Dad( Edward) farmed along the Red River, between Lockport and Selkirk. Land along the river was in river lots, 2 miles long by 40 chains wide. Nearly all of these lots were taken and settled by this time. He was anxious to get more land and be established on a farm of his own.

Early in the spring of 1928 he made a trip out west to Weldon, where a sister lived. He was able to rent land east of the town of Weldon for that year. A railway car in Selkirk had been rented and was waiting shortly after he got back home. Hasty preparations were made to gather our belongings together. Horses, cows, machinery, crates of chickens, furniture and the family pet, our Scotch Collie dog, were all loaded and ready to leave in mid March. Dad went with the railway car, while Mother (Edith) and the children traveled on the passenger train. We got settled on the farm; Dad put the crop in and Mother planted a big garden. Farming that year was not good, as an early frost in August took its toll - most of the grain was used as feed.

During the summer Dad was able to look around for another farm. Coming in to Birch Hills, John R Taylor, a local real estate agent, told him of land situated in the Waitville district and very close to school. A trip to look this property over was made , and in early March, 1929 we were again packing our belongings to move. An uncle, Dad once stayed with on his ranch in Vermillion , Alberta, came for a visit after Christmas 1928. He stayed and helped drive a team and sleigh, moving hay and feed, stock, machinery and household effects. One early morn it was time for the family to be bundled into the sleigh box, leaving behind our first home in the west.

The land in Waitville had been homesteaded by William McMichael. Its location is SW 12-45-24-W2. A house and other building were on the farm and later Dad built a large kitchen on the east side of the house. The school was close by and we came home every day for noon lunch. For a number of years Mother was caretaker of the school, making fires on cold winter mornings. Jim and Gordon would dig out the ice from the ice house for drinking water. Mary and Laura would sweep and dust after school. The school house was used for most of the community services as well as church on Sunday morning until the church was built in the hamlet.

There were not many acres of land cleared for cropping on the farm. Dad didn't have a tractor at that time. The trees were cut and sawed by hand, roots dug out with a grub hoe, piled and burned. The wood was saved for heating purposes. Many loads were hauled to Birch Hills, our nearest town, 12 miles away, with a team and sleigh. Most people used coal and wood for their stoves and furnaces. Dad would leave home before daylight in well below zero temperatures to sell or trade the load for groceries and coal oil for lamps and lanterns.

Wood-sawing day in the late fall was a busy day. Four or five men would come, along with the gas engine and saw, to cut up the winter supply of wood that you had already hauled and piled. Each farm family helped the other to saw enough wood for winter use. Then it would be tea time and steaming hot cups of tea or coffee with goodies would be enjoyed.

The farm income was supplemented by a few milk cows, beef cattle, pigs, chicken and turkey. There were lots of chores to be done and every one of us had our share to do. In summer, hunting cows was a problem as there was no herd law or fences and the cows roamed to heart's desire, coming home only when they felt it was necessary to do so.

One drawback we encountered was the lack of good drinking water. There were wells on the farm, but the water was not suitable for drinking. Blocks of ice had to be cut and hauled from a lake, packed into the ice house and covered with sawdust. There had to be enough to last through the next summer.

Not too many years previous to our arrival in 1929, wagon trails followed along the high ridges. In the earlier days much of the area was covered with lakes and large sloughs. These trails were still in evidence for some years after; you could cut across many sections of land going to Birch Hills or there neighbour's farmsteads, following these trails through large strands of poplar trees. The main roads were just dirt roads, no gravel; when it rained or during spring thaw, horse back or team and wagon was the only means of transportation, or a good pair of high rubber boots.

In times of sickness or accident, a doctor was available at Birch Hills. There was a hospital there too. We were fortunate we didn't have many health problems to cause anxiety, but one summer day, after a big rain, Wesley fell from the hayloft, breaking his arm. A neighbour, Mr Ming was there. He applied splints and bandaged up the broken arm. Dad and Mother drove to town to have the bone set and a cast applied. How thankful Mother and Dad were to have such a kind neighbour present that day. The trip took two days. Ross had several encounters with rusty nails. Mother always seemed to know what to do in these emergencies.

With the coming of the railway from Lanigan to Prince Albert, hamlets and towns were springing up along the way. Stores in Waitville and Crystal Springs then supplied the grocery needs of families. The long wagon trips to Birch Hill were not made quite so often. The T Eaton catalogues was a valuable asset to the isolated farm family. It did much to fashion a modern face for rural Saskatchewan, as most of the clothing and foot wear needs were met through the catalogue. The merchandise was guaranteed, if the item did not fit, or the color was not suitable you could return it and full payment was returned plus the postage.. Christmas gifts for the whole family would be ordered. Often you waited, sometimes until Christmas Eve, for the parcel to arrive. Money was in short supply but five dollars went a long way; this was the amount Mother got for being caretaker of the school for one month. Mother was a very good seamstress and made most of our clothes, plus she learned to spin yarn. She would buy a fleece from Mrs Hodgson who kept sheep. We'd spend hours teasing and carding wool for her to spin to be knitted into warm socks and mitts for Dad and the boys. Also many quilts were made and filled with wool batt.

Families didn't travel very far for entertainment. Dad enjoyed a card game in the winter evenings. We learned to play cribbage and whist. We got our first radio in the early thirties. It was battery-operated so you chose your programs wisely.... the National Hockey Games, Saturday nights, the Lux Theatre, Ma Perkins, or the Guiding Light and the news - then the radio was shut off.

Mother and Dad were active community workers and found time to help in many projects. Dad was a school trustee , a councillor of the Rural Municipality of Invergordon and was Warden of St George's church and served on the Vestry. He was also an enthusiastic worker for the CCF party in its early formative years, and a most ardent Wheat Pool member, belonging to it most of his farming years.

Mother was president of the Women's Auxiliary to the Church, a member of the Homemakers Club, and she helped with many of the activities one gets involved in , such as school sports, recreations and social activities.

In the late thirties war clouds were hovering around. Jim enlisted in 1939 and was with the division that invaded Sicily and then went into Italy. He died in Italy, Christmas eve ,1944. A lake in north eastern Saskatchewan has been named in his honor. Gordon enlisted in 1941, serving in Italy, Belgium, Holland, and into Germany when they surrendered in April 1945. He returned home just before Christmas 1945. Ross enlisted in 1944 and was with the Occupational Forces until 1946. What a happy reunion when they came back. Wesley was too young at this time to serve with the forces.