Our Message Archive
May 2024
Sunday May 26
A mallard family by the Atlantic View Trail
Yesterday Ann and I drove to Bridgewater, she to ride with the Ramblers to Rose Bay, and me to play in a bridge tournament with my friend and ex-colleague Layton. It was a beautiful day, so the ride was very enjoyable; it is quite scenic going along the eastern bank of the LaHave River. When it was over, Ann spent the rest of the afternoon visiting our Jocelyn and Lokman in Mahone Bay (or more accurately, Oakland). Layton and I also had an enjoyable day duplicating our results from the last tournament we played in: first in the morning session and third in the afternoon. On his way home, Layton dropped me off at Jocelyn and Lokman's where Ann and I stayed for dinner on their deck before we also drove home.
Our cycling friend Erika has had a tough time of it lately. She has a congenital kidney disease which has got progressively worse over the few years that we have known her. She started dialysis recently and then, about a month ago, fell badly and broke her wrist and caused her kidneys to bleed. She has been laid up for most of the time since then but is now able to get out and about a bit. On Thursday we had her and Patti over for a pot-luck lunch — soup, berry crisp, date squares and lemon blueberry tarts — which we ate on the back deck.
On Friday afternoon, Ann went to play Mahjong at Paddy's in Lower Sackville, the first time they had played in quite a while. Ann won one of the four games that were played.
This morning Ann was up early to help cook for the Early Risers' Breakfast at the church. She stayed for the service, came home briefly for lunch, then returned to the church for a concert by two singers, Chloé Thiessen and Thomas Cherney, who put on a very good show.
Tuesday May 21
Near Berwick yesterday
Ann arrived home from Ontario late in the evening a week ago Monday. I picked her up at the airport.
Ann and I spent the long weekend in Middleton in the Annapolis Valley riding with the Ramblers. We drove up on Friday afternoon and visited a few of the nurseries in the area, buying some flowers and vegetables for the garden; they spent the rest of the weekend on the floor of our hotel room but the flowers have now been planted in the flower beds in the front yard; the vegetables have to wait for slightly warmer weather. That evening we met the rest of the Ramblers at the Capitol Restaurant and Lounge, a converted movie theatre at the centre of town. We ate outside on their deck.
On Saturday it was overcast but quite warm: in the low 20s by the early afternoon. We rode a 46 km loop to Greenwood, where we stopped for lunch in a park before returning to Middleton. After an afternoon nap we met Glen for dinner at the Capitol again.
Sunday was forecast to be cooler and have a chance of rain but, as it turned out, the rain held off and we managed to have a dry 54 km ride in another loop to Bridgetown and back. We had lunch at Jubilee Park in Bridgetown which has very nice views along the Annapolis River. That evening we all had dinner at Angie's, just around the corner from the motel. Afterwards, Ann, myself, Glen, Gail, Tom and Gord drove to East Margaretsville to see the Slocan Ramblers at the Evergreen Theatre. They are a bluegrass group based in Toronto and were very good.
Monday was a gorgeous day: sunny and around 20°C. We packed up, checked out and drove to Berwick for a delightful 42 km ride by farms and apple orchards. We ate at Centennial Park when we returned then, after an ice cream at Avery's, drove home.
We also went on a couple of rides last week. I rode to Lawrencetown Beach with the Railers on Monday (Ann was still in Ontario) and, on Wednesday, we both rode with the Roadents from Laurie Park to the gates of Sidney Crosby's estate in Monte Vista.
The other main news this week is that Gran's house in Sarnia has been sold. It was listed last week but there was actually an offer before then. That was because the real estate agent put forth an offer from some clients he was also representing. (I think representing both buyer and seller should be illegal but it is allowed in Ontario.) Ann, John and Martha rejected it as it was significantly below the asking price. The day after the house was listed, several potential buyers viewed it and two put in offers. One, for a bit more than the asking price, was accepted. The closing is set for June 20.
Sunday May 12
The front yard
This weekend Ann has been in Ontario to attend the interment of her mother's ashes in the Pardoville cemetery next to Jack. I drove her to the airport early on Friday morning and Martha and Thom picked her up at the other end. Our friend Nancy came down from Barrie and stayed over that night. On Saturday, Ann, Martha and Thom went to Brights Grove, stayed with John and Halima that night, and then they all went to the interment today. Hannah and Tyler, Rachel, Ann's Aunt Carole and all of her cousins and some of their kids also attended and they all went out for dinner in Erieau afterwards. Ann, Martha and Thom returned to Brampton this evening and plan to see Ann's cousin Jane tomorrow,
The weather has not been great in recent days, so the Ramblers ride yesterday was cancelled. We did bike last Saturday along the old highway from Truro to Masstown Market and back and, on Tuesday, I rode with the Railers along the Shearwater Flyer while Ann was working at the food bank. We also rode from Fall River to Enfield with the Roadents on Wednesday. They rest of the group continued further but Ann and I returned early so that we could make our appointments to get COVID booster shots. I went out again today, on my own, riding along the waterfront, out the Shearwater Flyer and back via Lake Loon and Montague Mines.
Last Saturday, Ann and I went to see Symphony Nova Scotia and the Halifax Camerata Singers playing and singing Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. It's the second time I have seen it live and we'll probably go again the next time they do it. It is definitely a piece that is much better to see live than on a recording. Kim and Glen, who also went, invited us over to dinner beforehand.
Last weekend our nephew John was in town to play rugby. He met with Ann on Sunday and she, John and David went to Peggy's Cove. I stayed at home to roast a turkey that we had already thawed (we are still eating the leftovers).
I have continued to work in the garden over the past couple of weeks. I've finished making a flower bed at the north end of the boulevard between the side walk and the street and today I planted some annual seeds. Hopefully it will be quite colourful in a few weeks. There are lettuce, carrots, parsnips, beets, garlic, kale and dill already coming up in the front garden and I'll be planting some less frost tolerant vegetables next week. I've also pulled up numerous dandelions but there always seem to be more the next day.