In Memory of My Father

I was visiting with a friend on line and he had mentioned that he would love to take a trip to the mill and see where I grew up and it got me to thinking that after we lost my Father just how much things had changed and would never be the same ....including the original shop etc.
When we lost Dad my two Brothers decided to keep his business. ***Coincidently DAD raised his 13 children on "Sunny's Logging" and when my brothers took it over... Myself and a few other brothers and sisters working there. When you added it up along with our own children "Sunny's Logging" was still supporting 13. (2 daughters and her families and 1 son and his family.)***
Today the shop has been updated and redone. Not too much of thee original equipment remains except for the Building Frame and the Skidder above we still used in the woods along with his logging trucks

I have only scanned two of these pics so far but I also want to add a few more of his sawmill shop etc...so that my children and their children can see what thee original sawmill looked like when my Dad had it.

This is where you could find Dad most of the time...

In the woods outside and doing what he loved most of all. He would have rather be in the woods than at home where the shop was. Besides he had us children to run things for him now and if he did not get those logs out of the woods to us to saw...He could not of raised his family with what he loved most of all. (and we at the mill wouldn't have anything else to do *wink)

I remember as a child working in the woods with him hooking the log chains around the logs so he could skid them up to the landing and thinking on those cool snippy wintery days that I would rather be anywhere else except there with Dad .

I now know that those days were few and I am thankful that I had those opportunities when I did get work beside my father.

This was taken the first mother's day that I was a mother when he became grampa to my son and his 1st Grandchild.

I Guess now 20 some years later I realize what it does mean to treasure those years when your not called grampa...but I also I know he also he treasured every moment that he had with his grandchildren.

Hmm That reminds me of his favorite "torture test" persay he would have the grandchildren do while he entertained them. He would sit them in the highchair and ever so carefully place a woodtick on the top of their hand.

Anyone who knows that those darn woodticks know that even tho they are small they can drive you completely nuts also while crawling on you.... NOT to mention that when you do pick them off of you they stick to you .

Now can you just picture a 5 month old or so in a high chair trying to get rid of that woodtick; and while he may be able to pick it up - he only manages to pass it from one finger to another

(Dont worry they never even thought of eating it as all children automatically have to put things in their mouths.)