My starting to be a sailor

Discussion board focusing on Great Lakes Shipping Question & Answer. From beginner to expert all posts are welcome.
Guest

Re: My starting to be a sailor

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Was on the windoc once and I think your actually making it sound nicer than it was lol but I cant blame Patersons for that one that was all Hall she probably hadnt had any maintenance done in 10 yrs, Question though Cap was the Cartierdoc which suffered a fire in the 80s and had her accommodations rebuilt any nicer or were they identical ?
Lakercapt
Posts: 554
Joined: July 19, 2010, 4:51 pm

Re: My starting to be a sailor

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I was in no need to hurry to find other employment but did eventually as my wife into asking how long I intended to stay home. It was time to get back sailing. I took a position with a company which was well known and whose headquarters were in Thunder Bay, N.M.Paterson’s. This was another family owned company and the brothers were friendly and interested in the running of their ships. Alas except for one they were all old and had seen better days. During my time there I sailed them all except the Quedoc and the Paterson. The first one I was on was the ill fated Windoc. I was sent to this vessel to see how the company was run. It was, to say the least, a revelation. This boat was a converted German ore carrier. The conversion consisted of the old hull being replaced to make to a maximum sized lake boat (at this time). The midship accommodation and the engine room were matched to this new hull to create something that Doctor Frankenstein would appreciate. To go from the master’s quarters to the pilothouse you climbed through three flights of unused and neglected cabins to a forgotten era of wheelhouses. The equipment was outdated and there was no auto pilot which required the wheelsman to steer manually for the four hours of his watch. A cold water fountain did not work and any water required had to be carried from below. I spent my time there going round the vessel to see what was involved. The galley and store rooms were the original and in poor shape as was the rest of the accommodation for the crew. It had not been modified since the original building. On the engine room side I have never see such a dirty place on a lake boat. When I consider the “France” which was the cleanest and smartest of all the boats I had been on it was a black hole. A thing I found out quickly was the rudder was small and the rate it went from hard over to hard over was glacial. Not good for a “lake” boat. I did not cry any tears when this boat was in a major incident when in the Welland Canal and the bridge was lowered when it was passing under it. Fortunately no one in the crew was injured but it ended up being a TCL (total constructive loss) after a fire broke out.
I met many interesting people there including three which had sailed as master and had been unfortunate and been demoted. I don’t know why they stayed but it was not something I would have done. Many of the mates and engineers were senior and on one boat I was the youngest of the mates and engineers. I had on occasion, no mate that was qualified to do the mates section of the “Seaway” (Cape Vincent to Midland and clear of Eisenhower lock to Valleyfield Bridge); another had to be sent to do that and then left. Once another captain was required as there was no mate to do it. I, on one trip had to do the whole transit as no one could be found! I did it until I was tired then anchored and went to bed. Then weighed anchor and completed after I had eight hours off. The Seaway control questioned why I was doing this and I informed them truthfully I was too tired to continue safely. The Traffic manager questioned why the trip took so long and was not thrilled with my response. We were paid a small remuneration for doing the pilotage but it had remained the same for many years.
Lakercapt
Posts: 554
Joined: July 19, 2010, 4:51 pm

Re: My starting to be a sailor

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1991 was a year of many changes and I don’t wish to be negative but things did not go as I would have liked. During the month of January I received an invitation to attend the company winter meeting which were being held at Niagara on the Lake. I regretfully declined as I was not too impressed with the meetings I attended previously as listening to BS was not my forte. I did not miss much I found out later as there were major changes to the structure of the company and Miseners, Pioneer were to amalgamate with the bulk boats of Canada Steamship Lines and become a new company called Great Lakes Bulk Carriers. It was not to affect me any way as it transpired.
In the beginning of Mach I received a call from L.J. of human resources wanting to come to my home as he wanted to present me with a package. He came and I was handed a large envelope. In it was a notice of my termination of employment. I was half ways expecting this as with the three Govan boats now with Indian Captains and chief engineers the deep sea guys were surplus to their needs now. The original deep sea captains with the exception of guess who, Captain D was as the saying “let go”. There was included a list of what I would receive in lieu of employment. This was pay for an extended period plus and few other things. My pension which was paid for by me would be transferred to whatever plan I wished. It was by all accounts a settlement I could accept as it was fairly generous by all accounts. I was too young to retire so I had to seek new employment. Not as easy as it would seem but I did not miss much as GLBC did not last long which was not a complete revelation.
More of this later.
Lakercapt
Posts: 554
Joined: July 19, 2010, 4:51 pm

Re: My starting to be a sailor

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To add some personal details to fill this section out. Our son who was five years old when we arrived in Canada and spoke with such a broad Scottish ascent his playmates could not understand him though he could understand them, it was frustrating for him. He, as time went on became a typical Canadian boy, youth, doing all the things which were typical of his age. One Canadian thing he did not do was play hockey as my wife and I vetoed this sport. (I have never attended a professional hockey game) although he skates and skis very well. He did get involved in individual sports and swimming was one he became good at achieving his lifesaving and instructors qualifications. These stood him in good stead later as a lifeguard and instructor earning cash which he really needed. Another sport which we encouraged was Karate. He now is a black belt and still goes to the dojo frequently. This discipline we hoped would help him in life and tame his times wild nature. It was this that got him into a bit of trouble. We always had pets in our household ranging from dogs, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, budgies and ferrets to name some. As animal lovers (except cats) it instilled the love of nature and he would attend nature camps during the summer. One day he and a friend were at the local conservation area when they saw a group of older boys torturing a young raccoon. He told them to stop when one of them stepped forward and pushed our son and told him to F.O. This was a big mistake as when he got home from the hospital his mother reported the incident to the police and our son was charged with assault. I attended his court appearance and the Lady? Judge admonished him and told him his training in Karate should not have let him do this. When he pushed you, you only had the right to push back. Probation and 100 hours community service. I was incensed at this and it took me considerable restraint to hold my tongue. What world did this woman live in? When someone starts a fight your only reaction is to make sure you win. Another mark against our justice system. During holidays it was necessary for our children to have paying employment and the money earned could be used to buy anything they wished which we were depriving (?) them. It was on a trip to Florida one summer when my wife and I drove down to Dunedin to stay at our friend G. home (He was my chief engineer in Crosbie’s and in Algoma and he stayed at our home when in transit) his entrepreneurial nature came to the fore. He had pocket money to spend on this vacation but spent very little. On the drive home he wanted to stop in Tennessee to buy fireworks, many of which were not allowed in Ontario. He loaded up with all his money and a big purchase was the Chinese firecracker. That is the one were once lit it fires off about 100 tiny bangers. When we got home he got the firecrackers and took them apart and got about 100 individual bangers. The neighbourhood kids were knocking on our door nonstop to buy these at 5 cents each. Needless to say he made a very large profit on his purchases. He, my wife used to say would lie in bed at night thinking of ways to upset her. One night he and a friend made plans to take his friends’ mother’s new car for a drive. They met after my wife had gone to sleep and took the car out. They were not as good drivers as they thought as it was a standard shift and they stalled it. Police found them and the first my wife knew of ths caper was a cop and our son standing on the doorstep in the early hours of the morning. The cop was very polite and told my wife not to be too hard on him. He was a vey subdued young man for a while. The wild streak ended one summer after doing a very labour intensive low paying job. He realised this was his future if he did not improve his school marks. He as well as our daughter were to be awarded as Ontario Scholars.
He, although he had spent many days with me aboard ships had no desire to follow in my footsteps and gained his first degree in finance. When working for a large Canadian bank realised this was not the way to earn large amounts of money so went back and obtained this MBA designation. This while working full time in the bank. Not to stop there he went on to study at the London School of Economics (a hotbed of socialist ideas) and then Harvard. He started his own company employing several people and is now considered number one in his field in Canada. His gives talks about investing in real estate to many people and has written a best seller about real estate investment.The royalties are being donated to the Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto. He married and has two beautiful daughters but alas much to our dismay has divorced.
When our daughter and son graduated with their first degrees my wife and I paid for a trip back to the UK and have a tour of the country of their birth. (Five years apart) Met with some of their relatives was well as staying with their maternal and paternal grandparents. Their response when asked how they enjoyed this trip was similar. Wonderful places to visit but are we glad you immigrated to Canada. I will enclose a tribute our son wrote for me on occasion of my 80th birthday at the end of my tales.
Lakercapt
Posts: 554
Joined: July 19, 2010, 4:51 pm

Re: My starting to be a sailor

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We loaded ore in Pointe Noir for Indiana Harbor and then up to Thunder Bay to load the last grain cargo for the season for Quebec City. It had not been confirmed what was to our next movement but we hoped there would not be another iron ore tip as it would a meant that we would have been working well past Christmas. It was only just before completion of discharge the office informed me to proceed to Hamilton to lay up for the winter. This news was greeted by all with pleasure. I was told long ago that never anticipate the good when it could bounce back and hit you in the rear end. We were going up the “seaway’ in the Montreal to Lake Ontario section and I instead of catching up on sleep decided to get a head start on the paperwork which was required when laying up. I had not done this for several years and the multitude of forms to be filled in and discharge books etc. to get a speedy layup and the crew discharged ASAP. We were just about entering Lake Ontario when I received a call to tell me that we were now to proceed to T.B. to lay up. I will not write my reactions to this news but to say I was a bit perturbed would be a gross understatement. The crew were disappoint as well you might imagine On the early morning of 20th we started the Welland Canal transit and compared to the previous upbound transit there was very little traffic in the system and I hustled completing in record time of six hours. After a brief stop at the fuel dock we cleared Port Colborne piers at 1 p.m. We only had one visitor from the office and I voiced my displeasure at the last minute change and all the unnecessary paperwork I had done. The trip up the Detroit River was scary with fog and the radars not working properly and I would have under normal conditions anchored but I was now anxious to see this voyage completed and get home. Arriving in T.B. we encountered ice in the Kam River and had to get a tug assistance to clear the ice so we could get alongside to dock and secure properly for the winter. It was late on the evening of 23rd when I finished and the crew all paid off. The engineers were busy doing their thing and soon the ship was winterized. The mate G. and I booked into a hotel for the night and had a first class meal and a bottle of wine o celebrate the end of the voyage. We caught the first flight in the morning to Toronto ad he to Ottawa arriving home on Christmas Eve.
Guest

Re: My starting to be a sailor

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Love these no B.S. stories Capt.
Lakercapt
Posts: 554
Joined: July 19, 2010, 4:51 pm

Re: My starting to be a sailor

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On the occasion we went to Baie Comeau I met up with G.(The mate on S.P. when we changed to foreign crew) He had decided the going away from home for long periods was not for him and was now the captain on the tug boat which serviced the port. We had a long chat about the experience and I am certain his wife did not like the dinner conversation. She was from Newfoundland and I was intrigued by their two boys. She would speak to them in English and they would answer in the same. When the father spoke to them in French that was how they responded. Completely bilingual, this was quite something to behold. I had known them since birth and watched their development over the years. I would stay overnight if there were no problems on board and the mates had instant contact with me on the radio which G. was required to monitor. Miseners had this policy(captain V. Idea) that should the master be away from the boat for more than 12 hours he had to obtain the office approval. I had a very reliable mate G.I. would I had every confidence in. G. was a refugee from one of the countries that was behind the iron curtain and he and his wife escaped by hiding in a container. They ended up in a refugee camp in Italy before coming to Canada. He was fully qualified in his home country but these were not acceptable in Canada, so he had to write all his exams again. He was an extremely clever person and when he wrote the Masters Foreign going he obtained the highest mark ever for these exams. It was unfortunate the shore Captain K and he were at logger heads often. I say unfortunate for Captain K as G. went on to be one of the top guys in Transport Canada and he had to eat humble pie when he had to deal with his old enemy. We got on well and maintain a friendship to this day but even when out socialising he still calls me Captain. I have repeatedly told him to address me by my fist name but he replies. Oh no you will always be my captain and I could not call you anything else. Such an accolade makes me feel humble.
In the beginning I was not impressed by the state of the boat as many things needed attention. Lack of proper maintenance were obvious but it was getting late in the season and work outside was severely limited. I told Miseners and wrote to Richardson’s about this and Miseners were not happy I had written to the owners. The master’s accommodation was in poor shape with the furnishings like something the Thrift Store would reject. The bathroom had the tiling falling off and the tub and toilet chipped of cracked. I wrote about this getting updated and I don’t know how long it had been this way but I was adamant repairs had to be done when the boat laid up for the winter. The bow thruster repeatedly broke down and had been erratic for some time. Why I had to make noises to get repairs by qualified people I don’t know. On one occasion transiting the Canal I had a visit from the HR guy L.J. to discuss the letter we had been sent about the new conditions of service. I was not surprised with this as the deep sea captains were really surplus to requirements. Only one of the Govan boats i.e. S.P. were sailing with Canadian masters and C/Es. That too was to change in the near future but we did not know this at the time. All these changes were to take effect from the start of the 1991 season when we would be on the same conditions as the other masters and chief engineers.
It was the usual trips until the beginning of December when the winds were gale force on many days. One transit of the canal, because of weather delays here were many ships in the system and it took over 18 hours to complete. Needless to say I was rather tired. It was the longest I had experienced in many years. As it was mostly done in office hours the office called frequently on our own VHF channel VCV 273 was the call sign. It was always when you were at the busiest of times and as everyone in the office could use this many inane questions requiring immediate answers were asked!!
Lakercapt
Posts: 554
Joined: July 19, 2010, 4:51 pm

Re: My starting to be a sailor

Unread post by Lakercapt »

Guest wrote:Other than the Pioneer which ship you were on had the nicest accommodations Capt?
The S.P. did not have that great quarters for the master but they were comfortable. The guest rooms I did not think were a patch on the old lake boats like the France and the McWatters.
Lakercapt
Posts: 554
Joined: July 19, 2010, 4:51 pm

Re: My starting to be a sailor

Unread post by Lakercapt »

I wish to depart from the ship board theme for a couple of tales which I think you might enjoy. During my vacations, especially if during the winter months my wife and I liked to travel to the Caribbean and enjoy the sun, sand and relaxed life style. We went to several of the islands including Jamaica, St.Kitts, Antigua and our favourite destination, Barbados. At one all inclusive five star resort where the food was first class and the barmen very liberal with the drinks, there was a special bar that only served rum. We all know this is a sailor’s tipple and I was introduced to some very fine ones there. It was frowned upon to have any mix with these specials and a slice of lime was allowed. When down there I would go out sailing on the Sunfish boats which you see in all the resort advertising. They are fun and easy to sail once you master the basics. One day I had been out for an hour or so and my wife and I were having refreshment before getting showered and dressed for dinner. I was approached by a guy in the bar. Do you like sailing he asked? and when I told him I did he asked do you know anything about navigation and using a sextant? I told him I did indeed know how to do these things. You are just the person I am looking for. Would I like to help him sail his sailboat across the Atlantic to the Mediterranean? I replied n o I would not like to do that was my response. You shouldn’t be afraid as it’s a big 65 foot yacht. Scared I told him no I would be terrified as I have seen seas bigger than that and I think anyone who does this is crazy. I then explained to him what I did and the topic was never talked about again. Another time a fellow asked if he could join me when I went out. No problem and gave him a quick rundown on what to do. When I wish to go on another tack I would shout “ready about” and he should cross to the other side of the craft. OK I understand. Off we went. After a few minutes when we had cleared the beach I shouted ready about and put the rudder over. What was that he said as the sunfish tipped and ended up with us both in the water and the boat upside down? Not to worry I told him, I will dive down under the boat and push the drop keel up. Grab it and I will use this to right the boat. I took a big breath and dived under the boat and tried to push the drop keel up but it would not go, I surfaced to see what the cause was. He said what was happening as this board kept popping up and hitting him under the chin. That was why I could not push it up. Told him what to do and completed the job and with us both heaving on the keel righted the boat. He learnt to do it right the next time and it was a funny story to tell in the bar that night. Another recreational attraction which many resorts offered was scuba diving. I took advantage of this as I was certified diver. My wife did not care for me doing it as she thought it too dangerous. I did not initially intend to take up this sport but wished to get my private pilots license. I mentioned this at a company meeting and was informed that in no way I should go down this path as the company had me insured and the policy prohibited his. Did not realise I was such an expense. Anyway the best underwater experience was down in the Cayman Islands (no I do not have a bank account there) it was snorkeling and feeding sting rays by hand. We were told these fish were so used to being fed by humans they would come up and nozzle you. It was quite something when dozens of these fish came right up to you and would take the chopped up squid from your hand. Their feel was like velvet so smooth. Many of these resorts would have entertainment after dinner which featured local talent. Most for them were very good but on one evening when we were in Barbados the even show was one which my wife and I thought unacceptable. It was supposed to be a show telling the history of the Island. It started off by depicting white men capturing black men to be slaves. Unfortunately the black men on the show were Zulus. This was the point we walked out. In the bar we were approached by the manager and asked what we thought of the show. The wrong people to ask that question as we them enlightened him about the history of that era. Never did the Zulus get captured by white men. The slaves were captured by other black men of a different tribe and sold to Arab traders. These traders took them to ports in West Africa and sold them to agents. They were then shipped to colonies in the West Indies to work on plantations. What is not common knowledge that many white people were also shipped to the Islands but they were not slaves but Indentured Workers? These poor people came from Scotland and Ireland and a few from England. The attraction for them was on completion of their indentures they would be given a plot of land to farm. Alas this never happened as unlike slaves who could be sold and had some value to their owner’s indentured workers were a liability. Towards the end to their term the owners would work them very hard and starve them to death and consequently they never did get the promised plot of land. The cemeteries down in the Islands are worth a walk round as they show some aspects of the island history. My wives father tells us the tale about when he was in school the dominie said his ancestors were pirates in the Caribbean. One time in Jamaica we walked through one graveyard and low and behold there was a gravestone marking where one with her surname was hanged as a pirate.
Guest

Re: My starting to be a sailor

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Other than the Pioneer which ship you were on had the nicest accommodations Capt?
Lakercapt
Posts: 554
Joined: July 19, 2010, 4:51 pm

Re: My starting to be a sailor

Unread post by Lakercapt »

Guest wrote:Remember touring the Silver Isle yrs and yrs ago didnt she have the Captains bed with a curtain around it or something like that?
You do have a good memory as that too triggered my recollestions. Yes she did and that was to separate the bedroom from the office/dayroom.
Lakercapt
Posts: 554
Joined: July 19, 2010, 4:51 pm

Re: My starting to be a sailor

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Lots happened during this time and I do not wish to bore, but I should tell about how our lives changed in unforeseen ways. Our daughter who prior to the car accident had intended to set up home with her fiancé now moved back with us and the fiancé was informed the marriage was off. He was extremely upset but our daughter who must take this trait from her mother was adamant. What were the reasons I have no idea but she was not going to alter this stand. She decided to go back to university to get another degree. We could not deny her anything and she wished to have a dog. It was a Border Collie she purchased and against our better judgement it became part o our lives for sixteen years. Again it was my dog when I was home and it tolerated the family in between. She, it transpired was the best dog we ever had. My wife and I spent many hours training her. As anyone that ever had a Border Collie will attest they are very smart and take an active pride in obeying you. We never taught any of our dog’s tricks as that was not our idea of training. She was a herding dog and when walking her, if I decided to head on home and she did not wish to do so she would nip at my heels and try and change my direction. The only time she was on a leash was when taking her to the Vets and them she had to be dragged. One New Years eve we had guests and a few liquid libations. I put her out before going to bed in the wee hours and forgot about her. When I woke up, feeling rather the worse for wear I remembered the dog. Opened the back door and she was there with only the black nose showing covered in snow. A little yip and shake and in she came delighted to see me. Snow was a thing she loved and when we moved to our present home the winter had plenty of that.
My wife and I were amazed at how our daughter was accepting her changed life and once most of her mobility came back she was out and bought a new car. She had many appointments with the surgeon and also a man who was an expert in making prosthetic eyes. The attention to detail he showed was to be commended and making one to match her good eye took several visits. Alas it does not function as a seeing eye as that was gone forever when the damaged eye was amputated. As I mentioned in another post during her time back at university she met her future husband and now our eldest grandson is doing his second year at university. She has another of our two grandchildren. Before leaving she told her Mom the dog would be staying as to take it with her would really upset Dad. A real cop out if I were to say so.
Nearing the end of my vacation I called the office to find out what was my next appointment. Nothing so far I was told so just stay home. OK by me as I was on full salary! It was not long before I was to join the Peter Misener in the canal. It was a long time since I had sailed a forward end full sized “Laker” and had to adjust my thinking. Canalling, and being right up to the lock gates when the wheelsman left the wheel and operated the little winch to raise the spearpole were all coming back. One of the big adjustments was there was no bow thruster and although this was not a problem you do get used to having one to assist in berthing etc. Another was when navigating in the rivers etc. Was when the time for course changes I had o think 560 feet ahead of my usual point. This is very important especially in the St. Marry River at the “Rock cut” as that would be a major disaster. The first port was Cleveland, to discharge using the Hulletts. I was only there one more time and these wonderful machines are now history. Inst e ad of what would be normal we headed back to the “Canal” and down to Pointe Noir to load. Heading upbound I was informed that I was to transfer to Sennevile. This change as some problems had developed and I was again to be in the unenviable position of resolving them. I flew to Montreal to join at St.Catharines wharf. Was on board for only a few hours before it was time to depart and head down to Sorel. However power supply problems caused the generators to kick out delaying sailing. Had to get shore side assistance to fix it and was after mid day when we got going. We berthed later that evening in Sorel. Received a message from the office a large wheat sale meant all the boats which had been laid up were to come out and crew changes to allow mates and engineers to return to their boats.
Guest

Re: My starting to be a sailor

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Remember touring the Silver Isle yrs and yrs ago didnt she have the Captains bed with a curtain around it or something like that?
Lakercapt
Posts: 554
Joined: July 19, 2010, 4:51 pm

Re: My starting to be a sailor

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Guest wrote:Saskachewan Pioneer...I remembered...and which one are you referring to S.I.?
Silver Isle
Guest

Re: My starting to be a sailor

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Saskachewan Pioneer....I remembered....and which one are you referring to S.I.?
newfie

Re: My starting to be a sailor

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Selkirk Settler, Canadian Marq., What was the name of the other one.....and which one now is the Kamisquaw?
Guest

Re: My starting to be a sailor

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Hope you get felling better Cap love these stories!
Lakercapt
Posts: 554
Joined: July 19, 2010, 4:51 pm

Re: My starting to be a sailor

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Ben wrote:What a sad story of being bumped off a ship ya knew every second of her life an the nasty car accident capt how did the s.i feel after being on the Pioneer
As I had been on her before it was not a surprise but it was a tough pill to swallow!
Lakercapt
Posts: 554
Joined: July 19, 2010, 4:51 pm

Re: My starting to be a sailor

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Pete in Holland MI wrote:Evening Cap -

You were presented one of a parent's biggest nightmares of one of their kids being injured like that. I, and am sure the other readers, are sorry for the circumstances. It's been several years now. How is she doing ?

Pete
Yes it was a very trying time. When she went back to university she met the man she was to marry. She is now the mother of three of our grandchildren, the eldest has now started his second year at university.
She still teaches at high school.
The captain that relieved me was not there long as a gentlemman from India replaced him and all he Canadian masters and chief engineers were gone.
Pete in Holland MI

Re: My starting to be a sailor

Unread post by Pete in Holland MI »

Evening Cap -

You were presented one of a parent's biggest nightmares of one of their kids being injured like that. I, and am sure the other readers, are sorry for the circumstances. It's been several years now. How is she doing ?

Pete
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