Enough Is Enough

  Being near Sudbury , Mum's third pregnacy was under the care of a doctor more regularly than for Sis and I . In the 1950's , birth was fairly well taken away from women . Doctors knew what was best ...in their educated opinion .

She was sure it would be a boy. " I was carrying him much higher than you girls . It was the first time I had morning sickness ." So , she had picked out boy names ready for the occasion . And , little boy clothes were being accumulated at haste in preparation . Dad couldn't see how she could be so sure . But , there was no persuading her otherwise ...

Mind Videos

Some of my memories return to me as visual recalls of events or people . I like to call these ' mind videos '. They are little vignettes that automatically play back when the correct button is pressed . They never change . They are exactly as I first saw them even after 55+ years .

All of my memories of our section house neighbours are in this ' mind video ' form ...

This Is For You

Thanks to you who have helped my Blog move around the world !!!

Worn Clothes Worn

When I was very young , I remember Dad's clothing : a lot of work clothes , a few off work clothes (which eventually recycled into workclothes)and one dress up outfit (the same suit he had since after the war). Later in about 1955 , he made an investment in Legion official dress .

Captain's Cap , Gray and White pinstripe Engineer's cap , workman's cap , Fedora and a Legion beret 

At This Moment

 Throughout my life , I have had things done to me , and things said to me that would wilt the feathers off a peacock .

Side Track:Sectionmen At Work and Rest

 Dad like many men who worked the section across the country , not only for the CPR , were hard-working fellows . For the most part they remain nameless in the bigger scheme of things , but what they did kept the railway running as much as the trainmen , Station Masters and rail gangs . Their names may only be remembered by friends and family but each in his own right is deservant of praise for his contribution . 

Side Tracked

Side Tracked by Derailment : For all the railway family and fans out there , I thought I'd share on-site photos of the Ontario Northland derailment two weeks ago :mile 16.6 North Bay - Englehart run in the Temagami subdivision . 

After heavy rains , a washout caught a freight train on a curve . The three engines ended at the bottom of a hill tipped onto their side. Six cars had piled in behind . No trainman was seriously injured- more shake than break . However , it cannot have been anything less than  a frightening thing to experience . 



Where an engine goes the train follows



Pics from Larchwood

Old and well worn by the hands of many , family photos bear the test of time as well as could be expected, when kept in a box .



Veteran Salutes



1952



Sis Helps Again

 As was usual for Mum , she did her best to 'prettify' her home even if it was in a CPR Section house . By the time our family had moved to Larchwood , the company had relaxed the rules for interior decoration . Now , a section family could paint the interior walls whatever colour desired...but the CPR would only provide free paint in their official colours . The exterior must have the look of CPR property ...no exceptions . Of course , since section men were the lowliest of employees , the 'working poor' class , most did not exercise this great freedom granted by the company . They couldn't afford it .

How to Make a Memory

 My older sister was three when the family moved to Larchwood . She was very observant and had a memory for the slightest detail , on which we all came to depend through the years . It was reliable and didn't alter over time . She could recount incidents down to the date and everything that happened around the events , including the unrelated that occured coincidentally . Her memories from that time period always amazed me .

 Her recall of the 'runaway carriage' episode

The Story Behind Consciousness

For me , Larchwood will never be forgotten . It was at the old section house , in the front yard to be specific , that as a six-month-old I first became conscious that I was a participant . I went beyond that part of my brain which cared mostly about sleep and food ,to a part which registered events and observations of the world . Of course they weren't complete , but the memories were there in storage .

 The memory of green and wind and motion that I wrote about in my last post (Apr 17) remained active for a long time...even to the point of dreaming it on occasion...reliving a moment that had a profound affect on me . Now , I think of it as the moment I went from 'id' to 'ego' .

Conscious in Larchwood

My First Conscious Thought

My world begins to move.
It bumps and heaves and jerks and falters.
Things , blurry things, float past me and beneath me as usual.
But , I begin to sense a new motion through my legs and seat.
My heart beats faster...I know because I can hear it inside my ears.