The Turkey Shoot

My cousin Arlene Grychowski (nee Griffith) and Neil Mulligan drove in Pop’s driveway this afternoon. Arlene had never been to the Backeddy Pub so that was their plan, but first they stopped in to say hello to “Uncle John”.

It had just started raining when they arrived and Kent and I were quitting the project he was working on for the day – making improvements to the float ramp, so the 3 wheel scooters, my Dad and a customer ride, wouldn’t get high centered at low tide.

Arlene and Neil stopped their bright red vehicle in the driveway and got out and started walking toward us; that’s when I realized it was her. I was as surprised and pleased to see her as she was to see me – neither of us expecting the other.

We went in to visit with Pop for a bit. It quit raining and the wind died down, so I asked if they would like to come out on the boat with us to pick up the prawn traps. They agreed and off we went.

We had four traps set out at Egmont Point, near “Lonetree Island” (Miller Islet on the chart). Arlene explained to Neil which Griffith cousins grew up in which house and we started talking about “the old days”. Not Pop’s “old days”, but ours! We showed Neil where Raymond and I cod fished in rowboats (Arlene was “too little” to go with us…how mean was that?) Arlene says she still remembers us going off in the boat to fish and she stayed on their dock to play by herself and watch us. Of course now I feel bad we didn’t want to take her – but we were the big kids and trying to earn some money. Eventually, as we all got a bit older Arlene did start coming with us on all our adventures.

Picking up and re-setting the prawn traps is quite involved, but Kent and I do it daily so we have a system, where he does the work and I run the boat and help him when possible. If it’s not windy and the current isn’t too strong, sometimes we shut off the engines and just drift while cleaning out and re-baiting the traps. The silence is fabulous.

It was windy yesterday, so it was all business – a bit of chit-chatting and a few explanations, but mostly just being very careful that the line didn’t get caught in the propeller – or worse, in both props. We’ve had both scenarios take place – and it’s not pleasant. Thank goodness, I wasn’t running the boat either time! “What do you do, when that happens?”, Arlene asked. Hmmmmm, well, after a lot of cursing and assessing the situation, we either limp for home on one engine, call for assistance – or Kent goes in the water. Kent doesn’t like to go in the water – it’s darned cold. But, one way or another, in he goes – either at the dock at low tide or out in the ocean. Neither is pleasant, but now he has a wet suit and we keep two filled air tanks aboard at all times, so we don’t usually have to call for assistance. We try very hard to not let the line get wrapped in the prop!

We finished re-setting the traps at Egmont Point. Arlene and Neil were interested to see the logged areas. Neil was a logger but said he decided to become a tree hugger when he retired. Arlene asked if I thought the area would ever be developed into the resort the consortium initially proposed. Ummmmmmmm, well – it’s difficult to say – it sure doesn’t look like it’s happening and I think the people of Egmont don’t expect it to happen. In the meantime the timber is making someone’s pockets a lot fatter. Well, I guess that’s what logging is all about, and I know the area has been re-seeded so it will grow back, and it’s already showing green in most places, but it’s still a shock to see the large bare expanses. Kent calls the logging area “wheat crops” that are re-harvested every 40 – 50 years. After all, logging is one of the reasons Egmont was originally settled and developed.

We headed over to the west side of Captain Island to pick up our remaining four prawn traps. The wind picked up and the tide was running in, so I stayed at the helm while Neil helped Kent when he needed it. By the time Kent was done, he was soaked up to the knees as the waves continually washed over the swim grid. Today was one of our smallest catches – only 163 prawns, one large octopus (I think he ate his fill), a small octopus and a tiny bottom fish. There were lots of Squat Crabs – I call them little aliens as they have extremely long pinchers and big, buggy black eyes.

Kent cleaned the prawns as we headed back into Egmont. Arlene was interested to see her Mom and Dad’s old house where she had grown up. Cousin Billy owns it now. Kent is very good at sightseeing and we both love to take people on the boat – especially when they reminisce about the family and the residences.

We talked about Myrtle’s Island and how we rowed through the pass – trying to avoid the big rocks and then about how we walked the pass at low tide – right to the Island. We pointed out to Neil, the old Griffith family home, Auntie Lela’s & Uncle Bill’s home and we verbally painted a picture of the old red schoolhouse sitting on the hill. It used to stand where Jerema’s house is now. Well, actually our Auntie Marj painted “the” picture of the Griffith Bay to give to my parents years ago. It is hanging over the fireplace and is the second topic of conversation whenever someone comes to visit Pop. The first of course, his fabulous view!

Kent then asked Arlene if she’d like to see her other Grandparent’s home a little closer. Dave and Ethel McNutt lived on the north shore. Their home and grounds were always immaculate and the new owners have kept it that way all these years. The one thing I will never forget about going to visit them were the huge snakes. They had a rockery up the pathway and the huge, fat black snakes loved to bask there in the summer sunshine. Uggggghhh that still gives me the shivers, remembering how when we startled them, they startled us into shrieking and running the opposite direction.

Arlene pointed out Gilbert’s house, the Disney’s house, Fred & Gladys McNutt’s house and where the Lonsdale house was. We also looked at the bay where our Griffith Grandparent’s first lived in the log house cousin Judy describes in her “History of Egmont”. We even saw the rocky point where the family huddled under a tarp while a huge wind storm raged all night.

We went around the Sutton Islands, remembering the cod fishing and going ashore to explore. It’s hard to believe our Mom’s let us row all around Egmont. They must have worried endlessly but that was how they and we grew up. We also talked about our dads going north to fish every spring, leaving our mom’s home alone to deal with all sorts of problems. There were no roads so all travel was by boat. Can you imagine our moms keeping the gas engines running? The wells all dried up – every summer. We had to go by boat to the store (where Bathgates is) to transport 5 gallon pails of water for drinking, cooking and washing. We had to go by boat to buy groceries and to go to the post office. And can you imagine going into labour prematurely or being involved in an accident and having no way to get to St. Mary’s Hospital in Pender Harbour? Life wasn’t easy for our Moms, but we kids had a blast. I can’t think of any better place to grow up than in Egmont.

After tying up to Pop’s float we went up to the house to visit some more. We discussed Auntie Marj’s painting of the Griffith Bay and the old days. When Pop worked for Mr. Macomber on Hardy Island in the 1930′s Mr. Macomber asked him to ask William Griffith if the residents would supply the manpower to paint the little schoolhouse if he supplied the paint. Mr. Griffith said of course they would be very pleased to do that. Mr. Macomber chose the ochre red color, paid for it and Pop delivered it. The red schoolhouse was a landmark for many years. My Mom and Arlene’s Dad both attended school there and I still remember attending Sunday School in it. Arlene remembers we used to stop there on our way home from the school bus and poke around inside the then-abandoned building. It was dilapidated and dangerous – but we were kids and not afraid. I’d totally forgotten about poking around in there, but once she reminded me I could picture the cloak room, imagining my Mom hanging her coat there and putting her lunch pail on the shelf.

Pop told a funny story about Ralph Pilkington, Arlene’s Great Uncle. In the 1960′s, he and his wife Shirley used to come visiting family in Egmont and he and Pop met for the first time. Pop was going to a “Turkey Shoot” in Wilson Creek, sponsored by the Sechelt Fish and Game Club. Ralph asked if he could go along. Pop agreed to take him.

A “Turkey Shoot” involves pairs of shooters taking turns – shooting skeet. They each fire at 5 or maybe 7 skeets (Pop couldn’t remember exactly) and whomever is the best shot wins the turkey to take home to their family for Thanksgiving. Pop planned to win a turkey that day. He was a good shot, having grown up hunting. He and Ralph started out shot for shot – until the last few – then Ralph just aced it. Pop realized he’d been “had”. Turned out Ralph was the lower mainland Skeet Shooting Champion and he took home the turkey Pop was counting on!

Arlene and Neil headed home with a bag of fresh prawns and lots of nostalgic memories.