Catch up!

Bracing.  That's what we call a day like today.  It reminds me of my Granny and walking the the Scottish Highlands with a wee scruffy dog .. although I've never done that.  I must have seen it somewhere and totally related to it though.  Because today reminds me of that picture in my brain .. although why my Granny Gideon and a small Scottie are in that picture is also a confusing muddle.

It's beyond blustery .. the weather here on the coast has been the usual sort of mixed bag of goods .. sunny one day .. raining sideways the next.   However, the gusty, blowsy breezes have consistently gone past sporty to the point of 'small craft warnings' that tend to keep the less adventurous paddlers off the water.   Certainly not Bruce and his Huligans, who like to embrace the waves and thrive on this sort of weather.  I just make sure that he's got enough ID that they know who to call when the body rolls up to shore.   I've given up trying to make the safety argument.  You know that one that goes "small craft warning" means small craft .. and that means an outrigger canoe.   He's all "Logic bedamned!"  

::sigh:: Men!

It appears I can have a wholly unexplained reason for a mental picture of a "bracing" day and yet .. in the very next paragraph .. totally discount my husband's proclivity to make up his own rules regarding wind and water based on things like .. experience.  ::frown:: That doesn't make him less wrong.

Bruce has actually been trying to behave himself the last couple of weeks ... he's just finished a round of medication to recover from pneumonia and is still working in clearing the last vestiges from his lungs.  The wet-and-cold combination are making him a bit leery on the very windy days when he knows that there's absolutely no hope of not getting soaked to the skin.  I say "trying" .. I mean that the siren of the waves weaves her haunting melody and tugs at him ... he's a bit powerless to resist her full will.  

::sigh:: Men!

I put this post together in October and got distracted by other things.  So as I sit down to write a new post, you get the old draft too.  My distraction then actually allows me to add more news now.

We had a scare on Thanksgiving weekend.  We'd been to Galiano Island with Céc and Richard for their annual Thanksgiving artwalk and were enjoying ourselves thoroughly, chatting with artists, making friends with stray cats, trying on hats and making faces in mirrors as a result, climbing lofts to look over old boat reconstructions and watching a glassblower at her trade.   I'd picked up a couple of pieces of art and Bruce picked up a cup of chai tea or ate something that gave his usually dormant allergies a chance to surface.  As we were leaving the island, Bruce's reaction had gone from mild to surprising and by the time we landed back in Nanaimo, had escalated into alarming.  Although there is no medical clinic open during off hours, we did get into London Drugs and got him sorted out with some allergy relief pills.  However, on the way home, 'alarming' had again escalated to the point where we took him to emergency.  Fortunately, he didn't have a long wait; although we did leave him there while we made dinner.  Bruce and I would both like to thank Cécile and Richard for their caring, help and patience as it was very long day by the time Bruce was back home.  Bruce now carries medication with him and has some in the car ... and I have instructions on how to use the epi-pens  it as well.


Sandy and Melvin dropped by this month .. and when I say dropped by, I mean they were on the island to visit with her parents who have moved to Cowichan Valley.  We made the most of the day and caught up with our two friends.  I swear, its like we've never left them 16 hours away and 8 years behind us.

Yup, they're as much fun as you'd think.

Melvin taught that look to Miley Cyrus.  Go ahead, blame him.

Fence update .. because you were waiting with bated breath .. right?  We finished!  Done for at least one more year.  Bruce says it took six weeks, but really .. it took all damn summer.  Because we like to not stress ourselves over deadlines.  Its the best way, really.

Mr. Tippy and Murray take their Construction Foremen job seriously.

September - Bruce is measuring to keep the headers parallel before he drills that last screw into place.

Trina, Dad and Dorothy at Myranda's wedding

Kelly's daughter Trina, oldest of the gaggle of nieces and nephews, travelled to Northern Alberta for Myranda's wedding and a chance to catch up with cousins and extended family, bringing her boyfriend to meet the gang.