With the Kingston Road being so close and busy, somebody had to watch Jim once he started to walk. That was my job some of the time.

When Jim started to Public School at S. S. #9 in Scarborough Village, I was already out, but my cousin, Frank, had one year left. So Jim did have someone to walk to school with for a year. After that he was probably more on his own, although Victor and Florence Brittnel, who lived in Stan Chester's house, went to school for a while. (While the Britnells lived in his house, Stan, my Dad's first cousin, lived in a tent out by his barn. This was during the Depression.) Victor and Florence went to #9 for a while but left because Mrs. Brittnell didn't think the school was good enough for them. Joyce Thomson taught at #9 and was Jim's teacher. He quite often called her Joyce instead of Miss Thomson.

After the War, Jack Neilson's farm on the west side of McCowan Road was sold to the Department of Veterans' Affairs for the Veterans' Land Act, and Gordon Vale subdivision was started. Jim at this time was looking after the chickens - so he had an egg route through the subdivision. I think he bought a Durant car to deliver eggs with but I don't think it lasted too long.

When Mom and Dad went lawn bowling, Jim had to go too when there was no one around at home to watch him. He met Doug Randell, who went for the same reason. They eventually started bowling and finally, in the late 40's or early 50's they won the Ontario Junior Doubles Championship. In the winter time he did a lot of ice skating at Little Switzerland on Markham Road.