Zombies and Relaxing

Wednesday: Another day, more chores; more mowing, tying of Garlic and watering. More dog walking, more talking with zombies, another spa. More TV.

I say, “zombies,” because Anna, the conspiracist, is gone from our Rollo Park dog romping group, but Coda’s dad, handsome and fit as stink, launched into a screed about Chinese people taking all the jobs in the Clam and Oyster industry of the Salish Sea. (Chinese immigrants created jobs that did not exist until the they arrived and saw an opportunity to develop the bivalve industry.)

He also believes in Homeopathy and was advocating a silver solution, eighteen parts per million, for universal antibacterial prophylaxis.

And Ozzie, Tonka’s dad, chose to tell us about his sex life. He’s a chunky, happy go lucky, mechanic who had a nasty accident a while back. He says women are stalking him, so he decided to call one up and “use” her. Yes, he said, “used.” And he said she was twenty. He’s likely well into his forties. 

And then there’s Anette. She’s a nice woman, but she has a shrill voice. And because there are so many people with ideas quite different than mine, I just listen. I really only speak when it’s just Gunther and me. (I genuinely really like Gunther.) 

After several visits with Anette, I realized how much I know about her life and what’s going on with her house and her dog, Ollie. I know all about replacing her exploded hot water tank, the renovation of her kitchen nook, her aches and pains and her plans for the summer. But I have never heard her ask anything about any of the rest of us.

There’s also a really nice young man who is constantly laughing. He chews chewing tobacco and appears to be blissful about life. I love it when he’s there with his dog. There’s Rick, for whom the word, “fuckin’,” is every second or third word and his dog who never stops barking. And there’s a new girl who bothers me. She is all-knowing; she has an opinion about everything and for some reason, she just gives me the heebie jeebies. I wish I didn’t feel as I do about her, but I do. So, I try to avoid her. 

What we have in common is a dog and a love of dogs.

I told them I’d be leaving soon, that I wouldn’t be coming to Rollo Park as much soon because it’s getting to hot and I want to do long trail walks instead.

•

I had a lovely Summer in Vancouver in 2017. It was the Summer my bosom buddy Bruce was in physiotherapy after having had an aneurism. He was in a hospital close to the southern border of our city and I walked to visit him almost every day, always taking a different route. I loved the walks.

And when I wasn’t walking, I was making paper dresses. I made eleven of them—al, full size. It was a great, great Summer.

Then, On September 4^th of that year, I saw a photograph of this house I live in online in a real estate ad. At the time, I looked at rural real estate like young men look at porn; I had no intention to move—not until I saw this house, that is. On October 7^th, I moved in.

My Summers in 2018 and 2019 were spent busting my buns landscaping my lot. This place was a lovely log home on a sheet of rock with decades of fallen needles and cones on it, so both Summers and parts of Spring and Fall.

This Summer is unlike any other of my life. It’s not better; just very, very different. I have pets, a huge yard and the spa; more than that, however: I’ve never spent so much of the Summer season alone, and this year is my first island Summer focused on relaxation instead of “big project” work. I’m really enjoying my Summer of fun so far.

Excellent for social distancing!