Hi Paul & Lorraine: We are Jim & Marion Lindsay from Orangeville. Nancy Gillis gave us the information about the Memorial for your mother, Joyce. We wish to extend our sincere sympathy to all the family.
We would like to attend the event next Saturday, July 13, at your farm. Marion is a cousin from the Edy and McLean families. We will bring some family history with us.
Marion & Joyce played together as little girls at the "Black Family Picnics" in the 1940"s
Looking forward to seeing you.
But I'll give it a shot!
Joyce became one of my four BFF's in the late 1960's when we bought a hundred acres adjoining Braehaddon, on the 5th Line East, in Caledon.
The first time I laid eyes on Joyce, she was plowing up the front forty, in a pair of short shorts, brown work boots and gray socks with red tops. The farmer kind.
I, on the other hand, city lady that I was, had on a fashionable sun-dress and stunning wide-brimmed straw hat. We were also driving a nifty XKE Jaguar.
I had my doubts that we would have much in common - but how WRONG I was.
Just about the first priority, as we started a huge reno on OUR farm, was the 3300' grass runway along the bush line at the back of both properties.
And taxi-ways to the back doors. . . .
One of the first "must-haves" at our place, Brachenmoor, was a long paved driveway from the 5th line to the house. AND! as long as we had the paving machine full of tar, said Peter, "Why not drop a tennis court at Braehaddon"? Done.
About the same time, Jamie tamed a crow, and named him Charlie. Charlie liked hot dogs; a LOT. When he didn't get them at his place he'd fly over to ours.
On more than one occassion, I startled weekend guests at Sunday brunch, by excusing myself from the table, going to the fridge, and returning with a weiner, which I flung out the sliding glass door, to Charlie, who caught it in mid-flight.
We found out, a lot later, that he stashed all of them in the hollow metal posts that held up the net on the tennis court.
Pretty much top on my list of reno's, was a new kitchen. Everything top o' the line, including a garbage disposal. I mentioned this to Joyce, who scoffed and said she'd rather have a PIG! Several week later, while dining at the Irwin's, I helped with the clearing of dinner plates, and went to the under-the-counter pull-out bin, where I knew the garbage can to be. Joyce stopped me and said "No, just toss it under the sink"! I opened the door, and there was HER new garbage disposal.
A tiny pink piglet which she'd named "Sammy". (from then on ALL disposals were called "Sammy in the Sink!") Joyce named EVERYTHING!
The ice-maker she installed on Canowie was called "Decadent"
The Irwin's had their German Shepherd "Willie" we had our fawn Great Dane Bismarck, and along with the crow and the pig, we had quite the circus.
They travelled the path between the two farms on a regular basis.
Joyce called is a bit of a panic one day, to ask our help in dis-lodging Sammy, who was now full grown, from the window well to their basement.
He was one "stuck pig" - backwards. Head, shoulders and front hooves clinging to the cement, butt protruding into the basemen. Joyce had tried to extricate him by tying a rope around his chest and shoulders and pulling. I think she even attached it to the Cub Cadet, with no success.
Bill Koyle went down to the basement to assess the sitution, and after not too much thought, called to us to "man the rope" and prepare to get out of the way.
He then took a two by four, and whacked the pig in the balls, and sure enough! that got him outta the well!
We had lots of memorable dinner parties at both farms. . . .
I'll regale you with two.
In the midst of the rubble, with my renovation in progress, I decided to have an intimate little seven course, black-tie New Year's celebration. Just the four of us.
It was snowing like hell, all over Ontario. Peter was about to be grounded (in his beloved Viscount) in Sudbury. He made a Captains' decision, and told the crew he had a date for dinner and they were going NOW!
At seven o'clock, Peter and Joyce arrived via the runway, on a skidoo. Joyce in a long gown, and Peter in black tie and his MacLaren kilt. (under their ski-doo suits) Dinner and drinks (lots of those) were served as formally as I could manage, considering the stripped off lathe and plaster everywhere, in front of a roaring fire in the living room.
New Year's day dawned bright and sunny, and as we went to attend the horses and cows in the barn, we noticed the "path of departure" taken by the captain.
The ski-doo tracks in the fresh snow went from the mud room door, OVER a pile of old reclaimed bricks (for the exterior of our farm) and up the taxiway . . . . .
Ho, Ho, Ho!
Now remember . . . . I mentioned we had the driveway PAVED.
Not long after that was done, The Squire of Brachenmoor bought himself a bright yellow road grader, at a farm auction, which we named "Rosie".
After another winter "dinner for four" with Peter and Joyce and lots of libation, we thought it might be fun to take "Rosie" for a spin up the 5th line and drop in on our neighbors, Jack and Pat Halls. Drinks in hand, and the Squire at the throttle, off we went in the middle of the night! Not to worry, there were never any cops around our place at that time. We hung a right into the Halls' driveway, and halfway to the house, discovered a car, engine still running, steam coming from the rad, wrapped around a tree, with NO driver! There were, however, definite tracks in the snow, heading through the bush. Jack called the OPP and NOW we had cops on the road. Lots of them.
We ditched the wine glasse, and managed to convince them that a yellow road grader in the middle of a snowy winter's eve, was our preferred method of transport, neighbour to neighbour. I can't remember if or where the driver of the car was found. As they say, "God protects drunks and babies"
There were the annual springtime challenges between the Koyle's ancient Land Rover, the Irwin's Army-issue red Jeep, and the Hansford's kahki Ack-Ack.
The object of the exercise was to see who would be the last to be mired down in the 500 acre Conservation Authority across the road.
I think the winner was always . . . Howard & Mary Hansford in the Ack Ack.
I have many many more great memories of Joyce. I've been "dining out" on her stories for 40 years. . . . I wish we'd never left the 5h line!
I'll end with a personal note to a favourite lady . . .
(whose favourite colors were RED & ORANGE!)
Joyce!
Give a kiss and a hug to Luke and Helen, and I'll see you soon?
xoxoxoxox Arlene
So sorry to hear the news Joyce is not doing so well, I was just thinking of you all today when I was taking a look at a yellow J3 Cub.
Tough times buddy, my thoughts are with you all...
As you know I have always thought of Peter & Joyce as my Canadian parents & yourself a brother, we shared some special times out in that Pacific all those years ago.
It was awesome to catch up with yourself, Nicola & the boys last year & see Peter & Joyce, share some time together & special memories of our South Pacific adventures!
I will always be indebted to you guys for everything you have shared with "the kiwi", taking me in as one of the family, my life would never have taken the course it did & ending up involved in the marine industry without those adventures, experiences & memories on Canowie
Please give the Big Guy & Joyce a hug from me & let them know I'm thinking of them & we send our love.
Take care buddy & keep in touch...
Brett
