Cape Breton's Magazine

fishermen. Far away as River John. They all knew. They'd call me up on the phone. Could they get flatfish? They were starting to set their traps. So this day, I had just set the net, over in the harbour. Not like the nets my father had. Those nets were 200 feet long, you know. Set them on the bottom. They were all monofilm or something; there was no twine at all. It was an? other kind of stuff. Well, I said I couldn't tell them till tomorrow. So I went early in the morning. This was quite a few years ago. And the nets were loaded. When you'd look down, you could see them. So I came back and I told them. And (my wife) had put (the kids) to school, and she wasn't back. But when she came back, she went with me. Because it was blowing hard. And if somebody would hold the back of the net, so I could get to shake it--do it twice as fast. So she came. I had to make three trips. And they had to come, you know, a long way. It was evening when they got here. I called them when I had the fish all here ashore. So. I just went to Hawkesbury and got the automatic wash? er! One night's fishing! But that's the way we were getting things, in spurts like that. There's just an exam? ple of one thing. (I guess the trucks would be another.) Yes. Oh, if you got a good week, you'd make a truck. You were lucky a week, you know.... But I was lucky to be awful healthy all my life. I could go for two days and two nights without ever sleeping or anything. It felt great. Making money would make me smart. I'd be greedy as hell when I was making something, though. I wouldn't be tired or anything. It was money. I was lucky. I'm pretty healthy yet. I'll be 90 on the 16th of November. I had lots of things happen. I had a brain hemorrhage. Shipped me to the V. G. (Victoria General Hospi' tal, Halifax) . I was a week up there before I came out of it. They didn't think I was com? ing out of it. I wasn't home a week, I had a net set. And then I had-- my hip went. I've got a steel hip. Steel. I've had it a long time. Never wore out. I didn't mind the opera? tion. But I was STEVE'S TAXIDERMY Quality is the Name of Our Game SPECIALIZING IN BIRDS, AME HEADS, FISH, RUGS, AND FULL BODY MOUNTS We also do repairs and restorations of older body mounts Come visit our sliowroom! "Seeing is the Real Thing' Corner of Curry & Egerton Streets 562-0999 HOWIE CENTRE • OFF HWY. #4 Beatrice and Alfred MacKay of Big Harbour Island scared getting out of bed; I thought it was--used to hurt me terrible before I'd get out. Doctor told me, "Don't be scared to get out of bed," he said, the next morn? ing after the operation. "Get right on it, boy." Not a bit of pain or nothing. It was wonderful, you know. 'Cause it was a metal hip, there was no pain. Nothing to be pain. I didn't have ether or anything like that. Knew everything they were doing all the time. But I was kind of stupid, just the same. Some kind of a needle they gave me or something. Well, I could hear the saw, just the same as you were cutting a board. Same noise as an old handsaw. That's it. And I heard them hammering. When they put the pin in the other leg, you know. That piece that was the ball, when they drive it up. That was just like everyone was driving fence posts, you know, the wham of the hammer I was hearing. But I wasn't feeling anything. Some kind of a spinal they give you, you know. But the funny thing was, when that came out, it wasn't sore, either. There was no sore. I was in the hospital there 7 days. And I was up the first day, the next day I could be up. And they had a walker the first day. And then I had crutches. And then I had the cane. Seventh day, I had the cane. Two days after I came home, I got on the tractor and made the planting! But I had a harder time the last year of my life than I ever had--with a flu shot. Nearly killed me. END RoBena's' BaKerY Home Made Baking Fresh Daily BREADS • ROLLS PASTRIES • iVIEAT PIES r "Drop in to Our ' / ' Cozy Atmospliere" J t Excellent Prices &Tea; Room Mon - Tue - Wed - Sat 7 am - 8 pm Thu - Fri 7 - 8 • Sun 8 - 4 Welcome Tourists 266 Commercial Street NORTH SYDNEY 794-8040