Wet, Wet, Wet

Friday was one wet day. We did not walk with our friends in the morning. Instead, we walked together by ourselves in light rain (that Sheba hates). As the morning progressed, my fire got bigger as the winds picked up, and the rain turned heavy. It was a lovely day to be warm and cosy indoors.

On Thursday evening, I clicked on a video on YouTube that caught my eye, and in it I met Jude, a young and very, very charming Englishman who is documenting his redevelopment of an old Scottish farmhouse in north-eastern Scotland. He quickly became another subscription of mine on YouTube.

Jude made his life changing decision to move to Scotland when both his parents died of cancer a short time part and left him with some cash and a dreadful overwhelming sense of loss. He’d never lived rurally, and he, like me, is not inclined to tools and machinery, but he is terribly impressive at learning and doing everything he needs to do. And he is brilliant with food. (In one video he pans his just completed pantry, and I noticed several books by Nigel Slater.)

Yesterday morning was spent watching a bunch more of his videos and now I am up to speed with him. When I was done, I fed the four-legged trio and then settled onto the chaise to see how things would go reading a David Sedaris novel entitled Naked. It did not go well. Although I have read and enjoyed his memoires, this book is non-fiction and each chapter is unrelated to the others, so each one is almost a very short story. I was not engaged. I’ll try to read more, but I’m not hopeful.

Anticipating more trouble with reading, I bought a year’s worth of watching YouTube without ads. It cost me $140, but for a year, given the amount of subscriptions I enjoy watching on the site, it is worth it. I am so glad to be free of a streaming service that does not insult me with stupid adverts.

The evening was spent as passes every other: dinner (butter chicken), chaise, electric blanket, and television (with frequent checks on the world series score). And my day ended in my favourite place: in my wonderfully cozy bed and with Sheba keeping me close company.

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Whoa, I awoke to rain thundering on the roof. It was deafening, and I thought today would require a big fire and a different book than David Sedaris. It is sincerely stormy out there. However, tomorrow is likely to be a much nicer day and I may get a chance to do some yard work that needs doing. Every day thrills me. I love my house, my pets and every aspect of my life here on Gabriola.