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.