Ernest slowly woke up, still lost in a summer fishing dream. Nestled under heavy, warm blankets, he resisted the urge to face the cold morning air. He pulled the enamel bucket from under the bed to pee. Removing the lid, he was happy to see it was only a quarter full so he could wait until later to take it to the outhouse to empty it. As soon as the snow melted, they would have to go out to the outhouse in the mornings; having the pail under the bed was something his mother allowed in the dead of winter. He dressed as fast as he could and hurried down the short hall to the kitchen, where the wood stove was putting out heat. He stood by the stove, first warming his front, then turned around to warm his back. His siblings gathered around to warm up. 

To allow his sister to toast bread, his mother waved them off, raised the damper, set it on the stove’s rear, and positioned the grate above the hole. It was Ernest’s job to pour each child a cup of tea from the pot of steeped tea on the stove. He had gotten good at pouring tea without getting too many tea leaves in the cups. Breakfast was a thick slice of baked bread with butter and molasses, washed down with strong tea. 

Ernest quickly finished because he needed to feed the chickens before school. He took three pieces of wood from the shed, as each child was to bring wood to school in the winter. When he came back into the house, his brother and two sisters were almost ready for school. Luckily, there wasn’t much wind this morning, but it was still cold. At least the wind kept the snow away, and he didn’t have the hard job of plowing through deep snow. The mile-and-a-half walk was fast this morning, with the path to the church and school grounds beaten down. Children joined them along the way. By the time they reached the school, there were quite a few children. This number more than doubled when the children from the Harbour and Seal Cove arrived. 

The school was almost in the centre of the island. A priest had walked from the East End to where the school now stood and placed a stake in the ground. Then, he went to the Harbour and walked back, judging the distance to be almost an even walking distance from each direction. Seal Cove went to the back of the island and added another 15 minutes to the journey. 

Ernest brought the two wooden pieces inside the school, placed them in the wood bin by the stove, and then went to look for his friend James. He found James and some other boys talking, and they made plans to go skating in the harbour after supper that evening. 

The day was long as it was too far to walk home for lunch. They each brought a sandwich and a bottle of tea. After they finished eating lunch at their desks, they all went out to play and run around. 

The children mostly behaved well because the teachers punished them for the slightest wrongdoing. To punish the children, teachers sent them outside to get an alder from a bush, remove the leaves, and then use the alder to strap them across their hands. 

Ernest was happy to go home today; neither he nor his siblings got into trouble at school, so he didn’t have to decide if he would lie to his parents to save his younger sibling from another punishment when they got home, for surely if you got in trouble at school, you were in trouble at home as well. 

Now to hurry home and finish chores, then supper and skating on the ice. Today was a good day.

The harbour’s ice was perfect for skating on that beautiful, clear, crisp Saturday. It appeared to James to be one of those special days when everyone wanted to be outside having fun. 

Two areas were cleared on the ice because the men and boys wanted to play hockey, and the women and children wanted to skate. The hockey game pitted the Harbour men against the Eastenders. The Thibeau’s and Seal Cove men are joining any team to even out the players. The skates were all mostly homemade; blades were attached to a flat piece of wood or metal with leather straps attached to tighten over boots. 

James was happy with his skates; his grandfather had made him a pair for Christmas. He had already sharpened the blades twice; of course, his siblings had also used them many times. It was only right to share. James was pleased with his skating this year; it had improved a lot from last year. He was happy his sister and brother were improving too. 

He was looking around while he waited for his turn to play hockey; he saw his mom laughing as she towed the toddlers around on a sleigh. Some of the moms were racing the sleighs, making the little ones laugh. On the other side of the wharf, horses were being set up for the horse races after the hockey game. 

A ruckus brought his focus back to the ice. It was his turn to change places with the men. He felt a pang of excitement in his stomach. His thoughts rushed: I hope I score a goal. I hope I don’t get hit in the face with the puck. If I get checked by one of the men, then I hope I land in a snowbank. Oh, what fun!

Ernest left early to get to the Harbour on time; he ran almost all the way there. His father and shareman would be leaving in the dory in about an hour to motor into the Harbour for the yearly “Blessing of the Boats”. Ernest wanted to go to see the priest pray for a safe and bountiful season for the fishermen as the boats pass by the wharf. His dad had a superstition of only taking those who would be fishing the season in his boat for the blessing.

When he got to the Harbour, he could see it was filling up with boats. It was a magical sight for Ernest. He scanned the crowd, looking for James. He had promised to try to get as close to the wharf as possible. There he was, on the wharf. This was great, one of the best places to see the goings-on.

“How did you get on the wharf?” Ernest asked James once he reached his friend.

“Ma is helping Father with the blessing, you know, bringing his stuff from the church, so I tagged along.”

“This is wonderful!” Ernest pulled a paper bag out of his pocket, “I brought us a molasses bun each. Nan made some yesterday, so I pinched two.”

The boys ate their treat and settled down to watch the blessing.

They became somber and serious as the blessing began; this was a matter close to the heart of everyone on the island. Losing a boat or a person to the sea was a constant fear. There were boats and dories of all sizes in the Harbour. It was a sight to behold, and Ernest could hardly wait until he was old enough to go fishing.

As it was Sunday, a day of rest, after the ceremony, a bunch of kids got together and played games of tag while the adults visited with family and friends before going home to have supper and prepare for the workweek ahead.

The six boys sat on the bank at the top of the beach on the left side of the wharf. They watched in awe as the Christmas Seal boat motored into the Harbour. She was a 104-foot all-white vessel, and she sailed around to isolated outports of Newfoundland, taking X-rays to screen for tuberculosis (TB) and giving vaccinations to children and tests for diabetes. She was a majestic floating clinic. As she entered the narrow passage at the head of the harbour, she sailed to the left, making a circle to glide along the front of the wharf, coming up against the buoys tied to the wharf that hang down to buffer any boats and prevent damage to either the boat or the wharf.

“Well, I’m excited and scared to go aboard,” said James.

“Me too,” Ernest replied.

John, Calvin, and Max nodded in agreement.

“Why are you scared?” Eric asked. “Mom said it’s like getting a picture taken, but of your insides.”

“I’m not afraid of the X-ray.” James replied, “I don’t like needles.”

“Mom said it was just an X-ray. What needle?”

“We’re getting vaccinated for TB and polio,” Calvin replied.

Eric turned as white as a ghost, saying, “Not me. I’m going home and hiding in the barn, up in the loft. I ain’t gettin’ no needle.”

Ernest cautioned, “If you do that, you won’t get to go on the boat.”

“Don’t care, ain’t getting any needle.”

John asked, “If you die of TB, can I have your skates?”

Eric frowned. “Ed, my brother, is the one who will get them.”

The boys joked around and teased Eric as they waited for the line of people on the wharf to thin out.

“Where is Eric?” Calvin questioned as they walked onto the wharf. “I was sure he was right behind us!”

James sighed, “Oh my God, that frigger, we'd better go tell his mom. She’s close to the end of the line.”

Eric’s mom wasn’t happy. “That little bugger, he’s going to get a smack for this. I’m going to call his father on the East End to find him! He won’t have time to get here, but the boat will stop at the East End once she leaves here. They develop the X-rays and phone out here if something shows up and someone needs to go for a second X-ray. Mr. Hackett has his horse and sleigh ready if anyone gets a call to go to the East End.”

A collective “Oh” came from the boys as they nodded together.

“Eric said he was going to hide in the barn, up in the loft,” Calvin said.

“I don’t know what to do with him; he’s so scared of needles.”

“Well, none of us is too brave about that, but maybe not as bad as Eric,” James chuckled.

“That’s true enough. Well, boys, I've got to go get X-rayed, then get to the telephone. Thank God they put one in the harbor and the East End.”

The boys’ turn eventually came, and they were the final ones on the boat, but a wait remained, so they explored, observing everything within their sight. They were trying to figure out how the lifeboat was launched when a voice behind them said,

“So, you boys must be our last patients.”

They turned to see a tall man wearing a captain’s hat. They were speechless as they realized this was Captain Peter Troake, the commander of the ship.

Finally, James spoke, “Yes, sir!”

“We have a few moments; would you boys like to see the wheelhouse and below deck?”

They all responded with “Yes, sir” at the same time.

They were amazed as the captain gave them a tour of the boat and asked them what they wanted to be once they became men. The boys were so proud and honored to have this amazing thing happen to them. They couldn’t wait to tell all their family and friends, especially Eric.

Haymaking was one of the most important jobs on Woods Island. The hay was needed to feed the livestock in the winter. It took a few days of sunny, dry weather to make hay, and every able-bodied member of the family joined in. Older men, women, and grown boys used the scythe to cut the hay. Children followed at a safe distance to spread the cut grass so it could dry out in the sun. It was a fun time for the children as they could run around playing while spreading the hay.

James and his friends were playing tag with his siblings, kicking up grass as they ran around.

“James, I can’t come over tomorrow to help you turn the grass over,” Earnest said when they sat down to eat a sandwich for lunch.

“Why not?”

“Dad’s taking us over to North Arm to cut some grass over there. We don’t have enough for the winter, so we've got to go there to cut some.”

“Actually, Dad got to go over to Frenchman’s Cove tomorrow to get some logs cut at Vater’s sawmill. He said, it’s not going to rain for a few days, so we’re not turning the hay over for the other side to dry until the day after.”

“Well, you guys can come with us if you want. My uncle is going, so we are taking 2 dories.”

“I have to see if Mom needs me tomorrow. If not, I will come. I will call out to the store and leave a message if I’m coming.”

“Me too!” Calvin chimed in. “So, I guess we will be raking the hay into bales next weekend. That’s when the real work starts!”

“That’s for sure, but swinging that scythe back and forth all day doesn’t sound like fun,” Ernest said.

John piped in, “No, last year my brother did it for the first time, and he didn’t wear gloves. His hands had blisters that took a week to clear up.”

“Yeah, Dad says you've got to wear gloves.”

Calvin said, “Let’s get back to spreading the grass; they started cutting the grass again.”

James was waiting impatiently for Ernest, Calvin, Eric, and John to get to his house. They were going mummering for the first time.

James’s cousin, Rosie, said she and her friends would take them, but they could not speak or have any alcohol. They had their mummering clothes out in the barn and would go to his uncle’s house once they were dressed in disguise.

James looked out the window and saw his friends coming up to the field. His mother was in on the plan, so James didn’t have to lie. She was watching him as he pulled his boots on and handed him a bag with some bottles filled with syrup and water.

“Here are some drinks for you guys; mummering is thirsty work. Now, you boys have fun and don’t get up to any mischief, or Rosie won’t take you again.”

“Thanks, Mom. I’ll be good.”

“I know you will; now go on and only around the Harbour; no going down to Thibeau’s Cove or the East End. You, Calvin, and John have a curfew. Rosie will drop the other boys off on the East End and then circle back.”

James ran out to the barn where his friends were getting ready. They were putting on their mothers' or grandmothers’ old clothes; each one had a pillowcase or a brin bag over their head with two eye holes cut out so they could see. They looked foolish, and James laughed with excitement. They quickly dressed and hurried out to meet up with Rosie and her friends.

Rosie knocked loudly on the first house they came to, which was Calvin’s grandparents', shouting “Any mummers allowed in?” It was an unspoken rule that you had to be granted access. Some people had small children that could be afraid and didn’t want to let them in. This was not the case here; Calvin’s grandmother opened the door with a big smile on her face.

“Yes, boy, come right in. We were hoping some mummers would come by tonight. I got some cookies here, and if we can’t figure out who you are, I’ll give you a drink.”

The mummers joked around and danced for the older couple. Calvin’s grandmother guessed who Rosie and her friends were but, to the boys’ delight, could not guess who the boys were–mainly because they didn’t speak. Calvin finally pulled up his pillowcase and earned cookies for himself and his friends.

It was a wonderful night for the boys, and they kept up their end of the bargain: no talking and no alcohol.

It was a warm fall Sunday evening, and James was tired. He had had a busy weekend: Friday evening had been spent lugging water from the well and storing it in the barrel on the bridge for washing on Monday. Monday was always laundry day, unless it was pouring rain. His mom would be busy all day washing clothes and hanging them out to dry. The lugging of water was usually done on Saturday, but he had to help his father saw up the wood they had cut the past winter and stack it up in a couple of rows behind the house. The wood would be left there for a year at least to soak up the rain, frost, and sun; that made the wood better to burn in the winter. They split the wood from the previous year once the frost came; the wood was easier to split when frozen. Some of the split wood from the past winter got carried into the shed, and some into the porch to keep it dry for the coming winter.

Today, after Sunday mass and dinner at noon, the family had walked to the East End to visit family, and he had joined in a game of baseball with his cousins. Even though today was a day of rest, James had a couple more chores to do before going to bed. He went into the barn and took the big round tub down from the hook on the wall. The tub doubled as their bathtub when needed, but now it needed to be brought into the house for tomorrow. Once this was done, he went out to the back of the bridge, where the water was stored. He used the bucket to bring in the water and fill every pot and dipper in the house. His mom would boil the water in the morning to wash clothes. He saw his sister grating soap for the wash water and his dad using the small axe to shave some kindling for the stove in the morning. That would get the fire going good and fast. He hoped they had enough water so his mom wouldn’t have to go to the well and lug more tomorrow. 

He went back out to the barn to get the washboard for his mother; she would need that to scrub his pants to get the dirt out. By the time he gets home from school tomorrow, the clothes should be dry, and he will help her bring them in off the line. He hated this job in the winter when the clothes froze into their shape and had to be brought in to thaw out and dry in the house. They had a line that was brought out and hung the length of the house to fold the clothes over once it thawed enough to fold. The clothes were funny-looking, frozen into their shape, and he and the younger kids had quite the laugh, but it didn’t make up for the extra work. It took his mom and sister forever to iron everything because they had to heat the iron on the stove each time it cooled off.

As he came back into the house, he heard his mother tell his dad that they needed to kill one of the sheep for the winter and keep the fat to make soap, as their stock was running low. James could see another busy weekend coming up if he had to help with soap making. He was relieved that it would be a few weeks yet, as the animal had to be killed and the fat turned to lard.

Finally, everything was ready for tomorrow. Now, to say the Rosary and then off to bed.

James was awake just before daybreak; he immediately knew he wasn’t the first up. He could hear his mother in the other room fixing breakfast; he could smell the bacon from the pig they had butchered in the fall. He jumped out of bed and shivered in the cold as he pulled on his long johns and new vamps that his grandmother had knit for him for Christmas. He quickly pulled on his shirt and pants. The heat from the wood stove hadn’t seeped out to the other rooms yet.

He was so excited that his father and brothers, as well as two of his uncles and some cousins, were going to cross the ice from Woods Island to Blow-Me-Down Mountain to cut trees for firewood and other uses. His dad, William, wanted to find some trees with big roots so he could cut them for the frame of a new dory. He said it was time for a new dory and to teach his boys how to build a boat.

The smile died on his lips when his dad said, “Good, you’re up; go to the barn and feed the horse while your mother is finishing breakfast.”

His heart lightened when his mother said, “Oh no, he will eat now. I hear the others getting up; they will eat all the bacon and leave none for him. James, go wash up, then sit. "

James did as he was told; no one disobeyed Ma when she spoke in that tone. He was glad to notice she spared a bit of hot water for the wash pan; it was usually cold as ice. The white enamel bowl, with a thin dark blue rim, sat on a small square four-legged stand that had a rail on the side for a face cloth to dry; there was a shelf a foot from the bottom for soap, razors, and such stuff. The shelf added stability for the stand, and there was a long, narrow mirror on the wall above it so that the children and parents could see themselves. He quickly washed the sleep from his eyes and rubbed the cloth over his hair to dampen it down.

Soon they were all fed and dressed for the cold; they each found a spot on the sleigh and settled in for the ride across the ice out of the Harbour and the miles across to the mainland. His father slowed the horse as they came to the channel. This is where the ice is more dangerous because the big boats broke the ice up to pass in the bay to the port in Curling. If no boats passed through for a while, the bay froze over again, and people from the island could walk over to the mainland, but the ice in the channel was not as solid as the rest of the ice.

James felt a pinch of fear; the channel seemed much wider than he expected. He watched in terror as his father tested the ice by stamping down on it with all his might. They had all been told not to make a sound as William crossed; this just added to the fear. They all let out a breath of relief when William turned with a smile and waved them forward. His older cousin, Peter, led the first horse and empty sleigh over, then the second horse and sleigh; Uncle Frank brought up the rear.

The day was magic for James; it was the hardest work he had ever done. Once they were past the channel and on the other side, he was in awe of the Blow-Me-Down Mountains. They left the horses tied up in a field just up from the beach, then trampled through the deep snow up into the woods. William told James to follow close behind him so that he didn’t get in the way of any falling trees. His father showed him how to know which way a tree was going to fall and where he should be standing. Once a bunch of trees had been cut, he was given a small axe along with the other boys, and they were shown how to cut the boughs off. Each was told they were absolutely not to cut themselves with the axe, or they would be in big trouble. Once all the trees were limbed, the men and the older cousins pulled them by rope down the hill. James was surprised that most of the wood was being left piled in the woods close to the beach. William told him it was too heavy to bring across the channel, so they were only bringing a bit across. The rest they would come back for in the spring when all the ice was gone. It was safer to bring it over by boat.

It was a long, hard day; they only stopped once for a lunch of jam bread and tea in a thermos. James was the most tired he had ever been. His toes were aching from the cold. His brother George was asleep on the wood being towed on the sleigh, but James didn’t want to miss a minute of this day. The channel wasn’t as scary this time, but he felt that same pinch of fear as he looked at his father’s face. He knew the extra weight was causing the frown. They followed the same routine, and luckily, the ice did not crack. His father became a much happier man once they were on the other side and on the way home. James was glad to walk into the house once he helped put the horse in the barn and feed and water her. The house smelled delicious - rabbit stew and fresh bread. James pulled off his socks and sat as close to the stove as he could, with his toes almost touching the side. The painful tingling in his toes told him they were warming up. Supper was one of the best meals that he had ever tasted. He had spent the day with the men, doing men’s work. He was proud of his day. Now, if he could just stay awake to finish eating.

It was a warm summer day, and James was taking his time walking to the East End. He had finished his chores around the house and was on his way to the telegraph office. His mom wanted to know if there was a message from her sister in Halifax. His aunt Mildred usually sent a message around the end of the month; he hoped there was one, as it always made his mom happy to hear from her sister. He has stopped in Tibeau’s Cove to help Mrs. Macey put the old fishing net on the flake and hammer it tight as she was putting some salted cod out to dry.