Social Butterfly

Let's try this again shall we? Last night I stayed up until almost 1 a.m. and with about two hours of work updated the blog. Had it all finished and was just proof reading it when something happened and I lost the entire post. No way could I recover it. Sigh. Nothing to do but go to bed and try again today. Since there was so much I wanted to tell you, I'll do it again. Hopefully this time will be quicker.

Last week my two buddies took me out to lunch at The Lobster Shack as promised. It was delicious (of course) and I enjoyed my hot lobster roll with house salad (spinach, nuts, dried cranberries, cheese in a blueberry vinaigrette) Yum. Somehow my generous hosts managed between them to overpay the bill and the waitress followed us out to the car to give us the money. She was obviously raised properly as she could have had a generous tip since my two benefactors weren't comparing notes. 

Wednesday was my road trip to physio and I was proclaimed 'on the road to recovery'. I have exercises to do which include hanging my arm over the edge of the table with a soup can in my hand for 15 minutes daily and wrapping a towel around my head and pulling up with both hands on the ends as if to lengthen myself. Might be best if I am without a roommate this time as anyone watching this performance would likely fill out the Form 5 (Nunavut version of involuntary committal papers) on me. I have almost complete range of motion back now in my left shoulder now. Not a big fan of the posture support brace but I'll wear it while working I've promised. 

Thursday my friend and I had plans to go to Tancook Island for the day to do something fun and different as a distraction on the anniversary of her husband's death. The plans were changed as her son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter were heading down from the city after work for the weekend and we needed a shorter day trip - Tancook is on the next summer list now. I told my buddy to dress in layers and wear boots as we were going on a mystery outing and I would have her back by 3 p.m. I picked her up at 8 a.m. and revealed that we were going to The Cape which is Cape Sable, a spit of land with a lighthouse off the The Hawk and the most southwesterly tip of Nova Scotia. Had made arrangements

Capt. Leslie Smith

for a retired fisherman to take us over in his outboard and pick us up later. He most certainly did not look his age of 85! He was so spry as he knelt on the floor of the boat, telling us stories with a twinkle in his eye as he is fond of the ladies. He also brought two men, one local and a friend from near Toronto, over to the Cape and picked us all up together in the afternoon. The local guy was telling us that years ago he had been a plumber in the city and he and a friend had shared a ride home on the weekends with Leslie and some other Coast Guard rescue boat staff who were doing training in the city. One weekend when the Lunenburg Fisheries Exhibition was on they stopped to pick up two girls heading to the Ex. Since there were six guys in the vehicle they climbed right in and sat on laps of fellows in the back seat. Leslie was annoyed that he was sitting in the front seat not the back! It was clear when we started over but the fog shut in as we approached the Cape and it was drizzly at times, then warm as the sun almost broke through giving risk 

of a 'fog burn'. Very comfortable weather for walking though as we hiked the beach with collections of various plovers skittering around, found some little footprints which were most likely mink, then surprised the sheep as we cut across the grass to check out the cottages, inspected the fenced in 'trees' in the middle of the Cape, caused a beautiful hawk to jump up and soar away and finally stopped for lunch outside of Aunt Lottie's Hotel where we found a note stating the conditions for staying overnight - $20 per night or $30 for two nights, bring your own drinking water and sleeping bags. Now that would be a fun adventure! We had a delicious picnic on a checkered tablecloth of cheese buns with roast beef, cheddar, havarti and mustard, carrots, watermelon, fruit bars and pink champagne at 11 a.m. with a toast to our missing friend. A couple of years back when four of us women headed over to Cape Negro Island we had a wonderful picnic of all sorts of homemade cookies, wine, etc. and ruminated as to what men would take for a picnic - a bag of chips and beer it was decided. When the guys visiting the Cape were

Aunt Lottie's Hotel

questioned by Leslie as to whether they had a picnic one stated "well we had some food, I wouldn't call it a picnic" which further proved our theory. A day of memories and reflections which had just the right pace. After lunch we made our way to the lighthouse (yes it most certainly does need to be painted and that is what the fundraising is for) and wow the fog horn is loud! The shore captain's grandfather and his great uncle used to keep the light over 70 years ago so there were lots of 'on the Cape' stories but I had never visited it before. We walked back along the beach and it reminded us of the Outer Banks of the Carolinas. So peaceful with the seagulls and little shorebirds fluttering around. We then noticed that the two mean were waiting for pickup on a point of land across a low marshy area which even the sheep were avoiding.  Brackish pools, spiky grass and smell of mud flats of childhood past.

 Walking around the edge, then attempting some of the higher areas only caused wet feet from the marsh muck. Finally we made out way to the point and in a very few moments Leslie reappeared to take us to the mainland. He just jogged along as the wind has aired up some causing a bit of chop and the temperature had dropped with the feeling of rain not too far off. Lots of time to stop for errands and then make my hair appointment before putting on supper. Stiff and sore after tall the hiking on the cobble beach and across the uneven ground but certainly glad we did this.

Friday morning was an 'up and off early' day as I took my car for servicing - managed to put 7000 km on it in the eight weeks I was home. Not too shabby. Also had the undercoating done so that took a bit longer. First I stopped at Bistro 138 and had breakfast, read the paper and caught up on the local news, shopped locally (while visiting) and then back to the garage to pick up a loaner car and head out to get some groceries, a stop at Frenchy's and then home to enjoy the clean house which is a spiritual event every Friday. Ahhh. Had a nice visit from my mother-in-law and her husband where she was catching up with what all her grandchildren are up too. Nice to have such positive news to relay. It occurred to me at the physio clinic when I was listing off their accomplishments to the high school English teacher that they had all had how very lucky we are to have such bright, hard working offspring. Friday evening we decided to get serious about booking the flights for the Griswald's vacation to Mexico for March Break and found the prices had risen and there was even less selection. After some bumps in the online booking - where Air Canada put the price of their leg of the journey up $50 while we were attempting to book it - we managed with the help of the call centre to get the tickets confirmed. Talk of driving to Portland, AmTrak to Boston and the flight to Cancun from there which can all be arranged a bit later as it's the NS March Break which was giving us the hassle. The western girls won't have the same problems as it's not a school break there either. 

Today was the day where the procrastination of "I'll do that tomorrow" couldn't be allowed and so this morning I packed for my northern adventure. I have left some of my northern winter gear with one of the western daughters so at least don't have to schlep it all across Canada with me, but will pick it up Monday night. I charged all the electronics, printed the e-ticket, grocery list, map to prove my mileage and got my last minute gear together. The afternoon brought the last chance (until November) to catch a few rays on the deck, walk the dog, cancel the newspaper and activate my Qiniq (northern internet) account and then prepare for the surf and turf BBQ we had this evening for about a dozen. The shore captain outdid himself with halibut and pork ribs, we had broccoli salad, tossed salad, cheese bread sticks, roasted Greek potatoes and for dessert a guest brought lemon, blueberry cake with lemoncello frosting, peach crisp with whipped cream and fruit salad. Good friends, good food, good conversation. 

The shore captain is tucked in (for the second time after the phone has woken him) for the night as he'll be up at 4 a.m. to unload boats. I am looking forward to the last sleep in my own bed for 54 days as I'm heading in to store the car tomorrow, supper with the teacher daughter and then a stay at the hotel near the airport.

http://halifax.althotels.ca/en/hotel/concept

And when it comes to $10 more and not have to hassle with the shuttle at 6 a.m. but rather walk the few steps to the terminal...convenience won out. That'll be the story for the next morning. The next news will likely be from 69 degrees north.