Grubbing

This is my Grandpa (on left, foreground). His name was Sheldon Albert Fitzpatrick, but popularly known to one and all as Al. With him (on right, background) is his friend, Richard Sylvester, popularly known to one and all as Dick. Al and Dick were friends for many years (they were both born in the same town in Ontario, and their families came to St. Vincent around the same time...), and as such, they tended to help one another. In this case, tree grubbing. I don't know who took the picture, or exactly when it was taken (I am guessing the 1920's...), but I'm glad they did. It's another precious glimpse into everyday life of people living in St. Vincent, and in this case, included my own family.

My Grandpa was born in 1876, 83 years before I was born. I was lucky to know him for a few years at the end of his life. At that time, he was a quiet gentle man with an infectious sense of humour that often made me giggle. I was told he was a pretty funny guy all his life. That was probably good since my Grandma, although a pretty fun person herself, tended to take herself a bit more seriously. I have a hunch if I could go back in time, Grandpa probably tended to poke loving fun at her. My Mom told me he often played practical jokes. I bet he was a fun father. He loved reading, and he was a hard worker. The work ethic, the intellectual curiousity, and the love of life definitely filtered down to my generation. Thanks, Grandpa - wish I had known you better...