Shelburne

Preparation for Moby Dick

September 29, 2009. Western Head, N.S. Charlotte Lane.

I don't know what pleases me the most; the wonderful food, or the fact of this restaurant in Shelburne. Now I love eating excellent food, but having such a fine place in this little town pleases me even more. It all came about because of two people, Kathleen and Roland, who are married. They thought about it and dreamed about it and finally did it. The plan was to open a fine restaurant in a small town and keep it open for six months a year. The rest of the year they planned to travel.

At first, to raise capital, they both worked, Roland as the chef and Kathleen as the manager in the same restaurant in the big city. And they saved their money. They chose Shelburne because the prices were affordable and the tourists stop coming all winter. They bought a house, refurbished the place and lived in the apartment over the restaurant and hung out their shingle. They were fortunate. The second year of operation, their restaurant, Charlotte Lane, was named the best eating establishment in Nova Scotia. It became a destination. Two years ago they bought the house next door, fixed it up and now live there. But they still maintain their high standards of food and service. They still have space for 26 people at a time. Roland does all the cooking while Kathleen trains and hires the staff and manages the small gift shop.

I am always so impressed not only with the taste of the food but also with the execution of the plan. They dreamed it up and and put their plan into action. It is very admirable indeed. Today at lunch at Charlotte Lane, I could not decide what impressed me most, but I know Ken and I loved our Anniversary lunch, hosted by my friend Beverley.

September 28, 2009. Western Head, N.S. Cocktails.

It is such a misnomer, the cocktail party. All we ever serve is wine, sodas and water with an occasional glass of scotch., but we still it the cocktail hour. Even if we are not dining together, we always have cocktails together in someones home. Tonight it was at the Mitchell's home. As is our habit, the event was lively, with discussions about the daily activities of each of us and the activities in the town. The event does not last a long time. We were home just after seven, but a new topic is always popping up. Bev thinks out custom is just splendid and she has decided to institute the practice in Vancouver. It is so much easier to have a casual cocktail party than to give a whole dinner party.

Last evening at our home we all had dinner together to say goodbye to Carol and Ken, who left this morning. Before dinner we got onto the topic of burial and cremation. Tonight Mary related the story of her great uncle who was buried in the Family plot at the Mausoleum in Philadelphia. When her Father's remains were placed into the vault, it was determined that his mistress was buried alongside him, in the same vault, but no name except him was on the label. Now how did this happen? We will never know and neither will Mary. Mary and her sister are the oldest people in their family and neither of them know the answer.

I think we should rename the event from a cocktail party, but I can not come up with a suitable name. Ane suggestions?

September 27, 2009. Western Head, N.S. Beverley.

Beverley and I were Girl Guides together in Vancouver. We were fast friend then and we are fast friends now. It is such a pleasure to have a friend who knew you well when you were thirteen and still likes to spend time with you now that you are over seventy. It is a bit surprising too as she has continued to live in Vancouver while I moved to Toronto in 1953 and have lived in Texas, then Maryland. Tonight we were calculating the number of times we have seen each other since 1953 and we came up with quite a small number. But we wrote letters and we phoned and about eighteen years ago she visited us and visited me at work. She read my agent handbook, and suggested, not too gently, that perhaps it could be better. I challenged her to return and give me suggestions, which she did. She went through every word, making suggestions and forced me to write the introduction and a statement of our purpose, which ultimately made the handbook much more useful. Because we are such good friends, she will tell me what needs to be done and how, without causing hurt feelings. Her background, education and expertise was invaluable.

We both became teachers but after the children and graduate school, I turned to real estate for my career while she stayed in education, climbing up the ladder to the top. Perhaps that was one reason we stayed friends. She hassles me, telling me I am too bossy, and every so often she retreats to the carriage house in the middle of the day for a bit of peace and quiet. But we have fun together and I am always happy when she comes to visit. It is a long way from the west coast to the east coast, so one day soon Ken and I must go west, but not this year.

Beverley commented that all though she has only been here five days, she has had more social events here than the past six months in Vancouver. She has always been single and lives alone, so our life here is hectic and certainly very social. I think she will be ready for a rest when she gets home. Tonight we had dinner here for nine guests and tomorrow we have cocktails at the Mitchell's. But she and I have a bond and will be there until the end. She is one of the blessings in my life.

Sailing

Just Nova Scotia

September 26, 2009. Western Head, N.S. Lunenburg.

Lunenburg looks much better from the sea. The buildings rise steadily up from the docks and you can see all the buildings at the same time rather than one street at a time as you do from dry land. Sailing away from the Bluenose dock, you see the whold town, just as it appeared two hundred years ago or more, before any roads or trains, just the boats on the water for transportation. It was a spur-of-the moment decision to take a sailing sunset cruise and it turned out that we three, Bev. and Ken and I were the only hardy souls on the large sailing boat called The Eastern Star. One Captain and one crew headed out of the harbor at five thirty and it was seven-thirty when we docked. By then we had seen the sun set and the lights come on all the way out to the ovens and back. I made the decision to take the trip, but did not factor in the fact of the temperature. We were dressed in clothes fit for walking around Lunenburg on a bright sunny day, not sailing out to sea in the evening. Fortunately the Captain gave us each a warm blanket, but even then we were all very cold arriving back to the dock. But we loved every minute of it.

All five of us left home for Lunenburg just at the crack of ten-thirty, driving in two vehicles. We three stopped at The Joy of Antiques and The Salt Box on the way, then took the Ferry across the Lahave River to get to Lunenburg. The day was perfect but cool. We drove around a bit looking at Lunenburg and chose The Trattoria restaurant for lunch. where Ken and Carol joined us, thanks to the blessing of cell phones. Beverley treated us for a most delicious lunch, in fact our dinner. Our meals were excellent. We three wandered around town, looking at galleries and antique stores, finally ending down by the docks to see the Bluenose, where I decided to take the sail. Both Ken and Bev. were happy to go on the big sailing boat but wondered about the cold. I assured them the weather would hold, but of course we all were chilled to the bone. When we finally got home, Ken and I took a hot tub to warm up while Bev went straight to the Carriage house to crawl into bed to read.

It was a great day. Not a cloud in the sky and full sun. Weather does not get any better than today.

September 25, 2009. Western Head, N.S. Busy.

The days are full from morning to night. I am not reading at all and I was unable to write my web log yesterday, all because I am so busy talking. Carol and Ken have been here since just after Labor Day but they stayed an extra week to visit with us. My friend Beverley arrived on Wednesday from Vancouver, not only to see more of Nova Scotia but also to visit with us, so between my relatives and my friend I am as busy as a bee just talking and listening. It has been a pleasure with more to come.

Yesterday after lunch here at home, Ken and Bev and I drove to The Canadian Tire store in Bridgewater. We returned home along the Lehave River, taking the ferry to the other side before driving home on the shore road. I have enjoyed that road many times and it always charms me. Beverley loved the drive. The look is totally different than on the west coast. One obvious difference is the architecture. Nova Scotia was settled many long years ago, actually 400 years, while British Columbia was settled by Europeans in the mid Nineteenth Century, so the whole look of the place is different and charming.

We checked out the cottage this morning, but it rained hard so we discovered that the wee cottage is cosy in the wind and rain. After a late lunch we drove right along side the Medway River along a dirt road, again a very lovely drive which Beverley enjoyed. Tonight we dined at Lane's Privateer Inn with Mary and Clifton and the five of us. So my days have been busy and pleasant. It doesn't get much better than this.

September 23, 2009. Western Head N.S. Chores.

You can't help but notice them. Almost every house in Eastern Canada has one, and a large one too. It is a perfect example that to some extent, the climate of the area determines the character of the people. The stacked wood tells a lot about the people living in the home. Always impressive is the condition of the homes and gardens, but really catches attention is the stacking of the wood. Several cords of wood are stacked in perfect rows, spaced a few inches apart and in precise order. Now I don't know if you have ever stacked wood, but it is not an easy task. After two feet of stacking, the wood starts to fall over or begins to get wobbly, but the wood I see around her are as sturdy as the houses that have stood for hundreds of years. It is impressive.

Yesterday morning I did chores, which I like to do. I had my hair cut, made the bed in the carriage house, organized dinner and lunch and generally got the week ready for company. We already have Carol and Ken here, but they being family are easy. In the afternoon, Ken and Carol and Ken and I went in search of ice cream and found it at Port Medway. We drove the coast road and what I noticed most was the stacked wood. Almost every home had a large stack of wood all ready for the winter. I also noticed several large plies of wood, a very unusual sight, except when I looked closely I could see the beginnings of the stack. No one leaves that wood just left in the big pile of wood to be covered with ice and snow. Before the snow falls, every stick will be in order and accessible to the fire maker, just as it happened years ago. In the past, those folks who did not stack their wood got cold and froze to death, or moved to warmer climates. Now every where you look while driving on the shore road are stacked wood. It is very impressive.

September 22, 2009. Western Head, N.S. Hockey.

The Maple Leaf's won the game in a shootout. It was exciting even though it was a pre-season game. We had fun. Ken and Carol, my sister and brother-in-law, and Ken and I all squeezed into our little office to watch the hockey game between the Pittsburgh Penquins and the Toronto Maple Leafs. It was not really a true contest because the top two players from the Penguins were resting for the game while the Maple Leafs had several players trying to make the team, but it was fun to watch on many levels. The first period was all Pittsburgh with two beautiful goals, but the second and third period was won my Toronto, actually in every part of the game. I lost track of the many times the puck hit the goal post for Toronto but finally one of the young players trying to make the team scored with one minute to go in the game. He was eighteen years old and he scored his first NHL goal to put his team into over time. After a five minute period with the score till tied, the same young player scored the first goal in the shoot-out and the Penguins went on to win the game. It was very exciting.

It is difficult if not impossible to watch a whole hockey game, at least it is for me. I was brought up watching the second and the third period of the hockey games on TV, so now I only watch a part of every game. Actually, I don't like to watch hockey. I hate the fights so I only watch in the play-offs, and then if a fight breaks out I turn the TV off, unless of course Ken wants to watch and then I leave the room. It is such a stupid part of the game. Hockey is a wonderful game to watch when it is played well. Speed, tenacity, teamwork, skill, and strength is all on display all the time during a hockey game. Tonight it was all on display and I enjoyed every minute, except in the second period, when Ken and I went to the hot tub.

Way out at sea appeared a small city, at a place I know is only the Atlantic Ocean. Lots of lights flashing and streets and roads appearing to move around. The fish are running and all those light are the fishing boats. It is quite a sight. I am so pleased I am not a fisherman. But I enjoyed watching the lights from the comfort and warmth of my hot tub, then come into my comfortable home to watch the last of the hockey game. It was a very enjoyable game, even though we four were all squeezed into the TV room.

September 21, 2009. Western Head, N.S. Home Again.

That is what folks say when we arrive back in Nova Scotia. "Welcome Home." It is a lovely and heartwarming greeting. Then we both laugh, as we all know we only live here part time. It seems that some things have never changed. Tonight after dinner and after Carol and Ken went to a hockey game in Bridgewater, Ken and I took a hot tub. The sun had just set so the sky was red and orange and the new moon was just a sliver up in the sky. The sight was gorgeous. Well worth the trip up to Nova Scotia.

But some things do change. On the way home from the grocery store I called my friend Mary and Walt and Walt asked me to stop by their home, on my way home from the store. He sounded a bit strange and I wondered why they were at home at 4:30, but of course Carol and I stopped by only to discover that Mary had just come home from the hospital in Halifax. Last Thursday when walking to her car in the parking lot, Mary fell and could not get up. After an xray at the Liverpool hospital they found that her femur had broken and in immediate need of repair, so off she went to the Medical Center in Halifax for the surgery. Now she is home but can not put any weight on her leg for the next six to eight weeks. Mary is a person who moves quickly, but not now. She is using the walker and the crutches but prefers the walker. Oh my goodness, this will be a trying time for poor Mary and Walt. It is stupid to say, but accidents happen so very quickly, in the twinkling of an eye, but the recovery of the accident is long and tedious. I feel so badly for her. Fortunately this big bone in the thigh for Mary is not displaced but is broken right across the bone just below the hip joint, but this big bone is such an important bone in the function and weight bearing of the body that having a break is a serious thing indeed. I wish her well. Her last words to me was "I heal quickly...I hope". I wish I could think of something to do to help her.

September 20, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Farm.

This weekend at the farm was busy, and beautiful.  The weather was perfect.  Daytime temperatures were in the mid seventy, going down to fifty at night, so no need for either heat or air-conditioning.  Saturday morning Ken made a fire, to burn all our trash, so all day as we worked around the farm house we enjoyed the smell of the bon-fire.   Every so often I sat beside the fire to ponder and stare.  Ken thinks that watching a fire is similar to staring at the TV, where you keep watching the show even though it is no good.   We ate lunch down in the pump house too.  I brought a lot of frozen meat from the Jay's freezer over to our freezer,  but before I could do it, I had to organize the last years meat in order to make some space.  One of the large freezers of the Jay's is broken so I needed to help them out with removing at least some of our meat.

At the end of October Ken and I are going to drive to Texas and will take frozen meat for David and Suzanne.  We am taking all the rest of last years meat along with whatever will fit into the four coolers.  Today we purchased two more coolers that last for five days so now we have four large coolers that will keep the meat frozen for five days.  As the drive takes us three days the meat should be fine.  Now we are ready.

On Saturday Brian sent over a cheque for $4500. for the sale of ten of our calves.  Pretty nice.

Saturday night we attended a fund raiser at the Lebanon Christian Church building fund.  It was a turkey and ham dinner complete with all the trimmings.  I am always interested with these fund raisers.  They never tell you how much they need to raise, now do they tell you what they are going to build, but I never ask any questions as I am afraid to be asked to take charge of the project.  The food was good home cooking along with a singer playing his guitar and singing cowboy songs.   We saw everyone we know and met several folks we did not know so I guess it was worthwhile, but next time we are going to drop by with our cheque and eat at home.

September 18, 2009. Bethesda, Md. Changes.

Changes of course are inevitable in life, in fact, whether you plan for them or not, change is part of the natural evolution of life. We are in the process of upsetting the apple cart in the office. All the staff of Prosperity Mortgage Co. and all the Managers are shifting spaces. Prosperity folks come into my space which includes the small conference room. That allows buyers more easily meet with the loan officers without entering agent space. Ned comes downstairs into a part of the Prosperity space, with the other half another small conference room. Jeff B. who is a Prosperity loan officer housed upstairs in a small office will take over Ned's office, along with his new admin. person while I will take over Jeff's small office. All the shifting around will make for a much more efficient operation, and I will not feel guilty about leaving my desirable and useful office empty when I am away.

Now I must be the first person to move , to allow the construction of my space be re-configured for Prosperity. So all my stuff is packed up into boxes, ready to be placed in my new spot, which will not be ready until everyone else moves first. All my pictures, including my big pig, have been removed, so the office looks awful, except now it is neat and tidy. The construction folks are ready to start any day and I did not want anyone else to have to pack up my stuff, so I sorted and pitched and packed and now I am ready. All my hats have been re-installed out by the back door all over the windows and high walls. They look ridiculous but fun, though a bit cluttered. Nancy will hang all my awards outside my new office.

We are in the process of upsetting our well ordered apple cart, in order to prepare for a better future. My Mother told me the you can not improve the future without upsetting the present, and we are in the midst of doing just that. I am thrilled with the shifting, as are Carole and Ned and The Upper East Side is about to get louder!!

September 17, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Books.

It was a very elegant event, held in a lovely home in Chevy Chase.  Margaret and Bob sent the invitation  to attend a cocktail party to meet Peter Kilborn, and to hear about his new book"Reloville".   The date was tonight and the time was from six to eight.  Certainly, we attended and enjoyed it thoroughly.  Peter is the husband of Susan, an agent in the office I have worked with her for over twenty years.  I like Peter and although I only get to see him infrequently, I always wish I could talk to him more often, so tonight was a perfect opportunity to see and speak to Peter and to hear a bit about his new book.  Before he retired five years ago, Peter wrote feature articles for the New York Times and he was always travelling, so he always missed all the parties, although I suspect he would not come to the parties even if he was in town.

The food was ample and tasty with just enough to curb your appetite but not so much you felt full.  The wine flowed while folks greeted each other and chatted with Peter and Susan.  A table was set up in the front hall so books could be purchased and Peter signed.  From one stand point, the event was very commercial, but from the other hand the whole ambiance was gracious and elegant.  Peter spoke for about ten minutes about the book and about how he decided on the topic, then ten more minutes of questions before Ken and I were ready to head for home.  Peter's book has been very well reviewed and he is pleased as punch to have the book out in print, even more pleased to have the books sell.  Ken put the book on my Kindle and we purchased two books  tonight,  signed by Peter.  His next book will be  "Golf for Geezers".  He started to play golf when he was sixty-seven and as he is now seventy, he knows a lot about golf and geezers.  I look forward to his next book and very soon, I will  read "Reloville".

September 16, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Technology.

I often wonder if the changes that occurred  in the twenty-five years of my Mother and my grandmother's lives from age fifty to seventy-five were as dramatic for them as it has been for me?  Cell phones were just becoming common, in fact we called them car phones when I was fifty.  I did a commercial for Cellular one at the time when the phone companies were trying to find out who was likely to buy their product.  Now every one owns a cell phone and uses them at  every opportunity.    Last December I asked my granddaughter what she wanted for Christmas, and her answer was "A cell phone".  She was seven.   Her mother, Suzanne,  quickly nixed the gift.  

It seems to me that I am always learning a new gadget.  Today both Ken and I purchased a new phone, a regular one for me and a Blackberry for Ken, so now we have a whole new set of instructions to follow.  I bet my grandmother never had to follow these types of instructions.  Not much changed in the early quarter of the century, once electricity came to town.  She never did drive a car and she always had household help, at least when her children were young.  My Mother was my age from about nineteen fifty to nineteen seventy five so many changes were improvements rather than new products.  But for good or ill, in this day and age, the newest gadgets keep coming so every few years I have a new cell phone.  In three days, it will be  old hat, but for now, I am discombobulated.  But I like my new phone.  It is lighter than my old one, which is good and as I do know how to read, soon I will figure it out.  But for the moment, I hate not being able to use my phone.  I would not want to go back in time, even though it is a big nuisance.  I like today and I will persevere!!

September 15, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Spur of the Moment.

I love spur of the moment events.  I wonder why?  Now I love the planning and the inviting and the implementing of an event,  and I know that nothing happens unless a plan is made and carried out.  But the spur of the moment events are often the most enjoyable.

The last Sunday we were  in Nova Scotia, Mary and Walt drive by to see if we wanted to drive with them to Mahone Bay for lunch.  It was late and we were just saying goodbye to Betty and Vinal when up drove the car.  Of course we were delighted to go to Mahone Bay for lunch and promptly jumped in their car for the thirty minute drive for lunch and proceeded to chatter away all the way there and all through lunch and then home.  We ate at the Inlet Inn which is our favorite restaurant in Mahone Bay.  It was an unexpected pleasure and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Today, Sarah was presenting an offer on her listing late this afternoon, using the conference room right adjacent to my office.  Before her clients arrived, she asked  if Ken and I could go out to dinner with Andy and her.  After a call to Ken,  I accepted,  so after she had completed her task and presented the offer, countered the offer and then had the offer accepted by the buyers, Sarah and Andy picked us up at our apartment and we headed to Friendship Heights and to a new restaurant,"Mei Wah".  The food was great, much better than at our Chinese restaurants in Hagerstown, and the conversation was fast and furious, as we tried to catch up on a whole summer of events.  When we were home at the end of July, they were in Michigan so we had not had dinner with them since June, so we had a lot to catch up with.  But the best part was the unexpected pleasure that arrived all of a sudden.  It was fun and festive and none of us had to prepare a thing except pay the bill.  Normally we just split the bill.  It is so much easier.

Spur of the moment events do not mean I can not plan to invite dinner guests to our home, but I do enjoy the spontaneous nature of the meal.  I will try to include more of such events in the future.

September 14, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Anxiety.

I love change, but some things  raise my anxiety.   This weekend we were at the farm.  The weather was glorious and we decided to stay over Sunday night and drive  home Monday morning.    As I had no appointments at work until noon,  our plan was to leave just after rush hour and drop me at work mid morning.  It seemed a good plan, until I realized that we had no computer at the farm  and thus would not be able to write my wee web log until Monday night.  All of a sudden my anxiety went up.  Both Saturday and Sunday I was without a computer.

Now we have the satellite system coming to be installed  on September 24, so we will be able to access the Internet from the farm.    From now on, I will have no anxiety about my task when we are at the farm.  This is a perfect example of how to deal with anxiety.   First thing to do is to isolate what is causing the stress.  Next is to figure out the options open to resolve the problem.  Finally, make a decision and implement the program.  Now I am happy.  Tammy will meet the installer, so the next time we are at the farm for a long weekend, I will be able to do my work.  Nothing makes me more anxious than not doing my work.

This morning I watched a fox catch a rabbit, then see him sit and proceed to eat it.  The natural world is not pretty or kind.  It was interesting to watch , though gruesome.  The fox was beautiful, with black ears, a long nose and a very long tail.  He was a red fox.  Ken was stung six times by ground bees while clearing out some weeds.  Again, nature is not kind.

September 11, 2009. Bethesda, Md. Rain.

It is going to rain all day. It was raining when I woke up and it is expected to rain until well into Saturday. I hear complaints from everyone about the traffic from everyone to whom I speak. I am interested with the response to rain. Typically, people don't like rain. For many reasons, I am sure, but the reality is that we need rain, in fact at the farm we are short of rain so we will be pleased to have the rain if we are lucky eough to have the rain fall in Pennsylvania. Texas is still in drought conditions. We had a bit of rain at the ranch but not enough for the grass to grow long enough to feed the cattle, so now we are required to feed the cattle with hay. Texans today would love some rain in any amount, but in Maryland we always complain about the rain, even though we need the rain too.

But not me. I love rainy days, perhaps because I grew up in Vancouver where the rains come frequently with a slow patter, day after day. I learned to ignore the weather. Now I embrace the rain and if I am not at work, I stay indoors and read a good book. Rainy days are perfect to curl up with a book and drink a cup of tea. It is a perfect time to indulge myself and ignore the trip to the grocery store. If you do have appointments, you must allow yourself extra time. Two folks who had appointments with me today called to say they were late due to the traffic. Now, we all know, that in the Washington area, any rain or sleet or snow slows traffic to a crawl, which it means your drive will take twice as long getting from here to there. I am a hard lady and reminded these good folks of that fact and suggested that next time they have an appointment in the rain, allow extra time be to be on time. Rather than complaining and apologizing for the rain, start embracing this wonderful rain, and start out earlier in the day.

September 10, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. US Open.

This 2009 US Open has been a pleasure to watch.  When we were in Nova Scotia, I had the time and inclination to watch matches not only in the afternoon but also into the evening.  It was a great luxury.  The tennis has been terrific and the quality of the play has been very high.  It seems that there are many excellent players right now and that on any day, anyone could win the match.  Certainly the hitting is so much harder compared with twenty years ago, especially with the women.  Now that I am back at work we watch some evening matches and try to catch up with what else happened during the day.   The problem is that the matches go on so long that I am always leaving the match to go to bed so I never  know the score until the next day.

 

Last night I gave up when Soderling and Federer were playing and Soderling finally won a set.  It was a good thing I did too, because I quit at 11:00 and they went to five sets.  As it was, I was much later than my bedtime.  Tonight, around doing the laundry, we are watching the Nadal and Gonzales match.  I love to watch the emotions and the quality of the play.  Actually, I enjoy every athletic competition, even curling and darts.  It is so interesting to try to figure out the strategy and the skill levels.   Ken really only watches the games if he is tired or if he has nothing else to do.  But not me.  I would watch every game.  The next problem is that we will go to the farm this weekend, where we have no TV.  I will have to find out the winners after we return to town.  But for now, I am enjoying the play.

Moonshine and a Birthday (long ago)

September 9, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. My Car.

No need to panic.  I just called Ken to pick me up at work to take me home and leave my car in the garage for another night and deal with it tomorrow.  My car sat in the garage at work for over five weeks, and when I went to start it to go home, nothing happened.  I had fully expected to have trouble but I had faith in the AAA to bail me out, so I just laughed and called for Ken.

This morning first thing I called the AAA to come and get me started, which they did.  They were here at the office in thirty minutes and promptly started my car, then told me I must drive the car for an hour before turning it off.  Once again I called Ken to see if he had any errands, so I picked him up and drove him to the grocery store and the hardware store before dropping him at home.  Next I drove on every street in my favorite neighborhood in Bethesda before driving River Road to Seven Locks Road then back to the office on Bradley Boulevard.  It was certainly an unusual way to spend my morning, but it was pleasant.

After work tonight, my car started up just fine, so I am back in business.  The nice young man from AAA admired my car and suggested that it will last for another ten years.  He noted the old attachment in the front for a car phone and did comment that it was very old indeed.  But he noted the mileage and thinks it is still modern.  Now he was a very nice young man indeed.

September 8, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Brothers.

My brother has indulged me all my life.  It is unbelievable but true, but I do not think we have ever had harsh words about anything, not even a serious argument.  I was fortunate to be the sister of my brother David.  Even as a young child, my brother gave me what I asked for, so when I needed bus money, he gave it to me.  He was a very good older brother, and he still is.  The truth is, Dave has never said no to me.  When we wanted to buy our first home, Dave lent us the down payment and when we wanted to buy country property he and Irene bought half of the farm even though we live two hours away from the farm and they lived ten hours away.  They were helping out.    If anyone wanted to look at good supportive families they would do well by looking at our family.  For three summers I lived with them when I took Physical Education classes at McMaster University before I married.  Their children were young so putting up with me I am sure was not easy, but they both accommodated me very well.  It really has been a remarkable run of events.

Ken and I and Dave and Irene have played tennis together many times and often attended tennis resorts together, along with Andrew nd David.  By then their children were grown and gone so our boys played tennis along with the adults.  And we had many long hikes together and taken them over many rough patched of the trail.  But they have always been good sports about our travails.  Often they stopped to visit us on the way down and back to Florida and they visit us in Nova Scotia every year.  Graduations are not big deals in Canada and after Andrew's high school graduation when the only one attending was Ken and me, Dave and Irene have attended every graduation for both David and Andrew for college and graduate school.  They were helping out and of course having fun as well.  It has been a life time of helpfulness from my brother who has always had the support of Irene too.

I hear other folks speak of their siblings and tell tales of the difficulty they encounter.  But not me.  I have always had the good fortune of having my brother David who has never caused us a moment of grief who along with Irene have enhanced our lives immeasurably.  I am a very lucky lady.

September 7, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. HOME AGAIN.

Ken is still opening mail while I am all ready for the week.  After feeling smug and complacent, I discovered that I had forgotten the twins birthdays.  The day came and went with nothing from their grandmother to note the day.  No cards, no flowers, no gifts, no calls.  What a bad grandmother I am.  Ken even has the date on his computer, but obviously we were not paying attention to the computer.  

I called Suzanne and David to tell them we were at home, and after conversing with Suzanne and getting an update on the lake, where the water is very very low, I spoke to each girl in order.  Allison told me with her voice full of excitement  that she had her ears pierced for her birthday.  Dead silence on my end of the phone.  Oh my goodness, I forgot.  But all is not lost.  Their birthday party is being held this weekend so I can send flowers and then figure out what to send them for their birthday.   We gave a painting to Sarah for her last birthday, so I must ask Suzanne what they need or would want.

The only thing I know is that I do not give toys.  For good or ill, I give them books or clothes or art.  I once got a clever idea to give a set of dishes to the girls, so by the time they were ready for their own apartment, they would have a nifty set of nice dishes, all their own.  It started when I saw a pattern called "Sarah's Garden", which I bought and gave to Sarah a few pieces at a time.  It seemed unfair to eliminate the other girls, so I started the practice for Abigail, Kate and Mary Frances.  The only problem is that the Mothers are required to store these stupid dishes, so what seemed to be a good idea ended up a bit of a nuisance.  The dished are great and the girls like them a lot, but for now they are stored away.  I have not started the custom for the twins.  It seemed a good idea at the time.

Now we are home in our little nest in Chevy Chase.  It took us almost two hours to get home due to construction on the Beltway.  Welcome home indeed.

September 6, 2009. Western Head, N.S. Whales and Terns.

The sea is sparkling like a jewel.    The day is perfect by the sea.  Thousands of terns were diving for fish out in the middle of our bay, right in front of the house.   It was an unbelievable sight.  Ken spotted them first and thought they were seagulls, but on closer inspection I thought they were terns, as these birds were diving into the water.  Seagulls do not dive for food, they sit on the top of the water and catch the food coming by, or they feed on the outgoing tide, right along the shore.  Now I must try to figure out what type of tern I had been looking at.  While we watched from our bedroom, I commented that very often we see whales close behind the feeding fish.  In fact, that is one way to see the whales, try to spot the birds first, then watch for the whales.

Sure enough,  later in the morning while Ken was out working in the yard, he spotted a whale  coming up for air.  He called to me, and by the time I came outside, the whale came up again, this time right in front of the house.  This is very unusual, for a whale to be so close to shore and in such shallow water, and sure enough, he headed back to safer water and we could only see the blow come up furthur out to sea, but it was thrilling to see this whale so close to our house. 

Last evening, when we went out to the hot tub I spotted a fishing boat out at sea and knew the fish were running.  Some things are predictable.  The fish are running and the fishermen come out to fish at night.  The birds and whales follow along for the feed.   The good folks of Nova Scotia have been doing that for four hundred years, but we have not, so for us it is exiting and interesting to follow the seasons so predictably.  The whales are on their way south for the winter, and as they travel they fill up on the fish for the journey.  This is the first time this summer we have seen the whales, the day before we leave.  It is the promise of more in store, later in the month.

September 5, 2009. Western Head. Lazy Days.

I still can't believe that I did very little the past two days than read while sitting on the deck at the cottage.   Ken and I arrived  mid morning and while Ken fished from the Poke boat, I sat and read my book.  I just started "The Nine Lives of Charlotte Taylor",  by Sally Armstrong.  I have been reading the new book about the writing of the Constitution, but yesterday I dove into this new book and I am loving it.  I swam for half and hour, and I made lunch for the two of us, and I slept soundly for an hour in the late afternoon.  Then it was back to my station on the deck right beside the water.  The weather was wonderful, just the way the weather should be at the cottage.  Finally Ken brought wine down to the deck and we stayed until almost dark.  An osprey flew overhead, making smaller and smaller circles as he descended.  Then finally he swooped down with his feet and caught the fish, but he was never able to take off with his prey, so we watched him as he swam along with the current until we lost sight of him.  The loons were calling to each other as the sun went down.  It was a wonderful evening.  It was so late that we never did eat dinner.  Ken heated us some milk before going to bed.  Can you believe that we are so old that we drink warm milk before going to bed?  Wonders never cease.

Today was more of the same at the cottage.  Ken fished while I read my book,  all morning and half the afternoon.  No company, and no visitors makes for a quiet time.  I at least made lunch for Ken, but the rest of the day I did nothing but watch the lake and read my book.    This is a holiday weekend and by mid-afternoon today, three Seadoos  were scooting around and making a loud noise, but fortunately we had to head for home.  This was the first time we have heard or seen these noisy beasts out on the lake and I hope they are the last.   Two ducks visited me several times.  They seem totally unafraid of humans.  They sat on the ramp preening their feathers for almost thirty minutes, then tucked their neck around into their back and took a nap, with Ken close-by in the kayak.  The rabbits just sit and look at you while you walk past them, and the chipmunk cames right onto the deck while we sit there eating lunch.  Amazing.

That is my two lazy days at the cottage.  It is a bit like taking a nap.  Is this a good thing or a bad thing, spending two days doing nothing productive?  That is the question.

September 3, 2009. Western Head, N.S. Workmen.

We are very fortunate with our working people here in Queen's County, Nova Scotia.  Working hard and doing well seems to be bred in the bone.    On Sunday I left a message with Robbie that a leak seemed to have developed, coming onto the living room ceiling from the new bathroom.  The new little bathroom was installed three years ago.    His return call came in the evening, to say that by 8:30 a.m. on Monday,  he would be there.  Sure enough, he came with his helper, whistling all the while,  opened up the roof of the living room but made no mess, fixed the leak immediately, and by 10:00 he was on his way.  In 1999 Robbie was the plumber for the old house renovations and the new construction, also the work in the Carriage House and the Cottage.   Back then, he was a young man, just starting his own business.    He always tries to finds a less expensive way, and often will try to talk us out of an expensive task, such as putting the heat in the floor in the garage, and putting so many valves installed in the heating system.  He is the opposite of a shyster.  He is quick and competent.

Now I have a hole in the ceiling of the living room, so I called our builder George, who came over directly and patched the hole, all while we were at the cottage.  Today, while we were out, he came by again to  sand the patch and put on an undercoat.  Soon after the patch is completely dry, either George or his crew will paint the area,  so that soon,  the patch will be a distant memory.  It is a remarkable system.  Two phone calls and the job is complete.  No fuss and muss.  Just quiet competence.  I feel so grateful for the quality of the workmen here in Queen's County.  I always wonder whether the long time residents understand how fortunate they are with their workmen.  

Septrmber 2, 2009. Western Head, N.S. Dinner Party.

Connie and Ross invited us for dinner at their home.    We met them last summer but between our company and their schedules,  we have never been able to get together with them at their home.  Then have attended several of our parties and we like them a lot, but it took us a year to find a suitable date.  Today was the night.   Ross attended Dalhousie Medical School, and four of those class mates decided to retire together here in Liverpool, and that is just what they have done.  The four lived and worked all over the world, but they kept in touch and now they all live here in retirement, in Liverpool, in lovely homes on the shore.   Ross and Connie designed and had built their own home and it is lovely.  Large and gracious.   Ross plays the bagpipes and plays many volunteer engagements.  He plays in three pipe bands and must play three of four times a week.  Fortunately he loves to play his bagpipes.  Every Thursday, one of his bands visits the cruise ships in Halifax, to give a demonstration to the good folks on the ship, of course wearing the full dress of a Scottish gentleman.  Connie plays the fiddle and plays Celtic music.

Tonight, at the dinner party, we met a new couple who live on Sand Beach Road, just along from Gill.  They summer in Vancouver and winter here in Nova Scotia, so even though they have lived here for over two years we are not here at the same time as them.  For years they lived in Montreal, in fact Bill was born there  but Cherise is from New Brunswick who moved to Montreal for College.  They married and  moved to Vancouver,  then they had three children.  The children still live there, so even though Bill would prefer to live full time in Nova Scotia, they return to Vancouver for half the year.  While out west, they travel the coast in their sail boat.  He is mostly retired.  It is a life style that could only be done in this day and time.  His daughter runs the company, which makes payrolls for other companies both large and small.  It was interesting to get to know them.  Now they are in the process of building a new home along the shore.  The home they bought here is quite small and too close to the water.  The last storm dumped two inches of water in their basement and came within a foot of their front door.  If it were my house I would build a new home too.  I was delighted to meet them.  Last week I went by to invite them for cocktails at our home, but they were out of town.  They will be here for the rest of the season now, until they return to Vancouver in April.

The other couple there was Loretta and Butch, who were both born  in Newfoundland.  Butch can speak a great Newfoundland accent.  Saturday evening Ken and I will dine in their home in Liverpool.  More about them later.  Our evening was lovely.  Wonderful food and wine and interesting lively people.  These good folks in Nova Scotia are very welcoming.

September 1, 2009. Western Head, N.S. The Cottage.

Today. after lunch, Ken and I are going to the cottage.  There was a big rain and a big blow this weekend and we left all our outdoor furniture in place so we are keen to see what happened to all the chairs and tables.  We are expecting several chairs  to be found in the lake.  With the schools in action here in Nova Scotia we expect the lake to be very quiet.  Normally, a busy day is four or five boats passing us in the middle of the lake, so this time of year we will see only loons and ducks.  This summer a family of ducks came by regularly to be fed.  At this time of the year, the babies are bigger than the parents, which is the same as with the sea gulls.  The only thing that distinguishes  the parents from the babies is their color.  In both species the young ones are darker than the parents.

Today Dave and Irene leave for home.  Right now, Wendy has come by to say goodbye and Clifton has just driven up to do the same.  Tim and Kate left this morning.  We are all back to our small group on Gull Bay.  Our summer here has been busy and happy.  Now we have a bit of peace and quiet before returning to the big city.  The Autumn season in Nova Scotia is beautiful.  Very often the weather is better in the Fall than in the summer.  My sister Carol and husband Ken have always come to stay in our home here in Nova Scotia in September and she will do so this year, coming on Labor Day and staying the month.  The good weather stays pleasant through the end of October.  At that point, the Mitchell's leave for Delaware and Annapolis.  Ken and I try to come back at least once in the Fall and this year we come at the end of September, to close up the cottage and visit with my sister for a bit.  These summers go by very quickly.  Ken's garden is bountiful this year so Betty and Vinal will harvest the vegetables.  The venture was worthwhile.  

Now we too must soon say goodbye to the sea, but not yet.  We have a few days of quiet enjoyment.