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20 - Port Perry Star Christmas Edition - Wednesday, Dec. 21, 1977 RN \ od i i '8 3 0. Port Perry Plaza - Merchants tT SAAT 2 0 et Cp Co PEPE y | - ve TA Lr Xow a hope you have a w, "Tas 0 SRA 2 Unusual Christmas That fall had been very much like this year, extraordinarily wet and like this year the corn harvesting was greatly delayed. When the severe frosts came in December we were finally able to pick the crop. All month I had been driving corn wagons to the : dryer and spending most of the day in the crisp : weather; at night I did Christmas baking, shopped by : the catalogues or made quick trips to town. I was spending all my days wrapped in heavy warm clothes, rubber boots, woollen socks and mitts riding the : tractor and trying to plan Christmas. Our eldest son, married and with our first grand- child was dreaming of flying home for the festivities with his wife and baby. Seeing an only grandchild at Christmas was enough to make the year special but their letters were lacking definite plans. In one letter, Larry had even asked his father about landing in the east field when he flew in, in his own plane. . This struck fear in my soul. I wrote back that he shouldn't attempt to land in the field because he had no idea of the unusual amount of rain we had had. However three days before Christmas and still on the tractor I had dismissed the possibility of such a thing since there was still no definite word. I was going over last minute musts and planning for Christmas with only-the members of our family who were still unattached and at home. The December day was growing grayer as the afternoon went on and I had to wait in the chill for the wagon to be filled. I was high on the crest of the hill that made the long fifty acres that stretched the full length of the farm. I'watched an airplane coming over from Ajax area noting it against the cold steel coloured sky. a O oH NS "It's a silver bird," I mused to myself, "like Larry's", and my eyes followed it across the fields like so many planes heading for Lake Scugog or Peterbor- ough but this one started to bank and then, of course, I knew. I knew it was our son, his wife and baby in his wartime Harvard. Our son who had a thing about flying home from Calgary in his own plane, to land on a field on his father's farm, his home. : My heart sank, the field was so wet but I had cautioned him so I watched with relief as he circled a greeting then headed south toward the Oshawa airport. My mind was excited for the Christmas celebra- tion less than three days away. A baby in the house for Christmas again. Oh, Boy! I'd better get the load of corn up to the bins and go to Oshawa to pick them up. The very old tractor I was driving chugged along in low gear but there was no hurry, the picker and tractor were still quite a distance from me. I was crawling : along wanting to change into a hi ear but this old girl sometimes stalled so I just let it labor on and I looked to the south to see if I could see that silver speck in the sky. No silver speck! At the end of the field a little over fence high, that airplane with its motor cut was gliding down, down, and almost directly to the south of me and my agonizingly slow tractor. I had to keep going. I daren't risk changing gears. I couldn't take a chance on giving it more gas. Ikept it as steady as I could but then I heard the plane slide behind me and I stopped. Jumping to the ground I saw the plane about a dozen feet from the end of my empty wagon. It was still rolling but as I watched it came to a stop but the momentum made it nose into the soft earth with its tail pointed toward the sky. The pilot was pushing back his shield and running along the side to the rear compartment, moving that shield, he lifted out the baby and handing him to me said, "Get back as fast as you can; it could explode." The picker had stopped now and my husband was with us, he and I and the bunting-wrapped baby stood : and watched as Larry helped his wife down, Then he inched his way up the tail where his weight brought the nose out of the mud. The plane just sat there all serene and cool, no more problem than a scratch on the i: blades. # The next day, early in the morning, while the frost ! kept the ground firm and tight, the pilot filed the blade 7 smooth, took off and parked his plane at the local :: airport. I was relieved of my driving duties to give my energies to the most thankful Christmas I could every hope to have. ne here's no time quite like Christmas... when the world is bright with fantasy and we are all children again at heart. In the midst of its magic, Santa and we take a moment to wish you all you're wishing for, this sparkling holiday. DOWSON'S HOMESTEAD RED & WHITE FURNITURE Management & Staff by Ballard & Carnegie CANADIAN TIRE ~~ STEDMANS | STORE DEPARTMENT STORE ] !- Ray Wilson & Staff Bill, Bob & Earle Barr & Staff ELMER'S FURNITURE i. Management & Staff