During the war of 1916-1918, two widows and their children, Dulcie Bodwell and Margot Geoff, and my mother, with me, met on Long Beach in Southern California sometime around 1917. That was where we spent our days until at last the war was over and we all headed to Vancouver.

 

Through a friend of Dulcie's, Irene Smith (Bobbie Macdonald's mother), they found a cottage at Buccaneer Bay on the site of what was the Mather's cabin. It wasn't much more than a pile of driftwood with a few shakes tossed on top. Still, it had a stove and beds. It was not very big. Mr. Blair, the self-appointed caretaker, produced a tent for Mom and me which he and his grandsons George (Joe) and Bob Simson put up at the back of the house.

 

Life couldn't have been better. We had

sunshine every day, sandy beaches and warm

salty sea water. We frolicked on the beach

during all our waking hours. It stayed like this

throughout May, June, July, August and all of

September. On September 30th, the day we

were leaving, the rain began with a vengeance!

It was pouring rain inside the house as well as

outside and everyone and everything was

drenched. Mr. Blair came with an enormous

black brolly and held it over our stove while

Mom re-lit the stove and made us breakfast.

Needless to say it was a very soggy lot that

day on the Union Steam Ship.

 

The next year, 1920, we moved into what

became known as "The Widow's" (now the Carmichael's cabin). Bob Simson and Mr. Blair had built it during that winter. It was heaven! It didn't leak! Mom and I slept out in the tent again, but the following year we found-a little sleeping shack behind our house! It is still there and is made of hand split shakes. What more could anyone ask for'

 

So we jogged along summer after summer lapping up the sunshine (I'm sure it never rained in those days) and we enjoyed every minute on that magic isle. One day Mr. Calvert Simson, while on his daily tramp through his domain, stopped in and asked Mom if she would like to come along to Water Bay to help him measure for a new platform over the water hole (everyone in those days got their drinking water from the hole). He also wanted to show her what he thought was the most beautiful site on the island. As they approached Water Bay she ran ahead and said "I want to show you the most beautiful site on the island!" It was the same site. When they reached the site (where our cabin now stands) he asked "where would you like to put your house?"