When my husband Ralph and I were married, we talked of wonderful things we might experinence during our life time together. Needless to say, family was very important to us both at that time.  A year later we became proud parents, of a baby boy,called Kevin. When he was about five months old, Ralph asked if I would be interested in going out to Sable Island perhaps for a year. I thought about it and said, is that where all the wild ponies are, and I believe to this day he thought my answer would be a flat No but I was prepared to go started packing. I guess when you don't know what is actually awaiting you there, you go with blinders on.

I''ll never forget the view as we came near the Island. You could see all the sand dunes and the ponies were running so free in the winds. We didn't have a big limo to pick us up on the beach there. It was a tractor and trailer, but that didn't fizz me one bit. I was looking for adventure. As we drove up from the beach we passed by the main station where the chief of the Island lived with his wife. And across the way was the house that the other staff lived in near the weather station. Just up abit there stood our white bungalow trimmed in blue. I will never forget the first look the floors were covered with what else, SAND. After a few days there I realized it was useless to try to keep it cleaned up.

Thank goodness our baby was so good I then needed time just to unpack and get his room ready. The people there were so great, only about 10 all together.What a small world after all? I thought, would we get bored.Next day as I looked out side, my NEW neighbours  were awaiting for me. You guessed it the ponies were there already. We brought our new little puppy with us, what a great place to have a dog---oh- the freedom!!!!But you know the ponies made her take her place many a time over. Any time I baked and it didn't turn out so good I would feed it to the ponies, but there was always some one there to intervene-the dog would dart out and snatch it before they could get it and JUST bury it in the sand, what a scamp.

I went out one day just to hunt along the beach and found these floats so Ralph made me a buggy I could pull on the sand so Kevin could get out more often, can you imagine me pushing a carriage in the sand, no dice. Christmas was very different that year but I thought it's only once in a life time and we made out just fine.Decorations, were a bird mobile from the baby’s crib, and one set of lights I found in the house. Not bad I thought.

At night as you lay in bed you could hear the roar of the ocean and it sounded like a freight train going by, ONLY it never passed. The Spring was the best time out there the little ponies were being born and they looked so cute on their wobbly legs. There are no trees, only certain birds would make a nest in the dunes so you were  always looking out for them. We would take a picnic at the beach. The dog would go swimming with the seals, they never seem to mind her there. We often saw herds of them sun-bathing on the beach.

I came off the Island with the Shell Oil crew as they were drilling off shore, which was much appreciated, so the family could get to see their grandson, who by now was one year old. There are times yet when I think about the Island and wonder how much has changed over the years. We have met many lovely people coming and going from the Island, during our stay from September 1969 to October 1970.

If there was a chance to go back again for a period of two weeks I would be first in line.

It's something I will treasure for the rest of my life.