My early memories of coming to the island were of walking behind Mom and Dad, not able to keep up, as we rushed down the causeway at Tsawwassen to catch the Friday late afternoon ferry. This was every second week from May until September. 1964 through 1966. When I started work at the CBC , In the fall of 65 I would sometimes have to pass on this when I was scheduled to work weekends.
We would arrive late in the evening as this ferry trip was called “The milk run” It stopped at Mayne, Galiano, Pender then finally Long Harbour on Saltspring, We walked up the road a bit to find the Volkswagon 1600 and finally get to the property at about midnight,
I was up the next morning to tackle the lawn, which in spring needed mowing every three days,,but it had been 2 weeks, so it was a slow process even with an electric lawn mower. I can’t remember how many times I ran over the cord, until I figured out a routine.
In the fall of 64, my uncle Murray, Mom, and I were here. I was mowing down the bank on the front right side of the house. I slipped on the wet grass and stuck my left foot into the exhaust vent where the blades are. It took two large slices out of the bottom of my foot. I screamed and must have passed out. The next thing i remember is Dr. Ted Jansch waking me up with smelling salts, telling me I would be fine, lots of stitches in the bottom of my foot, so stay off it for at least 6 weeks.
I spent the next 6 weeks resting and sleeping in a hammock rigged up for me on the front porch. I was fortunate that it was a warm fall that year, This accident has dogged me to this very day. A serious planter’s wort soon grew where the original wound was. By 1980 it was the size of a 50-cent piece and was like walking on a hot coal. I had plastic surgery done at Lions Gate Hospital. Dr Barry Irish (Ex Lord Byng) was my GP at the time. They replaced it with a chunk out of my right hip. To this day there is a few hair follicles there, However hard they tried to get it allk, it still came back, but not in the same spot. I have been able to live with it, no wanting to go in for more surgery again.