Yesterday, upon my return home from visiting a good friend, I had several emails waiting from 'Little Ray' Muise who identified himself as a member of the Permanent Force assigned to 400/411 squadron from 1959 to 1962 at Downsview. The email mentioned that he now resided in Dartmouth, NS.
As many of you know, I reside in Halifax, NS and I so identified this to 'Little Ray' when I responded asking him to call me at his earliest convenience. He phoned shortly after receiving my email last evening and, as today was a day off for him from his position as Commissionaire at the Halifax Dockyard (about 5 mins from my residence) we met from just after lunch hour until about 16:00 at my home and had a truly memorable initial get together, with a commitment to repeat this enjoyable experience over the weekend.
As I had been up since about 04:00 I did my usual thing, had a bit to eat and went for a little hibernation. On awakening about 21:00 I had another email waiting from Ray ... this one with the subject "Your inspirations will trigger memories in others too." Following is the content of that email from my diminutive friend (Ray is a towering 5 feet tall and looking great at 73)
"Here's the first draft; tell me what you think." ... attached was the following:
Today…
I soared through hazy clouds of yesterdays
as I was flown into my 400/411 Squadron past with wild abandon
Waiting for me in the ether were reminders of friends
and happy moments long forgotten
Some are crystal clear
while others slowly rise from hazy dormancy
Memories are like long lost treasures
they need to have the years wiped away to bring back their lustre
Just like looking through an old treasure chest
old memories kept shining from behind each other
I smiled as old scenes came flooding back
The friendly faces
The songs
The drinking at Avenue Road
The Downsview tarmac
The summer camps
The aircraft
Now I know how beautiful it is to grow old…
I found a way to soar through my past with wild abandon
any time I want
and happily share my treasures with future generations
And Bill Bishop was my pilot…
Thanks Bill!
Raymond (Shorty) Muise
June 21, 2011
Well Ray, I chose to respond to your most mundificant offering through our PropWash Blog. {Mun*dif"i*cant\, a. Serving to cleanse and heal. -- n. A mundificant ointment or plaster.}
Here's what I think my friend:
1) First efforts are usually the best ... don't change a thing
2) As the tears of joy clear my vision, I realize how lucky I am to have you as a friend.
3) This is proof positive that good things certainly DO come in small packages.
In closing I wish to share with my 400 Squadron comrades that Ray will be taking an active part in our efforts to preserve our Squadron's history through our Web presences .... the above is just a sample of the many, many talents our Comrade Ray Muise has to share. I for one, look forward to the future unfolding ...as it should.
See Ray's page, with lots of his songs, on our History Hangar Site
See Ray's page, with lots of his songs, on our History Hangar Site
