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Viewpoints
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
A7
The Prince George Free Press
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Fireworks go off (with more to come)
There’s nothing like a and set the fireworks up, fireworks display to put ending up with a box so a big grin on the face of a overflowing with colourful shiny tubes of all sizes child. There was a lot of buzz it looked like it had been this weekend in Bear shipped in straight our of a Loony Tunes Lake when cartoon. Then the cowboys it was a matstopped in Life in ter of waiting at the local until dark. convenience the fat Cowboys, store and lane purchased DELYNDAPILON by the way, can be a little several hundred dollars worth of fire- impatient when they’re waiting to blow things up. works. After spending every More than once Kris and weekend lately at the lake, Jack looked into the blue those cowboys have got blue sky and grimaced, as on a first-name basis with though God himself was several of the ladies who taking his own sweet time work at the store, which, bringing on the darkness, as it happens, also sells and both were ready to beer (all of these ladies argue with him over his are drop-dead gorgeous, sense of timing. Meanwhile, with the according to those keeneyed fellows – and this campsites filling up with time I have to agree). They families, the boys spent were sad to learn Danelle their time inviting every was moving away soon, kid they saw to the show taking her little ones with – while, of course, appreciher back to her home- ating all those pretty mothers. Since the sunshine town. Jack: Bring ‘em out to enticed many of those the lake tonight. We’ll put mothers to take a swim, on a going-away show for the cowboys spent a good bit of that long afternoon ‘em. It took Kris about an killing time at the beach, hour to expose all the fuses calling ‘hey darlin’s’ and
just about passing out with glee every time they saw a bathing suit. The kids took turns splashing in the lake while I passed some time on the beach, enjoying the heat as the wind licked at the water, sending small waves splashing across the rocks. I could have stayed there, dry and happy all day. However, the newest member of our little family, Merle, thought it was a good time for me to go swimming. I kept telling him I’d go in about 20 minutes or so, but when he pestered me for the umpteenth time, saying my 20 minutes was up, and I told him just wait another 20 minutes, he lost patience. Now Merle is about 6’2”, a burly First Nations guy with a big heart and a bigger attitude. When he gets his mind set on something, there’s no changing it, and that day his mind was set on me going for a swim. He decided my waiting time had expired, so with a ‘c’mon’, before I could even scream a ‘git’, I was up with the grim-faced,
muscle-bound brat, being dragged into the lake, at a speed I did not wish to travel. Then, lickety-split, I was dunked. Jack and Kris: Girl down! Girl down! Their concern was touching. I think one of them actually set his beer down for a split second to clap. Anyway, I was all dried out by the time dusk fell and the crowd had gathered, with at least a dozen kids in tow, ready for the big moment. It was a sight to see. The boys had all the kids at a safe distance, ensuring nobody would get hurt. The honour of lighting the first fuse, before being whisked away by an adult, went to a little blond boy who is the bravest tricycle rider anyone ever saw, named William the Conquerer (and as it turns out, by the way, William fits just fine on a quad). Faces shone, kids squealed in delight, and the star-spangled night sky became the backdrop for a canvas of multi-hued orbs, each accompanied with a crack and crash of
noise that echoed over the campgrounds. The boys even made it through the display mostly in one piece, with just a few glitches. Jack: Hey Kris, which way do I point this one? Kris: (taking hold of the end of the stick of burning cardboard infused with gunpowder) Well, not at me! Marshmallows and good conversation followed the show. It was a night I doubt any child present will forget, and it reminded me of an incident during an earlier camping trip when a young mother excitedly rushed into camp and grabbed onto Jack, full of joy to see him again. She told me later she’d worked with him for a few months when she was a teenager, and Jack had made a huge impression on her, always standing up for her while making her feel special. Jack said he didn’t do anything much at all when I asked him about it, but then neither Jack nor Kris seem to understand that the light they have inside and the freedom with which they
share it can and does affect people for all their lives. It makes you stand a little taller, smile a little wider and walk with a little more confidence. To them, this weekend was just a small thing, a gift to a couple of kids who deserved it just because of their innocent joy and sweet natures. Some of those kids, though, will never forget those two cowboys. And most of them are likely to be back next weekend for a command performance, and I doubt either of those cowboys have the heart to disappoint them. Was that the end of the weekend? Nope. The trip ended with a long ride to emergency, stitches, a dizzying pre-dawn search for propane and a hasty return to camp to pick up one stranded cowboy. Curious? Sorry, but the rest of the story has to wait for next week, just like I have to wait a whole week before I’m out enjoying the sunshine – or the rain if that’s what comes – and the company of some of the best people I’ve ever met.
Heading back into history (twice) on my holidays how the place had changed. I was on holidays last week, and I It had, and the first change was one I took a step back into my own recent past knew about. I saw a train rumbling west and a big step back into the history of through the heart of the comB.C. munity, and knew that meant On Monday, I headed traffic on the main street would west with my friend Al Allan’s be blocked. to Vanderhoof. That was Amblings So I swung onto Recreation where I worked before I came to the Free Press, and I ALLANWISHART Avenue, where I knew there was now an overpass which would wanted to drop in and say allow us to bypass the lineup of traffic at “Hi” to the people who were still at the the rail crossing. Of course, part of my paper there. triumph in thinking of this solution was Al had memories of summers some muted by the last cars of the train going time ago spent in the Vanderhoof area, and had been back a few times since, but under the overpass as we were crossing over, which meant our wait at the crossnot recently. He wanted to get a look at
ing would have been minimal. We took a tour of Vanderhoof. Al remembered when the bridge across the Nechako was wooden, not the concrete it is now. We stopped for a bite to eat, then dropped in at the Omineca Express to visit for a bit. The ladies there were nice enough to comment on my weight loss, since they hadn’t seen me since I started my diabetes-driven diet. Then it was back into the car and back to Prince George. Thursday, I was driving Mom’s car with her as my passenger on a trip to Barkerville. It had probably been a good
30 years since I last visited the gold-rush town, while Mom had last been there in the mid-90s. A lot had changed, probably actually more for Mom than for me, since her memories of what it had looked like were fresher than mine. It was hot and there were a lot of people roaming the streets and peering into the various buildings. But it was fun. It’s a trip we might make again sometime, but with a bit better planning. See, we went on Thursday, which turned out to be the one day of the week that the Theatre Royal wasn’t putting on its revue.
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Coffee with a reporter
Stories come to reporters in a variety of ways. News releases, press conferences and phone calls are some. Sometimes you might think whatever story you have in mind isn’t worth a phone call or visit to the newspaper’s office, but is it worth a cup of coffee?
Reporter DeLynda Pilon would like the chance to hear what you have to say so every Friday at 11 a.m. she will be having a coffee break at Zoe’s Java House at 1251 Fourth Ave., and is hoping you will drop by to chat. Or just stop in and introduce yourself.
11:00 am Fridays at Zoe’s Java House at 1251 - 4th Avenue
DELYNDAPILON