1982
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