Hi there,.
I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Debbie Young but you can call me Deb. I'm originally from Greenfield Park, Quebec but moved to St.Lazare almost eight years ago when we were approaching retirement. I've been a site-owner with my husband Richard for over 15 years and would like to share my CONNECTION to Stonewall Acres with you.
Before I get started I want to mention that LET ME INTRODUCE MYSELF is the second FEATURE STORY on the Stonewall website and the beginning of a series of articles titled, "CONNECTION". The idea for CONNECTIONS came to me when I realized that it would be a great way to get to know our fellow campers a little better. The stories will be about how we became part of the Stonewall community and some of our favourite memories here. I will be chatting one-on-one with site-owners about their stories or learn about those who have passed away from memories told by someone close to them. My hope is by sharing a little bit about ourselves, we just might discover we have a greater CONNECTION to each other than we think.
So what better way to begin the introductions than to start with my self... here we go!
My story at Stonewall began long before we ever considered becoming site-owners. It was about eighteen years ago when our friends Cindy and Donnie Harris invited me to spend a day of garage selling and to visit their newly found campground. I'm sure Cindy had told me where they moved their trailer but the name did not ring a bell and still didn't mean anything to me even as I drove up Stonewall Drive that day. Later on while chatting over a cup of tea with Cyn, I discovered to my surprise that I knew quite a few people who camped here. Barbara and Brian Chevrier whom I have known all of my life along with their daughter Kim and family were just a couple of trailers away from the Harris'. I also found out that the Freedmans' place on Pine Road once belonged to my uncle, Lorne Sweeney. It was when she mentioned my now late sister-in-law Wendy Glasgow had a place around the corner on Birch with her husband John Lebel that it finally dawned on me that I had been here before! Soon the memories started to surface of when Wendy and I used to visit her mom Helen and step-father Kevin Glasgow at Stonewall many years ago when our kids were just babies. We swam in the pool and paddle boated on the pond down by Helen and Kevin's place on Pine Road. It's funny how I had completely forgotten all of that. Eventually I would find out that during one of my father's visits to Stonewall, he met up with someone he knew as a child. It turned out his mother and their mom used to live together with their kids while their husbands were overseas during the second World War as a way to make ends meet. This was something I never knew about my dad until then. I'm always amazed at how small the world really is. After an afternoon of browsing around the Moores town wide and the tea turned into a glass of wine or two, I ended up staying over that night at the Harris'. Never in a million years did it cross my mind the next morning as I headed back home with my handful of garage sale treasures that I would soon be returning to Stonewall Acres...not as a visitor but as a prospective site-owner.
The following spring the Harris' invited Rich and I to their place at Stonewall for Easter dinner. Over the winter Rich and I had talked about Stonewall and played with the idea of "maybe" becoming site-owners but never seriously followed up on it. On the drive down to Stonewall the day of our visit, we made a promise to each other that we would only "look around" and nothing else. We didn't want to get our friends hopes up so we vowed to keep our thoughts about buying a place to ourselves and talk about it later on our drive home. That was 'the plan'.
Surprise! Before I knew it Rich and Donnie returned from a walk with an announcement there were some interesting sites I would want to see. Oh well, so much for 'the plan'. Hence the excitement began and off we went for a stroll to check things out. At that time making contact with many of the owners was difficult. There wasn't a website or an updated bulletin board about sites that were for sale so getting information often relied on word-of-mouth. Our tour included a few possibilities but nothing really interested us until we met up with Brian Chevrier and he told us about a place that was up the road from him. He said it used to belong to a retired pilot for Air Canada by the name of Moe Verrier who hadn't been around for several years. At first glance we were a bit hesitant since there wasn't a trailer or an addition and the lot showed many years of neglect. All kinds of unwanted items were dumped there that even included an old trailer shower stall! Although there was a septic system and electricity, NYSEG had to inspect it and make some updates. In addition trees needed to come down to make room if we wanted to built an addition. It was almost as though we were starting from scratch and felt a bit overwhelming to us. Our hopes were for something that was a bit more set up but the exchange rate was quite high so finding something that was within our budget was difficult. After checking into a couple of other sites, we kept going back to the abandoned lot nestled at the far end of Merrywood Drive. Sensing our uncertainty, my friend Cindy the optimist said, "Look at it as a blank canvas and something to fix it up the way you want it to be." Somehow the challenge appealed to both of us and we decided to make an offer.
Our story doesn't end here without a few minor complications. Mr. Verrier had moved to Manitoba and communication with him was by writing letters through a third person, a step-son of his from his deceased wife who lived in Ontario. The process was an extremely long one that often caused us to wonder if the lot was ever going to be ours. In the meantime we had already purchased our trailer from the Armstrongs which needed to be moved from another campground before the start of the season in May. It was now getting close to the end of April. Without a lot, we were faced with the dilemma of not having a place to park our trailer. At some point we were able to finally speak to Moe directly only to find out he had to go through his step-son to negotiate his late wife's estate before he could complete the sale. Realizing we were short on time, Moe graciously gave us permission to use the lot while we worked out the details. We knew there was a risk the sale could fall through but realized we needed to park our trailer somewhere soon. I will never forget the day Wayne Dupee helped us pull out our trailer and transport it from Ranchside campground. The move was such a huge ordeal for us that we forgot to make arrangements to move the large deck that was included in the purchase. It only dawned on us the moment the trailer was being prepared for transportation and believing we had no choice, we decided to leave it behind. Thankfully Denis and Linda graciously took it upon themselves to take it apart and moved it for us.The deck we have today is built from those very planks of wood. The short trip between campgrounds was nerve wracking as we followed behind watching our trailer lean from one side to the other as it made its way along the Military Turnpike. But Wayne had it completely under control as he pulled our new baby onto our lot without a scratch. Before we knew it, the trailer was levelled, hooked up and ready for us to finally spend our first night at Stonewall Acres. The days that followed were spent cleaning up the lot while we patiently waited to hear news from Moe. We were excited to get started in the building of our addition but we didn't want to do anything permanent until all was legal. So instead, a kitchen tent served as our only outdoor space to protected us from the bugs while the wait continued. Meanwhile to our good fortune, Cindy and Donnie pitched in and helped us so much back then. I remember the hours we spent raking up pine needles that were up to our ankles and dragging branches and tons of garbage away to the dump. This does not go without mentioning a few interesting finds as well such as a makeshift wine cellar Moe had buried in the ground inside the shed and a pair of Adirondack chairs that we still have on our deck. I had so much fun with Niki and Cyn who were just as excited as I was to organize my little kitchen and cupboards. Even their dog Max would sit on the old picnic table guarding our place as though it were his own. Often our labours were followed with impromptu dinners at the Harris' or in that tiny kitchen tent. Eventually we got to meet our neighbours one Friday when Richard O'Reilly walked up to our site and told us we were welcome to Happy Hour at his place and the rest you can say, is history. Some good times and friendships have been formed from that day forward adding to my memories at Stonewall.
Well, it took over a year for the paperwork to be completed and on August 8th, 2003 we officially became Stonewall site-owners. Although we had done a huge amount of cleaning up, we never cut down one single tree or moved a structure before the sale was a done deal. I guess you can call me a 'tree hugger' and I was not in a hurry to start clearing the lot. I dreaded the thought of cutting down an eighty-year-old tree to regret it later. I really like the idea of being nestled up in the woods and I still feel it's part of the charm of our location. Making the decision as to what trees had to go was not a minor thing and is still an ongoing discussion at our place today as to which one goes or stays. The day the trees came down was an event in itself and could never have happened without those who came to our aid. With Brian Chevrier's know-how and the help of many helping hands, over twenty some odd trees fell to the ground to open up space for us to build on. That September we had our first Happy Hour that consisted of over 30 people we had come to know in just two seasons. The years that followed as we continued to build onto our little place we still say it wouldn't have happened without the support of others such as Donnie T. and son-in-law Mark, Richard O., Lenny Y., Ken N., Jim C and son, Bob D. and son, Bob M., Eddie S., Brian C and son-in-law Marc and Jack M to name just a few and please forgive me if I've left out anyone's name.
One of my favourite memories in the early years at Stonewall were the visits made by my parents a couple of times a year. I remember being so excited each visit waiting for them to arrive. The first time they came I actually met them as they drove up the road and walked alongside their car until they reached our site. I was so anxious for them to see our place and they too were excited for us. The first time my mom visited, she brought a little gift. It was a plaque with a camper's prayer that they had hung in their trailer from when they used to camp so many years before. Once we found the perfect place to hang it, she gave it a kiss for good luck before I placed it on a wall. In spite of all the renovations, the plaque still remains to this day in the same spot and reminds me of those times we used to enjoy so much. Our visits were usually quite routine with nothing special planned. My mom and I would sit and dream up new renovations jobs for Rich to do. My dad would wonder down the road in hopes of bumping into someone to chat or share a joke. We'd have a little lunch when they arrived, my dad would have a nap then after supper they'd leave because they wanted to be home before it got dark. Although their visits were brief each time, they meant so much to me because each one for us was a blessing filled with precious moments I will cherish forever.
I think out of our entire family members, Bailey was the one that expressed how much he enjoyed the trailer the most. We got him after we were here a few years but I swear he thought the trailer was actually built for him. He used to get so excited the minute he realized we where coming down that it became quite an ordeal to get us out the door. Whenever he saw me packing for the weekend he would carry one so badly that he wouldn't stop to do his business before getting into the car. You don't know how many times we had to stop and let him out on the highway because he finally calmed down and realized he needed to go. Rich and I tried talking in code so he wouldn't understand. Of course he caught on. Even the sound of the zipper on our bag would set him off. When coming home from work, Rich would wait til he was five minutes away to call. He'd ring once and I would know to take Bailey around the block and wait til the car pulled in the driveway to zip up the bags...All with the hope to avoid Bailey's frenzy. We finally realized that he was fine once he was in the car so we used to let him get in even though we weren't ready to leave for at least another twenty minutes or so. He would just sit and wait. What a goof! He always knew he was getting close when we'd make that last turn onto the Turnpike and sit up anxious for us to roll down the back window so he could hang his head out as we coasted down Merrywood Drive. I am not sure if it was the car ride or the attention he got from the border guard that he enjoyed the most but once he got here, he would find his favourite spot on the couch and sleep the entire weekend. Maybe it was because he was allowed on the furniture here or the extra treats he got from our dear friend Lenny. Who knows? He always liked to be around people and loved it whenever someone dropped by. Most of the time he usually hung out on the swing and then moved to the sofa when his old hips no longer allowed him to climb up that high. Ten years flew by before we knew it and old Bailey's walks that once pull me half way down the road eventually turned into the odd stroll around our lot. What a character that old Bailey was. He simply loved it here so much. We still miss him dearly.
Over the years with the help of friends, we gradually built onto our little get-away. We would always say as a new season approached we were not going to spend all of our time doing any more renovations. But some how life brings a surprise or two and we find ourselves doing what we seem to do the best which is creating new changes to our 'blank canvas'.
This year was our 16th season at Stonewall if you count the season before we made it official. Visits from mom and dad have long been gone and our Bailey has moved on making room for two little ones to cuddle on that couch he once claimed as his. Richard's hard work has transformed our modest get-away to be comfy and cozy barely resembling where we began. And although we say "we're done with renovations", quite often we can still be found in our favourite spot in the screen room dreaming up a new project. There have been times when we thought it was our last season here but each year brings us a reason to stay on. Like the seasons, my time at Stonewall continues to come and go, bringing changes along the way. Our Stonewall community is unique yet constantly evolving. A charm I've grown to appreciate reminding me to just go with the flow.
"When seasons shift, even the subtle beginning, the scent of a promised change, something stirs inside me. Hopefulness? Gratitude? Openness? Whatever it is, it’s welcome. (author Kristen Armstrong)
I hope my sharing has provided a chance to know me a bit better and maybe remind you of some of your memories too. Please do not hesitate to get in touch and share your story with us so maybe we can learn a little more about you. The more we get to know each other the greater the CONNECTION.
Happy Camping,
Deb
