MOWING

Sunday, September 12

We had seen the sun here at Belle Baie but a few times in the week we had been here When we woke this morning it was no different. The sky was still overcast. Outside it was fifty five degrees. The wind that seems to blow without ceasing continued but without the force of yesterday when the water in the bay was white capping all day

Not many people were stirring outside their rigs as most were preparing to leave later in the day and return home to make preparations for the coming work week.

Onie checked her email and looked at Face Book while the writer made notes and wrote.

Onie left the coach, walked to the bay and took a picture of the bay at high tide.

Belle Baie at high tide. Brier Island in the distance.

The writer, Yvonne and Judy had planned to mow the various yards at the different rigs last Friday but the heavy rain on Thursday night had made things too wet, to mow. Now the writer got a mower and began mowing sites, starting with Doug and Pam and moving on around. When he became too warm he stopped to cool off, visiting in the pit.

About one, the ladies, Onie, Judy and Yvonne, began lunch preparations in the pit. More coconut beer batter salmon was fried and left overs from last night were spread out. The group was small but included Brian and Yvette, Paul and Susanne, Yvonne and Mike, Nora and Judy, Kevin and Norma, Doug and Pam, the navigator and driver but when the eating was done all the salmon was gone as was most everything else.

After lunch everyone but Yvonne and Judy, the navigator and writer, left for home. Monday was a work day and they had to get ready.

The writer finished mowing before joining the navigator in the coach. Daniel had driven in just as the writer was finishing up the mowing. He is cooking lobster for the navigator and writer. Supper will be five or five thirty.

Yvonne came over and borrowed the card shuffler and Skip-Bo cards. Games were planned for tonight, after supper, and she and Judy wanted to hone their skills.

In the Marlin the writer sat down at his laptop. Onie played a few computer games, the first rest she had in quite sometime. She had worked getting the interior of the Marlin ready for the road while the driver was mowing.

The mowing was finished just as Daniel drove in. We waved, spoke and reaffirmed supper at five or five thirty. Daniel went in and began cooking five lobsters.

The writer went into the coach and worked at his laptop while Onie continued getting the coach ready to travel tomorrow.

At five the pair walked over to Daniel's rig for supper

The three visited a bit before the lobsters were put on the table. Daniel showed the Texans how to eat a lobster the way the people in Nova Scotia eat them and how the men that catch them eat them.

It was a real learning experience and one that was very enlightening. We found there is a lot more meat in a lobster than just in the tail and big claws. After lobster, Daniel served a wonderful dessert that his wife Marcie had made. Marcie and the two children didn't come to camp with Daniel as they get all the lobster they want whenever they want it. After supper Daniel cleaned up the dishes while we visited with him.

Anne and Dan came by to visit and say so long. They will probably be in Texas before we are back here.

After supper and dessert Daniel got his guitar and played for us and showed Onie a few tricks about playing. We also looked through his music books and sang along to some songs he played for us. Sated beyond belief we headed back to our rig at seven thirty.

To help our supper settle we walked back to the bay where Onie took more pictures of low tide

Low tide
 

and then we got pictures of each other with the bay as a backdrop

.

"The Pit" where we parked. Coach on left.
 

Then it was back to the warmth of the Marlin.

Yvonne and Judy showed up shortly thereafter with the Skip-Bo cards and card shuffler. They had been playing most of the afternoon and were anxious to continue. The cards were shuffled and Yvonne dealt. The game was not too long in coming to an end when the Onie/Yvonne team overcame some stiff opposition to eke out a win.

Daniel had come over during the game as had Tom and Phyllis. They stayed until the game was over and then the six of us sat around and visited for a while. Tom and Phyllis are coming to Texas this winter and will probably come by the house with their fifth wheel.

Anne and Dan will probably be with them.

Our guest bid us goodnight around ten thirty. Daniel had shown us some websites for Onie to get songs to play on the guitar. We hope to see Daniel, Tom and Phyllis this winter or in the spring. They will be gone in the morning when we rise. Yvonne and Judy will be eating breakfast with us tomorrow morning before we leave.

At eleven the navigator went to bed after setting the table for breakfast.

The writer stayed up to finish taking the verbal notes off the recorder then he finished this story.

It was two o'clock when he got to bed.

TIME TO GO

Monday, September 13

Onie was up at eight.

Outside it was cool and the wind was calm.

Inside Onie had her coffee, cooked steel cut oats, showered and dressed and had another cup of coffee out of her Kuerig.

She made tea and that got me up at eight thirty.

Yvonne and Judy came over and had coffee while the writer showered and dressed. Then the group sat down to breakfast at a quarter to nine. While we were eating Jean came by to say goodbye. We hope to see him again soon, as we do all our friends in Nova Scotia. With breakfast over Judy and Yvonne did the dishes. During that time Jeanette, Jean's wife, came over to say goodbye.

The writer was making notes then but soon started getting ready to travel.

He flushed the black water tank, emptied the gray, took on some fresh, got the slides in, disconnected the shore power, hooked up the toad, got the jacks up, checked the tires and started the Cummins.

Then it was time to go but not before we took Judy and Yvonne smoked and canned salmon as well as returning some dishes that belong to them. Tearful goodbyes were said to Yvonne and Judy just before we pulled out of our space and drove to the office. We turned in the gate pass, said goodbye to Alvina, and Eddy and hello and goodbye to Rita. She used to run the place. She was doing cross stitch and looking good. She remembered us from our past trips.

The Marlin took us out of the park at ten forty and we turned north.

It was already warm under the partly sunny skies.

Not much traffic was using the road and the wind was still very slight making it a nice day to drive. We had pretty good roads and there was lots of changing of the color of the leaves.

Sixty miles north of Church Point there were brilliant displays of leaves.

The navigator was busy cleaning two lobsters we had left over last night at Daniel's. He cooked seven. He and the driver ate two apiece, about one half too many for the driver, and the navigator ate one. Once the lobsters are cleaned she will place the meat in freezer bags and freeze the leftover lobster. Perhaps in the not too distant future she will make hot lobster.

An hour and a half from camp we were traveling over the long rolling hills of the Annapolis Valley. On either side of the road were pastures, fields with crops and copses of trees. “The Valley” is the bread basket of Nova Scotia. In the fields there were farmers at work.

The roads had been good and we were enjoying the ride. The navigator advised it was sixty two at noon under partly sunny skies. The trip odometer had just turned ten thousand miles. That was ten thousand miles since we left Coldspring in May.

Sixty miles from Halifax the traffic had increased considerably but there was still very little wind and the road continued to be good and our nice pleasant ride with nice scenery continued.

The cook served lunch at twelve forty five, bell pepper stuffed with salmon salad for the driver and a salmon salad sandwich for the navigator, both followed by raw almonds.

Although we could see some sunny spots far distant it was now overcast and cloudy above us and the temp had dropped so the dash heater was running.

Rain clouds that looked like they might be forming earlier today got their act together and delivered a little rain to us. Not much. Five miles from where we turn to head due west the rain had come but it didn't last long enough to soak the bugs off the windshield.

We were turning onto One Oh Two at one thirty having just left One Oh One. We were nearing Truro at a quarter of two, just forty miles ahead, and the rain was trying to return. For the time being it was in the form of heavy mist.

We just passed the Shubenacadie River where Tracy and I went for a ride on the river in search of the bore tide. We didn't find the bore but we did find a lot of muddy water and had a good time.

We left One Oh Two and turned onto One Oh Four at two twenty. Thirty minutes later we were on the toll road.

By three fifteen we were once again passing the Nova Scotia visitors' center, this time on the way out. We were leaving a temp of fifty eight degrees in our wake.

It had been overcast most of the day but it looked like it was trying to clear for us as we drove into New Brunswick.

We stopped for fuel at four thirty but only bought twenty two gallons as it will be much cheaper in Maine.

We were back in the Wal-Mart parking lot in St. John at six fifteen. Sixty five degree air greeted us as we stepped out. We had come three hundred ninety five miles. Four other rigs had already pulled in for the night. We were among friends.

The navigator fixed fried zucchini for supper along with cherry tomatoes, avocados and popcorn. Outside it was fifty nine.

Bill and Nancy Hager called to find out how Onie cooks asparagus in the oven and Tracy called to visit.

We read a little, then went to bed at eight thirty.

It was dark.

LOST AND FOUND

Tuesday, September 14

We were tired and slept until a quarter of nine. Rising we found the outside temp to be standing at fifty six.

Cherry tomatoes, avocado and sauteed haddock made our breakfast, along with Chai tea and coffee.

The morning walk around was done and we were on the road again at ten fifteen.

As we crossed the toll bridge in St John to our left, in the St John River, was the cruise ship, Carnival Glory. She lay in shallow water as the tide was way out.

Yesterday we ran the dash heater almost the whole time and it was on again this morning.

We were through the new customs facility at eleven. The Customs officer was a nice guy, fifty something. We missed downtown Callis altogether. We had intended to stop at Sobey's and get some blueberry syrup but we missed it since we went to the new entry/exit point.

Back in the USA we found the hour we lost when we went into New Brunswick.

It had been raining for the last half hour when we pulled into the Callais Irving at twelve fifteen. When the tank was full and we made our calculation for fuel mileage it came to nine point five five miles per gallon with no adjustment for generator time meaning we actually got better than that.

Back on Nine headed south on the good road we got to thinking about how our memory is not quite as good on these roads as it used to be. We have decided to buy our own Christmas presents now, wrap them in pink and blue paper, put name tags on them so we don't forget who's is whose, put them away and we will be surprised when we open them Christmas morning.

Earlier in the day we were in the first real rain we had been in since leaving the Yukon, if memory serves. We left most of it behind when we crossed into the U.S. and just north of Bangor, a few miles, we were in bright sunshine and the land of big flying bugs.

In Bangor we headed west on Two where the bugs lost out to more rain.

Two means slower going as there are lots of towns and at this time of day active school zones with a school bus stopped, thrown in for good measure.

Three forty local time found us back at Ted's and Priscilla's. After saying hello we unhooked and backed in. The electric was hooked up, the jacks put down and the slides put out.

The driver stayed outside and visited with Ted. He is still working on widening his sidewalk. As a matter of fact he is completely rebuilding it, widening it and raising it.

The ladies called us in for snacks, guacamole, Onie made it to save our avocados at the border, and chips along with cold boiled shrimp from Priscilla.

We visited and played with dogs a bit before supper, spaghetti and spaghetti sauce, home made hot bread right out of the oven and molasses raisin cookies for dessert.

More visiting took place until seven thirty when Onie went to the coach to watch TV.

Ted and I visited til eight thirty then the driver joined Onie in the coach and made these notes before reading a bit.

It was fifty two at eight.

All too soon we will be missing this cool weather.

TRAPS

Wednesday, September 15

As far as we know it got down to fifty last night but no lower.

We were up at nine thirty. Outside it was fifty two and somewhat overcast with clouds building.

We had gumbo for breakfast with coffee and Chai tea and a molasses cookie apiece.

Ted and I picked up a dump trailer and changed the hitch on the truck to accommodate same so we could haul some sand for the sidewalk. With the hitch changed and the trailer in tow we went and got the sand.

On the way back to Ted's we went by to see Jim and Phyllis.

Jim was boiling traps for coyotes. He does this to remove all traces of humanity as he says unless the traps are boiled the coyotes will not even approach them. After he boils them he dyes them so they will blend in with their surroundings. Ted dropped off some of his traps to be boiled and dyed. The traps are handled with rubber gloves after boiling and from then on during trapping season. These are steel jawed spring loaded traps. After seeing the trap boiling operation we went to look at his garden. It was big and loaded with all kinds of vegetables.

Then it was time to continue home where the sand was dumped on the drive before we went in and made ourselves ham and cheese sandwiches, for lunch.

We were sort of batching as the ladies had left this morning, before we did, for more shopping.

After our sparse lunch we took the trailer back and swapped hitches. Then we went up the road to a little town to deliver some papers and pick up a spare tire. On the way we stopped to help a guy with a flat. He was from Huntsville, Alabama.

The rain that had been falling off and on all day stopped while we did our good deed for the day but the temp continued dropping as it had all day.

We were back at the house at five thirty and by then it was just fifty with a mist floating in the air.

We took our supper with Ted and Priscilla at seven thirty. We had one of the chickens he raised. He had butchered it at sixty days and it weighed six and a half pounds. He put the chicken in a rotisserie oven when we got home and set it to cook for a couple of hours. When it was done we ate it with oven-baked zucchini, by Onie, baked potato and zucchini bread for dessert.

We tarried at the table and visited 'til nine.

The driver had started the wash when he and Ted got home. Now he continued washing, drying and folding.

The driver went to the coach with Onie and made the bed. Soon she occupied it and began watching Lifetime Movie Network.

By ten the driver had just one more load of clothes to dry and fold. While they were drying he wrote for a while. The last load was done at eleven.

In the coach he completed week fifteen at two and then played two games of Free Cell before going to bed.

Outside it was forty eight.

THE DO

Thursday, September 16

Onie was up at a quarter of nine, seated at the table drinking her first cup of coffee.

Outside it was fifty degrees and there was no wind under the partly cloudy skies. It looked like it would rain again today.

The writer joined Onie at ten and had a cup of Chai tea.

She was busy all morning preparing for her salmon do. Including us she was expecting about ten people.

The writer stayed busy taking off notes and writing until noon when he stopped for more Chai tea, some cantaloupe and a molasses cookie for breakfast.

Bob arrived early in the afternoon to help Ted with the sidewalk. When Jim and Phyllis arrived, it was time to take a break from the project.

Ted, Jim and Bob

Phyllis, Onie and Priscilla enjoy happy hour.

Bob's wife Pauline came later, in a separate car.

Ted’s nephew, David,

came by to visit while we were on the deck snacking, at the end of the day.

Snacks on the deck started the eating extravaganza.

Ted and Jim

Tom and Bob

Phyllis
 

Supper was on the table at six thirty. Everybody but David sat down, he left, to eat coconut salmon, beer batter halibut, oven fried sweet potato fries, oriental coleslaw and Priscilla’s raspberry pie Ala mode, for dessert.

Bob and Pauline

By seven thirty the shadows were very long and the rain that had started about six thirty continued to fall, in volumes, cooling things off. Jim and Phyllis, Bob and Pauline each told Onie how good the meal had been and then took their leave.

Onie and Priscilla cleaned up before Onie and the writer headed to the coach where the thermometer said the outside temp was fifty four.

The navigator began working on week fifteen so it can be posted, soon.

In the meantime the writer was working on week sixteen.

Outside the temperature continued to fall.

Both editor and writer worked until ten when they stopped to watch a movie.

Outside the rain pounded on the roof and the temp fell to fifty two.

BY CHRISTMAS

Friday, September 17

It rained hard most of the night and with the rain came cooler temps. We slept with the electric blanket on a medium setting. At four it was forty eight.

The rain had stopped when we woke for the day at eight and the thermometer had climbed to fifty two. An overcast sky still hung overhead.

Onie had coffee and continued to work on week fifteen while the writer had Chai tea and wrote on week sixteen.

By ten the sun was breaking through the clouds.

Writing and editing continued until eleven when the editor stopped to prepare breakfast.

Eggs from Ted's hens, tomatoes from Priscilla's plants, whole wheat English muffins and bacon from the store made our meal. Yes, there was coffee and Chai tea.

Showers followed at twelve thirty then Onie and Priscilla set off for another day of shopping, in New Hampshire, an hour and a half away.

The writer returned to his laptop to continue work on week sixteen

Outside Ted and Bob worked on rebuilding the sidewalk. The sun shone down on them through skies that were now cloudless. It was seventy degrees.

Writing until the fingers asked for a break the driver went out to join Ted and Bob. He was more an inspector than a worker but on occasion did pick up a brick to hand it to Bob who passed it on to Ted who put it in place. Doing this much to contribute, the driver felt he had earned the right to become a union boss so around five he announced it was time to knock off for the day. Ted and Bob were seeking time and a half but the inspector returned and shut the job down.

On the deck the threesome surveyed the work. It was coming along nicely and should be finished in time for Ted and Priscilla to head to Florida after Christmas.

Near dark the ladies returned. Bob had already left for the day. After new treasures were unloaded the ladies brought snacks out to the deck where we stayed until supper time.

After supper the driver and navigator watched another movie, in the coach, before retiring for the night.

BEA AND FRANK

Saturday, September 18

The skies cleared last night after we went to bed. A glimpse outside at four this morning revealed a starlit sky. Daytime heat had gone up to meet the clear sky and down below where we slept the temp had fallen to thirty seven.

With the rising of the sun the air had warmed back to forty six by the time we turned the heater on at eight thirty.

Half an hour later we rose to drink our coffee and Chai tea.

Outside Ted continued working on rebuilding his walk.

We had cold cereal and banana for breakfast after which the writer continued working on stories. Onie worked on week fifteen and when she was finished gave the writer a last look before she posted it.

Then she checked her email and we paid some bills on line.

It was time so we got ready to go to Bea and Frank's. They were regular visitors at Castaway in Alaska before they sold their summer home there last year and good friends with Ted and Priscilla. It was an hour's drive through beautiful country.  Ted drove us in Priscilla's custom van, a very nice ride by the way.

Frank lives on the road to nowhere, kind of like we do. He has a big house, two big barns, a nice pond, apple trees, a big garden and over four hundred acres of farm and pasture land.

Bea and Frank

Once at his house we visited a little over an hour, picked a few apples, ate one, said our goodbyes and drove back to the Chinese restaurant in Mexico.

The restaurant was already crowded when we got there at five thirty. We were glad we didn't get there any later. The food was very good and we especially enjoyed the hot and sour soup.

When we got home at seven thirty Priscilla’s sister, Barbara, was there.

We visited with her 'til eight when we checked our email one more time before heading to the coach at eight fifteen.

Onie had a movie cued up, Prairie Home Companion.

We watched it and then went to sleep.