My Dad & 1998

The weather is so weird these past couple of days. It is our January thaw and the abundance of snow we have received in December is melting like crazy. Some people are talking flooding but since I live on a hill I am not too worried. It certainly is easier to get up it than when it was snow covered. 10 years ago was the ice storm and that is all you hear on the radio and TV these days. It was a weather event I hope never to see again that struck a city that was totally unprepared. 10 days without power does something to your morale. Some people south of the city had to endure a month without power - could not even imagine that. There were stories galore that made the rounds but I have to say that the story of my dad and his street patrol has a place in my heart. Photos copyright Le Journal de Montreal.

My Dad (who has since passed away), was a WWII junkie who could not get enough of the memorabilia of WWII in the form of movies, books and other items he would pick up. He was a young 15 year old lad who joined the French Resistance and saw his share of the war. He never talked about it - I think there were things he saw that he preferred to forget.

So here is Dad in the middle of an ice storm with his army beret on - his fatigues picked up in an army surplus store - boots firmly planted on the icy road directing traffic over a concoction of extension wires running from house to house - side by side and across. A veritable tangled mess of wiring keeping homes warm and fridges running. Neighbours sharing generators and so much kindness was found those days. Unfortunately did it last? How quickly people forget. But for that short time -tales were made - people shared what they had, friendships were formed and my dad felt so important as people thanked him for his efforts as a soldier in the Canadian Armed Forces - him at 68 :) but oh it made his day and he was so proud to be able to do his part in what was the Storm of the Century here in our city.

the young Bailoux clan with our dad - Michael, Lorraine, Ronald, Carole and me on the right -

I started off wanting to show you my soap all freshly cut and packaged but I have just had my Dad in my thoughts with fond memories these past few days with . So I wanted to put this short little story down on paper. Tomorrow I will show my soap.