River Walking

Thursday morning began with a trip to the car mechanics (in pouring rain)—after, of course, a walk with Her Highness. 

(I was all set to go to a meeting of the self-portrait/mural committee instead and worried about having to delay seeing the mechanic about the blinking emergency light in my car, but the meeting is next Thursday. I would have been really embarrassed arriving at Tawny’s house yesterday instead of next week.)

It’s a challenge getting the car looked at because the place is so far away from me and the taxi service here is, understandably, rather dismal. But I don’t fee safe driving the car right now and so in I went. The rain was torrential.

Turns out, it’s due to the burned out back light that cannot be fixed because of my damaged trunk hatch. So I’m going to fix the hatch so I don’t get pulled over for driving without proper lights. And because it’s been so long since the accident, I have to pay for it. So … I’ll probably pay thousands of dollars to fix a light. But I will have a working car trunk again.

The rain was relentless and we have another rain warning. But it’s warm at least. Winter has certainly brought a change in the weather. 

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This island is a burp of sandstone that rises out of the sea. It’s a very porous stone but lakes form on the trails—one is about twenty meters long. Between the lakes and the trees felled by the storm, I am constantly required to portage on our walks.

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This is a letter from E.B. White to J.G. Case (his "Elements of Style" editor atMacmillan), from March 30, 1962:

Dear Jack:

The next grammar book I bring out I want to tell how to end a sentence with five prepositions. A father of a little boy goes upstairs after supper to read to his son, but he brings the wrong book. The boy says, ‘What did you bring that book that I don’t want to be read to out of up for?’

And how are YOU?

Yrs,

Andy

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The walk this morning was incredible. The trails were rivers and lakes from the torrent of rain all day yesterday and last night. Right now, there is blue sky but I wish I’d had my camera to record what we did today. We walked for kilometers in rivers where the trails once were. 

It was wonderful fun this morning because I had good gumboots and there was sunshine—but most of all, because Angus joined us. He is nine and the grandson of Anna. He is so cute and polite and happy; I am smitten. I asked him lots of questions and joked with him and he really seemed to enjoy my attention.