July 3rd

Happy Anniversary Maryann
15C Cloudy

Off to Bowl again, here's Jerry.

And I’m sorry for being a pig.”

  A few days later we went for another walk only this time John took the big water can with us; on the way down the trail he placed two little buckets just under half way down. On the way back he filled them both with water. After that I always went on the grub run and having that water part way up solved most of my thirst problem.

  We went hunting for grouse a couple of times; somewhere along the way he had become a pretty good shot. I really didn’t mind fetching them when they didn’t wiggle but those lives ones always got my mouth full of feathers!

  I felt younger and stronger during our time on the lookout. All the exercise and John’s plain cooking made me lose some weight and I felt better than I had in a long time. It was just like I had somehow returned to the summer of my life. I think this was what Mom always meant when she talked about Indian Summer and how it was so beautiful. If this was Indian Summer – bring it on!

  But I guess it couldn’t last. One afternoon a storm rolled in, the wind blew, there was thunder and lightning flashing all about and our tiny building shuddered to the buffeting and pounding. Later in the evening the rain came and pounded on the roof and windows. I can’t say that it was the most comfortable feeling in the world. That night, I was concerned that John might be a bit afraid so I slept in his bed instead of my own. It rained for almost two full days, then after talking on the radio to Bob, John went out and dragged out some things he called shutters and started putting them over the windows.

  The following day we left.

REST TIME

 CHAPTER 13

W

e made two trips down to the end of the road before Bob arrived then had to make one more trip to make sure everything was in order for the winter. We spent a couple of days with Bob while something called inventory was done, then the boat arrived and we made the return trip to Madeira Park or Pender Harbour or whatever.

  When we got there John was quite excited when he was told that he was going to some place called Thurston Bay and should be ready to go the very next day. We had hardly unloaded our stuff from the boat when Senior arrived. Boy was it good to see him!

  We loaded the truck (there wasn’t very much) and headed down the road. This time I sat up front but as it was starting to be a bit chilly the window was kept closed.

  When we got home Mom was waiting for us and I gave her one of my royal greetings. Hey home was pretty good1 I checked out the yard and nothing seemed amiss, when I spotted the two cats I decided to show them that I was pretty glad to see them again but they both got in a bit of a huff when I started rolling them off their feet, obviously my renewed vigor was not to their liking.

  I had been wondering if I would be going to this Thurston Bay place but that was not to be.  The next morning after saying goodbye John got on the bus out in front; I didn’t realize it then but this was to be the start of him being gone and short visits would become the norm.

  I soon returned to my routine before the weeks on the lookout.  I gained back a bit of weight but still enjoyed the short walks to and along the beach. Sometimes the cats would come too. Well actually Paddy did, Patches always stopped where our property ended. About Christmas time I started to feel some serious twinges in my joints (Mom said I had arthritis) and then one day I realized I could only vaguely make out things more than a few yards away. I figured that Mom and Senior must have finally learned to communicate with very little talking as I rarely heard any words and when I did they were sort of a mumble.