Norm Stripp, A Ditchburn, A Marina and The Biographer Daughter

NORM STRIPP, A DITCHBURN, A MARINA AND THE "BIOGRAPHER" DAUGHTER

WHEN SUZANNE BROUGHT ME HOME TO MEET HER PARENTS, THAT FIRST TIME, MY REPUTATION AS A WRITER-KIND PRECEDED ME. THEY KNEW WHO I WAS, BECAUSE OF THE FACT I WAS EDITOR OF THE NEWSPAPER THEY SUBSCRIBED. THEY WERE ALSO RELATED, BY MARRIAGE, TO MY ASSISTANT EDITOR, BOB BOYER, A WELL KNOWN REGIONAL HISTORIAN, AND TOOK A GENUINE INTEREST IN THE WRITERS ON STAFF. ESPECIALLY ONE WHO WAS DATING THEIR DAUGHTER. WHILE I'VE MENTIONED, PREVIOUSLY, THAT SUZANNE'S MOTHER HARRIET, WAS ALSO A PART TIME WRITER, AND ARTIST, IT WAS THE BIG "IN" FOR ME; THAT AND HER GENUINE INTEREST IN LOCAL HISTORY. I GOT ALONG WITH HER FROM THE BEGINNING…….WITH NARY AN AWKWARD PREAMBLE. SHE WELCOMED ME INTO THE HOMESTEAD WITH A BIG HUG, AND THE KIND OF FRIENDLY CONVERSATION THAT TOLD ME WE WERE GOING TO BE GOOD FRIENDS, AND AS IT TURNED OUT, WRITING MATES ON A SMALL PUBLISHING PROJECT, WE CALLED "THE LEGEND OF TALL PINES."

HARRIET SHARED AN INTEREST IN LOCAL HERITAGE, AND AS HER FAMILY WERE GIANT STAKE-HOLDERS IN THE HISTORY OF THE UFFORD AND THREE MILE LAKE AREA, OF THE PRESENT TOWNSHIP OF MUSKOKA LAKES, WE HAD LOTS TO TALK ABOUT. I WAS, AT THAT POINT, A FLEDGLING HISTORIAN, WITH A FEW CREDITS….. BUT AS BOB BOYER USED TO TELL ME…."TED, YOU'VE GOT A LONG, LONG WAY TO GO." I TRUSTED BOB'S ADVICE ABOUT THIS, AND SURRENDERED TO HIS ONGOING TUTORIALS. I ALWAYS HAVE FELT QUITE PRIVILEGED, TO TELL MY CONTEMPORARIES, BOB BOYER WAS MY PROFESSOR. I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES, HE GRABBED ME OUT OF THE MAIN OFFICE, ON AN INNOCENT FLY-BY, TO READ SOME SNIPIT OF LOCAL HISTORY, HE THOUGHT OF CRITICAL IMPORTANCE AT THE TIME. POINT IS, HE WANTED ME TO KNOW ABOUT IT, AND BY GOLLY, HE'D FOLLOW UP ON IT, TO MAKE SURE I REMEMBERED. HIS OFFICE LOOKED LIKE IT WAS DESIGNED AS A STAGE, FOR A CHARLES DICKENS STORY. THE POINT OF MENTIONING THIS ONCE MORE, IS THAT THE CONNECTION, AND APPROVAL OF BOB, HELPED CONVINCE HARRIET I WAS A DECENT SORT…..SUCH THAT I DIDN'T GET THE BUM'S RUSH OUT OF THEIR WINDERMERE HOME THAT DAY. NORMAN BOWED TO HARRIET'S INSTINCTS. I THINK HE FIGURED I'D BOLT IF THE GOING GOT TOUGH. SO NATURALLY, HE DIDN'T MAKE IT AN EASY FIRST MEETING. SO I JUST TALKED TO HARRIET, AND LET HIM READ HIS NEWSPAPER. I TOO CAN BE INTUITIVE TO PENDING DISASTERS.

NORMAN WAS NOT AS FUSSY ABOUT REPORTERS, ESPECIALLY ONES SITTING ACROSS FROM HIM ON A SOFA. HE MIGHT HAVE ENJOYED READING WHAT REPORTERS WROTE ABOUT, IN HIS DAILY PAPER, BUT I WAS FROM A WEEKLY. THAT WAS DIFFERENT. I WASN'T GOOD ENOUGH TO WORK ON A DAILY. I COULD SEE THE DOUBT IN HIS EYES……WHEN HE LOWERED THE PAPER TO OCCASIONALLY GLANCE AT ME, WONDERING, I SUPPOSE NOW, WHY I WAS STILL THERE. COULDN'T I TAKE A HINT? OBVIOUSLY I LOVED HIS DAUGHTER MORE, THAN MY FEAR HE WOULDN'T APPROVE, MY INTENTION TO MARRY HER

FIRST OF ALL, I KNEW NOTHING ABOUT BOATS. SECONDLY, I DIDN'T HAVE A CLUE ABOUT ENGINES. IF HIS GRANDSONS, AND SON-IN-LAW UNDERSTOOD ENGINES, AND WHAT MAKES THEM WORK BEYOND A KEY IN THE IGNITION, THEN THE BLOKE WHO MARRIES HIS YOUNGEST DAUGHTER, SHOULD KNOW HOW TO CHANGE THE OIL IN HIS CAR. WELL SIR, I DID KNOW HOW TO DO THAT. I TOLD HIM, "I JUST MAKE AN APPOINTMENT AT THE GARAGE, AND THEY DO A DAMN FINE JOB." IF YOU KNEW NORMAN, OR KNEW OF HIM, GETTING LIPPY WAS NOT THE BEST WAY TO ENDEAR HIM…..OR TAKE THAT FIRST SENSIBLE STEP TO ASKING FOR HIS DAUGHTER'S HAND IN MARRIAGE. I WON'T SAY HE ROLLED HIS EYES, WHEN I EXPLAINED MY LACK OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ANYTHING MECHANICAL (INCLUDING AN ALARM CLOCK), EVEN MY MANUAL TYPEWRITER. I ALWAYS HAD TO ASK SOMEONE ELSE IN THE OFFICE POOL, IF THEY'D FIX MY BUNGED-UP TYPEWRITER FOR ME. SUZANNE CAN ATTEST TO THIS, BECAUSE SHE HAD HER HEAD IN THAT TYPEWRITER CARRIAGE, AS MUCH AS I HAD MY FINGERS ON THE KEYBOARD. SO NORM WAS WARY OF A GUY, GETTING INVOLVED WITH HIS DAUGHTER, WHO COULDN'T FIX A DAMAGED MUFFLER, REPLACE THE BRAKES, OR EVEN REPLACE A TAIL-LIGHT. I SAID TO HIM FRANKLY, "I COME FROM A LONG LINE OF FAMILY WHO HAVE NO APTITUDE FOR MAKING AUTOMOTIVE REPAIRS." NORM, BY WAY, COULD PRETTY MUCH TELL, WHAT BOAT WAS COMING DOWN THE LAKE, BY THE SOUND OF THE ENGINE. NO ONE DOUBTED HIM EITHER. MY GRANDFATHER COULD BUILD A HOUSE, BUT NOT FIX HIS OWN CAR…..EVEN IF IT WAS A MINOR REPAIR. MY OTHER GRANDFATHER, EDDIE, ON MY FATHER'S SIDE, WAS A HARD LIVING, HEAVY DRINKING IRISHMAN, WHO WOULD SIT ON THE STEP OF THEIR CABBAGETOWN BUNGALOW, AND EAT A POTATO OR AN ONION RAW, BUT NEVER OFFER TO HELP A NEIGHBOR CHANGE A TIRE. I THOUGHT I'D HOLD BACK ON THIS FAMILY HISTORY FOR THE TIME BEING. I DIDN'T WANT TO ADD TO THE CONSTERNATION.

NORM SEEMED SOMEWHAT INTERESTED IN MY CONFESSIONAL HONESTY, AND THAT WITH ME, HE WAS GOING TO GET A SON-IN-LAW WHO KNEW HIS PLACE AT LEAST. IF I COULDN'T FIX A CAR OR BOAT ENGINE, I WOULDN'T BE TRYING TO "BEST" HIM IN AN ARGUMENT ABOUT THE BEST METHODOLOGY TO EMPLOY, TO INCREASE ENGINE PERFORMANCE…..OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. I FIGURED THAT IF I DIDN'T CHALLENGE HIS NEAR-ALCHEMY KNOWLEDGE, OF ENGINE AND WOODEN BOAT RESTORATION, THEN WE WOULDN'T HAVE THOSE AWKWARD GLARING MOMENTS AT THE DINNER TABLE. I LISTENED A LOT, AND FOLLOWED SUZANNE'S SAGE ADVICE. "DON'T GIVE HIM ANYTHING TO GET MAD AT…….SO JUST SHUT UP." HEY, IT WORKED. I STAYED UNDER HIS RADAR FOR YEARS, AND HE LIKED THAT ABOUT ME. EXCEPT ONE TIME.

ONE DAY, WHEN I DID GET INTO HIS WORKSHOP, BEHIND THE FAMILY HOME IN WINDERMERE, I WAS ADMIRING THE FINAL COAT OF VARNISH HE HAD, THE DAY BEFORE, APPLIED TO A BEAUTIFUL WOODEN LAUNCH, ALTHOUGH I CAN'T REMEMBER IF IT WAS A DITCHBURN OR NOT. IN A PREVIOUS RELATIONSHIP, WITH A YOUNG LADY, I HAD FOUND MYSELF IN A SIMILAR SITUATION, AS I WAS ON THAT DAY. INSTEAD OF A NEWLY VARNISHED BOAT, GORD SMITH, A TALENTED WOOD-WORKER, WAS SHOWING ME AN EXTREMELY HANDSOME, ROUND DININGROOM TABLE, WITH PRESS-BACK CHAIRS, HE HAD STRIPPED FREE OF AT LEAST FOUR LAYERS OF ENAMEL PAINT. IT WAS A GOOD JOB, AND GORD WAS SO PROUD OF THAT PIECE. GAIL HAD ALSO WARNED ME TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT OFF-HAND COMMENTS, THAT MAY BE MISCONSTRUED BY HER FATHER AS, "THE SNEAK ATTACK" OF A SMART ASS. I FORGOT. SO AS GORD WAS CAREFULLY DUSTING THE GLIMMERING SURFACE OF THE TABLE, JUST ABOUT TO BE SET FOR THAT NIGHT'S DINNER, I HAPPENED TO MAKE ONE TINY LITTLE OBSERVATION……THAT TURNED OUT TO BE THE PROVERBIAL GAME CHANGER. "SAY GORD, TOO BAD ABOUT THAT BRUSH HAIR EH?"

IT WAS LIKE I'D KICKED A WHIRLING DERVISH. "WHAT BRUSH HAIR," HE DEMAND, JUMPING ALL OVER THE KITCHEN, TO GET A BETTER LOOK AT THE TABLE-TOP. "RIGHT THERE," I POINTED. "CAN'T YOU SEE IT GORD. I THINK THERE ARE TWO OF THEM. NO THREE!" POOR GAIL. SHE KNEW BY THE ATMOSPHERIC CHANGE IN THAT ROOM, I WAS IN DEEP, DEEP DO! HE WOULDN'T TALK TO ME FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS AFTER THAT CANDID AND UNSOLICITED OBSERVATION. HERE'S WHAT'S REALLY FUNNY, AT LEAST IN RETROSPECT. WE PLAYED EUCHRE THAT NIGHT, AND I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES…..EXCEPT TO SUGGEST "A LOT," THAT THOSE PLAYING CARDS, SLIDING ACROSS THE TABLE WHEN THEY WERE DEALT, WERE BEING THUSLY STOPPED BY THAT WEE TANGLE OF VARNISHED BRUSH HAIR. EVERY SINGLE TIME, IT STABBED HIM IN THE HEART. I SWEAR TO GOD, HE THOUGHT I PUT THEM THERE ON PURPOSE. I DON'T THINK HE EVER SACRIFICED THAT OTHERWISE BEAUTIFUL FINISH, TO REMOVE THE BRUSH HAIRS.

SO WHAT DO THINK? HOW WISE WOULD IT BE THEN, CONSIDERING THE ABOVE PASSAGE, (AND WHAT I'D PERVIOUSLY LEARNED) TO SAY TO NORM, IN THE BRIGHT LIGHTS OF THE WORKSHOP, STARING DOWN THE LOVELY LINES OF THAT GRAND LAUNCH, "IS THAT A BRUSH HAIR?" NOT QUITE THE WHIRLING DERVISH I'D STIRRED AT THE SMITH HOMESTEAD, BUT THE KIND OF MINOR PANIC A REFINISHER DOESN'T NEED AT THIS STAGE OF RESTORATION. "WHERE? WHERE? A HAIR? WHERE IS IT," HE DEMANDED, WITH HIS FACE ALMOST PRESSED AGAINST THE SHIMMERING MAHOGANY. SUZANNE HAD THAT LOOK OF SHOCK I'VE LEARNED TO LIVE WITH, FOR ALL THESE YEARS. IT WAS NEW TO ME THEN. "I WAS ONLY KIDDING NORM," I RESPONDED, WHILE ON THE FIRST ROLL OF WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A LENGTHY, AND HARDY LAUGH. FROM BEING BENT OVER, WITH HIS BAD BACK, TWISTING HIS HEAD LIKE A COBRA ABOUT TO STRIKE, HE LOOKED UP AT SUZANNE WITH THAT LOOK OF ABSOLUTE TERROR, "YOU'RE GOING TO MARRY THIS WISE GUY?" I GOT SUCH A BAD RECEPTION THAT DAY, REGARDING THE HAIR, I'VE GOT TO BE HONEST…..THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A WHOLE BRUSH VARNISHED TO THE BOAT, AND I WOULDN'T HAVE SAID A WORD. IT'S NOT THAT NORM AND I COULDN'T KID ABOUT THINGS…..JUST NOT ABOUT STUFF AS CRITICAL AS THE VARNISH ON A FULLY RESTORED MAHOGANY LAUNCH.

WHEN SUZANNE PROOFREAD THE PAST STORIES ABOUT HER FAMILY, PARTICULARLY ONE STORY ABOUT MY RELATIONSHIP WITH NORMAN, SHE HAD TO ADMIT, TO HAVING A RESTORED INTEREST IN DOING A SOMEWHAT MORE INVOLVED BIOGRAPHY OF HER FATHER……A PROJECT, FOLKS WHO KNEW NORMAN'S WORK, HAVE BEEN ASKING ABOUT FOR A WHILE NOW. SHE HAS LOTS OF INSIDE STORIES ABOUT THEIR YEARS OF OPERATING THE WINDERMERE MARINA, AND THE MANY BOAT RESTORATION PROJECTS THAT WENT ON IN THAT CURIOSITY SHOP……AT THE REAR OF THE HOUSE. IN THE PAST, WHEN THIS ISSUE HAS COME UP, SHE'S BEGGED-OUT, CLAIMING SHE DOESN'T KNOW ENOUGH TO WRITE A SENSIBLE, RESPONSIBLE BIOGRAPHY. I THINK A LOT OF SONS AND DAUGHTERS FEEL THIS WAY, AND ARE MORE LIKELY TO RELENT INSTEAD, TO SOMEONE UNRELATED TO THE FAMILY, TO TELL THE STORY. I CAN'T REPLICATE WHAT SHE COULD ACCOMPLISH IN SUCH A PERSONAL, INSIDER, BIOGRAPHICAL EFFORT. UNTIL NOW. SHE HAS A LOT OF OLD PHOTOGRAPHS SHE'S BEEN GOING THROUGH, WHILE DOING HER ANCESTRY RESEARCH, ON OUR FAMILY TREES, AND I THINK THIS HAS HELPED STIR UP MORE INTIMATE DETAILS OF LIFE WITH NORMAN. I'M DELIGHTED SHE HAS DECIDED TO DO SOME WORK ON IT, FOR RELEASE ON SITE…..POSSIBLY AS EARLY AS JULY OF THIS YEAR. IT'S IMPORTANT TO THE HISTORY OF MUSKOKA, AND BOATING ON THE MUSKOKA LAKES GENERALLY. I THINK SHE NOW APPRECIATES, HOW NORMAN FACTORED INTO OUR MARINE HERITAGE, AND HIS FATHER BEFOR HIM. I KNOW FOR YEARS, SHE HAD THE "I'M NOT WORTHY" ATTITUDE, WHEN IT COMES TO WRITING MORE ABOUT HER FATHER'S EXPERIENCES. IN THE LATE 1990'S, SUZANNE AND I CO-WROTE A SHORT HISTORY OF "THE SKIPPER," THE UPSTAIRS SNACKBAR AT THE WINDERMERE MARINA…..WHICH HAD AN ALMOST CULT FOLLOWING, DURING THOSE WONDERFUL SUMMER SEASONS BACK IN THE MID 1960'S, INTO THE EARLY 1970'S. WE HAD A BLAST WRITING THEM, AND IT WAS QUITE THERAPEUTIC FOR SUZANNE, WHO REALLY DOES MISS THE GOOD OLD DAYS LIVING AND WORKING ON THE SHORE OF LAKE ROSSEAU, IN THE VILLAGE OF WINDERMERE.