Friday, July 22, 2011

Berry Picking


This is my Grandmother on my Dad's side. My brother is standing next to her. I was still young when I last saw her and was quite surprised when I found out later in life she was 4'11". I had always thought of her as fairly tall. 

Friday, July 15, 2011

Let's Go For A Drive


What kid wouldn't take the opportunity to mess around in a car or truck. Look how the little guy has the seat set up and his legs through the stearing wheel. Not sure where this was taken or who the kids are. The little one below might be a cousin.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Seaside Parade


Seaside Oregon is a resort town at the end of the Lewis and Clark trail. I have family there and have made visits ever since I can remember. There are changes but it is still very familiar to when I was a child. When we were walking down the main street in April this year I was thinking about this and a couple other photo's from a parade. I am sure this spot would be easy to find today, the little bridge is still there. 

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Now Why Would They Do That?

 

I'm not sure who this lady is. It's from my Mom's photo collection and I think it may have been taken in Seaside Oregon. I found it an engaging photo. That's my Mom in the background sitting on a swing. It struck me as I was cleaning up the scan for the blog. She is sitting on a swing. On the porch. Directly in front of the door.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Take Me Out To

I pondered this photo for some time. I don't know anyone in the photo. It is obviously in the Prairies. I am pretty sure the license plate on the truck says Saskatchewan. But what could these people be doing? My first thought was they were at a rodeo. That just didn't feel right. Why would people dress up and go to a dusty field to watch some event? It hit me like a wild pitch a couple weeks ago. A ball game. It had to be a baseball game. Baseball was big in the day. I don't know anything about how it worked back then but maybe it was a couple farm teams touring the area. Just think in that era people dressed up in their finest to watch a game. Who does that now?

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

The Road Crew

I have mentioned in the past my Dad and my Grandad (Mom's side) were railroaders. This is my Grandad with his road crew. I got this from my Mom's photo's, I don't know who would have taken it.

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Echoes Of War

(Department of National Defence photograph)

On the night of July 2nd, 1944 returning from patrol with MTB 465, MTB (Motor Torpedo Boat) 460 struck a mine and exploded. 6 crew were rescued and 10 were killed. My uncle Peter Thompson (R.C.N.V.R.  O.N. V-11965 Telegraphist) was one of the crew killed. 
When I started looking into my family history I knew I had an uncle that died in the war but really nothing beyond that. My father showed me this photo of the MTB 460 and I became intrigued. There isn't a lot said about these boats but they were vitally important to coastal defence and by any account I have read were pretty exciting to serve on. 
The stories I read have these young men charging about the English channel tackling German E-Boats and challenging destroyers, tracer bullets flying in in the night sky and the smell of cordite in the sea air. When I look at the photo above I like to think maybe that was my uncle on the flying bridge enjoying the moment riding the waves with the salty wind in his face.




 My Dad thought maybe Uncle Peter had a couple beers when he had this photo taken. His hat was tilted back which wasn't regulation but his smile was brilliant. He was a fun loving man popular with the girls. One afternoon while we sat at talked about him my Dad started crying, remembering and mourning his big brother, nearly 50 years after the war.