Saturday, December 2, 2017

I Ache for Ethel

Saturday morning and poor Ethel is not feeling very well. She purrs, bless her, but she’s not inclined to eat or drink this morning. I will be a doting father all day.
Sheba, on the other hand, slept excellently through the night, exhausted from Dwight’s attention. Dwight and Sheba fell instantly in love with each other. So there were no indoor pinecones this morning nor yesterday morning..
Taking Ethel in yesterday was horrid. I felt like an executioner. And I picked up Leon’s ashes. That, too, was terribly difficult because as much as I love Fred, Ethel and Sheba., I can still miss Leon terribly, terribly much.
I love the drive along North Road from Buttercup to Silva Bay where the seaplane arrives. You go through forest, then farmland and then along the coast so you see three distinct evocative landscapes — this afternoon through torrents of rain.
Sheba and I went to fetch Dwight. He arrived on time and we came home for a quick tour and then went into the village for lunch. When we came home, I picked up poor Ethel and brought her home. She ate — a good sign.  
Dwight and I hot tubbed. He was, like everyone, very pleasantly surprised by how much he liked it. And then we went to meet Robin, Jay and Kelly for dinner in the pub at Surf Lodge. Jay called unexpectedly to invite us and we had a really fun time together.
Robin, Kelly’s long-time friend, is a treat. I am really glad I met her. She is coming over to teach me more about my water system. She is an old hand at it. I instantly liked her and she said: “We’re going to be thick, you and I.” I loved that.
We left Sheba at home and I cannot tell you how great it felt to come home. More than ever I love being home because it is not only a place but now it’s a place with pets who love me and whom I adore.
And Dwight even feels it. He’s used to constantly being on the go so he noticed the tranquility of this place — the island first, then my home — immediately and he keeps noticing it.
Tuesday “Roy” is coming to check out the studio while I am in Vancouver. Darrell will look after him. He is a WETT installer who’ll return to install my new chimney. So that’s the final piece in place for the completion of the studio renovation.
Today: Who knows: Dwight has an agenda but Todd and Amy and Robin have all said they want to come by and meet Fred, Ethel and Sheba. I’m certain Dwight will want to end the day in the hot tub before dinner and a movie. I’m looking forward to more chocolate cake. And I plan to dote on Ethel.
Yesterday it rained quite hard for a few minutes when we were in the hot tub. And it was cold outside. It was really wonderful to be so warm and outdoors in such nasty weather.
If moving here was a smart move — and it was — getting Fred, Sheba and Ethel was a Nobel–level smart thing to do. They disburse in the house and so it feels like whenever I move to a new location I encounter one of them and I’m compelled to worship whomever it is I’ve encountered.
It’s almost odd to think I ‘bought’ all this love. Sheba in particular: There’s something particularly powerful about a relationship with a dog. It’s a true partnership because she comes everywhere with me. However, I was glad to try leaving her alone for the first time last night.
Dwight and I left her here when we went to Surf Lodge — which, by the way, we had a hell of a time finding. We were really late but perhaps only on Gabriola can you have two streets with the same name.


















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