Unidentified Flying Objects and The Legend of Skeleton Lake

Two small oil paintings on masonite of old mill buildings signed "Scott" found in Orillia.

UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS - IN MUSKOKA? WHY NOT, WE'VE GOT MOVIE STARS, PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES, CELEBRITY MUSICIANS AND GHOSTS!


     MOST WON'T KNOW THIS, OR EVEN BELIEVE IT, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS "OTHER WORLDLY" SIGHTINGS, IN THE MUSKOKA HINTERLAND. AND A FEW NUDISTS. CREDIBLE REPORTS BY CREDIBLE INDIVIDUALS GO BACK TO THE 1800'S. SOME STORIES OF EXTRA TERRESTRIAL ENCOUNTERS ARE LEFT TO THE TELLERS OF FOLK TALES TODAY, AS MANY WEREN'T WRITTEN DOWN, MADE INTO FOLKS SONGS, OR INTERPRETED IN FOLK ART. THEY'RE JUST PASSED DOWN STORIES FROM ONE GENERATION TO ANOTHER, WITH LIBERAL EMBELLISHMENTS. A SORT OF MODERNIZATION THAT MAKES THE STORIES APPEAL TO THAT ERA'S LISTENER. THE HISTORIAN HAS TO EDIT AND SPLICE, TO GET BACK TO THE ORIGINAL VERSION. YOU HAVE TO CUT THROUGH SOME OF THE OBVIOUS FICTIONS, TO GET TO WHAT WAS LIKELY A LEGITIMATE FIRST PERSON EXPERIENCE, I DID HOWEVER, PURCHASE A VERY OLD WOOD CARVING, HERE IN SOUTH MUSKOKA, OF WHAT LOOKED LIKE AN UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECT, CARVED ONTO A HUGE PINE SLAB OF WOOD, PROBABLY SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS OLD; THAT IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS MAY HAVE BEEN A FOLK ARTIST'S WAY OF PRESENTING THE SIGHT OF EZEKIEL'S SPINNING WHEEL OF FIRE, INSTEAD OF A FLYING SAUCER.
     I HAVE WORKED ON JUST ABOUT EVERY OTHER KIND OF MUSKOKA HISTORY. I HAVEN'T DONE TOO MUCH ABOUT UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS. YET THERE HAVE BEEN MANY REPORTED SIGHTINGS, AND A FEW CLOSER THAN COMFORTABLE ENCOUNTERS IN THE PAST FIFTY YEARS. THE MOST FAMOUS HAPPENED IN THE RAYMOND AREA, OF THE TOWNSHIP OF MUSKOKA LAKES, QUITE A FEW YEARS AGO. WHICH, ACCORDING TO THE REVERENT TIMES ABOUT SUCH THINGS, SPAWNED A LOT OF UNWANTED MEDIA ATTENTION, BOLD, FRONT PAGE HEADLINES, TELEVISION COVERAGE, AND A PLETHORA OF UNKIND COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS; FROM CITIZEN-CRITICS, WHO SUGGESTED THAT ONLY A "NUT" ON HOMEBREW, WOULD ADMIT TO SEEING ALIEN LIFE FORMS AND UFO'S, HOVERING OVER THE FARMS OF MUSKOKA LAKES. WHAT THESE IGNORANT FOLK DIDN'T APPRECIATE, WAS THAT THERE HAVE BEEN UFO SIGHTINGS REPORTED IN MUSKOKA FOR DECADES, POSSIBLY EVEN BACK AS EARLY AS PIONEER TIMES. THEY JUST DIDN'T REFER TO THEM AS FLYING SAUCERS. THEY WERE CONSIDERED ANOMALIES OF NATURE TO HOMESTEADERS, AND MIGHT HAVE BEEN INTERPRETED AS THE ILLUMINATION OF LEGEND, AND SPIRIT MANIFESTATIONS, BY THE PEOPLE OF THE FIRST NATIONS, WHO MAY HAVE SEEN MORE THAN SHOOTING STARS, BUT HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF LIFE ON OTHER PLANETS, THAT MIGHT BE INVESTIGATING OUR SOLAR SYSTEM. THEY WERE OBSERVED BUT NOT OVER ANALYZED AS WE PERPETUATE TODAY, IN AN EFFORT TO PROVE THE EXISTENCE OF LIFE ON OTHER PLANETS. BUT FROM AN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE, THESE NOTED ODDITIES IN THE SKY, AND STRANGE ANOMALIES OF FLASHING AND STREAKING LIFE, WERE EXPLAINED OTHERWISE, AS GOD DOING HIS THING WITH HIS UNIVERSE; OR AS THE MIND PLAYING TRICKS ON THE SENSES; OR, YES, HOMEBREW.
     I HAVE READ THROUGH MOST OF THE BOOKS WRITTEN ON MUSKOKA HISTORY. BUT THEY ARE STILL, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A VERY FEW, LIKE THOMAS MCMURRAY'S SETTLERS GUIDE OF THE 1870'S, CONSIDERED CONTEMPORARY. MEANING FROM THE LATE 1940'S TO THE PRESENT. THUS, THESE AUTHORS MAY HAVE BEEN AWARE OF WHAT WAS THEN CONSIDERED, NOTHING MORE THAN SCIENCE FICTION, AND FANTASY; AND NOT WANTING TO CONTAMINATE THE HONEST STORIES REAPED FROM PIONEER JOURNALS, OF THEIR FAMILY'S CHRONICLE, DATING AS FAR BACK AS THE 1860'S, WITH UNSUBSTANTIATED INTERPRETATIONS OF FAST MOVING LIGHTS IN THE NIGHT SKY; OR HOVERING WHITE DISCS LIKE THE FLAMING WHEEL OF EZEKIEL, FROM THE BIBLE. THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN FAR MORE PALATABLE THAN SEEING A GARDEN VARIETY FLYING SAUCER. IT MAY BE THE CASE, THEY EDITED OUT ANY SUCH REFERENCES, BECAUSE OF CONTEMPORARY PRESSURES TO DO SO; SUCH THAT THE FAMILY CHRONICLE WOULDN'T ITSELF, READ LIKE A SCIENCE FICTION NOVEL. THE REASON I NOTE THIS, IS BECAUSE OF WHAT SOME OF THESE AUTHORS, AND JOURNAL OWNERS TOLD ME, DURING CHATS ABOUT THEIR HEIRLOOM BOOKS, AND HOW MANY PAGES HAD BEEN PURPOSELY DESTROYED, BECAUSE IT WAS CLAIMED, THE MATERIAL WAS TOO SENSITIVE TO PRINT. I WOULD NEVER CENSOR AN HISTORIC, ORIGINAL JOURNAL. IT'S ONE THING TO OMIT CERTAIN  REFERENCES FROM PRINT, BUT ANOTHER THING TO ACTUALLY CUT-OUT PAGES, AND SHRED OR BURN-UP THE CONTENTS. SO WHILE IT MAY SEEM LIKE A STRETCH, TO SUGGEST THERE MAY HAVE BEEN REFERENCES IN SOME OF THESE JOURNALS, TO ANGEL ENCOUNTERS, GHOSTS SIGHTINGS, CROSSED PATHS WITH FAIRIES IN THEIR MIDNIGHT REVELS, AND UFO'S, I KNOW WHAT EDITORS, GOOD AND BAD, ARE CAPABLE OF, AT THE PEAK OF POLISHING A TEXT. IT IS POSSIBLE, OWING TO THE FAMILY'S CONCERNS, AND RELIGIOUS SENSITIVITIES ABOUT SUCH THINGS, THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE HONESTLY COME TO BELIEVE, THEIR ANCESTOR-WRITER, HAD BEEN TAKING TOO MANY LIBERTIES AND STRETCHING TRUTHS. IT HAPPENS. MAYBE THERE WAS WORRY, READERS WOULD THINK THE STORY-TELLER HAD BEEN HITTING THE MOONSHINE IN BETWEEN CHAPTERS. IF I WENT PUBLIC RIGHT NOW, AND ADMITTED I HAD WITNESSED SUCH AN ALIEN ENCOUNTER, RIGHT HERE AT THE STUDIO, HALF OF MY READERS WOULD ASSUME I HAD BEEN DRINKING AT LUNCH. ANOTHER TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT WOULD THINK IT WAS JUST THE WORK OF AN OLD MAN TRYING TO WIN OVER AN AUDIENCE BY ANY MEANS POSSIBLE. THE FINAL TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT MIGHT BE INTERESTED ENOUGH, AFTER ALL THE STORIES I'VE SPUN PREVIOUSLY, TO READ-ON JUST IN CASE. SO I DO UNDERSTAND WHY THESE REFERENCES MIGHT HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED, FROM JOURNALS OR COLLECTED STORIES, (AND ORAL FOLK TALES) OR SOMEHOW EXPLAINED IN PRINT, WHERE IN HONESTY, THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN LEFT ALONE.
     I HAVE WRITTEN EXTENSIVELY ABOUT GHOSTS, BUT ONLY ABOUT ONES THAT I HAVE ACTUALLY EXPERIENCED; OR BY ANY OF OUR FAMILY MEMBERS, WHO HAVEN'T MINDED GOING PUBLIC. WE'VE NEVER ONCE BEEN REFERRED TO AS "NUTTERS," BUT BOY OH BOY, DO WE GET A LOT OF QUESTIONS, AFTER FRIENDS AND ASSOCIATES OF OURS, FOR EXAMPLE, FINALLY READ ONE OF THE BOOKS, OUR STORIES HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED IN, (OR ONLINE) SUCH AS BARBARA SMITH'S BOOK ON "ONTARIO GHOSTS," AND THEN JOHN ROBERT COLOMBO'S BOOKS ON CANADIAN GHOSTS, BOTH RELEASED BACK IN THE LATE 1990'S I BELIEVE. WE LOVE TO TALK ABOUT GHOSTS, AND OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM. MORE PEOPLE TODAY ARE OPEN TO THE POSSIBILITIES, AND ARE JUST EAGER TO QUESTION THOSE, WHO HAVE HAD FIRST-PERSON ENCOUNTERS. WE THINK THERE IS A SCIENTIFIC CONNECTION, BETWEEN WHAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A RELIGIOUS DOMAIN, TO WHAT IS UNDERSTOOD OF EARTHBOUND SPIRITS, OF THOSE WHO HAVE CROSSED OVER. I THINK ONE DAY, EXPERTS ON RELIGION AND THE SCIENCE COMMUNITY, ARE GOING TO FIND SOME MISSING LINK, THAT WILL EXPLAIN WHAT "THE OTHER SIDE," REALLY IS, IF AT ALL! WHAT REALLY CAUSES THE BRIGHT LIGHT AT THE TIME OF DEATH? CHEMICAL REACTION? JUST THE DEATH THING CHANGING THE BODY'S CHEMICAL CONSTITUTION? OR IS IT THE BRIGHT, WHITE LIGHT AT HEAVEN'S DOORSTEP? WHEN I ASKED, VIA PRAYER, MY DECEASED MOTHER, MERLE, TO COME TO MEET HER AILING HUSBAND, IN THE FINAL HOUR OF HIS LIFE, WITHIN MINUTES, HE LOOKED TO THE CEILING OF THE HOSPITAL ROOM, AND HELD OUT HIS ARMS AS IF TO EMBRACE SOMETHING HE SAW. WAS IT THE IMAGE OF MY MOTHER? I REALLY WANT TO THINK SO. I COULD NOT LOWER MY FATHER'S ARMS FOR LONG. HE KEPT RAISING THEM AND LOOKING, AS IF SEEING SOMETHING COMING THROUGH THE CEILING. HE WASN'T FRIGHTENED OF IT, AND CERTAINLY WELCOMED WHATEVER INTERVENTION IT WAS, AND AFTER CALMING DOWN, PASSED AWAY PEACEFULLY A SHORT WHILE LATER. IS THERE A PARALLEL UNIVERSE? DID MY FATHER SEE HEAVEN? WAS IT MY MOTHER REACHING FOR HIS OUTSTRETCHED HANDS, FROM THE OTHER SIDE? ALL FASCINATING THINGS TO PONDER; JUST AS RIGHT NOW, I'M GOING TO EMBARK ON A LITTLE UFO SLEUTHING AS WELL.
     I REALLY CAN'T EXPLAIN WHY I HAVEN'T PURSUED THIS PART OF HISTORY PREVIOUSLY, OTHER THAN I'VE NEVER THOUGHT OF IT AS HAVING MUCH HISTORICAL MERIT. I REALIZE NOW, THIS WAS FAULTY LOGIC. OF COURSE IT IS HISTORY. WE JUST THINK OF IT MOSTLY, AS A SITUATION FOR SCIENTISTS AND THE GOVERNMENT TO WORRY ABOUT. I PROBABLY WORRIED A LITTLE, IN MY EARLIER YEARS AS A NEWSPAPER COLUMNIST, AND EDITOR, THAT ADVERTISERS WOULD NOT SUPPORT SUCH MADNESS IN EDITORIAL COPY; SUCH AS TO SUGGEST ALIENS WERE MAKING REGULAR VISITS TO COTTAGE COUNTRY. "BAD FOR BUSINESS," THEY WOULD HAVE SAID. "SOMETHING FOR THE CARTOON WRITERS, NOT THE EDITORIAL STAFF." I KNOW, FOR SURE, I HAD TWENTY TO THIRTY TIPS FROM READERS ABOUT UFO SIGHTINGS, AND ALTHOUGH NOT FREQUENT, THEY WERE RECEIVED SEVERAL TIMES EACH YEAR, FOR AS LONG AS I WORKED AT MUSKOKA PUBLICATIONS. I WAS NERVOUS OF CREATING A SITUATION, LIKE WHAT HAD HAPPENED WITH THE RAYMOND / THREE MILE LAKE SIGHTINGS, OF THE EARLY 1970'S, AND CAUSING A MEDIA CIRCUS FOR THE WITNESSES, THAT I REALLY COULDN'T PROTECT FROM UNWELCOME SCRUTINY. I MADE THE VALUE JUDGEMENT, IT WASN'T WORTH ALL THE CRITIQUES TO PUBLISH THESE STORIES. I WASN'T INTERESTED IN GENERATING INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION, TO WHAT MAY, AT BEST, HAVE BEEN A READER'S IDEA OF A JOKE; OR A PUBLICITY RAISING STUNT TO GET THE WORLD'S ATTENTION FOR PRIVATE GAIN. AND WITHOUT QUESTION, I TALKED TO A FEW DELUSIONAL PEOPLE, WHO JUST WANTED TO SPIN THEIR WILD TALES, TO SEE IF I WOULD TAKE THE BAIT, AND COME TO THEIR HOMES FOR A VISIT; TO SIT OUT IN THE BACK FORTY, TO SEE THE ALIEN LIGHTS FOR MYSELF.
     THERE HAVE BEEN MANY SIGHTINGS OF STRANGE WHITE LIGHTS IN THE SKY, IN QUITE A FEW LOCALES IN MUSKOKA, INCLUDING HUNTSVILLE, THE VANKOUGHNET AREA, (UFFINGTON INCLUDED) AND WATT TOWNSHIP, OF THE PRESENT TOWNSHIP OF MUSKOKA LAKES (MORE THAN ONE RESIDENT SAW THE SAME THING). BUT TRUTH BE KNOWN, THERE HAVE BEEN SIGHTINGS THROUGHOUT THE REGION OVER THE PAST FIFTY YEARS, MANY THAT NEVER MADE IT PAST ORAL RE-TELLINGS; NEVER TO MAKE IT TO A GOVERNMENT REPORT, OR TO BE PUBLISHED VIA THE LOCAL PRESS. I BELIEVE THEY ARE STILL OCCURRING REGULARLY, BUT TODAY, THERE SEEMS TO BE A LOT LESS ALARM FROM THE WITNESSES, AND A GREATER RELUCTANCE TO GO PUBLIC WITH THE NEWS. MANY ARE PROBABLY WRITTEN-OFF AS FIGMENTS OF THE IMAGINATION, OR UNKNOWN EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT AND WEATHER BALLOONS, INSTEAD OF ALIEN SPACE CRAFTS. I HAVE TALKED WITH A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN WORKING ON PRELIMINARY RESEARCH ON SUCH UFO SIGHTINGS. MY FRIEND, AUTHOR JOHN ROBERT COLOMBO, PRODUCED A TINY BOOK ON UFO SIGHTINGS IN CANADA, A FEW YEARS BACK, AND HE KINDLY SENT SUZANNE AND I A SIGNED COPY. HE HAS BEEN ONE AUTHOR, SERVING THE WIDER CANADIAN AND INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE, WHO HASN'T BEEN FRIGHTENED TO WRITE VOLUMES ON THE PARANORMAL. AND PUBLISH FIRST PERSON ACCOUNTS OF THOSE WHO HAVE HAD FACE TO FACE MEETINGS WITH FLYING SAUCERS, AND ALIEN LIFE FORMS. AS I THINK THE WORLD OF JOHN COLOMBO, AND APPRECIATE THE THOROUGHNESS OF HIS RESEARCH WORK, I WOULD LOVE TO FOLLOW IN HIS FOOTSTEPS, SLEUTHING MORE ACCOUNTS OF THESE EXTRA TERRESTRIAL ENCOUNTERS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT OF MUSKOKA.
     THERE ARE SOME BELIEVERS IN THE EXISTENCE, OF LIFE ON OTHER PLANETS, WHO BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE AN ATTRACTION IN MUSKOKA, IN PART, BECAUSE OF METEOR REMNANTS LEFT AFTER THE BIG-BANGS OF THE PAST. IT IS SAID THAT THE SKELETON LAKE DEPRESSION, WAS CREATED BY AN IMPACT OF A METEOR, MANY THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO. IT IS SAID THAT THERE IS SOMETHING UNUSUALLY MAGNETIC, AT THE BOTTOM OF LAKE ROSSEAU'S PORTAGE BAY, NEAR WINDERMERE, THAT CAN CAUSE A COMPASS TO MOVE WILDLY, WHILE PASSING OVER; EG. VIA A BOAT. IT WAS TOLD TO ME, BY A RELIABLE SOURCE, THAT THERE WAS A METEOR THAT HIT OFF THE BRACKENRIG ROAD, AND THAT ITS RADIATION CAUSED AN UNSPECIFIED NUMBER OF CANCER CASES. I'VE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO VALIDATE THESE STORIES, EXCEPT WHAT I'VE HEARD IN CONVERSATION, AND IN ONE CASE, READ IN AN HISTORICAL DOCUMENT.  IS MUSKOKA A HOT SPOT ON EARTH FOR UFO'S? GEEZ I HOPE SO! I WANT AN ENCOUNTER MYSELF, ALTHOUGH I'M NOT SO SURE ABOUT THE PROBE PART OF THE RELATIONSHIP. I HAVE A LOW THRESHOLD OF PAIN. IN THE COMING YEAR, I PLAN TO DO SOME RESEARCH ABOUT THIS UFO AND ALIEN SIDE OF HISTORY, AND SEE IF I CAN DRAW ANY INFORMATION FROM THE DISTANT PAST, SO THAT WE MIGHT KNOW, IF THIS HAS BEEN A LONG TERM RELATIONSHIP WITH EXTRA TERRESTRIAL INTERVENTIONS....OR SOMETHING MORE NEW AGE AND CONTEMPORARY.
     I'VE SEEN LOTS OF GREEN PEOPLE, BUT ALL OF THEM THE MORNING AFTER PARTIES. I'VE SEEN WHAT MAY HAVE BEEN UFO'S STREAKING ACROSS THE SKY, BUT THE ASTRONOMERS INFORM ME, THEY WERE METEORS ENTERING THE EARTH'S ORBIT. THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN A GOOD EXPLANATION TO DEBUNK MY SIGHTINGS. BUT I'M STILL CURIOUS ABOUT THIS, BECAUSE, LIKE GHOSTS AND WANDERING SPIRITS, AND THE PARALLEL DIMENSION THING, I DO VERY MUCH BELIEVE THERE IS INTELLIGENT LIFE ON OTHERS PLANETS IN THIS SOLAR SYSTEM, OR THE ONES WE'VE YET TO DISCOVER. THIS IS WHAT I CALL A "REST OF MY LIFE," RESEARCH UNDERTAKING.


DOWN BY THE OLD MILLS - A DAY OF HUNTING AND PICKING IN BEAUTIFUL ONTARIO

AN ANDY WARHOL POSTER, A 1960'S CANADIAN MADE CHILD'S WHEELBARROW, VINTAGE GLASS, AND AN ABSTRACT PAINTING

     WELL KNOWN BLUES GUITARIST, JIMMY BOWSKILL, DROPPED IN TO SEE US TODAY, AS HE USUALLY DOES WHEN HE'S IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. THE LAST TIME WE SAW JIM, HE WAS PLAYING AT A BLUES FESTIVAL, EARLIER THIS SPRING, IN ORILLIA. JIMMY WAS HELPED ON HIS WAY, AS A BLUE'S GUITARIST, BY JEFF HEALEY. JIMMY HAS PERFORMED ON STUART MCLEAN'S VINYL CAFE, ON CBC RADIO, AND THAT'S WHERE ANDREW FIRST MET UP WITH HIM, AT THE GRAVENHURST OPERA HOUSE. ANDREW WAS A LONG SERVING SOUND TECHNICIAN AT THE OPERA HOUSE, AND ALWAYS ENJOYED WHEN A CBC PROGRAM HIT THE STAGE. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY TIMES ANDREW HAS WORKED WITH STUART MCLEAN, BUT HE'S WORKED WITH JIMMY BOWSKILL BOTH AT THE OPERA HOUSE, AND AT "PETER'S PLAYERS" CONCERT VENUE, HERE ON MUSKOKA ROAD, IN GRAVENHURST. I DON'T THINK JIMMY WILL INSIST I LEAVE THE STUDIO, IF HE CHANCES TO POP IN. I DON'T MAKE HIM NERVOUS. IT'S A REPORTER THING I GUESS, MORE THAN MY INTENSE GLARE AT INTRUDERS, WHO ARE REALLY OUR GUESTS. WHEN I'M WRITING, EVEN A FLY IS AN INTRUDER, THAT CAN THROW ME OFF A STORY REAL FAST. I STILL HAVE THAT REPUTATION, AFTER ALL THESE YEARS, OF BEING A REPORTER FOR THE LOCAL PRESS. I KNOW THIS AS FACT, WHEN THEY KEEP TELLING ME, TIME AND AGAIN, "HEY, THIS IS OFF THE RECORD," WHEN THEY ANSWER MY INITIAL "HELLO, HOW ARE YOU?" "I DON'T WANT TO SEE THIS IN THE PAPER," THEY GROWL, IF THAT IS, THEY'VE BEEN TIPPED OFF, I WAS A HEAD HUNTER IN MY HALCYON PRINT DAYS. I'M IN CYBER SPACE NOW AND I DON'T SCORE HEADLINES AS SUCH. JUST BOLD PRINT CAPTIONS AND SEMI-CURIOUS ANECDOTES, AND STORIES THAT ARE NOT EXACTLY FRONT-PAGE-MATERIAL. MOST OF THE MUSICIANS WHO DROP BY, DON'T FIND ME ALL THAT INTRUSIVE, BUT I DO LIKE TO CONDUCT MINOR, MINOR, MINOR INTERVIEWS WHEN GIVEN HALF A CHANCE. I REALLY ENJOY THEIR COMPANY, AND IT'S NICE TO CATCH THEM IN A CASUAL SETTING, AND THIS IS PRETTY MUCH THE ENVIRONS AROUND HERE. SO I EXPECT JIMMY ANY MINUTE, TO POKE HIS HEAD IN TO SAY HELLO. HE'S CHATTING WITH SUZANNE RIGHT NOW ABOUT COOKBOOKS, TOP HATS AND CHAPEAUS IN GENERAL. WE ALWAYS HAVE A FEW VINTAGE HATS, AND FROCKS IN STOCK, AS MUSICIANS LIKE TO BE STYLISH; ON STAGE AND ON THE STREET.
     I HAVE TO HUSTLE HERE TODAY, AS THE STUDIO IS SOON GOING TO BE OCCUPIED BY SOME OF OUR MUSICIAN FRIENDS, AND I BOTHER THEM WITH MY TAPPING AT THE KEYBOARD. THE STUDIO IS BECOMING A MUCH BUSIER LOCATION IN THIS BUILDING, THESE DAYS, AND FOR GOOD REASON. MUSICIANS FROM ALL OVER CANADA ARE DROPPING IN, AND TRYING OUT THE GEAR, AND A FEW ARE EVEN USING THE STUDIO TO PRACTICE FOR UPCOMING GIGS. THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN HERE ANY MINUTE. ROBERT IS DOING A LOT MORE RECORDING AS WELL, AFTER BUSINESS HOURS, AND ON SUNDAYS. ANDREW HAS BEEN DOING SOUND TECHNICIAN GIGS AS WELL, PLUS LESSONS AFTER THE SHOP CLOSES. I THINK IT'S GREAT TO BE BUSY, BUT I WORRY SOMETIMES THEY'RE JAMMING TOO MUCH INTO TWENTY-FOUR HOURS DAY. BUT IN A SEASONAL ECONOMY, THEY ARE NOW THE ONES REMINDING ME, ABOUT THE WAY I HAVE ALWAYS NAGGED THEM ABOUT SQUIRRELING AWAY SOME RESOURCES, FOR THE LONG HAUL OF THE OFF-SEASON; WHICH CAN BE BRUTAL IF YOU'RE NOT PREPARED. SO THEY'RE RIGHT TO GET AS MUCH OUT OF THE SUMMER HARVEST AS THEY CAN. THEY'RE KIDS. MOM AND POP NEED OUR SEMI-RETIREMENT RECREATIONS, AND THAT IS USUALLY SATISFIED BY HITTING THE OPEN ROAD, AND ANTIQUING ALL OVER THE PLACE. I GET STIR CRAZY AFTER A SHORT PERIOD OF CONFINEMENT, WHICH RULES ME OUT AS A POTENTIAL TOWN COUNCIL, OR GOD FORBID, MAYOR. THIS FEELING OF BEING IMPRISONED HAS BEEN A LIFE-LONG THING, AND DROVE ME NUTS IN SCHOOL. I WAS ONLY EVER HAPPY IF THE CLASSROOM HAD A HONKING BIG WINDOW, AND I WAS ABLE TO SIT BESIDE IT. THEN MY DAYDREAMS TOOK OVER. IT WAS MY ESCAPE, JUST AS WRITING HAS FULFILLED, THROUGH ALL MY CREATIVE YEARS; MUCH AS A CANOE AND PADDLE ON A STILL LAKE. I DRIVE SUZANNE NUTS WITH MY ESCAPE DAYS, AND WHERE WE MIGHT WIND UP; AND THAT CAN BE PRETTY EXOTIC.
     YESTERDAY WE HIT ABOUT EIGHT OF OUR ANTIQUING HAUNTS, IN THE HURONIA REGION, AND WE FOUND SOME INTERESTING RELICS, THAT HAD BEEN MISIDENTIFIED, MISUNDERSTOOD AND UNDER-RESEARCHED. I FOUND THESE TWO WELL-COMPOSED, ORIGINAL, SIGNED PAINTINGS OF MILLS, ON MASONITE, AT A SECOND HAND SHOP IN ORILLIA. WHOEVER WAS PRICING THAT DAY, THOUGHT THERE WERE MACHINE IMPRINTED AND RUN-OFF AS YOU SEE WITH THE WORK OF POPULAR ARTISTS, WHERE EVEN THE BRUSH STROKES ARE RAISED TO GIVE THE IMPRESSION ITS THE REAL MCCOY. WELL, YOU DON'T FIND BRUSH HAIR IMBEDDED IN THE PAINT, WITH A MACHINE PRODUCED ART PIECE. YOU HAVE TO CARRY AROUND A MAGNIFYING GLASS IN CASES LIKE THIS, WHERE THERE IS A SHADOW OF A DOUBT. THEY REMIND ME OF AUGUST AND THE KIND OF PAINTINGS YOU HOPE TO FIND ON TRIPS THROUGH THE HINTERLAND. I LOVE IMAGES OF OLD MILLS, AND I'VE VISITED QUITE A FEW OF THE OLDTIMERS IN ONTARIO, (INCLUDING A WONDERFUL ONE IN THE VILLAGE OF WASHAGO) DURING OUR TRAVEL THROUGH WESTERN ONTARIO, AND TRIPS THROUGH THE ELORA, ELMIRA, FERGUS AREA OF THE PROVINCE. THE ARTIST IS IDENTIFIED ONLY AS "SCOTT." MILL DEPICTIONS ARE POPULAR WITH ART BUYERS, WHICH MAKES THE FIND PERFECT FOR OUR ANTIQUE SHOP. I ALSO PICKED UP A DOZEN OR SO BOOKS, OF CANADIAN HISTORY, AND A "BARBIE PRICE GUIDE," OF ALL THINGS, FOR SUZANNE, WHO HANDLES DOLLS OF ALL SHAPES, SIZES AND VINTAGES. WE'VE BEEN RUNNING INTO A LOT OF "BARBIE DOLLS" OUT ON OUR SHOP TRAVELS, BUT WE'RE BOTH PRETTY POOR AT IDENTIFICATION, TO KNOW WHETHER THE ONES WE FIND ARE KNOCK-OFFS; AND IF ORIGINAL, FROM WHAT VINTAGE, AND PRICE RANGE, ON THE COLLECTABLE MARKET. IT'S A 2001 PRICE GUIDE, SO WE'RE JUST USING IT TO UPGRADE A LITTLE BIT, SO THAT WE CAN PREPARE OURSELVES, FOR THE VERY NEXT TIME SOMEONE TRIES TO SELL US BOX LOADS OF BARBIE DOLLS AND HESR ACCESSORIES.
     UNFORTUNATELY FOR SUZANNE, WE DIDN'T GET ANY VINTAGE SEWING MACHINES YESTERDAY, BUT SHE DID HURT HER BACK, TRYING TO LIFT ONE BACK ONTO A SHELF, AT ONE OF THE ANTIQUE SHOPS WE VISIT REGULARLY. I PULLED IT OFF AN UPPER SHELF FOR HER TO HAVE A CLOSER LOOK AT, AND SHE TOOK IT OUT OF MY HANDS, AND IN PLACING IT ON THE FLOOR, I HEARD SOMETHING CLICK AND CLANK, AND IT DIDN'T COME FROM MY BODY. IT TOOK TIME TO MANIFEST, LATER LAST EVENING, BUT THERE'S NO DOUBT HER HOBBY OF COLLECTING, BUYING AND SELLING SEWING MACHINES DEMANDS BETTER PHYSICAL TRAINING; THEY WEIGH THE SAME AS BOAT ANCHORS. SHE HAS BEEN RE-CONDITIONING THESE EARLY, PRE-SIXTIES SINGER SEWING MACHINES, AND SHE'S GOT A NICE DISPLAY UP AND RUNNING IN THE SHOP; WHERE SHE HAS BEEN DOING DEMONSTRATIONS FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NEVER USED SEWING MACHINES BEFORE. SHE'S BEEN WRANGLING SO MANY OF THEM THIS YEAR, I WASN'T WORRIED WHEN SHE TOOK THIS PARTICULAR MACHINE FROM MY HAND, WITH WHAT SEEMED A BAD ANGLE TO GRAB SOMETHING WEIGHING THE SAME AS AN ANVIL. SHE'S BEEN IN CONSIDERABLE PAIN, TODAY, BUT I REMIND HER THAT IT'S RIGHT WHAT THEY SAY; "NO PAIN, NO GAIN," AND "SUFFERING FOR ONE'S CRAFT." WE MAKE QUITE A PAIR AROUND HERE TODAY. SHE IS "U" SHAPED, AND LOOKING AT HER SHOES A LOT, AND I AM LIMPING AROUND HERE WITH SHOES THAT ARE WAY TO0 BIG. I BOUGHT THEM SECOND HAND, AND DIDN'T TRY THEM ON FIRST. AS I HAVE BEEN BUYING SECOND HAND CLOTHES AND FOOTWEAR FOR THE PAST THIRTY YEARS, AND REFUSING TO USE THE CHANGE ROOM AT THRIFT SHOPS, TRYING THEM ON FIRST, I HAVE SMALL SHIRTS, ON A BIG BODY, SHORTY, OR "FLOOD" PANTS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO BE MUCH LONGER, SOCKS MADE FOR A GIRAFFE, AND SHOES THAT WOULD FIT THE PURPOSES OF A CIRCUS CLOWN. THAT'S WHY I'M LIMPING TODAY, BUT I DO ACTUALLY HAVE PROPER FITTING SHOES AT HOME. I MAY HAVE TO STUFF SOME PAPER IN THE TOES OF THESE NEW RUNNING SHOES, TO KILL SOME SPACE BETWEEN MY TOES AND THE TIP OF THE SHOE, OR JUST PAINT THEM THEM RED AND BLUE, AND ACT LIKE THE CLOWN EVERYONE TELLS ME I AM.
     IT HAS BEEN WILD HERE AT OUR GRAVENHURST ANTIQUE AND VINTAGE MUSIC SHOP, AND SO FAR, IT'S BEEN MUCH BETTER IN TERMS OF SALES AND PROFIT, THAN A YEAR AGO. WE'RE WAY UP IN ATTENDANCE AS WELL. ANDREW HAS BEEN GETTING A LOT OF REPAIR WORK, STRING REPLACEMENT JOBS ON VINTAGE GUITARS, MANDOLINS AND BANJOS, AND EVEN LESSONS FOR BOTH BOYS HAVE INCREASED IN THE PAST TWO MONTHS, AT A TIME WHEN THEY TRADITIONALLY SLOW DOWN FOR THE SUMMER MONTHS. POINT IS, WE DON'T GET OUT ON THE ROAD, HUNTING AND PICKING, THE WAY WE LIKE, AND THIS MAKES US IRRITABLE. HONESTLY. WE NEED THOSE WEEKLY REFRESHERS TO KEEP US SANE; HELP BUILD EXCITEMENT, AND ENTHUSIASM FOR THE NEXT SIX DAY HAUL. OUT ON THE ROAD, IS WHERE YOU REALLY PUT YOUR ANTIQUE HUNTING SKILLS TO WORK. FUNNY NOW, WHEN I THINK ABOUT IT, WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, BECAUSE FOR AN ENTIRE SUNDAY, WE'RE WORKING AT ACQUIRING INVENTORY FOR THE SHOP. IT'S JUST THAT WE FIND IT THE PART OF THE BUSINESS CHARACTER THAT IS SOCIAL / RECREATIONAL. HUNTING AND GATHERING HAS ALWAYS BEEN RECREATIONAL FOR US, SINCE WE BEGAN THIS BUSINESS. IT WORKED THE SAME FOR ME, WHEN I WAS WITH THE HERALD-GAZETTE, AS EDITOR, IN THE 1980'S. I WOULD HAVE GONE NUTS OR STRANGLED SOMEONE, IF I HADN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET AWAY FOR SEVERAL WEEKENDS A MONTH, TO TRAVEL THE BACK ROADS OF ONTARIO, IN QUEST OF HOLE-IN-THE-WALL ANTIQUE AND COLLECTABLE SHOPS; CHECK IN ON ESTATE AND FUNDRAISING SALES, AND ATTEND COUNTRY AUCTIONS THAT ALWAYS ENTERTAINED ME OUT OF MY WORK FUNKS. SINCE CHILDHOOD, I'VE ALWAYS ENJOYED MOTOR TRIPS THROUGH THE COUNTRYSIDE, BUT AS SOON AS I TURNED ON TO ANTIQUE COLLECTING, IN THE MID 1970'S, I LIKED THOSE MOTOR TRIPS AS LONG AS I COULD STOP AT ALL SALES I CAME UPON THAT LOOKED INTRIGUING. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF MY READERS TODAY, GIVE TWO HOOTS ABOUT ANTIQUE COLLECTING, BUT I'M TELLING YOU, THAT SHORT OF HAVING TO WEAR A MUZZLE, OR BEING DOPED INTO A STUPOR, ANTIQUE HUSTLING HAS ALWAYS SERVED TO SURPRESS THE SAVAGE BEAST WITHIN. THE IMPATIENT ME, SNAPPING AT EVERYONE WHO COMES NEAR, IS BROUGHT DOWN TO PUSSYCAT LEVEL, AFTER THE FIRST AISLE, OF THE FIRST ANTIQUE OR THRIFT SHOP I VISIT. I JUST ZONE INTO A DIFFERENT AND MORE ENTERTAINING ASPECT OF THE BUSINESS. I LIKE THE SHOP, AND I CERTAINLY LIKE THE PROFIT A RETAIL ENVIRON CAN PROVIDE, BUT TRUTH BE KNOWN, THE HUNTING ASPECT OF THE ENTERPRISE IS WHAT KEEPS ME INTERESTED IN THE WHOLE AFFAIR. SUZANNE, ON THE OTHER HAND, ENJOYS THE SHOP EXPERIENCE MORE SO, BECAUSE IT'S SET UP TO SUIT HER COMFORT REQUIREMENTS; WITH AN ACCESSIBLE SEWING MACHINE WHERE SHE ENJOYS WORKING THROUGH THE DAY, IN BETWEEN TENDING SHOP CUSTOMERS. I AM PART OF THE SHOP LABOUR FORCE, AND I SPRING INTO ACTION, WHEN FURNITURE HAS TO BE SHIPPED OUT, AND THE SPACE FILLED WITH SOMETHING ELSE. WHEN A PAINTING OR ART PIECE SELLS OFF THE WALL, I RAID THE RESERVES FOR  ANOTHER PANEL TO HANG IN ITS PLACE. WHEN THE TRASH NEEDS TO BE TAKEN OUT, THAT'S MY JOB AS WELL. I DO SCORE SOME TIME TO WORK ON THIS LAPTOP, BUT LATELY, I'VE HAD TOO MANY CHORES, TO WORK AT THIS FOR ANY MORE THAN A HALF HOUR AT A TIME; WHICH CAN MAKE THIS READ A LITTLE DISCONNECTED.
     ROBERT HAS JUST LET ME KNOW I'VE GOT FIFTEEN MINUTES TO CLEAR THE STUDIO BEFORE A WELL KNOWN MUSICIAN WILL ARRIVE FOR HIS PRACTICE SESSION. IT MEANS I WILL HAVE TO FIND ANOTHER NOOK HERE AT THE SHOP TO WORK, AND IT'S LIKELY, IF SUZANNE SEES ME WANDERING AROUND, WITHOUT A JOB ON THE GO, I'LL BE HANDED A BOTTLE OF WINDOW CLEANER, AND SHOWN THE FRONT DOORS OF THE SHOP, THAT HAVE A MYRIAD OF HANDPRINTS ON THE GLASS TO WASH-AWAY. HONESTLY, I DON'T MIND. WHEN I HAD SOME FREE TIME AT THE HERALD-GAZETTE, AN AD SALESPERSON WOULD HAND ME A CAMERA, AND A PIECE OF PAPER, WITH A LOCATION WRITTEN, AS TO WHERE I WAS GOING TO TRAVEL, TO GET A PHOTO AND STORY OF A BUSINESS WE WERE PROFILING IN THAT WEEK'S ISSUE. OR, BEING POINTED INSTEAD, TO THE CAR DEALERSHIP, IN ORDER TO GET SOME SHOTS FOR A FULL PAGE SPREAD. NOT EXACTLY BORIS SPREMO TYPE WORK. PHOTOS THAT WERE DEFINITELY NOT GOING TO MAKE FRONT PAGE. SO WHEN I GET HIT WITH ODD JOBS AROUND HERE, IN MY PRESENT STATION IN LIFE, I DO SO WILLINGLY AND WITH A SMILE ON MY FACE. IT DOESN'T MEAN I LIKE WASHING WINDOWS, OR GLASS IN PICTURE FRAMES, BUT I REMEMBER THE OLD DAYS, TAKING PICTURES OF RUSTING AUTOMOBILES TO MAKE AN ADVERTISER SPEND MONEY WITH US. DURING THESE DOWN TIMES, HOWEVER, I STILL PREFER WANDERING AROUND A SECOND HAND SHOP, OR ANTIQUE MALL. I'M LIKE A NINJA WHEN IT COMES TO CONCENTRATION, AND FOCUS. AT THE SAME TIME, IT TAKES ME A MILLION MILES AWAY FROM THE COMMONPLACE OF SHOP LIFE; WHICH IS KIND OF NECESSARY AS A MEANS OF UNLOADING WHAT YOU'VE INVESTED IN, OF ANTIQUE FINDS. AS I'VE WRITTEN ABOUT MANY TIMES, THE WHOLE HUNT AND GATHER EXPERIENCE HAS AN "EASY RIDER," AURA TO IT; MINUS PETER FONDA AND DENNIS HOPPER, AND TWO CHOPPERS. IT'S THE ALLURE OF NATURE, THE OPEN ROAD, AND DISCOVERY. I'VE NEVER MET AN ANTIQUE DEALER WITH LONGEVITY IN THE BUSINESS, WHO DIDN'T GET OFF ON SHOPPING TRIPS. IT'S WHY WE DON'T MAKE USE OF TRAVELLING PICKERS, BRINGING US TRUCKLOADS OF ANTIQUES, BECAUSE I CAN'T HAVE ANYTHING INTERRUPT MY WEEKLY ADVENTURES. SUCH AS LOW CASH RESERVE. I'D VOTE FOR CLOSING THE SHOP ALTOGETHER, IF I WASN'T ABLE TO TRAVEL AROUND, AND HUSTLE-UP WHAT I CONSIDER SIGNIFICANT COLLECTABLES, ANTIQUES, BOOKS, OLD PAPER, VINTAGE INSTRUMENTS AND ART. GOSH I LOVE MAKING AN ART DISCOVERY. IT USED TO BE ALL ABOUT OLD BOOKS. TODAY I HAVE TO ADMIT, THAT THE ULTIMATE RUSH, IS FINDING A JEWELL OF A PAINTING, OR SCULPTURE, THAT HAS ESCAPED POSITIVE IDENTIFICATION, OR HAS BEEN CONFUSED AS BEING MASS PRODUCED ON A PRINTING PRESS.
      THE WAY WE GO INTO ANY ON-THE-ROAD-AGAIN WEEKEND, IS WITHOUT RESERVATION OR SET GAME PLAN. WE ARE OPEN TO POSSIBILITIES, AND THAT MIGHT MEAN SIDE TRIPS INTO HAPPENSTANCE SALES, WE OFTEN COME UPON, IN A NUTSHELL, THIS IS WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT!

FROM THE ARCHIVES

THE LEGEND OF SKELETON LAKE, FACT OR FICTION; BUT A GREAT FOLK TALE FROM PIONEER TIMES

CREATED BY METEOR IMPACT? THIS BEAUTIFUL MUSKOKA LAKE HAS ITS MYSTERIES

    IT'S HUMID OUT. I'VE BEEN WORKING AROUND THE YARD, EARLY THIS EVENING, TO PREPARE FOR THE COMING RAIN WE'RE SUPPOSED TO GET SOMETIME BEFORE THE MORNING. IT WAS SO NICE TO HEAR THE YOUNGSTERS OUT PLAYING, ON PROPERTIES BORDERING THE BOG.....AND IT REALLY IS NEAT TO HEAR THEIR LAUGHTER, MIXED SO SENTIMENTALLY, WITH THE SOUND OF THE LEAVES FALLING, HITTING THE GARDENS AROUND OUR HOUSE. IN THE PAST SEVERAL HOURS, IT HAS GONE FROM A PLEASANTLY COOL DAY, TO BEING ONE QUITE HOT, AND HUMID, ESPECIALLY IN HERE RIGHT NOW. I WISH I HAD WRITTEN THIS SOONER TODAY, BUT WE WERE OUT TRAVELING THIS AFTERNOON, TAKING IN THE AUTUMN SIGHTS AND OF COURSE, STOPPING IN AT ALL OUR FAVORITE ANTIQUE VENUES. IT WAS JUST A NICE SUNDAY, MIXING A LITTLE HOME IMPROVEMENT WITH RECREATION....AND WITH OF COURSE A LITTLE BUSINESS THROWN IN. I HAVE RUSTLED-UP A FEW MORE FOLK TALES TO ADD TO THIS SMALL SERIES OF BLOGS ON OUR SOCIAL - CULTURAL PAST.

      "BEFORE THE ACTS OF DEVELOPMENT LEAD US INTO THE 1870'S, THERE ARE INCIDENTS IN THE LIVES OF OUR PEOPLE, THAT IT WILL BE OF INTEREST TO RECORD," WRITES FAMILY HISTORIAN, BERT SHEA, IN HIS BOOK, "HISTORY OF THE SHEAS, BIRTH OF A TOWNSHP." AS IT HAS BEEN SAID, THE WORK OF THE SURVEY WAS THE FIRST SOURCE OF INCOME TO THE SHEAS. YOUNG WILLIAM, AND LATER, JOHN L., IN WORKING WITH THE SURVEYORS, IN THEIR ARRANGEMENT, THE MEN LIVED A COMPLETE OUT-OF-DOOR LIFE. IN THOSE DAYS IN DEEP OF WINTER, THE BRUSH SHANTY WAS THEIR SHELTER; AN OPEN FIRE AT THE DOOR."

     HE CONTINUES, "AS JOHN L. SAID, 'EVERYONE SLEPT WITH THEIR FEET TO THE FIRE AND MANY A NIGHT I SLEPT WITH MY BOOTS UNDER MY HEAD FOR A PILLOW.' THE BLANKETS AND GRUB WAS SUPPLIED BY THE GOVERNMENT BUT WE HAD TO BRING IT. THIS WAS PART OF CAMP MANAGEMENT TO SEE SUPPLIES WERE KEPT UP. AT CERTAIN PLACES, CACHES WERE MADE. THE PLACES OF STORAGE WERE OF NECESSITY, MADE OF LOGS FOR SUFFICIENT SECURITY TO KEEP THE BEARS OUT; THAT WERE FOND OF BACON. ONE OF THESE CACHES WERE ON LOT 13, CON. 5, ON THE HILLSIDE NORTHEAST OF THE FALLS. IT WAS IN FEBRUARY, WE WERE CAMPED IN NORTH CARDWELL. I WAS SENT DOWN TO OUR CACHE AT THE FALLS TO GET A BAG OF FLOUR AND A SIDE OF PORK. THE SNOWSHOWING WAS VERY GOOD IN THE BUSH, BUT THE LAKES I HAD TO CROSS, THERE WAS NO SIGN OF A TRAIL.

     "I HAD A HAND SLEIGH WITH WIDE RUNNERS. I REACHED THE STORE-HOUSE, GOT THE FLOUR AND PORK AND STARTED THE RETURN TRIP. I WAS WEARING LEATHER SHOEPAKS, AND ONE SHIRT. THE TRIP WOULD BE TWENTY MILES THAT DAY WITH TEN MILES OF LOAD UP HILL AND DOWN. AS THE DAY WORE ON THE TEMPERATURE BEGAN TO FALL; THE LAKES WERE TERRIBLY HEAVY GOING; IT WAS IN THE NIGHT WHEN I GOT INTO CAMP WITH MY LOAD. MY BOOTS WERE FROZEN ON MY FEET AND MY FEET WERE ALSO FROZEN. I NEVER GOT OVER THAT TRIP. MY FEET WERE NEVER THE SAME."

     BERT SHEA CARRIES ON HIS STORY, NOTING, "HE TOLD US ABOUT A FIND THAT FOR YEARS WAS OF MUCH INTEREST TO ME. I WAS A BOY AT THE TIME AND NEVER FORGOT THE STORY. THE SURVEYORS HAD CROSSED SKELETON LAKE, AND WERE WORKING SOMEWHERE ON THE NORTH SHORE. THEY FOUND TWO HUMAN SKELETONS LAYING ON THE ROCKS. APPARENTLY TWO PEOPLE HAD DIED THERE ALONE AND NO ONE HAD FOUND THEM TILL THE SURVEYORS CAME, AND BY THE APPEARANCE OF THE BONES, THEY HAD LAIN THERE FOR SEVERAL YEARS. THIS STORY STAYED IN MY MIND, AND MANY TIMES HAVE I THOUGHT OF IT AND WONDERED. THE YEARS PASSED BY AND I BECAME OVER MIDDLE AGE; THE OLD PIONEERS HAD GONE WHO KNEW OF THE INCIDENT. MANY ASK THE QUESTION, 'HOW DID SKELETON LAKE GET ITS NAME?' WHO COULD ANSWER, SHROUDED IN MYSTERY? FEW, IF ANY, I THOUGHT, OTHER THAN MYSELF, WHO KNEW THE FIRST HAND STORY OF THE SKELETONS, TILL ONE DREARY AFTERNOON IN NOVEMBER, ONE OF THOSE LATE AUTUMN DAYS WHEN THE GLORIES OF ALL NATURE SEEM BURIED; AND WE LONG FOR SOMEONE OR SOMETHING TO FILL THE LONGING DEEP DOWN IN OUR HEART; SOMEONE TO CONVERSE WITH, WHO TOO ARE DREAMING OF OTHER DAYS, AND FRIENDS THEY HAVE KNOWN.

     "I SAID TO MY WIFE, BERNICE, LET'S GO OVER AND SEE BILL HAMMELL AND MRS. HAMMELL. PERHAPS THEY ARE ALONE TOO. NOW THE HAMMELLS AND THE SHEAS WERE OLD PIONEER FRIENDS AND WHEN I KNOCKED AT HIS DOOR, AND HE OPENED IT, THE SMILE OF HIS FACE SHONE WITH THE GLOW OF PIONEER FRIENDSHIPS. AS THEY WELCOMED US INTO THEIR HOME. IT WAS NOT HARD TO LEAD THE OLD GENTLEMAN INTO CONVERSATION OF YESTERYEARS. AND WHEN I SPOKE OF THE TWO SKELETONS, HIS EYES BEAMED WITH INTEREST. 'YES,' SAID HE, 'I CAN TELL YOU, THIS AFFAIR WAS A MYSTERY TO OUR PEOPLE AND WE THOUGHT MUCH OF IT, BUT BY GRANDFATHER ROBISON, WHO LIVED UP IN CARDWELL, LEARNED FROM THE INDIAN CHIEF OF THAT DAY, HE AND HIS PEOPLE HAD CAMPED FOR THE WINTER ON THAT SITE. THE LAKE WAS AN EXCELLENT ONE FOR TROUT, AND THE SWAMPS OF CARDWELL WERE USUALLY THE YARDING PLACES FOR THE DEER. BUT WHATEVER TOOK PLACE, DUE TO LACK OF FOOD, THE CAMP WAS FACING STARVATION; THEY MUST MOVE THOUGH IN THE WINTER; IF NOT, ONLY DEATH BY STARVATION FACED THE WHOLE CAMP. SOME OF THEIR MEMBERS WERE ALREADY WEAK. AND ONE BOY WAS UNABLE TO MOVE, AND WOULD HAVE TO BE LEFT. HIS MOTHER, A YOUNG SQUAW, WHO HAD LOST HER HUSBAND, REFUSED TO LEAVE HER SON, ABOUT FOURTEEN YEARS OLD, TO DIE ON THE BLEAK SHORES OF THE LAKE; THAT AFTERWORD SHOULD BE A LASTING MEMORIAL TO ESPECIALLY THE AFFECTION OF A MOTHER FOR HER HELPLESS SON."

     THE HISTORIAN WRITES, "THERE IS LITTLE MORE TO SAY, SAVE THAT WHEN THE VOICES OF HER PEOPLE FADED FROM HER HEARING, THE DEATHLY SILENCE OF WINTER SETTLED IN AROUND THEM. A MOTHER AND HER SON. THE REMAINS OF THE FIRE BURNED LOW AS THE COLD CREPT TO THE MARROW OF THE BONE. SILENCE REIGNED, AND SLEEP, THAT GHASTLY THING GIVEN FROM THE HAND OF THE FROST KING, THE SNOW SPIRITS, BORN ON THE WINGS OF THE WIND, PLAYED OVER THE PLOT, AND COVERED THE TWO LIFELESS FORMS IN A SHROUD OF WHITE. THE FOREST SAPPED IN THE FROST, AND IN THE NIGHT THE POLAR STAR LOOKED ON UNMOVED IN HIS STARS, FROM SOME HEIGHT. THE BLOOD CURDLING HOWL OF THE OLD DOG WOLF, WHO HAD LED HIS PACK OF WHELPS AND BITCHES INTO THE DEER YARDING AREA OF CARDWELL BESPOKE SLAUGHTER AND DEATH. YES, THE DEATH OF A MOTHER AND SON, THROUGH STARVATION."

     AS A LONG-SERVING REGIONAL HISTORY MYSELF, I OWE A HUGE DEBT OF GRATITUDE TO BERT SHEA, FOR THE TWO IMPORTANT BOOKS HE WROTE ON HIS FAMILY HERITAGE, AND THE CHRONICLE OF WATT TOWNSHIP, THE LOGGING INDUSTRY IN MUSKOKA, AND SOCIAL, CULTURAL HISTORY AS IT PREVAILED IN THAT PIONEER HAMLET BORDERING THE SHORE OF THREE MILE LAKE, IN THE PRESENT TOWNSHIP OF MUSKOKA LAKES. HE WAS AS MUCH, A CONSERVER OF FOLK TALES AND LOCAL LORE. EVEN BY HIS OWN ADMISSION, HE HAD MISSED A LOT OF PIONEER TALES, AS THOSE WHO WITNESSED THEM HAD PASSED ON, BEFORE HE COULD HARVEST THEIR OBSERVATIONS. HE WRITES, OF THIS, AS FOLLOWS:

     "WITH HESITATION, BUT WITH DEEP CONCERN, I HAVE TAKEN UP THE PEN TO RECORD THE HISTORY OF MY FAMILY; THE SHEAS, LEST AT THIS DATE I FAIL THIS, A DUTY TO OUR RACE; LEST THE RECORD SHOULD BE LOST THAT I HAVE BEEN PRIVILEGED TO HEAR FROM THE TONGUE OF THE ELDERS, WHOM I HAVE BEEN PRIVILEGED TO KNOW, OF RECORDS HANDED DOWN TO THEM, AS WELL AS IN LATER YEARS, THE FIRST HAND ACCOUNTS OF THEIR OWN EXPERIENCES AND ADVENTURES. I HOLD IN MY HEART, A DEEP SENSE OF GRATITUDE FOR THE TOWNSHIP OF WATT, AS WHEN FRIENDS AND RELATIONS FAILED IN MY PEOPLE AND THEY WERE HOMELESS, AND ALMOST DESTITUTE OF A PLACE TO LAY THEIR HEADS, THE GREAT ANCIENT FORESTS OF WATT RECEIVED THEM, AS ITS OWN, AND GAVE SHELTER AND WARMTH, WITH MEAT FROM ITS EARTH AND HIDDEN BOWERS.

     "AND FOR THREE MILE LAKE, WHOSE FIRST SIGHT WAS A VIEW OF SPOTLESS WHITE AND AS THE CHANGING SEASON BROUGHT ITS SPARKLING WATERS, THAT GAVE FROM THEIR DEPTHS SUPPORT FOR LIFE AND RECREATION TO MY FATHERS; WHOSE CANOES OFT CUT THEY WATERS, AND WHOSE BEAUTY OFT CAUSED THEIR SOULS RESPONSE, AND VOICES RAISED IN SONG. BECAUSE I LOVE THEE AND THY MEMORIES; I DO WRITE ABOUT THEY SHORES AS THE GREAT FOREST TREES. SHEAS HAVE SET THEIR ROOTS, THE PARENT TREE HAS CAST ITS SED THAT HAS SPREAD TO DISTANT PARTS OF THE EARTH. BUT YET OUR HOME IS BY THY GLISTENING WATERS AND THE EARTH THAT HAS SO BOUNTIFULLY FED, SHALL GIVE ME COVER WHEN I LAY WITH THEM TO SLEEP."

     BERT SHEA LOVED MUSKOKA, AND HIS BOOKS REFLECT THIS UNYIELDING PASSION.

     SUZANNE AND I  ALWAYS ENJOY OUR TWICEW WEEKLY DRIVE BETWEEN BRACEBRIDGE AND GRAVENHURST, ALONG OUR FAVORITE MUSKOKA BEACH ROAD. THE AUTUMN COLORS ARE DEEPENIING, AND A LOT OF LEAVES ARE ALREADY SPIRALLING TO EARTH. THE TEMPERATURES ARE MUCH WARMER TODAY AND THE SUNSHINE, WELL, AS PERFECT AS THE SKY; APPEARING SO ENDLESS, AND BEAUTIFULLY BLUE. IT'S HARD NOT TO BE AFFECTED IN SOME WAY, BY THIS DRAMATIC CHANGE OF SEASON, AND SPELLBOUND BY THE TWISTS AND TURNS OF THIS WINDING COUNTRY ROAD, THROUGH THE HAUNTED MUSKOKA WOODLANDS. WE DROVE THROUGH MANY OF THE THICK, WINDBLOWN SPIRALS OF OLD LEAVES, DUSTING LIGHTLY UPON THE PASTURES AND LANES, AND WHEN WE STOPPED FOR A WEE RESPITE, WE COULD CLEARLY HEAR THE WHISPER OF WIND THROUGH THE PINE BOUGHS THAT BORDER THE ROAD; OVER THE CAWING OF SEVERAL CROWS IN THE PINE TOPS. THE AREA I CALL THE MAPLE CATHEDRAL, IS AN ALMOST HEAVENLY VISION, ON THE APPROACH FROM THE SOUTH, AND ALL THE VOYEUR CAN HEAR, WHEN ALL ELSE IS QUIET, IS THE GENTLE LANDINGS OF THE LEAVES UPON THEMSELVES, STILL WET WITH MORNING DEW. IT IS AN IDENTIFIABLE ENCHANTMENT, YOU FIND YOURSELF AMDIST, AND AT THE SAME TIME, LIKE THE AUTUMN SEASON IS FAMOUS FOR, IT'S LOGICAL THAT WE WILL, AT SOME CROSSROAD, OR LOOKOUT, FIND OURSELVES BECOMING SENTIMENTAL AND NOSTALGIC, FOR THOSE DAYS OF ONCE, WITH FAMILY; WHEN WE COULD, WITHOUT FEAR OF WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE, TO OUR PEERS, JUMP INTO THE NEWLY PILED LEAVES, AND MAKE SILLY IN PLAY, IN THE SPRAY OF LIGHT BEAMS, BLOTCHING ONTO THE FLOOR OF LEAVES, LIKE AN ARTIST'S PALETTE, FROM THE BORDERING BIRCHES AND PICTURESQUE MAPLES.

     THERE ARE TIMES, IN THIS SOOTHING SOLITUDE, THAT ALONE, WE MIGHT FEEL A WARM HAND SUDDENLY SLIP INTO OURS, WHILE REMINISCING ABOUT THOSE WE USED TO WALK WITH, ALONG THESE SAME COUNTRYSIDE LANES.....OR HEAR A VOICE CALL OUT TO US, WHEN NO ONE IS ANYWHERE NEAR. IF YOU WERE TO HEAR A CHILD'S LAUGHTER, OR THE SWEET SINGING OF AN AUNT OR MOTHER, FROM YOUR OWN CHRONICLE, THEN YOU SHOULD BE PLEASED THESE MEMORIES HAVE BEEN SET FREE, AS YOU FIND YOURSELF, TO MEANDER AS YOU WISH, THIS PAINTED MUSKOKA LAKELAND.

     "A CHIEFTAIN FROM THE HIGHLANDS BOUND, AS WELL YE ALL MAY KNOW, TO SEEK FOR ME A HAPPY HOME, BY ROSSEAU'S SPARKLING GLOW. BY LOCK AND FERN I'LL SETTLE DOWN, AND SWEAR TO LEAVE IT NEVER, FOR 'TIS THE PLACE I HAVE SOUGHT SO LONG, MY HOME AKIN TO HEAVEN."

(BERT SHEA, BIRTH OF A TOWNSHIP)

     THIS IS LIVING HISTORY.