Here I am back again with my news and stories. I sure do miss writing every week so I am hoping I can get back into the groove so to speak. It seems lots has been going on that I have missed out on.

In the hospital

I spent a day less than a week in our local hospital. It was a good place to be when you are not well. The nursing care is just wonderful and caring. You could not find a better place. Also the medical staff are very professional in caring for their patients.

I was very fortunate to watch them move the nurses residence. This was a huge move. When the building was in its old location it looked much smaller, but when it was lifted and ready to move it just looked huge. The move was so smooth, it was hard to believe. I would guess professional such as they are just take it as a days work especially with so much equipment made for the job. The residence is now in its final location, just waiting for the new foundations.

The next move will be our hospital which will be coming up in the future.

Once more I must give many thanks in appreciation for the care that I was given from all the staff at the hospital for the week I was a patient there. You were all just great.

My good friend

I was so sorry to have missed my very special friend Abel Peters funeral. Abel was like a brother to me, he was such a special friend, as we could sit for hours and enjoy each others company.

I have a number of stories that Abel told me as these are not recorded. Some day I will tell them to be remembered as they are very interesting.

Abel was a special man and a special friend. I will miss our visits we used to have. Abel was born in September and I was born in August. We were both 90 years with a few days. Although our culture was so different there was a close bond between us that could never be broken and grew through the many years we knew each other. We had that wonderful word respect for each other and it grew with the years.

My 90th birthday

Saturday evening and night of Aug. 25 at the Francois Lake Hall was a such a special time to celebrate my 90 birthday. What a heart warming event it was for me, so many friends and family. All my friends feel like family as I have a close too feeling of you all. So many of you I have known as a youngster going to school and now have families of your own. It has been such a privilege to have lived as long as I have and in the same district. It鈥檚 now over 71 years that I have lived with you. I have seen you cry, I have seen you in hard times and I look back at what a privilege it has been. It鈥檚 no wonder that I feel so many of you are part of my family. It was a great pleasure to have my brother Peter and his wife Madeleine come up from Oliver to help me celebrate. It鈥檚 been years since we have had such a great visit. Peter grew up at Francois Lake so there were so many memories for him too.

I was told there were 130 folks at my party. It was all so wonderful for me and I will look back for the rest of my life with so many happy memories of it all.

I must not forget the members of my family who worked so hard to make it all happen and make it all so special for me. It went off so smooth. Many, many thanks to you all I am so proud of you.

This is a note in one of my cards that鈥檚 really something to think on and I quote 鈥淚t鈥檚 not near important how many years a fella has lived as how many other folks have been right glad he has.鈥�

I have my birth certificate at hand and dad just wrote Hugh as my name. I asked why he did not finish it off with another name and his answer was 鈥淵ou were so sick as a baby we did not expect you to live beyond every day, so we didn鈥檛 finish off your birth certificate.鈥� So it looks like I have won out in the long run. I outlived both mother and dad in years.

Back on the prairies

Although I have been away from the prairie for a lifetime I still have so many wonderful memories of my growing up years. There were lots of hard and sad times but also so many wonderful times. I always feel something pulling me back there. I would never leave my home and family and so many friends here in B.C. You have all been so special to me and made my life what it is today.

Here is a little story that happened almost a lifetime ago and it came to light the evening of my party. During a nasty cold windy night in mid winter that a father walked across the lake with a sick baby. This father had walked from Uncha valley and set to cross Francois Lake on the ice. It was well past midnight and the start of a blizzard and maybe 30 below at the least. The visibility was almost nil. I drove out on the ice with my taxi as far as I dare and put the headlights on full to help guide him. Out he came out of the driving snow. How he found his way I do not know. I had already phoned the hospital and Dr. Holmes. I made town in record time with the child. The father was Steve Quaw and the baby was his. As I was sitting at the table at my party this very attractive lady with two very pretty teenage daughters came and sat beside me.

She said 鈥淒o you know who I am.鈥� I said 鈥淣o, I don鈥檛.鈥� Then she said 鈥淚 am that little child whose life you saved so many years ago.鈥� We hugged for a long time and talked. I think we both had tears. I had a short visit with her daughter who will be going out of Grade 12 next year.

I hope she reads my column as I neglected to get her address and I would like to keep in contact with this family. Fathers are so special to their families and Steve was willing to save this little ones life but I also felt very humble. Please contact me if you will as you are very special to me.

Take care have a safe week and always remember God loves you and so do I.