September 25, 2008. Western Head, N.S. Canoe.

It is the most beautiful canoe we have ever seen. Today it was delivered to the cottage by Dan, the man who made it. Now it resides in our boat house, awaiting our return next summer. Today we closed the cottage for the season and brought all the supplies back home. The plumber will soon come and blow out the water lines and winterize the cottage, making it safe for the freezing winter weather. Now Dan makes a few canoes a year, and only to people he likes and appreciates his canoes. From now on, he will make one or two a year, so we are some of the lucky owners of a hand made canoe, made by Dan. Once he told us that a canoe was totally sacred. I was not sure what he meant by that, but I know that he is a wonderful craftsman and that his canoes are beautiful. He even weaves the seats himself. Every seat has a back too. He says that his canoes just knife through the water very quickly, but we will have to wait until next year to try it out. Ken suggests that the canoe is such a work of art that perhaps we will just look at it and not ever put it in the water, but I don't think so. We will use it and enjoy it. Now we just need Kate to name the canoe, then we will be ready for next season.

In addition to closing up the cottage, we are starting to organize to leave on Monday. The weather has been perfect, but a storm is out at sea. The waves are high and the wind is strong, so I believe we are due for some weather. Last evening I had an interesting conversation with Ross. I was asking him whether they go south during the winter, as almost everyone who is retired heads south for at least part of the winter season. His response was unusual. He told me that they do not like to travel at all, and especially hate to travel in the winter. I was so surprised with his comments that I was unable to ask any follow up questions. It is such a different response to my attitude to travel. We will return here in the winter, but I don't know when, because Ken is organizing our schedule and he has only gotten as far as January. Soon we will know I am sure and I plan on putting our schedule on my little web log. But not yet!!