An Apocalyptic Rainstorm

tuesday

Tuesday dawned overcast, and the wind is back. Damn! So, we got off to a slow start in the morning. I did some tidying and vacuuming before we went out for our morning walk together, H.H and I. And then we went into the village to get groceries and money to pay Grayson.

When I got home, it was lunch time and so I fed the brood and then I got to work watering, fertilizing and raking up forest fall. Not long after I got going, Grayson arrived, and he got busy finishing the gutters on the two renovated woodsheds and stacking the last of the wood he split.

At one point he called me and when I went to speak with him, I had a seizure. I loathe having seizures in front of people for the first time, but he was fine with everything. I feel safe with him; and I know he is a kind and open-minded man. Once I’d found my bearings, I got back to work. I wanted to ensure all the plants were well watered because I am going into Nanaimo today to get pet supplies.

He worked until 6:30! All the wood is stacked and there’s only one small thing to do to finish the two gutters on the woodsheds, so he’ll be back to do that and to clean my gutters and roofs. What a find, Grayson is! I was talking to Colleen, my neighbour who grew up with Grayson, and she shares with me a love of the guy because he is so, so kind and warm, as well as very hard working.

As is my wont of late, I went to bed early.

 

wednesday

Wow. What a day yesterday was! Part of it was absolutely terrifying.

We got up early. We always do because Fred jumps on the bed and starts climbing all over me and howling every morning just before or after five am. But it was a Nanaimo day, so I got up, fed everyone, walked Sheba and headed for the ferry. I arrived just as one ferry was leaving, so I was almost at the front of the line for the next ferry. I only had to wait 25 minutes for the next boat. The time passed quickly because I was with Margaret Visser. I am loving her book.

I’ve learned some great things to share with friends over meals. Here are two excellent and simple examples: I never noticed the obvious origin of the word “nonchalance.” It’s so clear, now that Ms. Visser has pointed it out, but our English word clearly comes from French and means ‘without heat.’ In other words, ‘cool.’ To nonchalant is to be cool.

The other most interesting example concerns the word, ‘focus.’ Can you guess the origin of this word? The answer rather shocked me. The Latin word for hearth or fireplace is. ‘focus.’ Our English word came to mean what it means because once, we gathered together to discuss important family or community concerns around the fire in our past. 

I’m reading Ms. Visser’s book called The Rituals of Dinner, and it couldn’t be more interesting. I’ve not been reading ever since the sun came out over a month ago, but I am going to make time for Ms. Visser every day from now on. Anyway, back to Nanaimo.

Once we arrived, we went to the park we always walk in, and we had a good ten minutes outdoors, but I turned around and went back to the car when it started to rain. But it wasn’t really the rain that had be go back, it was the bank of almost black cloud coming in from the north.

We got in the car to go to Walmart for paper towels and TP. I had three stops on my agenda. Barely ten minutes later, on the highway where the speed limit is 90K, the sky opened up and I was in the heaviest rain I’ve ever been in since India a million years ago.

I got into the right hand lane. I had my wipers on at full speed, and still I felt nervous going any faster than 40K, but no one was honking behind me. All the sane people were in the right hand lane. It went on and on. It was truly frightening. When we came to Aulds road, the light was red. When it turned green, cars started sliding left and right and I just sat in place with my tires skidding. That really scared me.

As we all started moving towards Auld Road, two police cars with their sirens and lights going came off Auld Road and onto the highway. One got into each lane and all of us behind them were reduced to driving at 30K. I was hugely relieved. When we got to Walmart. I sat in the car until the storm passed. I could see it would because there was now bright sky to the far west. Once it slowed to mild, gentle rain, I had to walk to the store via a long route to avoid the lakes in the parking lot.

I got the cat food I wanted, went shopping for some groceries and was back on the ferry for home at 11:40. We arrived back at Gabe at 12:10, and when I got home, I carried the food needing to go into the fridge into the house and put it in the fridge. I returned to the car for my next load, and when I came back into the house, the power was out, and it stayed out until 6:30 last night.

During the afternoon without power, I passed time by napping first. I was tired after our trip and shlepping all the stuff including heavy cat litter which is hard for me given my shortness of breath. Then Her Highness and I went to walk the Elder Cedar trail where we happened upon our good friends, Nola and Jill. And when we got back, I had a nice long leisurely spa before cooking my dinner on the barbeque.

I was very happy when the power came on. I really wanted to veg with a good movie, which I what I did before hitting the sack for a great sleep.

Although rain is predicted for tomorrow and Saturday, I must water today because my floral friends are thirsty. Then I’ll putter around for the balance of the day, and Zoom with Dianne at 3:00.

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