July 31, 2009. Bethesda, Md. Realtors.

The public perception of a real estate agent does not involve the activities carried out by agents this week. Before I became an agent in 1978, I expected to be showing houses and writing offers or negotiating home inspections. I certainly did not expect to ever engage in the actions I was described this week. One day when I was previewing houses prior to showing homes to my client, I asked a friend to accompany me, just to keep me company. It is easier and quicker to have two people when previewing houses, so it was self serving on my part to have her come with me, but I bribed her by promising lunch when we had completed the task of seeing thirty homes. At the end of the morning, she was exhausted, and commented that she had no idea agents worked so hard. She always saw me in action writing contracts or negotiating. She and her husband had purchased three homes from me and she became a friend.

But this week was unusual for the agents. One agent, Susan crawled into a crawl space and pulled out old carpets that had been laid down over the dirt. The Seller was 85 years old and had already moved to a retirement house. Settlement was today, and at the pre-settlement walk-thru on Thursday, the Buyer asked for the rug to be removed from the crawl space, even though the home inspector said nothing about it. It is impossible to hire anyone on so short a notice, so last night, Susan and her husband went over and pulled out the old rug, the husband pulling and the agent crawling around loosening the rugs, which have been down for thirty years or more. Once when Susan was well into the building, she called out to her husband and asked whether he thought there may be snakes in the crawl space. He assured her that there no snakes in Bethesda!!.

Another agent, Suzanne, went into her listing two days prior to settlement to discover that many objects had been left in the house. Now the house by contract is required to be broom clean and free of trash and debris. The Seller in her wisdom, thought the buyer would want the stuff she was leaving, but in reality, the buyer wanted the home empty of all the old stuff. This morning, three hours prior to settlement, Suzanne and a friend removed all the stuff and placed it at the curb, where the large pile will be picked up on Tuesday. Some tasks just need to be done and often gets done by the agent, even though it is certainly not in any job description. It does make life interesting.

July 30, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Camping.

Ken and I camped all over North America, driving in an un airconditioned 1952 volkswagen bug and staying in a tent that Ken had used for years. Every summer Ken would pitch his tent up behind the house on top of the hill where he slept every night until the frost arrived, which in Parry Sound comes much earlier than here in Washington. His tent was of the wall type, with one center pole holding the tent up, and metal poles keeping the top of the tent stretched out. The location behind the house, way up at the top of the hill, was never level, so over time, the metal poles refused to join together, so by the time I came along, the tent hung dejectedly from the center pole and kind of draped down to the ground, pegged outside the ground cover. The tent was old, so had no sewn-in ground cover. The tent worked well for us, but we certainly were not trendy campers. The tent was the only piece of camping equipment we owned. No sleeping bags, no air mattresses, no camp stove, no cooler. Just one dish pan and two sets of cutlery and two plastic cups and plates. Clothes we kept in the back seat in cardboard boxes. We thought that we were in hog heaven, travelling all over the country in our little bug and not spending much money.

We made several rules during this time of travel, some of which have stayed with us all through the years. Rule number one was that we never paid for a fee for admission. Even if I had read all about the building or the museum or the tourist spot, we refused to go in if there was any charge. We would just look at the spot from outside and then tell ourselves that we would come back later when we had more money. It was a good rule. Many times recently we have paid our money and gone inside only to discover that this place is over-rated and boring, so we have left fairly quickly. We have a hard time overcoming this prohibition against paying admission. In Toronto last weekend, the Royal Ontario Museum was charging twenty-five dollars admission. We of course, did not enter the Museum. Way too expensive for us. These camping experiences taught us a lot, mostly how to survive with limited resources. And when our funds increased, we knew how much we appreciated that extra cash. The most important thing about our journeys is that we saw many parts of the country that we still picture in our mind's eye but never have been able to see again. It was worth every mile.

July 29, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. The Lunch Tree.

The tree was right in the middle of our field. When surrounded by all the grasses in this huge field, the tree all by itself looked ridiculous. Ken and I walked over to see the tree and decided it was a shag bark hickory tree in very good condition, but we were still puzzled by it's location right in the center of the field at the farm. Once we noticed it, we found that most fields had a tree situated right in the center of the big field. It seemed to be that the tree was a nuisance with the machines always going around the tree. It made no sense to me.

That evening while sitting around chatting with Denver Barnes over at the Jay's farm, I asked Denver why on earth that tree was right in the middle of our fields. He looked at me strangely, I'm sure wondering why this city girl was so stupid. But he gave me the answer to the mystery. In the olden times, when the folks were clearing the forest to allow the planting of the crops, a large tree was always left in the middle of the field, so the horse and the farmer could rest for lunch in the shade of the big tree. It was called The Lunch Tree and is still left in every field, even though the horse no longer works in the field. But very often, at noon time, you will find the farmer having his lunch, right under the Lunch Tree. The only difference is that the tractor is by his side, also in the shade.

Now, every time I look at a large field, I look for The Lunch Tree. I don't know what we will do when the old trees die.

July 28, 2009. Bethesda, Md. Toronto Revisited.

Toronto always seems to be a much bigger city than Washington. When we visit Toronto we feel a little like being in New York City. Every where in the city you see very tall buildings, even on the ride from the airport to the hotel. We lived in downtown Toronto from 1958 to 1964, but I can tell you that the place has changed in every direction, but mostly up. Huge buildings have been build in our absence and more huge buildings are under construction right now. Toronto has only one way to grow as Toronto is situated on Lake Ontario, so the growth must be either higher or further north to accommodate the larger population. It seems that most people prefer to live in cities, so Toronto is growing. My first impression this past weekend of Toronto was the density of the buildings and the people. People were everywhere. Even the sidewalks are crowded.

The second impression of Toronto is the abundance of restaurants and bars. Within a two block walk of our hotel we came upon at least fifty restaurants, two of which we enjoyed lunch. And we also walked by several grocery stores. With so many people living in condominiums in the city, the need for grocery stores increased and there they are, just waiting for the people to shop. It seems a mix of rentals and office buildings and condos in these high raise buildings. I just wondered who will buy all these new condos, now under construction. It feels a bit like Madrid, where the people live and work in buildings a few blocks apart. The good folks of Spain routinely meet after work for a drink before walking home, and I expect the same is true of Toronto. I just don't know if the rush of people were natives or tourists. For the past several years, we have spent most of our time in very sparsely populated locations and I guess we prefer the country life. But we enjoyed our visit to Toronto, but before we return we will check to be sure the trash men are no longer on strike.

July 27, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Weddings.

I have never been to a wedding that wasn't lovely and the Wu wedding in Toronto was one of the best. Heather and David chose to be married in Toronto, and as Heather's family live near Altoona, Pa., Heather and David were in charge of all the arrangements. And to add another complication, they both moved to Seattle last year, so the organization was all done long distance. Everything went off beautifully, thanks to all the prior organization. My hat is off to Heather and David who made all the arrangements along with the parents on both sides. One complicating factor was Heather's parents, who twenty years ago had a bitter divorce, and even now are not on good terms. But both parent has remarried to nice people, who were gracious and pleasant over the weekend, but neither parent spoke at any event. Now I want to find out what happened for them to divorce, and to keep the bitterness all these years. I am merely nosy.

One very nice aspect of the location for the choice for the wedding was the presence of the big book, kept by Massey College, with signatures of every person married in the College. Heather and David and their attendants signed the big book on Saturday after the ceremony, in the presence of the 120 guests. In 1969, Gill and Alan signed the big book too so we were able to see the Gillian Edwards and Alan Wu signatures, all in the same book. It was chilling. It has become the custom during weddings, to invite out of town guests to multiple events, so during the course of the weekend you see the same people many times, over many hours, so by the end of the weekend, we were fast friends with some good folks. The amazing part is also true, that even at the brunch held by Gill on Sunday morning, I was introducing myself to new people for the first time. But the best part is always all the young people, the friends of the bride and groom, most by then married with one or two with their children. They were wonderful young people, energetic, accomplished, elegant. The weekend was a great success and Gill was thrilled, but the most important people were the bride and groom, who seemed to enjoy the whole thing.

Of course, Tim arrived at the ceremony to discover he had forgotten the rings, and Jim arrived twenty minutes before the service in his shorts and T shirt. He did not have his key to the family hotel room so a few cab rides later he was presentable. All the friends and families were supportive of the bride and groom with the future lives. I always wonder though, what happens with the vows exchanged as time goes on? Were folks just kidding when they spoke those words or did they have their fingers crossed? Weddings are wonderful and we just had a weekend of festive events.

July 26, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Toronto.

It was Toronto at it's worst. Trash was piled everywhere. There was trash at every corner and in every park. The streets were littered with debris. The city looked awful. The garbage collectors were on strike which they seem to feel is acceptable behaviour. Why don't the aldermen and mayor go around and collect all the trash? It certainly would look a lot better than it looks now. Actually, the city is going crazy with construction. Tall buildings are going up all over town, some office buildings, some condos, all in the high rent districts. The density is greater than anything we live with in the DC area. People are everywhere, wandering, shopping, talking, standing looking around. We stayed at the Inter-Continental Hotel, an old hotel that was fully restored, but the reason we chose that hotel was very simple. It was the closest hotel to Massey College, where the wedding and reception were being held, so the we three families stayed there and it worked perfectly. Once again, Ken made a good choice.

Most decisions are based on facts, and some decisions are based on emotion. I did not write my small web log on Friday and Saturday for no good reason other than irritation. For the past two years, we have stayed in several different motels and hotels and have always either plugged into the Internet free of charge or used the business counter, available to guests, again with no additional charge. After we arrived in this fancy city hotel, I called to asked for the location of the business room as Ken had checked ahead to be sure it existed and they graciously told me it's location. When I started in to work, I discover that absence a credit card, the computer would not work. I walked next door to their business office to raise my objections, but to no avail. I could use the computer if I swipeed my credit card and payed $20. for five minutes on the computer. So on principal, and because I am cheap, my blog was not written this weekend. These old hotels are so out dated. For fifty dollars we stayed in The Swiss Inn, with wireless connection in the room. I was really irritated. I wonder when they will realize that Internet connection today is just part of the package. Until they figure it out, we will stay at another hotel.

July 23, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Weddings.

Tomorrow we fly to Toronto, the city of my birth, to celebrate the wedding of David Wu. Heather, the bride, is a graduate student at Massey College. We met her last summer at our celebration in Nova Scotia. David was the energetic young man dancing up a storm with the little girls, who loved the fact that he was happy to dance with five or six of them at the same time. David is the last of the picnic group kids to marry, so we are going to be there en mass, to celebrate their wedding. Several aspects of this wedding are lovely. The wedding is being held in Massey College, the same place where Alan and Gill married years ago. Alan was a fellow of Massey College back them, as is Heather now. Robertson Davies officiated at the wedding of Alan and Gill, in his position as the Master Emeritus. If you have not read anything written by Robertson Davies now would be the time to begin.

Then Friday evening, the rehearsal dinner is being held at a Chinese restaurant, a tip of the hat to Alan's heritage. Alan was born and raised in Taiwan, educated too up to his Medical Degree, but then completed his PhD. in Canada. We met Alan and Gill in Bethesda, when he was a working at NIH as a research scientist . Then the family moved back to Toronto where Alan was a full Professor and research scientist at the University of Toronto, until his death in 1981 from a brain tumor. Gill raised the boys on her own, so we are going to gather together and cheer for David and Heather's future together. As David Wu was named after my son David, Ken and I feel part of the responsibility of friendship and joy. Now we will enjoy downtown Toronto, where we will be able to walk to all the events. But I bet we will realize why we moved from Toronto in 1964!!

The Sun Also Rises on a foggy AM

Lunch Tree, Hay & Barn Swallow Chicks

July 22, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Buzzards.

I watched them for almost an hour, admiring their flying ability. Now I know that all birds can fly and we poor humans marvel at their prowess, but buzzards are a breed apart, in their ability to maneuver through the air. I was at the farm, sitting on the deck in a lounge chair overlooking the field, drinking my wine and minding my own business when a buzzard flew right by me about six feet in front of me and landed in a nearby tree. The buzzard was all black, sitting on a branch. The first thing I noticed was the camouflage. I saw him land, so I knew where he was sitting so I could spot him, but unless he moved his head, he was invisible to my eye. He sat on the branch turning his head to and fro across the field, then he flew down to the ground and walked around a small circle. I watched to see what he would do. I felt sure he had spotted some dead animal and would proceed to eat his dinner. All he did was stand there on the field, about five feet in front of my chair.

And then it happened. He spread his wings and flapped them twice while jumping in the air. Once air born, he flapped his wings three more times and began to circle, just gliding in circles but never using his wings other than tilt the angle of the wings. While I watched in wonder. Every circle was higher than the one before and every circle was larger than the one before. Soon he was joined by another buzzard who also soared around the sky, up so high I could almost not see them. It was an amazing display of their ability to fly and the best part was that I had a front row seat.

July 21, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Playing Hooky.

I do not know why, but some times I feel like I'm playing hooky. Not that I skipped school all that often, but when I did, man, you really felt like you were getting away with murder. The reason I seldom skipped school had to do with all the practices I needed to attend after school. Every day in every sports season I just had to attend the practice, and if you were too sick to go to school that week or attend practice, you could not play in the game. So mostly I went to school. But not always, so I still recall the thrill of playing hooky, the feeling of getting away from something. Going to the movies in the afternoon gives me the same feeling of stealing away from my proper task of the day. Work is what I do all day, so when we organize a movie date at work it feels very sinful to go off to the movies.

Taking a hot tub in the daylight comes in the same category. We never wear a bathing suit in the hot tub, at least when we are alone together and the hot tubs are in private areas, but it always seems somewhat risque when we hot tub in the day time. Sunday afternoon at the farm just before coming home we always have a hot tub. No one ever comes to visit us at that time, so it is safe. Also the driveway is long so we can always jump out and get into the house before any one arrives at the door. Only once have we been caught in the twelve years we have owned it. Carol and Ken, my sister and brother-in-law arrived early at the farm, while we were still in the hot tub, so I called over to them to take their cases into the farm house while we got out. They ignored us and came over to chat about their journey and never even noticed that we were naked. When they went into the house, we got out into our robes.

The best daytime hot tubbing is at sundown in Nova Scotia. Watching the sun set while listening to the sea is glorious. But you never really get over the feeling of doing something dangerous. Just like playing hooky.

July 20, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Decisions.

We have discussed the questions for a long time but never quite felt able to come up with the answer that seemed acceptable to both of us. Of course, there was no urgency for the issue to be resolved but the topic was always on my mind. I like to plan ahead and what I was worrying about was the question of where we were going to live after I cease working. If I have no economic base here in Bethesda, we have no reason to stay here in our apartment, where the place is lovely in it's own right, but where the air in the area is foul and the traffic horrible. Nothing seemed quite right. Should we move to Texas and move into the Lake House of the Ranch or should we buy a little place in a smaller town in Texas? Or perhaps we should sell all our belongings here and move into our new little condo in Mississippi? It was not pleasing to me to make any options permanent, so we made no decisions.

This weekend at the farm we made the correct decision to move to the Farm. We will turn the basement at the hill house into a combined TV room and study/office and spread around other furniture and clothing. Between both houses we surely can fit in a lot of our nicer pieces and get rid of the old stuff we scratched together from auctions and used furniture stores. It is a perfect solution. Now we are both happy with the decision and will begin to sort through our stuff and take some things to Mississippi the next time down. Now this will not happen anytime soon, but now that we have a plan, we can begin the process of sorting through all the stuff. In retrospect, this decision seems to be obvious, but it wasn't until a friend at work asked me if we vacation at the farm to think about the question of why we only go to the farm for the weekend. We have never done anything else. I began to wonder why we never stay there for longer periods of time, which led us both to wonder about moving there, when I stopped working. It is a perfect solution.

July 19, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Rolls of Hay.

Our fields are wonderful, dotted with big round bales of hay. We both laughed out loud, when we arrived at the hill house to find the hay mowed and baled and left to dry in the sun. Almost two inches of rain fell recently so the fields are green too so it is quite a sight. After admiring the hay, the next thing we spotted were three baby fauns, laying in the grass just in front of the house. They were very little and they had lots of spots, so we assume they had recently been born. They were very cute. We finally stopped waiting for the Mother to appear. Then we counted swallows by the hundreds. No red winged blackbirds this time, but swallows everywhere, zooming around after food. I believe they are all barn swallows. For the past few years the number of swallows nesting in the barn has decreased and I could not figure out why. But not this year. Barn Swallows are everywhere. Ken took a picture of a nest full of babies, which did not please the parents at all. Much chattering and diving close to Ken's head.

This morning we went for breakfast at a new restaurant in Clearville, "Mike's Place". Mike is the son of Barbara who runs the 'Road Kill Cafe". Mike is in his forties and has been a main stay with Barbara but he wanted his own place to run, so he asked Barbara to let him buy her out. She said no, so Mike has opened his own restaurant and store in Clearville. We had been by to say hello and to wish him well, but today was the first time we dined. The food was good but we brought half home for tomorrow. They serve too much food. Maria, his wife, is working too. We both wish them well. We are short of restaurants in Artemas.

July 17, 2009. Bethesda, Md. Home Again.

We know the drill. After two and a half weeks away in Nova Scotia, we know to go to the grocery store for milk and fruit and attend to the mail. I immediately empty my bags and put everything away, while Ken leaves things sitting around until he needs whatever in his bag. The younger generation does the same thing. Days after a return from a trip, I find cases still not even opened. I wonder what makes the difference? We returned with Ken still with the bad cough but better than when we left here. We are hoping that the warmth of August along with the clean, moist air back in Nova Scotia will clear up his nasty cough. Now the problem is that he has had a cough all his life, but this cough is different and nasty so we hope for the best in August. When Ken was an intern, following major surgery, his surgeon advised him to move to a warm climate, so we moved to Texas and lived there for six years. His health was better in a warm moist climate, but it was a long way from home, so we moved to Washington/Bethesda in 1970 and have lived here ever since. The polluted air is difficult for him but we are at the farm every weekend and of course, we spend time in other remote places where the air is not as dirty. Our yard in Nova Scotia looks a lot better, so I guess he feels better too.

The heart surgery seems to have tampered with his lungs and he actually had an appointment with a pulmonary physician in June, for the first time in 45 years. He has a follow-up appointment next week, so we will see what is to be done or not done. It is my guess that nothing can be done but he will need to keep doing whatever he can do to keep himself going. He certainly lacks the energy of the past and he does not understand his shortness of breath and he is clearly not happy with this terrible cough. Now we are home and he is catching up with the accounts and medical appointments. Our apartment always looks welcoming with the family pictures on the walls and the books at hand. It is always difficult to figure out the future.

July 16, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Dinner Party.

The weather was lovely, so we drank wine outside on the deck prior to dinner. Cliff spotted a whale spout while out sailing that afternoon, so Gill watched and watched to no avail, but as last evening was the first time we were able to have the cocktail hour outside, everyone was in a festive mood. Connie and Ross were there, the first time we had seen them this season. He is a retired Doctor from Fredericton while Connie was a nurse. Seven years ago, Connie started to learn to play the fiddle and Ross to learn the bagpipes. It is amazing to hear their progress. Ross plays in three pipe bands and gives many solo performances. Last night he told me that in the course of one year he plays in at least fifteen parades while he has just completed his stint at the Halifax Tattoo. His bagpipe has become his life. Connie always wanted to play the fiddle, even thought she already played the piano, so now she does. She practices every day, and plays in a group from Bridewater, also takes a lesson once a week. A lot of music takes place in Nova Scotia so Connie and Ross fit right in. This past winter Connie was diagnosed with Melanoma, but she is clear now, after surgery and radiation.

Loretta and Butch came for dinner too, the first time they have come to our home. Loretta plays in the Liverpool Strummers and Butch plays along with his harmonica. I met them last August when the ukulele group played at our fiftieth. Tuesday at the band concert I talked to them again so invited them to dinner. They are both from Newfoundland, born, raised and educated and moved to Liverpool in 1978 when transferred by the Bank of Montreal as the Manager. Their three boys loved it in Liverpool and when the bank wanted them to move again to a bigger city, the whole family decided to stay in Liverpool. He and two of the boys own an Insurance Brokerage in Liverpool while all three boys live within a five minute walk of each other. They are younger than us, probably in their early sixties and are both delightful people. Certainly very different than us. Butch was very clear to me, that when his boys were growing up, he worked long hours, so missed a lot of the growing up, so with the grandchildren, he wants to be a vital part of their lives. They are very nice people and we enjoyed their company.

Then of course, Gill was there, along with Mary and Cliff and Walt and Mary, so our evening was lively. Mary McD is an amazing help when she is a guest in your home. By the time everyone left just after ten o'clock, pretty much everything was done and cleaned up. All Ken and I had to do was return the table and chairs and start the dish washer, before heading to the Hot Tub. It was a lovely evening, enjoyed by all. And the best part was that we used the last of the food from last August. All the freezers are almost empty.

July 15, 2009. Western Head, N.S. Socks.

The good ladies of Liverpool knit the most wonderful socks. Fortunately, they sell these socks at craft fairs and at Memory Lane. Why they sell them at Melody Lane I do not know, because Memory Lane is a photography and framing and computer store, but I only know that I am grateful. These socks are part of my survival kit in Nova Scotia.

These socks are made of a blend of wool and nylon so they are warn but wash without shrinking. They tell me that the socks are 90% wool which why they are warm. But these socks are quite thin so they can be worn in a regular shoe. Before I discovered these wonderful socks I was almost always cool, even in July, but since I own twelve pair of these colored wool socks, I am never cold. These socks come in many different patterns and colors. In addition, I even have three pair of black socks in this wool, so I wear them even going out when I am dressed up. I am sure that I look peculiar, because everyone else is wearing sandals and shorts while I wear long pants and wool socks. Some time in August, when the weather is very warm and the temperature reaches seventy five degrees, I leave off my socks and wear my teva's, but for the moment, to survive and thrive in Nova Scotia, I need these wonderful colored wool socks. This morning, when I got dressed, the sun was shining, so I decided that I no longer needed to wear my socks. That was a mistake. I wore my sandals all day and have been chilly the whole time, so now at five o'clock, as I am organizing dinner for tonight, I will return to my old ways and wear these wonderful wool socks. Only then am I totally comfortable.

July 13, 2009. Western Head, N.S. Fish and Chips.

The fish is always fresh, right off the boats every day, and the batter is light, so once every visit, we eat fish and chips in Liverpool. Tonight was the night, as we are having dinner guests tomorrow night, and Thursday we leave for home.. Gill joined us, and we drove to Port Mouton to dine at the Seascape restaurant on Highway 103. It is a little house right on the highway, across the road from the shore , in the same location for the three generations of the same family to run a little restaurant. They are open all year. Half the house is a store with an official NS LC liquor store, which leaves about seven tables for diners. We almost always eat our fish and chips there, but you must arrive early to get a seat.

Tonight we got lucky. Gill and Ken ate scallops, but I stayed with the traditional fish and chips, which I don't really like all that much. Perhaps that was the fish and chips for the whole summer. We drove home along the shore and noticed the Quarterdeck was packed with people, which is a good sign for the tourist industry here in Nova Scotia. Then at Gill's home, while we watched the sea and ate our ice cream desert, a big blue hereon flew right along the shore. A pair of herons live at Victoria Lake, so we see them often. Such large beautiful birds. Now, yet another tradition with life in Nova Scotia.

July 13, 2009. Western Head, N.S. Company Habits.

It is our custom to entertain each other's company. For instance, Gill has friends staying with her who live in Winnipeg, Doreen, Joel and three children. She invited us all to dinner at her home to meet her friends. One of the benefits of living here is you get to meet interesting and charming people. Saturday evening was the date. These folks met Gill in Cambridge when both Joel and Gill were on Sabbatical from University and where both Doreen and Gill rowed with the women;s rowing team. Gill and Doreen were fast friends in Cambridge. Joes kept his distance from Gill, perhaps because she is at the end of a long and storied career and he is just getting his research career up and running. I enjoyed all five of these visitors. The children are polite but energetic and full of vim and vinegar. Right after dinner, the three disappeared into the basement to play, in fact, the nine year old boy announced that he wanted to take the whole basement home along with the contents. The children are 13, 11 and 9, are all athletic and musical as are the parents. They would have loved to have been there at the same time as our girls.

The year in England was a wonderful experience for everyone. At home in Winnipeg, Doreen, the Mother, said the children have their own friends, but in England, they hung out together, the three of them, and played beautifully. The parents were pleased that there has been a spin off now they are home for a year. All family members run so of course they are thin. I invited them to Texas so I hope they will come. They have never been to Texas but perhaps they will not because Joel mentioned a book to Gill, called Pray, Live and Eat, and suggested to me that perhaps I might like it. My immediate response was to say "It is way too touchy feely for me". He just walked away. Evidently he meditates every day and once a year attends a seminar for a week on meditation. No wonder he stayed clear of Gill. I think I have the book wrong anyway.

This habit of ours is good for everyone. I especially enjoyed meeting the kids. Great kids.

More Shore

Back to the future - wood traps (& Wood Chips)

Along the shore

July 11, 2009. Western Head, N.S. Shore Drive.

It is a favorite drive for me, the drive along the shore from Liverpool to Bridgewater. This morning, for the third day in a row, the day was glorious, so Ken and I decided to drive along the shore to see what had changed since last year. We drive through Beach Meadows and Port Medway, Eagle Head, Voglers Cove, Broad Cove, Cherry Hill, Petite Reverie and finally Brigewater. It is a lovely drive. Sometimes we take the ferry across the river and then on to Lunenburg, but today our plan was to be home by early afternoon, as Ken had more gardening to be done. Actually, he worked all day yesterday so I felt that he needed a break from working, so this morning we planned a trip.

One of the best parts of the drive is stopping to chat with people we know. Brian and Cathy have just built themselves a new home in Eagle Harbor, and they asked us to stop by to see their home, so we did. Brian built the Ely's house and is an excellent builder so we wanted to see what they have done. It is beautiful, much smaller than their last home, but very lovely. The best part was that Cathy has lost about thirty pounds and is exercising regularly, so she looks spectacular. Next stop was lunch at Broad Cove. Three years ago two ladies opened a lunch spot and we were delighted to know they are still in business. They open from Memorial day to Columbus Day and are open for lunch only except for Pasta Night on Tuesday and A Three Course Dinner Night on Friday. You just eat what-ever they cook that day. They are doing well and were delighted to see us back this year. The Joy of Antiques has been in business since before we moved here. Tom and Don restore old furniture and are open about six months of the year. We have purchased many pieces from them and we know them well. Of course, we bought a painting, also some day lilies. Don is a world renowned day lily expert so Ken wanted some of his lilies for the garden here.

One of the pleasures of the drive is the obvious pride the good folks show in their homes. The homes are beautifully maintained and the properties ablaze with flowers. Of course, with the sun shining and the water sparkling, everything looks gorgeous. Even the clothes drying on the clothes lines looks charming. It's worth the drive.

July 10, 2009. Western Head, N.S. Grandchildren.

Last evening I spoke with both Samantha and Allison on the telephone. They were at the lake, after spending the day at The Children's Museum in San Antonio. They were excited and chattered away about their summer and their activities. Right now they are enjoying being the only children at home, as Sarah and Abigail are at sleep-away camp. One of the charms of being a grandmother is that I can join in with their enthusiasms but do not need to either organize the activities nor worry about their response. Suzanne must set the plan in motion, then monitor to be sure this event is valuable for the child. I just talk and encourage and complement. And their enthusiasm is contagious. Those two little girls are very energetic and enthusiastic about everything they do. Their whole life is exciting. And of course it is, because almost everything is new to them. Two new tubes were purchased this year, and Allison told me how much better the new tube is over the old one. I did not say anything, but I wondered why a new tube could really be better than the old one, but she was clearly thrilled with the new ones. It is my guess that they will carry their enthusiasm and joy into all their tasks for the rest of their life. I certainly hope so, because it is an endearing quality.

Samantha and Allison are identical twins. They are seven years old. In identical bathing suits with hair soaking wet, they look absolutely identical, until they speak, then you know that Allison's voice is a bit lower than Samantha. And their personalities are different too. Now, they almost never wear the same clothes, and their hair styles are different. Once you know them apart, you can tell who is who. Suzanne has always been able to tell them apart, and so have I, but every so often you can get fooled. One day at school I was waiting for Suzanne, along with the twins and Sarah and a friend. The friend commented to Sarah that the twins do not seem identical. Sarah asked back to her friend "Which twin is Allison?', and of course, the friend had no idea. Both Allison and Samantha are good about correcting people when they are called the wrong name. They are polite, but I have heard them say many times "Actually, I am Allison." In the Fall, for the first time ever, the girls will be in different classes at school. Betty at work was a twin, and she told me that when she was separated from her twin at school, she cried every day all day for a week, and so did her twin. Then they decided to get over it and they never cried again. Allison and Samantha are ready to be in different classes I think, at least they cheerfully tell me all about it. The reason for the different classes is that Allison prompts Samantha with the answer, or she will answer for Samantha, so the teacher thought that Allison knew more than Samantha. But the standardized test were taken this Spring, and much to every ones surprise Allison and Samantha had identical scores and had identical tests. They sat a long way away from each other too . So I guess we should stop being surprised, because they are identical!! What we do know now is that Allison is quicker on the uptake. These grandchildren provide me a whole host of blessings and will for the rest of my life.

July 9, 2009. Western Head, N.S. Seventy and Sunny.

You can't beat it. All day long, not a cloud in the sky, the sun shining, and the breeze just a light wind in your hair. This is the kind of day you love. The breeze always has a bit of cooling in the air, so even when walking in the full sun, you always feel comfortable. In fact, this is the kind of day you could get a sun burn, because you always feel comfortable, but at the end of the day, your face is burned. I spoke with Suzanne tonight, also Samantha and Allison. They are at the lake for July, with Sarah and Abigail at sleep over camp for one week at the T Bar Tennis camp. Next week Samantha and Allison attend day camp at the same facility. They love the time for themselves with Suzanne. Today they went to the Children's Museum, and tomorrow they are having a day in the boat. David commutes to work for July. The temperature in Texas today was 105 degrees in the shade, and the lake is very low, due to the lack of rain. In fact, the lake is at it's lowest level since the damn was built and the water started to fill up. I am happy to be here, where we are sunny and seventy.

Today, our intention was to drive to the lake to check the marine battery number needed for the boat, then go and send off our package via courier for our purchase in Mississippi. In addition, the truck was full of food and supplies and furniture for the cottage. After we unloaded the truck, I organized the stuff while Ken was checking the battery. As we were leaving, taking the short cut to Bridgewater, we realized that we had forgotten the package of signed papers, so back home we went to retrieve it, before driving to Bridgewater and the courier service. Now it has gone and I hope it arrives on time. Stupidity in action, that was what we were today. The best part of the day was lunch at the Swiss Chalet, a reminder of our youth in Toronto. Ken tried to wire money for the settlement, only to be unsuccessful, so he sent funds electronically with a cheque. They will never accept this at the settlement office, so it is my guess the settlement must be delayed, which will make everyone angry. My goodness, this is difficult.

July 8, 2009. Western Head, N.S. Documents.

I was the only one laughing, but the scene seemed to me hilarious, so I started to laugh out loud. No one else saw the humor so no one laughed, except me, and I was convulsed with laughter. Not even Ken laughed. This was the scene taking place in an office of an attorney in Liverpool. In this small office were five people: one lawyer, two administrative ladies and Ken and me. We were there to sign and have notarized lots of papers. We are purchasing a condo in Jackson but we will not be able to attend settlement, so we asked for Christina have power of attorney for us. The mortgage company insists on original signatures on the loan documents, so today at noon, they e mailed all the documents, which consisted of 74 pages to sign and initial. 11 must be notarized. Now in Canada, this is not as easy as in the U.S. Only lawyers can be notaries, so we had to find an attorney in town and get the papers completed. It took two competent ladies and one attorney to figure out the papers. I thought it was ridiculous, so I started laughing. But I soon straightened up and got serious and we did complete the signing. It took us two hours.

Getting these papers to us here has not been easy. I started asking three weeks ago, after the loan was approved, but as most mortgage companies work only to the deadlines of tomorrow, it took Susan, our agent in Jackson to explain to them that over night courier service does not work from Nova Scotia. On Monday they promised them to us on Tuesday morning, then perhaps first thing Wednesday. Finally they arrived at two o'clock, just in time to get the papers signed and notarized and drive to the courier service in Bridgewater. They pick up until one o'clock here in Liverpool, but we missed that deadline. By three o'clock it was clear to me we would not meet the four o'clock deadline in Bridgewater. So now our plan is to drive the package to the courier service first thing in the morning, and hope it arrives in time for the settlement on the fifteenth. Nothing is easy here. Everything takes four times the time it does at home. But for the life of me, I do not know why it takes four days or more to deliver an over-night package. It is a mystery.

Another mystery is that the attorney we met today was not the person I thought he was. I thought the attorney was the head of the firm, but it turns out that he is a new partner and I don't even know his name. Now I am wondering if I called him Mr Conrad during this whole ordeal. I'll never know.

July 7, 2009. Western Head, N.S. The Quarterdeck.

My friend Eleanor and her cousin Stephanie have been staying in the Carriage House for ten days, but tomorrow they must return home, Eleanor to Bethesda and Stephanie to Miami. Their rental car has served them well. They spent four days in Cape Breton driving around the Cabot Trail and another day to Brier Island to go whale watching. They visited beaches and museums and galleries and did not notice, much, that the sun was not shining all the time. For Stephanie, this a first visit to Canada. Last night they took us for dinner. Eleanor has been to Nova Scotia many times, and she likes the quarterdeck as does the both of us, so by seven 0'clock, we were sitting on the porch of the Quarterdeck which is right over the water, sipping our drinks and enjoying the sounds of the sea. The food was excellent and has gotten better every year. Stephanie ordered scallops. Actually, it was pointed out by Eleanor that Stephanie has eaten scallops ten times this trip. Stephanie retorted that it was only seven times that she ordered Digby scallops in Nova Scotia and she wished she had ordered them every time. The scallops are big and juicy and sweet, so definitely worth ordering for either lunch or dinner. Tonight is their last evening here and to celebrate they are going down to Charlotte Lane in Shelburne, my favorite restaurant in Nova Scotia.

On the way home from the Quarterdeck, I asked if they would like to stop to meet our artist friend Bernie, as he makes wonderful crafts as well as paintings. In addition, he is quite eccentric. As we were driving through his little town of Hunt's Point, they decided to stop for a visit, even though it was past nine thirty. I knocked on the door and he greeted us with open arms, and proceeded to give us a full tour of his whole house and crafts and paintings. Bt ten-thirty we were weary, so we begged off seeing all the paintings, although he did give me a set of prints of his sketches from Nova Scotia and I bought a big crow, which I love and now is hanging in a guest room. We all four enjoyed the tour, and when we left, Stephanie gave Bernie a used pizza box she found in her trunk. Bernie recycles everything he can get his hands on, so he was delighted to acquire this thick box to be used as some future work of art.

The whole evening was a great success, both the dinner and the tour. Ken and I have enjoyed these ladies visiting to Nova Scotia. This modern world is odd. Stephanie had a degree in business who has been a teacher for years and now runs the athletic program at a High School. I have a degree in Physical Education who has been in business for over thirty years. It is a weird and wonderful world.

July 6, 2009. Western Head, N.S. Coffee Table.

It has taken three years in the making, but now my new coffee table sits in the middle of the living room for all to admire. David Nickerson made it out of Birdseye maple and cherry wood. It is a replica of a table we found in a book of antique furniture from Canada, specifically Eastern Canada. The table was first made in the early eighteenth Century, and now a copy resides in my living room. Actually, we kind of changed the dimensions and transformed it from a dining room table into a coffee table so it looks a bit like the original in miniature. But it is a lovely table and David is proud of his work. He is such a skilled cabinet maker but he is so slow and meticulous that he can barely make a living at carpentry. I have three pieces of furniture he has made for me, all replicas of antique furniture copied from a book. Now he will repair an old table that I use when our dining table is too small, and I have chosen two small end tables from the same book that he will build next. I expect them to be finished in three years.

Gill first asked David to make her a dining table out of birch and she gave him the dimensions for the table she wanted. He thought the proportions were too long so he made s shorter table. It looks lovely and does fit the space, but we entertain each other all the time and her table only seats twelve, so five years ago, she commissioned David to make a drop leaf table that would extend her table for large crowds. David was very slow to get started because he did not really understand the concept. Three years ago, I took the book to David, along with pages and dimensions, for the three tables I wanted made for me. He was excited to make the tables because it takes ingenuity in order to figure the whole thing out. Gill was with me and we both made it clear to David that Gill's table comes first, followed by my coffee table and end tables. Finally, the table for Gill was completed last fall, so David has been working on my table ever since. Now it sits in my living room in all it's splendour. Now, I wonder how long it will take us to fill the top with books and magazines. Soon we'll only be able to see the legs and stools. Oh yes, in addition to the table, he made four stools that fit under the table to be used by the little ones. I am very pleased with the new table.

Cottage Work Party

July 5, 2009. Western Head, N.S. The Cottage.

We love our little cottage, even when we are working there to get it set up for the summer. Yesterday Ken and I took all the belongings from the garage here that we store over the winter out to the cottage. We spent all morning putting the place in order, both inside and out. Organizing the cottage pleases me and I am not sure why. I like putting everything in it's place and putting clothes in the dressers, placing the outdoor furniture in the right spot and the food in the pantry and refrigerator. In the afternoon we got lucky and the rain poured down cats and dogs, so were required to drink a cup of tea and read. Later in the day, the sky cleared, so we finished our outside work, then sat on the deck by the water and watched for loons, who never appeared. But drinking a glass of wine watching the clouds was delightful. Now the little cottage is ready for the summer.

Today, Ken and Vinal were to install the dock, a very complicated task. Ken suggested that Bobby, a young friend of Vinal's, might like to help install the dock, so he came too. Gill and Mary decided to help too, so Cliff, Betty and I supervised from the chairs on the deck, while the other five installed the dock. By noon, it was almost completed. Of course, Gill fell in fully clothed, and Bobby fell over up to his neck. Ken had figured out a new system for installation, that did not require him to wear his wet suit and work out of the water. It worked well, except for minor glitches. He used the raft to install all the other parts of the dock, working from the raft, rather than standing in the water. Betty brought lunch for all, so all eight of us pooled our resources and ate a hearty lunch up on the deck by the house. Next we must put the raft in place and install the boat sling, but we will do them after the water falls a bit. At the moment, the water level in the lake is very high and Vinal is fearful os falling in the water as he can not swim. The rest of the cottage and dock is ready for action.

July 3, 2009. Western Head, N.S. Privateers Day.

It all started yesterday, and will continue until Sunday night, when a long fireworks display is held after dark, signally the end of Privateers Days in Liverpool. I walked all around the waterfront today, to see that the vendors and the rides are all ready for the people. The Queen's Own Orange Rangers have set up their camp sites and are in period costumes, pretending to live as they would in 1787. Sunday morning they re-enact a fight right in town, where the British always win over the U.S. even though all the service men drank together all night, finally winning when someone got sober!!. Privateers Days in Liverpool is always held close to July the 4Th. and is a big deal in town. The place is hopping. Tomorrow there is a parade with the bands and floats and old cars marching all over town. Last year, it was so hot the bandmaster keeled over after the march over the bridge and up the hill. This year is not expected to be hot.

Ken and I were in Liverpool for the first time, eating lunch at Lanes Privateer's Inn. Knowing nothing about Privateers, I asked the waitress what a Privateer was all about. She looked very embarrassed and could not give us an answer, but directed us to Fort Point lighthouse, where the story is told on plaques all along the shore. So we read all about it and determined that a Privateer was nothing more than legalized pirating. The good folks from Liverpool made a lot of money being a privateer. Simon Perkins, who was the richest man in town, made his money as a privateer. His very own home is now a museum in town. Every day, his diary is turned to another day. He kept a diary for many years, and you can still see his very own diary for today's day. It may be the most interesting thing in town. This weekend, the eighteenth century is alive and well in Liverpool. Now if only the rain would stop, the show can go on. Actually, the show will go on in any weather. A little rain would never halt the good folks of Liverpool.

July 2, 2009. Western Head, N.S. Attitudes.

The friends from Texas who were visiting Susie and Jeff looked old. On the way home after we first met them, Ken and I felt they looked older than us, and probably were 75 or so. Last night in conversations with them both, we discovered that they were the same age as Susie and Jeff, who are 64. In fact, the husband and Jeff went to graduate school together at Duke, and the wife told me that she had just turned 64. I was stunned. She mentioned to me that she had retired because she had some health problems, but her husband was still working. Being basically nosy, I asked her what her health issues had been, and she proceeded to give me great details about all the serious issues in her life. Actually, she told many more details than I needed, for the next thirty minutes. It was clear that the most important aspect of her current life is her health issues. I suspect that this has been true all her life. She tends to dwell on the past, and everything in the past that has been a problem for her and her family.

It is one of the problems with being retired. So much of the conversation from retired people centers around what they have done, not what is ahead that will be done in the future. Really, I am accused of always planning ahead and trying to figure out how at work we can get ahead and not rest on our laurels. With health issues, I want to get through them, then never talk about them again. When I am asked about my health, my answer is always "I am fine", and certainly would never disclose to strangers any serious health issues in my life. I want them behind me and never back again to my conscious thoughts. In other words, I do not want my present attitude to be impacted by problems in the past. This poor lady from Texas is dwelling on her health issues so long and hard that she has made herself into an invalid. I was a good lady, and did not tell her to get her past behind her and get along with her future life. Perhaps I should have passed this bit of wisdom on to her, but I was too polite. But I surely am pleased she has gone home to Dallas.

Back to the Ocean

July 2, 2009. Western Head, N.S. Celebration.

I was so busy celebrating Canada Day that I forgot to write my wee web log. How soon we forget when we are having fun.

Last evening we said farewell to Susie and Jeff who must leave our fair shores for Delaware, where they live most of the year. Two friends from Texas were visiting them here, so as is our custom, the last night before a departure, we all get together for dinner to say a fond farewell. Last night we had dinner in our home. Sixteen of us sat down together to dine. Actually, we were not really celebrating Canada Day but we did celebrate the fact of all of us being together, from such unlikely distances, and enjoying each others company. Our only local friends in attendance last night were Walt and Mary. All the rest were transplants from other places. Connie and Tojo, who celebrated their wedding here three years ago were here for dinner, along with their baby Claussen, who was eight months old, had just arrived for two weeks, staying in their parent's home. With the Mary and Cliff and Gill and us, along with the Bond's and friends, we had a full house. Oops, I forgot that the Winters, who live here full time, were here too. John is going to a folk festival at Canso, leaving today.

The evening was lovely and the dinner easy. I have ceased serving any appetizers at dinner. We just serve cocktails and wine for a bit, then dinner, which last evening was chowder made by Betty and thawed from the freezer. With three types of bread served with the chowder, followed by a large salad, the dinner was delicious and easy. I intended to serve cookies for dessert, but Mary McDonald made a carrot cake and along with ice cream, brought it along for dinner. She knows my desserts are always pathetic, so even when I tell her not to bring anything, she often will arrive with goodies in tow. The conversation was lively and fun. One interesting sight I observed was Jeff looking at each piece of our art, slowly and carefully, all over the first floor. He finally asked me some questions. He even looked at all the pictures in the bathroom, which meant that someone was thinking he needed some help!! One unusual aspect of dinners her is that about half of the good folks drink real coffee, so we always make real coffee and herbal tea and serve them, after dessert, never with dessert. At home, no one drinks coffee that late.

Traditions come easily. This tradition to get together in some ones home to say goodbye is a good one, because we are really discussing when we will get together again. This is a very happy thought.