July 7, 2021. Western Head, Nova Scotia. Strawberries.

I appreciate being able to eat strawberries all through the year. The boxes in the grocery stores look wonderful. And you can get them everywhere I live. So I buy and eat those large berries. But then I come to Nova Scotia when the strawberries are in season and I remember how strawberries used to taste. Today in my garage was left a quart box of fresh local berries. Friend David had gone berry picking yesterday after work so he left a box for me. The berries are bright red and about as big as the end of my thumb, which means they are half the size of the berries we buy in our grocery store. I know they are both strawberries but they taste totally different. These berries are juicy and sweet. They are not a bit dry. The only problem with these local berries is that they only last a few weeks. Then we are back to eating the big but not juicy berries from the store. I feel fortunate that I arrived just at the height of the berry season. The season is a bit like the cherry blossoms in DC in that the cherries come into bloom when they are ready. The strawberries are just the same. But this year I got lucky. In addition he brought me a tupper ware full of strawberry puree to use on ice cream. As I have no ice cream, I will use some tomorrow on toast. And I will enjoy.

July 6, 2021. Western Head, Nova Scotia. Time Zones.

My eating schedule while I lived in Mississippi was dictated by what I wanted to watch on TV. I do not enjoy sitting at the table eating by myself because it makes me feel sad. Instead I find something I want to watch on TV and sit watching while I eat my meals. For lunch I watched two travel shows, start9ng at 1:00 Central Time zone. My favorite evenin shows begin at 7:00 which again is perfect for my evening meal. Antiques Road Show, Finding Your Roots, Nature and American Masters all air at 7:00. If I do not like a show at 7:00, I find something good at 8:00 which is still OK for a late dinner. But this does not work in Atlantic Canada. The time is 2 hours later in the Atlantic Time Zone than Central Time. The evening shows here begin at 9:00 which is too late for dinner. If I have company, I have no trouble because we always sit at the dining table. But so far, no one has said anyhing about visiting Nova Scotia so I must figure out a different sysem for TV and eating. During the last Olympics I said I was going to fly to Vancouver so I could watch the Olympics earlier in the evening than Atlantic Canada. In order to watch the Olympics, I was forced to stay up very late. I might just stay up later than normal and then sleep in later in the day. In the past, Ken and I ignored the t differences in the time zones. But this year for me it is causing me trouble. Tennis from Wimbleton starts here at 9:00 am rather than 7:00 in Texas, which is good. But I must find something to watch for my meals. And I must do it soon!!

July 5, 2021. Western Head, Nova Scotia. The Day After.

The day of travel is always difficult. I have learned to merely open my cases in order to remove nighly medications and then go to bed. In years past, I forced myself to put away all my elongings from the case and the bckpack but I have learned to leave everything alone and go to bed. That was what I did this time. I slept well and woke up at 5:00 wide awake and started puttering around in the bedroom. At 7:00 I took my morning medications expecting to go downstairs but decided to lie back down. I next awoke at 11:00, ready for the day. In past years, I was ready for the world but was not totally on my best so I have learned that I should be careful because I make mistakes. My first day home here in Nova Scotia was productive. I just put things away. Plus I returned the objects in the house to their proper place. By the end of the day I could function at home. But what a big difference in my life. I turned on the heat in the bedroom my first night here and I have kept it on. I wore wool socks. The temperature outside on Saturday was 54 degrees and the sea was calm. Sunday was 57 degrees with high surf. Today was 70 degrees and sunny. And the surfers were out. By the evening of my first full day here I began to feel normal so even though travel is tiring, the effects wear off. The day after travel I return to almost normal and by today I am as good as I ever get. I am always grateful for the day after when my systems return to normal. And every day gets better. Today the sun shone all day and it was beautiful at Western Head in Nova Scotia. I am pleased to be here.

July 4, 2021. Western Head, Nova Scotia. A Welcome Home.

The gate was open, a sure sign that the house is being lived in. And the whole house was alight both inside and out. As I seldom go out at night in Nova Scotia I seldom see the whole house alive with light. The house looked to be glowing and was a wonderful sign to welcome me home on Friday night. The door into the garage was unlocked by Mary who also turned on all the lights. When I came into the house, I could feel the warmth. Friday all day it rained so Mary turned on a bit of heat in the living room which was also welcoming. And Mary put groceries in the fridge fo me. As I looked around the garage and the inside of the house I could see that the house was clean as a whistle. Jacky had come several times prior to my arrival to clean the main house and Guest House. And she made up the bed with flannel sheets, even turning down the sheet corner, again welcoming me to get into bed. Coming home here to a clean house is always a pleaure, thanks to Jacky. And the Internet, TV and telephone were all working too. Eastlink had turned on the service mid June but Joey, the computer man came to check the systems to be sure they were running well when I arrived. And they did. By the end of the day today, the house is in order with everything in it'splace with glasses of water beside my chairs and all mail dealt with. Many people were responsible to make the home welcoming me home. For that I am grateful.

JULY 3, 2021. Western Head, Nova Scotia. Unruly Passengers.

I have read several incidents of passengers flying on planes becoming unruly. Several have been arested upon arrival and others have been so obstreperous that the plane landed to have police rmove the passenger before the flight could continue. It seems that when people wear a mask, they think they are invisible and can say or do whatever they wish. At least that is the theory. For sure, the airlines report an increase with difficult passengers. Both Friday on the two flights and again to Halifx yesterday I observd unusual behaviour. Several times on all flights the hostess was required to admonish passengers to sit down over the public address system. People were going to the rest rooms when the sign to buckle up was lit and had to be asked to return to their seat. And during the descent, several people stood up to put stuff in the overhead bins. Once again, more words on the PA. I have heard the hostesses to admonish people in the past to sit down when the buckle up sign is in force but I have never heard it so often and so sternly, musliple times. Maybe people have forgotten how to behave during a flight? Or perhaps they are just angry? Or are they are just sick and tired of being told what to do? But no matter the reasons, people on planes are not acting as in the old days. Of course, most passengers are plesant and patient, but not all. Some are down right unruly...even some Canadians on the flight to Halifax. What a surprise.

July 2, 2021. Western Head, Nova Scotia. Canada. I did it.

Getting to Nova Scotia was easy because I had all the paper work. My flight was an hour late leaving Toronto due to a bad storm. Just as we were all loaded and the last of the bags were being put in the plane, a severe thunder and lightning storm descended. So we waited. But that was the last fireworks we saw. I breezed through the officials when we arived because I had ben pre-approved. All I needed to do was to show my approval on my phone to the official and I was through with all the paper work. Of course I travelled the whole way with my Candian passport. I would have not been allowed into Canada without it. Now I am home in my lovely house by the shore but at the moment all I can hear is the fog horn, which is indeed welcoming. It wasn't easy but I am here!! Nifty.

July 1, 2021. Toronto, Ontario. The Covid Tests.

On Monday I took a Covid test in San Antonio at 1:00. We expected to get the results 24 hours later. But we went out to our final dinner worried about not getting that test. I knew not having the results would prohibit my journey to Canada. But at 10:30pm I got the e mail. so I could proceed with my travels. We were so worried about getting the results that on Monday afternoon Suzanne and I took a rapid test even though the Canadians will not allow the test. But finally the negative results arrived. When I checked in at the counter on Wednesday, the lady needed to look at all my documents. My papers passed that first time which was repeated at the second flight plus when going through customs and immigration. And I was allowed into Canadsa because all the paper work was correct. Then I went to to Covid test section. I had pre registered for the test. First my request had to be found. Then it needed to switch the information into the company doing the test. This took 20 minutes. Then I went to the next station with people wearing robes and gloves. Funally I met the nurse who took the test. So in two days I have had 3 Covid tests. This afternoon my test results arrived via internet, which was negative, which was not a surprise. So now I am free to leave my isolation in Toronto. Tomorrow, I fly to Halifax and then on to Liverpool. Mr. Gaskell will pick me up and Mary & Walt will turn on the lights and open the door. I have been approved to enter Nova Scotia but I do not trust them. I am still keeping Plan B. in place just incase I have trouble. To tomorrow I am on the plane again. And I hope all will go well.