Later we watched Clint Eastwood’s Cry Macho, a touching story of family and the hope of old age romance and love.
I”ve made bacon sandwiches and expresso coffee this morning. Madigan hardly wanted to leave her side in bed to come for his walk with me. She’s having her shower now. Like her security guard he inspected the washroom before leaving to lie outside the door, his nose at the crack, waiting.
We didn’t attend the Remembrance Day ceremonies. We reflected on the veterans we knew, said prayers and gave thanksgiving. Friday I worked most of the day. Now it’s Saturday. All that’s planned so far is a mall visit. I feel we ought to do something ‘special’ so we’re planning another walk while rain holds off. I was impressed to see Kevin who left some smoked bear before drove his family to Boston Bar and back. They’ve been hunting every weekend. I stop with the snow now. I’ve been thinking of trading in my truck and even though I have an ATV I just cringe at all the times winter and fall hunting I’ve slid off the road, sometimes despite chains, and with or without the winch succeeded in getting the truck back on the road and down from the mountains. I so much prefer early fall hunting if only because I love that season and the joy of being out in the woods then.
Friends mentioned cross country skiing and I miss it. Dr. Lam and I used to cross country ski on Grouse and Cyprus. It was his routine and he graciously invited me along. I loved cross country skiing. Madigan unfortunately isn’t welcome on the slopes. I don’t miss downhill skiing though I did black diamond for a year. It was a ‘party’ . I miss dancing though and hope to do more of that. Again having a puppy limits the city activities. I simply love his company and those things that exclude dogs don’t have the same appeal. As he’s older I’ve left him for a few hours. Encouraging him to be a guard dog. He does have a bark and thieve avoid all dogs regardless of size. While he’s young though I worry about thieves stealing him. He’s more formidable now though still quite timid. He likes to play with our neighbour Mack and go for walks with his little love Bella and Peter, Emory and Dave are great companions too. Then there’s Milo. I love his little world of friends. We’ve had as many as four adults and four small dogs walking together around the neighbourhood. When I had Stuart on the boat there was a group of us who went outside in the early morning to throw ball for the dogs, chat and drink coffee in covered mugs, I was at the dog park with Madigan but there has always been some owners with dogs with dominance issues reflecting their owners inferiority complexes. Madigan is shy there. He just met a wonderful Poodle cross Bernice, called Jack. It takes a long time to know the names of the owners and so commonly we think of people as ‘Jacks dad’. It was teh same in boat world where we knew people by the name of their boat. I was the captain of the GIRI.
I’m thankful for this life despite the day to day uncertainty in the world and at this age. Being ‘past’ conventional ‘retirement age’, as I say, ‘over my shelf life’, the question of what to do next persists almost like my time at the end of high school. I’d love to do a three month walk about to pray and find what God wants me to do next. Yet I really like being here, the friends I have, the work I do, Laura’s visits and our time together,
I keep thinking of selling my boat not more wanting to do land travel in North America rather than cross the Atlantic or sail south to the Caribbean. I loved driving my Harley through cowboy country to Sturges. The idea of taking the circle tour through the central and south east US seeing the sites of the early settlements, the sites of the Civl War, Liberty bell, all of that is appealing. I sometimes think of travelling across Canada if only to visit family in the north and to hunt and fish but I’ve crossed back and forth across this country several times and I’ve never been to the Ozarks. I like the idea of Mark Twain and Mississippi and Shenandoah and so many sites that I’ve read and heard of all my life but never visited. I’ve been to so many American cities but often only staying in town for the conference I’m attending. It’s the little towns that attract me more now.
My Camper is being surveyed again for the damage claim that occurred when I was leaving the camper for the repair for the first damage claim. I believe the first one weakened the base which caused the bottom crack. I’d like to travel in the camper and truck. My fifth wheel is too big for exploring, I imagined it at as southern home. My dream was 3 months in Arizona for winter and the rest of the time in Canada. My friends have moved to Mexico in retirement enjoying the heat and Pacific Ocean. I thought of that when I lived there a year, the idea of La Paz and my boat as a base there while I flew around the world doing locums. I’ve had so many dreams and plans but get settled in comfortable routines. Yes, the good may compete with the best but I’m satisfied and thankful today.
So I muddle on praying to God to show me the way then rejoicing in weekends like this with Laura and Madigan here in Vancouver when the rain has let up and we have a reprieve from the constant of work with all it’s increasing demands and the ever present authorities standing back from the front lines armed with guns to shoot any of us that fall short of their committee perfections. Canada has become a country whose leaders lead from behind. I miss the days when we had sterner more ethical stuff with less arrogance and more humility.
My mind though is a garden and I can focus on the weeds or the flowers and I wish to enjoy the flowers today. Laura has come out from her shower and Madigan is excited playing with his ball and chasing his tail. Time for me to get back to the real world and ready myself for our next adventure.
Thank you God for this life, for all your blessings. Thank you for the birds tool
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment