September 21, 2021. Western Head, Nova Scotia. Sailing In the Fog.

My friend Mary went sailing on Saturday. Accompanying her were Fran and Kevin a young man who is intellectually chalenged. He loves to sail with Mary. He is also in the band with Mary and Fran. Mary has a 16 foot boat that she enjoys. The day seemed overcast and cloudy but not particularly foggy at the marina. At our house in Gull Bay it was the same. They sailed out of the harbor and were well out to the mouth of the river when all of a sudden the fog descended. Immediately Mary said they could see nothing except fog. She turned around the boat and started sailing back to the marina but she really did not know where she was or where she was going. She could see nothing but fog. The first thing she did was check her phone which was out of battery. Fortunately, Kevin had a phone and had a GPS which Mary was able to find the marina. So all the way back to the marina she followed the red dot on the phone. When she first was able to see the GPS, she realized that she had been sailing right out to sea, even though she thought she had turned the boat around and was heading to shore. Had she kept on going, she could have been half way to Bermuda. On the journey back to shore following the red dot, a large engine could be heard which Mary felt was a big boat. The fog was still dense so even though Mary could hear the engine of a large boat she could not see it. Mary was fearful of the big boat running down her little sailboat so she quickly started her little motor so she could get away from the engine. And she was able to get away and not get run over. The three did return to the dock unharmed but for awhile, they were in dire straights. But everyone kept calm and all was well in the little boat. When Mary told us the story it seemed funny but it was not funny at th time. Trying to sail in fog is impossible. But they got lucky thanks to Kevin's phone.

September 20, 2021. Western Head, Nova Scotia. Surfing Paradise.

In the middle of the night the wind began to blow. By 7:00am there were 7 surfers on Gull Bay. The waves were high and grew during the day. The ocean was perfect for the surfers. Pat walked down to the causeway late in the morning and one lady surfer told Pat that the waves were higher than normal and that the waves really tossed her around. "Surfing is hard work today," she said. "But it is great fun." All day Sunday they surferd, sometimes taking a break in their vans. They were still there at 6:00pm but they were gone by dark. The day was glorious with full sun and of course the high wind. We sat outside to watch the action in the afternoon and we were hot. I had no idea what was causing the high waves because this morning they were gone. But for a day, finally, the surfers were happy. And so were we. The surfers just appear on the scene. They have a system to check the height of the waves. Then they alert their bussies. They change into their wet suit standing on the road beside their vehicle. They do the same at the end of their day. So if you wish to see very fit men and women naked by their van this would be the place. They pay no attention to those walking or driving by. Yeaterday it was indeed a surfers paradise, but only for the one day. But it was fun while it lasted.

September 19, 2021. Western Head, Nova Scotia. A Dinner Party.

Pat and Mal offered to host a dinner party at my house. Their plan was to invite the friends, shop, then cook the whole meal. Tonight was the night for the party and it was splendid. I asked Mal to cook my big bag of scallops which I have had frozen from last year and he did. Along with the scallops they served a green salad and baggets. For appitizers we ate two types of cheese and crackers plus mixed nute. The only thing I did was to set the table while they did everything else. Their guests were Gill, Mary & Cliff and Frances Y. so we were a happy group if seven. All of those guests had entertained Pat and Mal over the years so they were happy to cook for those good friends of mine. And we had a good time. Mary brought cooked squash which was a good addition to the meal. Over the years Ken and I entertained many friends for dinner and it was no problem. But now I only entertain when I have house guests. But tonight with Pat and Mal doing all the organization and the cooking it was a pleasure to be using all my big lonvely bowls. Pat and Mal made the suggestion but the actual event was even better than we anticipated. We all had a good time at our dinner party, put together by Pat and Mal. Gold star to them.

September 18, 2021. Western Head, Nova Scotia. Paul's German Bistro.

Paul's German Bistro is the most unlikely restaurant in Liverpool to have survived the pandemic. But it has. Anna and I ate lunch there on Friday and we were pleased to see it was busy. The little restaurant is at the end of the main street in a little old house. You must park across the street or on a side road. The cook and his wife live on the second floor of the little house. The owner of the house is Paul. But he is not the cook, whose name is Hans. He is german with a strong accent and is gruff. His food is only German food which is heavy. His menu is limited. But here he is, going gang buster. The restaurant is small with 7 tables inside. But three patios have been added on th front, which are covered which doubles the capacity. And Hans cooks just when you order. Nothing is prepared ahead so you mut wait for you food. But the food is excellent so you do not mind waiting. Three years ago at lunch we overheard an argument between Hans and the waitress. She stomped off, slamming the door on her way out. Hans always comes and checks with you to be sure your food is to your liking but that time he came to aplogized. And he served us our food. Yesterday all was well. I ate a potato dumpling, which was delicious. Half of it came home with me. I am delighted to see that Paul's Bistro has survived. But I am also surprised.

September 17, 2021. Western Head, Nova Scotia. A Visit With Walt & Mary.

Pat & Mal have visited us in Nova Scotia every year since we moved here, so they know all our friends. But when we had dinner with Gill, Mary & Clif to welcome them to Nova Scotia, I did not invite Mary & Walt. At two social events recently in other peoples homes for a meal, I thought that Walt was taxed by the length of the event. So I decided to invite Mary & Walt for coffee. But I forgot until this week. But I finally invited them for coffee. They came at 11:00 and we had a good visit. Except they never had anything to eat or drink. Pat was all set to put our mugs and cream and sugar and plates. We had Danish Pastries to serv with the coffee. But I stopped Pat and told her that most likely, Walt & Mary would just visit but not eat or drink. And that was what transpired. We just sat in the living room and talked. It was a pleasant visit. Mary & Walt were happy to see Pat & Mal and Pat & mal were happy to see Mary & Walt. And they stayed just over an hour. No fuss or muss. Mary & Walt were the easiest of guests. And all 5 of us enjoyed ourselves sitting in the living room chatting. Great visit.

September 16, 2021. Western Head, Nova Scotia. The Quarterdeck.

Once upon a time, there was a funky, charming restaurant overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. It was just south of Hunts Point along highway 3. Beside the very small restaurant are two sections of motel rooms. The restaurant was eccentric and we enjoyed going there. When you first arrived, the waitress brought you cheese buiscuits, enough for everyone. They were small but delicious. The complex was sold and the new owner made many changes. First he expanded the motel. And on the other side of the highway he built a modern set of vacation rentals up the hill so looking out the windows you could see the ocean. Fortunately you can not see the units from the road because it is glitzy and glassy. The old restaurant was demolished and a new buiding expanded. The view is wonderful. When the tide is in, as it was yesterday when we were there, you feel as if you are right over the water. The decor is modern with lots of white and black so although it is pleasant, the building could be anywhere in a big city. So all the charm departed. In addition, they stopped serving those marvelous biscuits. So we stopped going there for lunch. The food stopped being very good too. Yesterday, Pat, Mal and I went to the Quartrdeck for lunch. I have mellowed. If you want biscuits, you can order and pay for them. Our food was good and the service excellent. The view was just as beautiful as ever. I feel sure that I will continue to enjoy that restaurant for the forseeable future because they have the best view in town.

September 15, 2021. Western Head, Nova Scotia. Treasures.

Every home holds treasures, mostly valuable only to the owner. One such treasure in my home rests on the buffet in the dining room. No one notices it but to me, it is a beautiful treasure. My brother Dave brought me this small wooden tray from Japan. By itself it is lovely and for quite a while I used the wooden tray at home in Martland and used it for entertaining. Years ago, I brought it to Nova Scotia and elevated its status from holding cheese and crackers. I started collecting little stones and shells and tuned it into a type of Japanese garden. At one end can be seen several small pretty stones. In the center is a perfect sand dollar alongside a round white shell. At the far end is a larger flat stone holding a few very small stones. And in the bottom left corner can ve seen tiny shells. The scene pleases me and I like looking at my Japanese garden. Most Japanese gardens are sparse so I started out with just a few of everything but over the years, additional pieces have been added to the collection. No one tells me when these folks add to my collection. Every so often, I remove objects bcause I wish the tray not to be crowded. But piece by piece, the tray gets crowded again. Clearly, more people than me are paying attention to my little treasure. This wood tray with its stones and shells are not a bit valuable but to me, it is a treasure.