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Published: March 31st 2015
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It's 20.08 on the 30th March. We've had a very relaxed couple of days here at The Old Stone House.
Sunday is our day off so, after breakfast, we headed back up to our room to read and chill out until our lunch of fried eggs, toast and sausages. In the afternoon we took the sledges down to the oil pipeline in the forest, and spent a good hour and a half sliding down the steep hill and, usually tumbling, into the snow banks at the bottom.
Once we were drenched and frozen we headed back to the House to dry off before dinner. We ate meat pie and potatoes, then afterwards Rosie, Matt and I played scrabble and drank tea round the kitchen table. It was a very pleasant way to end our day off.
Today has been the same as most working days - up at 8, breakfast at 9, working at 10. The job today was to cut up, move and split a tree Ted cut down this morning, and Matt and I had this done by 3 ish, and walked down the road to find Rosie and Kate who had just finished treading down a path to
another tree that was to come down.
Since the snow was starting to come down fairly steadily by this point, Judie told us to just pile the wood we had split, then have the rest of the day to ourselves. So, as any self-respecting 19 year olds do in fresh snow, we made some pretty impressive snow men, then headed in for dinner.
We had roast chicken, stuffing and veg followed by apple crumble and cream. The rest of the evening was spent with the whole family (dogs and cats included) in the sitting room watching TV, reading and napping.
Now we've been in Portneuf a week, I feel able to tell you a little more about the town itself. From what Judie had told us, who comes from one of the oldest English-speaking families in the area, there has been a good deal of tension between the English and French Canadians in Portneuf. The 5 or so houses in the surrounding area to Old Stone House all used to belong to close relations of Judie's (who grew up here) but after what she describes as a 'hostile takeover' in the 1980s-90s most of the English speaking population has moved
away, or only visits in the summer.
As well as this, there is a surprising amount of tragedy in the areas past. Ted's brother was killed when he slipped on ice while cutting down a tree and slicing through his leg with the chainsaw, while his boss broke his neck and died when a tree he and his hunting party cut down a tree on an outing. Most shocking was the story Judie told of a relation of hers, I forget what exactly, who lives down the road. Something like 20 years ago the lady and her husband and son had one of the sons friends stay at the house. The friend then set about robbing the house and, when the father came back from work unexpectedly, shot him dead with a rifle from his gun cabinet - he was discovered by his wife later that evening.
These stories seem incongruent with the serene, snow covered town I've seen, and on the whole it seems a peaceful place to live. None the less, they give a little insight to the recent (or not so recent) scandals in portneuf!
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Dr John HW
non-member comment
Pontneuf
Yes, very interesting. A number of points occur. Firstly, are you getting enough to eat? You mention breakfast, lunch AND dinner in your first couple of sentences! Other than that, it sounds like you are having a good time, although the history of the area is rather unexpectedly tinged with tragedy. Does knowing that make it feel different? Was struck by the 'hostile takeover' which has driven English-speaking people out. Nationalism is a curse as far as I am concerned and the Scottish nationalism rampant here at present and the English nationalism espoused by the likes of UKIP have huge dangers for the UK, England for the English and the problems in this country are down to foreigners! Feels dangerously like the road to Treblinka to me. The snow looks fantastic - make the most of it while it lasts - you will be soaking up the sun in a few weeks.