On Saturday Randal and I were picked up by Lynne and Kerry to go to the Water Valley Celtic Festival, an annual event.
Water Valley Celtic Festival 2012 Bow Valley Fiddlers out of Calgary
were playing in this event.
My grand daughter, Kaney, is one of the participants.
Water Valley is situated in the foot hills of Alberta north of Cochrane AB. It was a cool, rainy day but when we arrived it had stopped. We were able to enjoy the music and atmosphere surrounded by lush, green rolling hills, making for a very peaceful afternoon.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Memories of a One Room Prairie School
I was raised on a small farm
one-half miles from the school. I was the fourth child in a family of
seven. I will always cherish my memories of going to a one-room
school on the prairies Some time they made me unhappy at the time
but these memories are now very comforting.
Most of the time I walked
to school, but sometimes there would be a neighbour who came be going
by and offered rides, especially on the rainy and winter days. I
remember during the cold winter days Mom would bundle my siblings and
I up. We could not see much through the scarves over our nose and
eyes. As I grow older I did not like the long underwear, stocking,
garters, and layers of clothes. Often I would dress very lightly,
with my jeans rolled up, leaving bare legs showing. There were times
that I would come home with frozen legs.
The Gallivan School District
No. 3857 was formed in 1917 and at it's peak there were as high as 45
students attending during those early years. There was a small barn
near the school for the horses some of the students would ride to
school. There two outdoor “three-hole seater” toilets for usage
in the warmer weather and a toilet pail in a small room off the porch
in the school. It had a coal furnace in the basement with a heating
grate in the middle of the floor. There were old styled desks with
ink wells and seats that folded up. The windows faced north with
large bk-boards lining the walls and a roll down group of maps at
the front.
I started school in 1944 at
the age of 6 years, with a tin lunch pail that carried my noon lunch.
There were two students in grade one that year, myself and a boy.
During the next six years my class increased to five, at one point.
When I was attending the
public school was from grade one to seven with 13 students. The high
school was in the Gallivan Community Hall with grades eight to ten.
Grades eleven and twelve were taken by correspondence or the students
went away to schools that taught those grades. During my time there
the numbers were not much more than the lower grades.
In winter there was an
outdoor rink that we would skate, hockey, or broom ball. “Fox and
Goose” was another winter tag game we played. Making snow men and
angels was always fun. Snow ball fights and being hit by the boys
throwing them, was not so much fun!!
The Christmas Concerts
always will hold great memories. Decorating the school room with hand
made colourful streamers and cutout figures, practising for weeks the
songs, skits, tap dancing and plays with the highlight of the evening
and the coming of Santa Clause. The presents and candy bags gave such
joy.
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Grade Nine Graduation
Randal and I picked up Nikki' from her school on the way in from Cochrane so she could also attend the Graduation. It took three vehicles to get there. Lynne drove us in the van, while Kaney took her car and Kerry came from Britannia Bodyworks Wellness Centre. It was held at Boyce Theatre, Calgary Stampede Park, McLeod Trail,
The tributes, entertainment and video presentations were spectacular. The Calgary Arts Academy gives each student great personal development.
I am very proud of what Lexi has accomplished this year. She took grade nine in her stride when she should have been in grade eight. Way to go Lexi!
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