Betwixt and between

Tuesday continued…..

Wanda brilliantly came home from work and drove us to the airport, in dreadful rain, and we duly checked in and made our way to security; where our boarding passes registered “flight cancelled”.  But the security guard said something like “it does that all the time” and let us through.  So we went and had a happy and relaxed early supper, only to find that our flight really had been cancelled and that the replacement was to be the next day at 9.00 pm!

Back out of the secure area, back to customer enquiries; to the bowels of the airport to reclaim our luggage and then, very much later, to a Days Inn, seemingly half way to Quebec!

Comfy enough but dull.  We reverted to Bristol mode and started doing Party Political stuff – what changes?

Wednesday, 2^nd October

And that continued today; e-paper work and boredom interchanging.  Lunch was provided, a bus laid on and we arrived at about 2.30 for a (further delayed) 9.30 pm flight.

 


The time passed; the political stuff progressed; we had another reasonable supper and now we’re sitting in the departure area, looking at the arriving folks making their way along the gangway above us as we so often have, smiling down at the poor souls beneath them, getting ready to leave!

 












 We are agreed that this has been a wonderful trip; our visits with the grandkids, with Guy and Julie.  The cycle and canoe trip, the little work on the house and porch in particular.We have spent more time on relationships this trip; Church, Karen and Denis, Pam and Noel (too briefly), Ann and Co, Lorne and Audrey, Mark and Janis, Yves and Janine and many more ……

 


And together; healing the tensions of the spring and arranging strategies for what may be a very difficult and stressful Autumn for the UK.  As our friends here have said, “See you in February – or sooner if it all gets too much”!

A bientôt!

Wrap up

Monday, 30^th September.

 

All to do, but we’ve been here before.  There’s a “tick” list to work through and chores to be done, but it was all done, to an accompaniment of deer at the front of the house, turkeys on the meadow and a solitary white-throated sparrow calling just as we left.

Away by 14.00 and to the village - biscuits for home and water for Karen and Denis; to St Jovite for Gas and a car-wash (can’t visit K & D with a filthy car!) then on to St Jerome to say hello goodbye to them.  Denis is looking so much better!

 

And it’s join the traffic down to Montreal and supper with Wanda and Rod at home – wonderful grub (has it anything to do with the AGA I wonder?).









If you want bagels for breakfast, best to buy them now from the 24 hour bagel shop.  These racks of packed bagels are all ready to go out to Costco.  But we’re all tired so bed by 11.00.

Tuesday, 1st October.

A rainy day in Montreal; no leaf colour here yet, just November skies.  But a chance to get ahead on some Lib Dem work for the AGM....

Hmmmmm ;-)

Closing rituals

Saturday, 28^th September

Ritual number one. 

A wet morning, but the timber for the screen room was all already inside so we assembled that.  Not without a little altercation but amicably enough by about half-way.  

The trick now it to use the centre upright, which has little feet since this summer, to link to the south central upright (SC).  Then fix lateral uprights to the horizontal running from east-west on the south upright to stabilise everything and then to join in the north central upright (NC).  A diagonal between SC and the centre upright locks the core.  Horizontals at height reach the bays and allow the E-W bars and the N or S horizontals to be positioned. 

After that it’s just progressive around the bays!  At least, that’s how I remember it going……

Ritual number two.

 And all this before lunchtime when we went to the hugely enjoyable apple-pressing at Mark and Janis’ place.

 

Ritual number three
And finally home to collect the “Big Green” from the lake.  A couple of tugs to a lure as I paddled round from the dock to Yves’ place and then a lovely chat with him and Jeannine as Ali came to collect me. 

Once again, we left the canoe on the trolley and I sat in the back of the car with the rear door up as she gently drove us up the road.  The canoe slipped in to the barn – as had the quad but from the other end – and that’s it all locked down for the winter.  Power off.

 







Sunday, 29^th September.

Arundel for church, Bevan preached on “Come and see”.  His messages become simpler but his passion for Christ increases with the telling. 

After church, Ritual number four.  The “teenagers” took to the new little bakery and café at the crossroads for a sandwich and a chat.  It is harder every year to say goodbye to these friends and to this place.  


 


 
We stopped on the way home at the new development at the entrance to the lake - fabulous view!



And now the outside jobs; the Adirondack chairs and the parasol to the screen room; the hoses that have been trying to fend of the possible demise of the rugosa roses are wound up.  And soon the packing and ironing and cleaning.






 





Fall is well established now but we shall miss the very best of the colour I’m sorry to say.  We are not looking forward to returning to the UK, other than to see the family; this last week’s ratcheting up of the rhetoric and disdain by some of our rulers is frightening.  We arrived here bruised, we return refreshed but determined to monitor our state of mind.  We may be no slimmer (in fact, I’m a wee bit bigger) but we are in a better place than we were.  We shall have to be vigilant that that continues.