4 The South Marysburgh Mirror George Emlaw Above, George and Sandra in 2016; Below, George, Sandra and other shareholders and employees celebrate Black River Cheese Company's 114th birthday in June 2015; celebra(cid:415)ng 'The King' in the Milford Fair parade, October 1956. Dear George: A long overdue note to thank you for graciously welcoming us to the community when you dropped by with the basket of Pat's Jams a(cid:332)er we had just moved in. You were the first person to do so. I must apologize for the way I must have reacted when you drove up while I was cleaning up scrap lumber. As a city dweller it has been inbred in us to be wary of strangers, par(cid:415)cularly those who show up unannounced at the door and are seemingly over friendly. That said, I very much enjoyed our ninety minutes together when you visited. It was enlightening to hear about your farm and agricultural pursuits, and your successes with tomatoes and ca(cid:425)le; your family--Sandra, Vicki, Aynsley and Becky--and their ac(cid:415)vi(cid:415)es and history; and how commi(cid:425)ed you have been to the community and how much you care for it. I didn't know you were so involved in the Black River Cheese Company, nor that you were considered by so many to be an 'elder statesman' in Prince Edward County! And many thanks for filling in the blanks about the property we bought: the history of previous ownership, what the property had been used for, and how good our water was. Your explana(cid:415)on of some of the heritage and history of South Marysburgh mo(cid:415)vated me to explore it further at the archives, and to get involved with the historical society. It has taken a while to adjust to country living. There is the quiet dark night, the sounds of birds, the different noises of wildlife, the wide open space, the need to drive to the store instead of walk, and so on. Also at odds with city living is the compassion and friendliness of those living close by. I never met my city neighbours who resided only hundreds of yards away, yet there you were coming from a few miles up the road to introduce yourself and extend a welcome. Lesson learned. I very much understand that I'm the stranger here, and that like any newcomer, it's my responsibility to fit into the community not the other way around. So thanks also for your advice and guidance over the years about local issues that deserve though(cid:414)ul considera(cid:415)on and a(cid:425)en(cid:415)on. I don't possess your deep ancestral roots so your insights - whether volunteered or solicited - have been extremely helpful. A few weeks a(cid:332)er we met, I men(cid:415)oned to Vicki that you had stopped by and that we had had a chat. "My dad can really talk!" she said. Maybe so. Many people talk, but I think of you as someone who always had something to say. community of which you will always be a part. Many thanks, again; not just from me, but from the courtesy of Aynsley Emlaw) Steve Ferguson (Photos on page 1, and top and bo(cid:425)om on page 4