15 Walking to School in the Snow

After our year at the Read Island School my parents decided to transfer us to the Surge Narrows School on the north side of the island.  This meant that the Read Island School had to close down, but by switching it saved us about a mile of biking. The winter of ’47, as well as the next four or five winters were particular brutal with lots of snow, but this saved us a mile of walking through the deep snow and cold.  When we walked we would walk in single file, I, my sister Dawna, then Karen, and David somewhere in the line, each placing our foot in the steps of the one in front.  This was much easier them stepping through fresh snow in a separate track

I remember a big snowfall, when we were still going to the Read Island school and the snow was particularly deep, so dad took us by boat, to the amazement of even our teacher, Miss Evans.  Even this was sometimes very difficult as the bay would freeze over and we had to break ice to get out. The ice would cut through the hull of the boat if not broken first.   Sometimes the ice was to thick to break so we had to stay home until a trail was tramped through the snow first by an adult.  This was one of the things to consider for us switching to the Surge Narrows school.

I always went to bed with great anticipation if the snow was falling heavy with the wind howling in the eves because I knew we would be able to stay home from school the next day.   We would get up with excitement and I would look at my mom and say “Do we have to go to school today?” And when mom nodded her head, “no” we would jump with delight as we knew it was a day of fun sliding down the big hill in front of my cousin David’s house.  Dad had made us all ski’s and a real toboggan as well that had a front sled to turn with your feet.  We would come in well after dark but not before mom would finally demand that we come in for supper.  Mom was not someone to turn a deaf ear to.