Wayne Major shared a story about Raymond Desjardins

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In Memory of

Raymond
Desjardins

1938 - 2015

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Guenette Funeral Home
108 Byng Avenue
Kapuskasing, Ontario
CANADA
P5N 1X2

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Beurre d'arrachide

To got to know Ray largely thanks to the friendship Barbara and I developed with Gilles and Johanne Desjardins. This lead to numerous social encounters, but two in particular; the Gourmet Club (also shared with Rhéa) and the annual Desjardins fishing trips on the Opasatika Chain of Lakes.

Accommodations, considering we would typically be 13 or more, were tight and anyone too young to provide a credible argument of a bad back, was relegated to a spot on the floor, or a tent outside. I was old enough to qualify for an indoor bunk, but always in the same room assigned to brothers Ray, Guy and Gilles. That threesome could out-snore, out-snort and out-do anything brave enough to approach their sleeping quarters. To this day I insist that the reason why I learned to drink was so I could fall asleep in the midst of that bedlam.

But back to my story, Ray had one job that everyone knew was his, deep-frying those delicious morsels of pickerel using a dry batter that I believe he personally perfected thanks to years of fishing and camping accompanied by his trusted sidekick, son Maurice.

Enveloped in his mosquito net, Ray spent many an evening cooking up our day's catch. But he always cooked more than we could eat in one sitting and I found out why early one morning when I came upon him at the camp table cold fish in one hand and a healthy helping of peanut butter ready to be spread in the other.

He loved the taste. And although fish and nuts are far from an uncommon combination, that I recall no one else in the camp ever dared try it. I have mentioned this to many people since then and no one else has had the nerve to give it a try either.

Now that he is gone, Ray may be the only man to walk the face of this earth knowing the goodness of cold fish and peanut butter.

I will miss him.

Posted by Wayne Major

Friday January 16, 2015 at 11:18 am