Time To Talk

Theresa and I just returned from a three week quick trip to our home in Florida.We drove Theresa's little touring car.I thought it might be a tad small for such a long trip but the nearly 5000 kms went bye very well. In fact we made our fastest and cheapest trip of all time. The mountains of West Virginia were no challenge for this four cylinder car and on the open road it handled well at 120 kms.

On these long drives Theresa and I have many hours of uninterrupted time to converse. It is at these times we are able to make plans for the future, examine what we have done in the past and generally enjoy the time together. We both love nature and point out birds and animals that come into our view. This trip was no exception as we try to be the first to spot deer. In Ohio Theresa spotted two deer leaping through a corn field. The corn was very tall and the only time you saw the deer was at the top of their leap. It was a unique vision and so different from other sightings.

On the border of Ohio and Pennsylvania we saw a black cloud which turned out to be swallows, thousands of them going through their ritual flying dance. Some years ago we experienced a similar event but it was Monarch Butterflies. That flock was huge and appeared as a black cloud until we were right on top of it. It was an incredible sight. On this trip we were entertained by the changing colours of the leaves. Although beautiful they paled in comparison to the Canadian Maples.

Being alone for such a long time gives us the time to assess our relationship and the relationships of our family and friends. We are able to understand just how intertwined our lives have become. Although we do not always agree on solutions we do have the chance to put forth a point of view and time to discuss with the eventual consensus resolution. At times we actually write down lists of things we would like to do and when to do it. This trip we planned a possible adventure to the South West of the USA. We both have experience in that region but not together. Another adventure in our future is the British Columbia trip. We must make this a priority. We want to see the coast and Vancouver Island but also the interior.

These planning times are useful and we recognize that anticipation is half the journey. We value our alone time when we have time to talk and create plans for an exciting life.

Dogs

Owning and caring for a dog must be an inherited trait. My oldest daughter has a crazy little dog who was the attention seeker for years before her three daughters became dog owners this year. Fritz ruled the home with his loud barking and greetings whenever anyone entered the home. As of late this little bundle of energy has calmed down somewhat and is better behaved. Fritz did fill an empty space in this home when the three daughters moved out on their own.

The first daughter to become a dog owner bought a springer spaniel and named her Luna. A dog who loves the water and has taught a sense of responsibility to her owners is calmer than Fritz and gets along well with sharing the limelight. As this daughter is planning marriage in the near future this will be a good lesson in just how challenging it will be when and if they become parents. Today with the cost of raising a pet dog and the care involved it almost mirrors the raising of a child. Luna has given her masters hours of attention and joy but has caused the owners to realize the responsibility of ownership in caring for Luna in a proper manner.

The next daughter to become a dog owner chose a small, very young breed that she could take to work and care for in her third floor condo. She named this eight week old beauty Runyon. On a visit to our home this little fellow entertained us for hours. Cute, demandingm and open to years of training and love from his owner this dog is lucky to have a dedicated master. I have observed just how this young lady studied her responsibility and will provide proper training to make this shared relationship a happy one.

The youngest of the three daughters to become a pet dog owner has taken a different route to ownership. Instead of purchasing an animal she has begun to foster a guide dog. Since this young lady is a student at university this large Black Lab will be with her constantly. Part of the training involves strict social behaviours on behalf of the dog and owner. Both will learn and grow together and by the time the dog is to return for final training I am sure that they will be able to make a decision on ownership. This contract is a very responsible undertaking on behalf of this second year student and I am proud she has accepted this responsibility.

Runyon

Buck

You can just imagine what the scene will be on Christmas morning with the four dogs and nearly twenty people all seeking attention. I am sure that the joys received in dog ownership will be just as rewarding as the other gifts they receive on that special day.

Halloween

Halloween was a special day when I was a kid some years ago. We looked forward to this day and planned tricks on our friends and neighbours. Back in those days some of the so called jokes went way beyond and caused damage and outright vandalism. Some towns were known for their outrageous stunts and were widely reported. As young people we were less exciting but managed to have fun without being over the top.

For days ahead we planned our costumes and in a family of nine it was difficult to find props to make yourself less known to your neighbours. There was never a thought of a store bought costume. It was find some old clothes and become a tramp for a few hours or an old army outfit making you a brave warrior or whatever you could muster up. Every year there were movies which caused the majority of young girls to become a Hollywood personality for the evening.

We would soap windows or some silly thing or pull the old rope game where two people would stand on opposite sides of the road and when a car came by pretend you were holding a rope and make the driver come to a stop. Moving from house to house was the main attraction where by the neighbours would try to guess the goblins who crowded their door. Everyone had fun and most of the neighbours got in the act. Apples, home made fudge, candy coated apples for special goblins and suckers were the main treats. At Ma Vickers' place there was the special treat of home made taffy. Granddad Vickers was always given the credit for this delicious treat but in fact we found  out years later that he had nothing to do with it.

Those days were ended in our home with a time when we all had to be in the house and a sharing of our pillow case full of goodies was traded and admired.  Mom always warned us about eating too much candy by using the tooth cavity scare but it never worked. Finally we would go to bed with our treasures neatly tucked away under the bed or other secret place. It was a fun time and was for the children and parents who shared this special day. Next day the pumpkins were turned into pies and the decorations either taken down or re-cycled. 

Today our young people miss the wonderful fun time because of the changes in society. It is not safe for your kids to go door to door, home made treats are rejected because of fear of the contents, they carry UNICEF boxes asking for money for the world's needy and how much is really turned over to the needy. Parents fear for their children and fun pranks are no longer acceptable..This magical day from the past has become another commercial grab as huge stores open for the season and sell China made costumes at ridiculous prices. Tiny toddlers come to your door with bag wide open for the treats and the guessing game is lost. What was a community social event has become much less.

For my part I always carve a pumpkin and welcome the handful of kids from the neighbourhood. Today you are lucky if you get a handful of goblins at your door. Adults buy store treats that they themselves like as they will not have to give many out to the public. We are a few days away from Halloween and I hope this year all the kids have a safe evening and maybe, just maybe the adults could tell them about the days when this was a very special day.

Fishing On The Gulf

Among my friends in Florida there is a man who loves fishing as much as I do. Carl lives nearby and has several boats but for going out on the Gulf he owns a 30 ft. twin hull fishing boat. It is very stable and makes a good platform for fishing. We play golf and when he heard I was only down for a few weeks he invited me out on the opening day of Gag Grouper fishing. The size for keepers was 22 inches and you are entitled to keep two. Red Grouper are available as well with the same restrictions.

We had a perfect weather forecast with light winds and clear sky. Carl was going to go out about 40 miles. At seven in the morning the sun rose red and the clear skies made a beautiful setting as we made our way through the barrier islands and reached open sea. As we moved off shore the wind freshened and we faced a four foot chop.Carl decided to start fishing about 32 miles out. As the wind and current made it difficult to anchor we decided to drift.

Carl gave me one of his grouper rods and on the first try in 65 feet of water I caught a keeper grouper. From there on we caught fish after fish. Forty one to be exact but we were limited to two each. Although it was rough water we never noticed as the fishing was special. Comments from the group indicated that they never caught grouper that big in water so shallow. We had a perfect day which ended too soon as we had our limit. Carl had us reel in and we made for shore with the water becoming less rough so we were comfortable and talked of the fish we caught and the big ones that got away.

As we arrived at Carl's dock we cleaned up the boat as Carl did an expert job of cleaning the fish. He divided the fish equally and for my part I had 9 beautiful fillets. We departed with fish in hand and a whole lot of good memories. Theresa and I had several meals of some of the best eating fish anywhere. I cannot think of a better way of sharing time with friends than fishing.

Looking Down The Barrel of a Gun

Theresa and I arrived at our home in Florida and had to do all the routine things to open our house. It is up to Theresa to open the door and get to the alarm system before it actuates and brings the police. This has never been a problem but this time Theresa opened the door and instead of going directly to the alarm box she yelled to me to turn on the lights. It was dark inside because of the shutters were still on but there was enough light for her to navigate carefully. She never made it and all hell broke loose. The siren made such a noise but she quickly turned it off. Too late as it turns out.

I went about my business of turning on the power, the hot water tank, the water and started to take off shutters covering the pool side door. I was working and making a lot of noise so never heard the police car pull up. The policeman saw our garage door open and yelled but we never heard him. He walked around the back of the house and saw some shutters off but never saw me. He then went completely around the house and entered the pool cage with gun drawn. I never heard or saw him until he yelled to me. I was deep in focus and as I turned I was startled as I was holding a drill which resembled a gun. I use it to turn the screws holding the shutters. I jumped and he turned his weapon down. We were both surprised but it could have been worse. We talked a bit and he made his report. It seems that there was a group of thieves who were ran sacking homes that were not being lived in and as he was alone he drew his gun.

Theresa came out and we had a laugh as we had proof that the security system actually works.She was a little upset as she rarely makes mistakes like this one, specially when it costs $25 for a false alarm. The officer departed after a good visit and we went about our business of getting settled in. The next day we went to the police station to pay our fine and we were met by a volunteer at the desk. As she heard Theresa making her appeal she wrote off the fine. It seems that the police are in negotiations and being lax with misdemeanors. We learned a lesson and we hope to do better in the future and I hope never to look down the barrel of a gun again.

A New Month

October offers so much promise for me as my schedule is filled with so much good activity. It started well with a family gathering yesterday. We planned to have the family get together earlier in the week but everyone was busy. Sunday comes along and so does the rain. Suddenly the plans that were made were undone and every one of the immediate family was available. Theresa and I cooked a turkey and over supper were had a great discussion about world and family affairs.The missing ones dropped in earlier so after roll call all were accounted for.

Theresa and I are travelling to Florida for a few weeks and we really wished to see everyone before we left. A good surprise was the visit from our university girl who dropped in for a few minutes before moving on the her university in Guelph. The few minutes lasted just over an hour and it was rewarding to share time with her and listen to her aspirations. She is studying political science and world affairs. I love to hear of her dreams and strong feelings about making a contribution to the world. She is passionate about her calling and her enthusiasm is infectious.

Yesterday was supposed to be a day when I transplant flowers to fill empty spaces which I prepared last week. My neighbour is sharing her many perennials with me and I am taking this opportunity to move to a small upkeep landscaping scheme.With the rainy weather it is a perfect time to do just that.

We are driving to Florida this time in our small car as we are not carrying anything heavy {except me}. One  road we have not taken on our numerous journeys south is a mountain top highway along the Blue Ridge  Mountains. We are always too busy to take this road but with the fall weather and the beautiful leaves we plan to make the effort this year. It travels from a point in Virginia across country to Tennessee.

On returning to Ontario I have a series of tests at Sunnybrook before my surgery. October is filled with a variety of adventures and I am excited just thinking about them. While I am away I will not be publishing blogs but writing last minute entries for my book. This project has become a family affair and has made me realize just how important family really is in your travels along life's pathway.