Ah!

Tuesday, 8th

First thing, checking the taps as I made breakfast, I thought that the water pressure was a bit low.  Lots of water use planned for today and tomorrow - this doesn't look very good.  Water pressure has been a bit of a recurring theme all summer, I know that David and Rebecca found it to be a problem, but it started when the well was drawn dry and Ali and I sort of dismissed it....

Anyway, I eventually got through to M. Houlot, the plumber who put everything right a year before!  He'd only just returned from a four hour drive coming back from la Verendraye where he's been for the first week of the moose hunt (as you do).  Would we mind if he came tomorrow at 09.00?  "Whatever suits you; thank you!".

So we tidied, and cleaned as much as we could without water, and swept - again - and snugged more things down and loaded the winter wheels in the car and tucked in the cabin, and packed and took lots of little breaks in between.  And were still late to bed.  We shall take the linen and clothes laundry away with us.

Wednesday 9th.

Up at 06.45.  What seemed like a fairly leisurely day until M. Houlot arrived very soon after 09.00 as promised.  He likes to practise his very fluent English!

Long story short; the air bladder that pressurises the cold water tank has a leak.  He pumped it up but it won't hold.  The whole thing is a single unit these days so that's a new pressure tank!  Fortunately, K and D are able to come up for the weekend and they will liaise with him about a time to do the swap.

On with the dishwasher :-),  Ali washed the kitchen floor.

But I was a bit distracted with things and haven't disconnected the tumble drier vent and have left a battery on charge....  We stopped off for a very happy visit with K and D on the way down and they'll check over for us before they leave for Spain at some point!


A bit of a rapid turn around at Rod and Wanda's and then to the airport - we've been bumped up to Business again (Well, it is the third time we've done the trip this year.  That'll have to change).

Lovely food and drink on the plane, lie flat beds that work.  

Thursday, 10th

A long wait at Baggage but very quickly through passport and customs.  Bus to Bristol; taxi; home!

And shattered.  But so very blessed.

Oh - the rack parts have arrived in Prevost!

Wrapping up?

Saturday, 5th

Finally woke feeling better!

Stripped the target from the side of the barn wall, extracted the errant arrow from an upper log!  Made a cage for the
rose on the edge on the new lawn - perhaps that will deter the deer?

Wonderful, Fall day; the leaves are almost all down here.

 

Last thing we snugged all of the canoes - bar big green - into the basement.  :-)

Just perfect!

Sunday, 6th October.  Happy Birthday Ali!

A very gentle day.  To Grace where I preached alongside of Ben's celebration.  Job.  Difficult but ultimately beautiful.  I might add it here in the book version.

After coffee, Ali and I walked the Huberdeau bridge to the put in on the horse shoe.  Just three bits of water to tackle next year....

This was a lovely, companionable walk.  I think that we both have to pinch oursleves in the delight of our relationship and the delight of our circumstances.

Happy Birthday, Girl!

We had recourse to the cafe at Arundel for coffee and snacks.  A lovely WhatsApp chat with Peter and Gregg to wish Ali Happy Birthday.  And then to Resto 1929 in la Conception for supper with Wanda and Rod, Dominique and AnneMarie and us.  Conversation in English and French and good food. 

 

Home in the rain and a rush up to the house.  Perfect.

 

 

Monday. 7th

Well, we should have been up early, but you know how it is.  It was raining; I did a few chores before coffee.....  And it was noon!

 

Anyway, I pruned the magnificent hydrangea outside the bathroom and deposited it by the steps to the Meadow.  Then we reinforced the screen room.  That took a while, but we got there.  "Eat ups" for supper and the deer had found the hydrangea cuttings.  This is maybe ten steps away.  Bliss!

Oh - My - Goodness!

 Where did all that time go to?

Sunday, 29th

Around the house morning until early afternoon when we drove down to St Agathe for our Vicar's installation - delayed by about a year.  And I was somehow right at the heart of the service; I was deputed to carry the processional cross, acted as server for the communion and offered the prayers of the people in both French and English.

Bishop Mary was  gracious, finally putting together who I was and why.  It was a lovely service, plain and practical; roughly half in French and half in English.

At one point, sitting in my little corner, I found myself thinking, "How did I ever get here?".  It all goes back to Frank Mullinger and that question on the front field at school, aged 11.  "Bonjour, Monsieur.  Comment ca va?"  "Ca va tres bien merci Monsieur"

Thanks Frank - again.

Monday, 30th.

Repairs to the roof of the screen room.  The edge trim at the back of the room roof had come adrift.  Jet washing and tapping the panels into place.  The bolts are a pain.

The cough is still well established and I was rather breathless at times.  However, with Ali's help I got the job done.  It's amazing how much "kit" we have here....

We're planning for the registration of the new car here in Quebec - that and picking up the modified retainers for the roof rack.  THAT is being a pain (and continued to be so!)

So far, everything might just fit into the next two days. MIGHT.

Tuesday 1st.

No sign of the rack parts yet; we feel that we're messing Pam and Noel around but we DID have to go to have the car inspected in St Jerome, 1 3/4 hours away.  A lovely, clean and efficient facility with very pleasant welcome and a smiley engineer. who came to tell us, "Parfait!".  I asked, "Better than Good?", he smilingly replied, "Parfait".

We tried to drop by the rack store on the way back - just in case - but got the wrong address somehow...

Home for burgers - and very tasty, too!

Wednesday 2nd.

News, but none of it positive, from the rack store.
But did he have a provisional rack please?

Why yes!

So we went to SAAQ (the motor registration office) earlier than our appointment and were seen :-)  The car is now officially ours in Quebec.  The number plate will arrive in the post which may cause problems....  Oh well, sufficient unto the day.

So, we picked up the soft rack - at trade cost! - and then back to "trip HQ" at P and N's in Gatineau.  This time we drove much more of the 50, actually crossing la Riviere rouge as we went.

It is still a surprisingly long way from there to Ottawa and onwards to Aylmer; but the welcome was as unfailingly warm as ever.  Thanks Guys.

Thursday, 3rd.

The soft rack is just about big (wide) enough for the canoe and after a couple of stops to tighten it down, finally using our own Swift straps over the whole boat as well, we made the run home.  We were pretty tired and very dehydrated, and not much water in the house.  I suppose we could have reverted to cups of tea - didn't think of that.  

This cough is tenacious.

Friday, 4th

Chores. 

Retrieved the battery from the quad - shall charge that up and then charge it again mid winter, d.v.
Took the archery target down - retrieved the arrow from the barn wall :-(

Went shopping for water (the municipal spring is closed again) and other bits and pieces.  Then couldn't really face making supper so we snacked.  Huh!  Must be unwell if we can't be bothered with food!  Never mind, we'll get over it - again....

Had a long interaction with three of our deer.  There's a young buck looking very involved with a little doe, and another. lame, ? doe from this year.  They are all pre-occupied with eating as fall rushes on so they really don't mind me.

Karen has had Covid - there's a lot of it around here in a quiet sort of way.  But she's improving we hear.