Once more family, friends gathered at the Island Gospel Church to say our last farewell to a special friend Bud Bennett. The church was packed with so many friends who had known Bud for so many years.

This was a man who had spent his whole lifetime in the Lakes District. What ever Bud did he did well. Honesty was his middle name. The Bennett family were an old pioneer family well known in the Ootsa Lake area.

I was looking through some of my old time records and I noticed some history on the Bennett family. Bud鈥檚 father came into Ootsa Lake area in 1906 with his partner Pete Kenyen. His brother Cis joined him in 1907. Harold Bennett was married in Hazelton, June 12, 1911. Harold and his wife Mary spent their lifetime in the Ootsa Lake settlement. Bud is gone but he has left a wonderful family with so many memories that will not be forgotten but will live on.

Robins are back

It seems the birds are finding their way back now. Robins have been seen and lots of geese and swans. They must figure spring has sprung even if we don鈥檛 think so.

Last week I noticed a big bunch of Robins out on our lawn. There is still about eight inches of snow so what do they eat, a big question. Sure no worms. It will be a while yet until it is clear.

Good news

Here is some good news that will effect us all. This and I quote is on the front page of the Omenica Express.  Treatments close to home. Two new radiation units arrived in Prince George this week, bringing the region one step closer to offering another kind of cancer therapy in our own back yard.

The cancer centre for the North being built in Prince George will be assembling the two linear accelerations that are used in radiation treatments. This will be a new service in the North. Before you needed this service you had to travel down south.

What a godsend this service will be. This will save so much time and travel for cancer treatments. Our whole North will reap the benefits of this service.

Little story

This happened years ago in the 60s or there abouts. I was in the store working at the time. It was about this time of year and the lake ice was breaking up and big chunks were floating.

My friend Ben Benedict drove up in a hurry and asked if I had a boat handy and I had. 鈥淟oad it on quick as there is a person out on an ice flow waving for help,鈥� he said. Loaded the aluminum boat and took off with oars and life jackets and an extra coat. Ben was right there was a guy waving for help. We unloaded the boat and rowed out through the floating ice and got him into the boat.

It was Evert Jeffrey who had shot a goose and had gone out on a floating piece of ice and it was breaking up. Then the fun started as we were trapped in great big chunks of ice about eight inches thick and the wind started to move the ice. The ice chunks were pushing our little boat out further and further.

Evert was freezing so we gave him the coat. Ben and I were getting worried as this was a dangerous place to be. All of a sudden there was an open channel and we hit for it. As luck would have it we made shore. We had been out in among the ice flows for almost an hour and were we glad to be on land again.

We took Evert, his goose and his shot gun to his home. We were very lucky to get out without drowning. It was something not forgotten for a long time. The little boat had some damage but it sure did the trick. This happened just East of the school.

Easter

Easter is almost upon us, a very special time to remember what it really means. Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. When I go by our little St. Luke鈥檚 church on the corner and see it locked up it makes me very heart sick.

Years ago on Easter Sunday the little building would be crowded with folks of all sizes and ages coming out to worship. It was a special day. Maybe some day it all may come back again. My very good friend Rev. Ray Fletcher will well remember how many Easter Sunday services in St. Luke鈥檚.

I am very proud to say we live it a very caring and unique community for want of a better word, I include 亚洲天堂 Lake in this too. Regardless of face, race, colour of creed, when we lose someone in our community we gather to help share the grief and comfort those in need.

Of late it seems we have lost some one we either know or know their family. It seems every week we have to face this. How well I remember when our parents and my wife Jo passed away, how kind and caring our whole community was. This will never be forgotten and I say this from the bottom of my heart. Friends are not just for today but forever.

A little story to make your day

A man was driving in the country one day and he saw an old man sitting on a fence rail watching the automobiles go by. The traveler stopped to talk to the old gentleman. The traveler said 鈥淚 could never live here, you don鈥檛 see anything and I鈥檓 sure you don鈥檛 travel like I do. I鈥檓 on the road all the time.鈥�

The old man on the fence looked down at the stranger and said 鈥淭here is not much difference in what I鈥檓 doing and what you are doing. I sit on the fence and watch the autos go by and you sit in your auto and watch the fences go by.鈥� It鈥檚 just the way you look at things.

One day I was sitting sad and lonely it was dark and I was talking to myself as there was nobody to talk to. A voice came out of the dark saying 鈥淐heer up things could be worse.鈥� So I cheered up and sure enough things got worse.

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