| Chores were a regular part of life at Rainbow
Lodge. Cooking, cleaning, chopping wood, cutting ice, and tending to the
animals were just a few of the daily responsibilities that needed to be
done to ensure that everyone at the lodge remained content and comfortable.
Alex, Myrtle, her
father Sewell, nephew David
Esworthy, and Sam
the cook, were just a few of the people who worked at the lodge. For
many at Rainbow Lodge, the working day never ended. |
 |
| Throughout the years at the lodge, Myrtle could be
found not only working in the kitchen, but also lending a hand with many
other chores around Rainbow Lodge such as tending to the horses and doing
repairs on the buildings. Perhaps all this activity was the reason why she
found it so impractical to wear a dress or an apron, as was the norm for
women at the time. Myrtle had to always be ready to run and fetch the milk
from the Barnfield's as they rowed by the dock with their delivery, or to
jump out of bed in the early morning to meet the train as it dropped off
the mail. |
| Before electricity was available Alta Lake, the ice
harvest was an important annual event at Rainbow Lodge. During February,
when the ice on the lake was at its thickest, Alex and Sewell would cut
out large blocks of ice with a saw. They loaded
the blocks onto a sled and dragged them to the lodge to be stored in
the icehouse. The blocks were placed tightly together on shelves and sawdust
was packed in between for insulation. Meat and other perishable foods were
stored on top of the blocks during the warmer seasons and most years, the
ice lasted well into August. For the remainder of the warmer months, they
used a propane refrigeration device until the temperatures cooled off again. |
| The woodcutting
was done before the winter snow arrived. Because there was no electricity
at Alta Lake, the only means of generating heat was with the large fireplace
in the main lodge and small woodstoves in each of the cabins. Needless to
say, a lot of wood was used during the winter season at Rainbow Lodge and
chopping it all was no small task! |
|
|
| Shovelling snow was a daily chore during the winter
months. As there were no snow blowers or snowmobiles to pack down the paths,
the
trails from the lodge to the cabins, general store, and the outhouses
had to be shoveled by hand after every snowfall. The snow
on the roofs of the buildings also had to be shoveled on a regular basis
so that they would not collapse. Likewise, in the summer the lawn had to
be mowed, the gardens tended, and the boats, tennis courts, and other equipment
maintained. Caring for the all the animals, including the horses, cows and
dogs was also an ongoing task. Although there was always a lot of physically
demanding work to be done at Rainbow Lodge, the rural lifestyle, fresh mountain
air and pleasures of living in the wilderness always attracted many people
to Alta Lake. |
"Dresses weren't practical because I used to
have to go and do outside work, cut wood or harness a horse or something,
and you can't do that in skirts. You couldn't buy slacks - not like we know
them today - so I made my own riding breeks. Later on I got jeans and a
cowboy hat."
(The Province, Nov. 4, 1971) |
 |
|
|
| |
