Root Canal

The very sound of it scares all but the bravest of souls. That was the way it was but now it strikes fear in only the very faintest of brave hearts. After breaking off my front tooth some 8 days ago I was determined to get it fixed quickly.I received an appointment immediately but my dentist cleaned up the mess and re-glued the crown. He determined that a root canal was necessary so the next day I go to another dentist who is a specialist. He must be important because I cannot remember his title nor spell it.

At any rate he took me and prepared to take off the crown. He could not remove it so began drilling down through the old crown. There was no pain but that horrible sound and smell of a high speed drill burning it's way through old tooth bone.The procedure lasted about 45 minutes and he asked me every minute how I was doing. I was trying to get to another space in my mind but he kept bringing me back to reality.

After what I thought was an eternity he stopped and said we were half way done. I never collapsed but the second half was again followed by information like we are nearing the nerve. There might be some pain as a little infection deadens the effect of the freezing. Good. I closed my eyes and thought of my time in the freezing Arctic and finally he stopped drilling and said all he had to do now was fill the hole and set the post.

Fifteen minutes more and he said it was all done, What a difference from my first root canal. It was a horrible event.This one was painless and so professional. I am looking to go back to this dentist the next time I need a root canal. Past experience [ bad] can really colour your future fears.  This was a real eye opener. These young dentists are terrific.

When Is A Barber A Hairdresser

For almost 70 years I have been having my hair cut by a barber. My early barber was either Mom or Dad. They were both good and had a barber set purchased through the Family Herald. This was a rural or farmers paper out of Winnipeg.You could get almost everything from the trade pages and we did.

Later in life I had my hair cut by one of the family except when something special was on and I went to Bert Davis  and he cut your hair for $.20. I liked to go there and wait for a while as he had girlie magazines, the ones that Mom forbade me to look at. He also had a slot machine in the back room and you could play it for pennies or nickels. This also was a no  no for Mom.

I just arrived home from Florida and attended a Easter dinner. With a broken tooth preventing me from smiling or even grinning the kids told me my hair made me look like a hippie. I decided to get to the barber.I found a dozen ways of hiding that front tooth from showing up in the family pictures but wearing a hat was out of the question.

Early yesterday morning I went to what I thought was a barber. Magic cuts was the name as I thought that for once their magic could cover up that light spot on the top of my head, I entered this bright room with no less than six lovely ladies looking for business. I was their first victim. I had been working in the yard previously and noticed my clothes looked a little out of place. This young lady came and placed some fancy clothes around my neck and asked if I wanted my hair washed before or after. I just washed my hair last night but said before.

I quickly and I mean quickly found myself laying back and a torrent of hot water completely engulfed my head, Two minutes and it was over and then she asked me how I wanted my hair cut, with scissors or clippers. I said both and she started but continued with a hundred questions. I was never asked questions before and I asked the barber what all the fuss was, all I wanted was a haircut. She firmly answered that she was not a barber but a hair stylist. Boy was I in the wrong place.

I went quiet in my shell and never looked up until she held that damn mirror over my bald spot and asked how it looked. Actually it looked worse because she cut some more hair off the top. I attempted to get out of the chair but she was not done. A variety of sprays were available. I wanted to get away and waved her smelly stuff back to the counter.

It was here I realized the difference between a barber and a hairdresser. How much I asked noting that it was senior day.Well then it will be $16.50 rather than $21.50. So the difference is $5.00 on senior day but at my barber in Cape Coral it is $8.00 every day. I learned something yesterday...if one of my family gets in that business I want them to be a hair stylist.

Fast Trip Home

As I delivered Theresa and Doris to the airport in Ft Myers I drove home with a thousand thoughts on my mind. After getting all the little tasks completed I decided to go to bed early and get a head start in the morning. I had this bad feeling about getting sleep in a house where all the windows and doors were sealed with shutters. My mind raced and I had visions of a fire and how would I make my escape. This was a negative , wasted thought as we never had a fire but my mind was convinced that it could happen.

I threw off the bed clothes and made the bed and was determined to pack the freezers and head home right away. After loading the last things in the van I went to set the security system. This is where things became unravelled. It is my habit of placing bottles of fumigating matter in each room and as I left I would activate them. Well I set the alarms and made my way to the garage. I listened for the long sound that signalled everything was OK. Before this our whole fire alarm system went bonkers. The fumigation material set off the fire alarms. I quickly re-entered the house to a horrible smell and made my way to the security box which was at the far side of the house,

With watering eyes and nerve racking sound I stopped the security system which read Police were  coming. I reset the system  and made my way out but with the smell being so bad I failed to pick up my cup of hot chocolate and ice cream bar. I left it for the ants I guess. Anyway I got in my van and at 12,39 am I started for home. The trip was quiet without the ladies but my GPS kept me on tract. As I entered South Carolina there was a weather watch and heavy rain, hail and very heavy hail pounded my van and the police halted traffic because of a tornado in the area. It passed quickly and we moved on. The place where it crossed the road was devoid of any vegetation and it was lucky there were no people or houses nearby. I arrived home at 12,30 pm and our house was empty. Theresa and Doris were at the hospital but all was well.

Doris is getting stronger and in a few days will continue with her work scrubbing floors and dishes. Actually she amazes me for her age and will get a well deserved rest for a week or two. It is good to be home to 38 degree weather and cool winds and rain but it is Ontario and it is the end of April. I always feel better when I cross the Peace Bridge and see the Welcome to Canada sign. Better still I will have an opportunity to do my duty and vote in the election.It was a fast trip home but don't you always think the way back is so much faster than the going away, I do.

All Alone

I just returned from the airport where I left Theresa and Doris . It was a weird feeling to return to our house as empty as can be and to feel alone. With many little details to attend to I was not long feeling sorry for myself and cleaned up the stove top and repacked a few items so they would be reached within arms length as I drove home. The trip home is 2282 Kms and it takes about 23 hours. I divide the time in a 16..8  hour day.

I shall get a good sleep and be off At 3.30 or 4 am. The first five or six hours are bonus hours as there is no traffic. Along the way I love to watch the birds and animals and the time flies. I never speed and have never had a traffic violation in all the years down here.

As I have packed my last few things I look about and make a survey of the grounds to make sure all the tools and objects are secured in case of a hurricane. Our small cat which visits Theresa every day knows something is up and visits with a quiet meow to get my attention. Some cat food handles this small interruption to an otherwise silent house.

Tomorrow is our anniversary so we had a special dinner before they left. Having Doris home was cause enough for a small celebration but our anniversary made it specially good. Fresh salmon, mashed potatoes and fresh vegetables followed by strawberry shortcake was a great way to begin our migration back home. Home where our family will get together on Sunday to celebrate Easter and Family.

With all these good thoughts the house does not seem so lonely and with the good expectations of the next few days why should I feel so. Maybe I should change the title to all alone with my great thoughts of family.

Staying Focused

All my life I have been telling people to stay focused when there is a decision to be made. Now that Theresa and I are in a extremely difficult place where we have little or no control it is important I keep the advice I gave so often. With people making decisions without our input and insurance company workers following the script to make sure that every cent is protected we are at the mercy of strangers. We usually work, play and associate with folk who are known to us and we feel safe. Out in the world where you are a number its another story.

For thousands of people this situation is a daily reality and it must be scary. As we watched the mechanics of arriving at a decision as to what was to be done for Doris , I saw several layers of concern. The first was the medical team whose first and only concern should be her well being. In our case it was and a wonderful team of Dr's,Nurses and support staff did everything possible to give her the care required to make her well.

The next concern was when a procedure was suggested by the Cardiac Doctor. He had to stop and consult the insurance company. The company then evaluated the cost and decided that the procedure which was a costly  one would be done free in Canada so made the decision to transport Doris back to Canada by air ambulance. The hitch however was that there had to be a friendly receiving hospital with an available ICU bed in a isolation situation. Out of country patients have to be segregated for a period of time.

Then came the waiting. It is now 10 days and as no bed could be obtained the procedure is to be done this pm. All that time putting Doris at risk and now we wait for the results. We will sit and wait, and worry while the Dr. performs this procedure and then decides what is best for Doris based on the results. I tried to talk to the insurance company yesterday but they refused until after the procedure. As we have to make plans it leaves us in limbo.

As this saga go on I can only say how lucky we are that we have universal coverage and not private insurance where decisions are made on the basis of profit, not need. I hope and am positive about the eventual outcome for Doris, but the path to wellness is a rocky and stressful one and not one we wish to repeat. Stay Focused Henry and stay calm....yes.

Hot Work

Getting ready to close up your home in Florida is hot work. With the temperature in the nineties you feel the humidity even more. Putting on the hurricane shuttles is my hardest task as the ton of metal enclosers have to be carried from the garage and individually bolted to the wall of the house.This year I was fortunate and never had a stripped bolt or any real problem.

Putting the trees and plants to bed is a labour of love and my time spent in the yard was pleasure. I documented the growth of the trees and speculated at the increase when I return . I am always amazed at one half year growth here in Florida.

With the heat of the day we have no need for heating the pool and swimming the last few nights with the full moon and warm water was a treat.Our last few days in Florida are always special because we hear from our family that the weather is really not to good yet so stay as long as you are able. I am looking forward to getting my hands dirty in good Ontario soil and seeing the blossoms come out on our fruit trees. Living in two different worlds has its benefits and its challenges as well. Right now I welcome both and will be glad to head north in a few days.

Working With The System (medical)

Frustration is not the word about how I feel at this point as Theresa and I are attempting to get Doris much needed help. As we have Medi Pac Insurance sponsored through the Snow Birds I thought everything would be fine if we needed help. Except for a few minor needs Theresa and I were very satisfied with our coverage. Theresa's Mom who is 93 experienced difficulty a few days ago and it has been a nightmare ever since.

The first hospital was attentive and offered great service to take care of her needs. The insurance company however decided that she should be moved 40 miles away as the rates were less expensive. That receiving hospital also was great and gave her excellent care and made her comfortable and safe as as her condition had to do with the heart. The attending Doctor also gave her exceptional care but recommended that she should have a procedure which had to be approved by the insurance company.

The Medi PAC authorities decided against the procedure and made plans to medic vac her back to Canada. That was last Wednesday and here we are coming up on to Tuesday with Doris still in ICU with no move being made. Every day we visit and inquire and the same answer comes back to us. There is no Ontario Hospital with a bed to receive her. The explanation is that because she is from out of country she will require a ICU room with isolation. So here we are over a week with a needy senior lady without a home base hospital to take her in. I can see the game being played and it is so frustrating.

The attending Dr here will perform the procedure if she is not moved by tomorrow. That will mean days more here in Florida and if followup is required she will then be transferred home. The Florida hospitals are not at fault and have been fine but it is the Insurance system and their inability to get a room in Ontario.

We hope for Doris's sake this will be settled by tomorrow. I guess I am not too good working with insurance companies who put profit before people. Tonight I will go to sleep with one thing on my mind. Will tomorrow be the end of this nightmare?

On Her Way Home

Doris is  in her 94th year and has travelled with us over the years. Her stays in Florida amazed our neighbours when they realized her age. They saw her walking daily by herself, swimming every day during the winter and generally being a lively person with a zest for life.

The years caught up to her this week and she had a fight with her body and heart and had to get some relief from the doctors at the regional hospitals. All the nurses and care workers admired her spunk and didn't make a sound when they prodded and pinched her flesh to see what was bothering her. Needles and iv's she took in stride and managed to comment about the good weather and the trees she could see through her window.

Well she is getting a special ride home on a Lear Jet called a medic-vac and along with Theresa they will be returning to Oakville in style. Doris needs some more help and with her return to home she will be with her extended family and accept the spoiling again which comes with being an exceptional Senior.

I was sad to see her hooked up to those tubes and wires because she always said she never wanted to be sick and need help. Well she does need help and I know with a little TLC and some good care she will be back to her rightful place walking the sidewalk on Falgarwood to meet and greet the neighbours who love her dearly.

When A Handshake Is Good Enough

Our local farmers market is held every Saturday in the center of Cape Coral. The people who sell there are a range of local farmers and fruit growers as well as green house people. I have been dealing with one particular tree grower who caters to individuals who like to grow their own fruit trees. He sells about 40 different varieties of fruit trees and is very knowledgeable about everything he sells.

I have purchased half a dozen trees from him and besides getting a fair price he and his wife offer a wealth of advice. Their advice ranges  from planting , fertilizing to general care and you can get this help every Saturday for free. I purchased a star fruit tree and followed instructions to the letter. In spite of everything the tree lost its leaves during the first week. I inquired as to the problem and he said wait for a few weeks and it will come back. I waited four weeks and there was no revival. I dug it up and brought it back. After a discussion as to what might have caused the pre mature death of this noble tree he picked out another tree of equal size and told me again how to look after it. We shook hands as we did when I made the first purchase and he wished me luck.

These country folk who sell at the market guarantee their product but it is not in writing. For these people a simple hand shake will do thank you and they expect the same from from you. He never asked for a receipt or any proof of purchase but but he took me at my word.I like this way of doing business.

Garden Prep for The Fall

Time passes so quickly that weeks seem like days and months seem like weeks.Our six months here in Florida are about to end in four weeks. It is time to begin preparation for the fall. My vegetable garden is about done with some tomatoes and a few cauliflower remaining in the ground. As for the tomatoes we do not have enough use for the abundant crop this year. I credit building a clear plastic over the entire garden for its success. It protected itself against the few frosty nights and the direct sun on the extremely hot days. Our nine tomatoe plants gave us just over 500 tomatoes. They produced over a time span of 5 months and still have about 50 little ones on the vine. This year the product was much smaller in size but sweet and firm..We were able to supply our friends and neighbours with good tasting fruit. Florida tomatoes are horrible in taste but look good.
Today I roto tilled the garden leaving the few lonely plants to complete their job and I will repeat this job three more times before covering for the summer. I try to get every weed no matter how small out of the soil.When I cover the garden I first lay black plastic, next layer is cardboard and top layer is clear plastic. The cover provides a heated bed of soil capable of killing weed seeds and preventing plant growth during the summer. One year I never did this and when I returned there was  a small forest of weeds, some ten feet high.
Since I have to have everything ready well before departure day I start early. Every palm tree has to be fertilized and the citrus has to have special treatment to ensure good fruit. It looks as if our oranges will be very good as they already have a good start.
It is exciting to work in the garden and see the yearly growth in the trees and plants we grew from very small settings. As much as I am here and doing what has to be done my mind is already thinking of my vegetation at home. I will miss the daffidols and some of the tulips but pretty well be in time for the other flowers and planting of the annuals.
Every year Theresa ans I say we will cut back but it seems that I am unable to walk by an open piece of ground without seeing in my inward eye some juicy vegetable or beautiful flower. Well this year I promised to make an effort to reform and slow down and I am sure I will, at least try.

Mom's Kitchen

Today when we think of a kitchen we visualize a modern room filled with all the stainless steel appliances and a floor which shines and a neat breakfast table and chairs. All this along with over the stove fans, air conditioning and central heating. Quite a sight but one which most women expect in their home.

My Mom lived in a different era and as I watched a documentary on early Canadian living my mind immediately turned to my Mom's kitchen. To this day I do not understand how it functioned but functioned it did. Some time ago I was talking to my older sister Jeannie and we laughed at the way it was back then. We couldn't get a handle on the way our Mom would Marshall all of we kids into an orderly manner to function as a family.

Our kitchen was similar to most for our time. It appeared large to us but by to days standards it was small.It measured about 12 by 14 feet. In this room there were five doors. One to the basement, one to the bathroom, one to the dining room, one to go up stairs and one was the entrance. Two windows, one over the sink and one looking out over the backyard. Mom used these as a place for her geraniums and they bloomed summer and winter. The center of the room was our beautiful Enter prize stove. Mom loved this coal heated stove with the large oven and ornate warming shelf above the four lids and water heater. The stove had to be polished with stove black when the top was warm and the smell was special to me but the girls did not like it. A bucket filled with coal sat beside the stove.A fridge, wringer washer and a large harvest table filled in most of the space. Dad had a chair beside the stove where he sat and read the paper and smoked his pipe when he came home from the pit on the man car at 4.40 pm. He smoked Old Chum tobacco and at that time it cost  $.25 at Uncle Chabs  store.

That was the layout of the room but place 8 or 9 kids and Mom and Dad there you can guess it was a marvel that we were able to eat, work, do homework and all the other tasks with some kind of order.Supper time was one time we were all together and Mom sat by the stove and served the meal. Dad sat at the head of the table and commanded respect. We as a family did not say grace together but we were always thankful for the supper Mom served. At meal time our home smelled so good because we nearly always had home made bread, corn bread or buns. Most of our meals were hearty as Dad worked in the coal mine and was hungry. We ate early when Dad arrived home. I used to meet him sometimes and drink some of the pit tea. It smelled like the mine but was sweet because it was laced with much sugar.

With all this activity realize that mom often had her rug hooking rig in the room or a quilt frame but we managed. I guess we as a family now realize that that close contact as a family with everyone mixing and having to co-operate to survive made us the close family we are today. My memories of that kitchen , lacking in most of the modern conveniences had one element you can't buy at the Co-op Store, it had the human bond of a family with a wonderful Mom and Dad who gave their life so we would have it better than they did. I would love to go back for a day and relive those hectic times like when we were getting ready for school or church and watch my Mom get us all ready and out of the house on time, every time

Winter Fishing In The Arctic

Every year about this time the people of the Arctic become restless because of the long dark winter. As the first rays of sunlight brighten the southern skyline the thoughts of fresh fish becomes an obsession. The winter stockpiles of frozen fish become depleted and even the remaining frozen fish are not too tasty as they have freezer burn from being stored underground in the perma frost. Inuit store fresh frozen fish by layering them in ice by dipping the fish a number of times until a thin layer of ice protects them from the air. In this way the fish are edible but after a few months they become a shadow of themselves when they are fresh caught.

Fishing in the winter months takes skill and hard work. The ice on the lakes become frozen to a depth of over nine feet.With the poor tools of days gone by it would take a day to dig a hole in the ice. Today with power augers it takes minutes. The Inuit were clever in finding pressure ridges which could be exploited by widening the crack in the ice field. On the ocean this was never a problem as the ocean shifted on a regular basis and produced pressure ridges many feet high and leads or cracks, many of which were several feet wide and miles long. These are very dangerous and many lives are lost by people falling in these leads. Children are warned about this danger but with snow machines travelling at high speeds they are often undetected.

My favourite fishing in the winter was finding an open lead and jigging for Northern Black Cod. These fish were very plentiful but the Inuit were hesitant about eating them. They preferred to fish for Arctic Char in the fresh water lakes by jigging or spearing them. They used a small lure made of ivory or caribou bone on a string and would move it up and down to attract the char. When a char came close they would spear it with a special fish spear.

There was nothing as enjoyable as eating a fresh caught fish in the winter even though the work was cold and hard. There are stories of Inuit sitting by a fishing hole for days to catch a fish when times were bad. Starvation was always present in the minds of the Inuit at the end of winter and before the spring breakup. This was the season before the caribou came and the waters were still frozen so food was scarce. Even as late as the 1950"s Inuit families starved in some places in the Arctic where they lived outside the support of civilization. This does not occur today as all Inuit live in Hamlets with services and safety nets.

While I lived in the Arctic I could have survived on fresh fish because fishing was my pastime and  I loved Black Arctic Cod.

Indigenous Spirit

I often wondered how I acquired my love for indigenous peoples of the world  but North American Nations specially. As a young child I had an experience that triggered my imagination. I was probably three or four at the time and found myself playing in the dirt in front of our house. My attention was grasped by the sound and sight of the morning express train stopping at the station within a stones throw from Ma Vicker's house.The sound of the giant steam engines breathing heavily after its long pull sounded like the heart beat of some giant beast. The rhythmic  puffing of the steam being emitted from the overthrow valve stirred my imagination. It was part of my daily routine but was always exciting.

This morning  I captured a strange image coming down our lane. I surmised this thing came by way of the train but I couldnt quite get what it could be. As it came into focus I realized it was a women carrying a large white sheet filled with what and over the other shoulder were half a dozen clothes props. She stepped along swiftly and headed right for our house. I rushed into the house and shouted to Mom that this strange person was coming here to our house.

Mom stopped her washing and tusseled her hair, grabbed a clean apron and went to the front door. I was surprised to see that Mom knew this person. She was a Micmac Indian Lady who came from the reserve by train to sell her baskets and poles. She could not get in the door with her bundle, but managed.She left her close line poles outside. I sat quietly but wanted to see what was in the white sheeted bundle. Mom greeted her as a friend and she sat in Dad's chair and as Mom put on the teapot she took out her pipe and began to shuffle to find her tobacco.

Dad was at the coal mine but left his pipe and tobacco near his chair. I saw her distress and took dad's Old Chum pipe tobacco to the lady. Getting close to her gave me an oppurnity to see the many wrinkles on her face and her toothless smile was friendly and warm. She filled the pipe and lit up. The tea was ready and as Mom and her friend engaged in a conversation I peaked into the bundle. With a chuckle and quick movement of her hand the bundle flew open and there was the most colourful sight I ever saw.

Baskets of every size, color and shape were evident and all packed in a way that hid the true number. I played with the baskets while Mom and her friend finished their tea. As Mom paid her for a shopping basket which was coloured blue, yellow and red I helped to put the baskets back again. Getting close to this Indian lady gave me an aromic treat because she smelled like smoke from a campfire mixed with the tobacco and it was pleasant. I experienced similar smells in later life and it brought back this scene immediately.

Mom and her friend went outside and as she left she looked at me and said what a good boy I was for helping her. Mom bought one basket and two clothes line props for a dollar. As she left to go to my grand Ma's, mom told me about the people who lived on the reservations.  She also said to never refer to her as a squaw but call her a Indian lady. My mind often drifted to that moment when I first met a real indigenous person.

All through my life I have had a bond with our Canadian First Nations People and it began with that lesson from Mom and her friend.

Another Day Fishing

An early call from my friend Karl brought an instant response,Yes. That was the answer to an invite to go fishing on the Gulf for grouper.It did not take me long to get my things together and drive to St. James City on the south end of Pine Island. We were off to a 40 mile sail to his favourite fishing reef in the Gulf of Mexico.

We had a few stops on the way to catch bait fish. These bait fish were eating size for grouper or man. We caught about 35 of these perch, trigger fish and an octopus. With these treasures we ran for one and a half hours to our reef. The weather was perfect with a two foot swell and the rhythmic motion of the boat put one of our fishermen asleep. I was too busy observing the wildlife. Flying fish soaring from one wave to another, a medium sized shark and a large turtle kept me occupied..

We decided to drift over the reef rather than anchoring as the water was about 100 feet deep and there were outcrops which could catch the anchor. Immediately we had luck when we dropped our bait over the reef. Grouper were plentiful  but many did not meet the size limit. They had to be 21 inches long and it seemed nearly all were 19 or 20 inches. There could be no cheating on the size as severe monetary penalty result for not meeting the standard.

We ended up catching over 30 grouper and had a few keepers but to make matters better we also had a variety of other good eating fish. My friend Karl has all the good places marked on his GPS and as were left for home we dropped in on a few. Having 10 hours of fun in the sun on the Gulf we decided to call it a day.

As we neared the shore the view was spectacular with the sun moving closer to the water line and making a specular sunset. Having arrived at the dock the real work began as Karl cleaned up the fish and we cleaned up the boat. Every part of the boat was washed with special soap to make it smell fresh and clean. The fish were divided into four piles and after final thanks I left for home.

I can never get a better day in Florida than fishing for grouper with friends on a perfect day.

Annual Visitor

Every year at this time the Cardinals move into a mating mode and become very defensive about their territory. We have tinted windows and the birds come and see their reflection and peck at the window by the hour.

For Doris this is a problem because the arrive at 7am and stay pretty well the rest of the day. They give us an opportunity to observe them up close as they lose all fear and you can within inches. Other people have this same problem and try to find ways of minimizing the problem. Some hang cloth up to the window, use moving objects, noisemakers and a dozen other items with the same result, the bird wins.

Here we expect this to last for about a month and I wish the bird would pick on another window and leave Doris alone.

April Fools Day

How we looked forward to this day when we were youngsters. Jokes of all kinds were played and everyone went along with the fun. Even our teachers had fun with the idea and played some jokes.Yesterday Mother Nature played a joke on Florida and we experienced some of the harshest weather one could imagine.

There was a tornado watch for the whole day and numerous little tornado's were sighted around the state. We had friends in for dinner and cards and when they arrived there was a high wind but no real sign of trouble.We watched the weather channel and saw this reddish color among the green showing a possible storm. We went for a swim in the pool and the wind picked up and we observed the speed of the clouds. Changing weather always excited me and all day I was waiting for that big moment.

After dinner and cards theer came a time when our guests were nervous about getting over the three mile long bridge because of the wind so decided to leave. At that moment the sky opened up and the wind thrashed the trees and our guests had to run for their vehicle and got drenched in doing so. Loud thunder and lightening strikes made the evening look like and sound like a battle field. Theresa and I filled our glasses and sat out to enjoy the show put on by Nature. After a time we retired to bed and were no more sleeping when a loud crash, severe lightening, raging wind and hail brought us to reality.

For 15 minutes we thought our poor house would fall to the onslaught. Huge hail pounded our home and my thought was for my poor garden. I ran to look but retreated behind the pool cage screen and the golf ball size hailstones pounded down on us with a vengeance. It had to be the worst 15 minutes of weather we experienced since the hurricanes. It all stopped as abruptly as it started and as we surveyed the damage it was minimal. Others were not so lucky and many received damage to their property.

After returning to bed once more Theresa and I realized that few minutes could have been tragic had it been a tornado. We thanked our good fortune and slept soundly knowing it had to be Mother Nature playing an April Fools Day trick