THE EVE OF ALL FOOLS DAY.

.Confederation might have been a good thing, perhaps inevitable, had the union been conducted in an honourable manner. Instead we were conned into signing away our independence and our land subsequently gang raped: an obscenity still continuing. Forget it ,some tell me ,and get on with my life, but history does not work that way. What goes around, comes around. There is no fairness or equality in this equation, nor has there ever been. Imagine a bunch of ding-bat blue-collared bureaucrats on the RIideau telling our fishermen what they can catch and when and where they can catch it. It must be infuriating! Fishing is not a job, it is a way of life, it is who we are. Some who forget Bell Island, Buchans and St. Lawrence foolishly believe that the oil will run on forever and ever. Even that, except for some scraps ,was taken away from us.

CROCUS BUDS, HARBINGERS OF SPRING.

When first the crocus thrusts its point of goldUp through the still snow-drifted garden mould,And folded green things in dim woods uncloseTheir crinkled spears, a sudden tremor goesInto my veins and makes me kith and kinTo every wild-born thing that thrills and blows.Sitting beside this crumbling sea-coal fire,Here in the city's ceaseless roar and din,Far from the brambly paths I used to know,Far from the rustling brooks that slip and shineWhere the Neponset alders take their glow,I share the tremulous sense of bud and briarAnd inarticulate ardors of the vine. Thomas Bailey Aldrich

THE MIRACLE OF SPRING..

How wonderful it is that the dying autumn leaves provide the mulch for the protection of Spring's first growth, poking through the hold of winter's stubborn grip.

RCSC CALYPSO FOUNDING COMMITTEE, c. 1955

Second from left, front, Bill Cake, Commanding Officer. Far right, top, Jack Brett, chairman of committee.

In Lamaline, I had my own boys' group. CBL.(Church Boys League) We met every week for various activities and camped every summer on Percy Brook. However, there were many lads who had no such activity. I believed a branch of the Sea Cadets would be a good idea since it would be all inclusive. I discussed the matter with Fr,. Hogan, RC priest in the parish. He was enthusiastic and offered to help in every way possible. Our cooperation in those bad old days was a rare occasion. Like me, he is in his 80s now. but I hope he is still going strong. A finer gentleman, I have never met. It was left to me to meet the top brass in St, John's to seek permission. Not only was I given permission, but I was given far more help than ever I expected. They even provided funds so that we could bus in the lads from the nearby communities. Our area extended from Lord"Cove to Point May. Many of those lads got to see the big world on the outside for the first time., and some found their vocation in the scrummage of so many activities and opportunities . After Fr. Hogan and I left, the group fell apart.

I understand that a new branch of the Sea Cadets had been formed in Lamaline , but under different auspices, different location and different name. RCSC Caslypso seems to be completely forgotten.

What a shame and why??? Many of the dads and grand-dads of the present troop were members of the old Calypso corps. A plaque or banner placed in the new drill hall in memory of that old episode would be most appropriate; not to mention the associated fascinating chapter of our history.
This photo was sent to me by Valere Thornhill, daugter of Bill Cake.

THE HMS CALYPSO.

Built in 1881-84, she must have been an awesome sight! Besides sails , she had a powerful engine with two propellers. After service in the British navy, she was given to the Newfoundland Government in 1902 for coastal patrol. Later she became a training ship for the Newfoundland Naval Reserve , many members of which served in the First World War. The wreckage on the shore in Embree attracts many visitors. (Photos from archives)

CALYPSO LAMP.

The Calypso was towed to Embree, 1952, where she was subsequently dismantled and burned, except for the hull which was steel, covered over with planks. I turned this lamp from a small piece of her mahogany deck. Little was salvageable except the copper that encased her lower hull. All superstructure had been removed sometime after 1902 and replaced by a drill hall for the training of Nfld volunteers for the Naval Reserve, and in 1916 her name was changed to HMS Briton. She remained in this service until 1922 when she was sold to A.H. Murray as a salt storage shed in St. John's harbour: a landmark for many years.

ACROSS CHAMBERLAIN'S POND.

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I got out today for the first time since last fall to visit some of my local haunts. Actually I was looking for a blooming crocus or some other sign of the re-birth of Spring. I know there are some in bloom; so maybe I'll find one another day. This photo was taken acoss Chamberlain's Pond, looking towards Bell Island. It never froze at all this winter, but there is some ice clinging to the shoreline, like it used to be on the 24th of May when it was hard to get a line out fishing from the shore. We may rejoice in our warmer winters, but the price we are about to pay is, for most, incomprhensible. Warming climate and an impending premature ice-age seem to most an oxymoron. Where ignorance and greed is bliss............. God .(or, the planet if you prefer) , has zero tolerance for fools. We have made one hell of a mess of it all.

IN THE WOODS.