A Wet Day

Friday was wet. I chose not to walk with our friends. I was not up for wet forest walking, and so Sheba and I went for a short walk close by and I came home to continue working on the huge box of ‘memories.’ Although it is not without some concern, I discarded photos that have meant a great deal to me in the past. Disenchanted with Françoise as well as Don and Connie, I chose to delegate souvenirs of their lives to the bin.

I was greatly affected by the death of a friend a zillion years ago whose estate I was part of settling. All his photos went into the bin, and it seemed so incredibly sad to see them in the garbage. I’m on a slow course of action to ensure that everything non-essential is gone from Pinecone Park. I’m collecting all that I want gone in the studio, and later this year I will call Gabriola Disposal and have it all taken away.

Throwing out all my ‘precious memories’ was an interesting experience. All my reviews of shows, articles about me in the press, over a hundred photographs, tapes, diplomas, and so, so many things about the Tyrell, York and Loranger families that once meant so much to me but that now evoke little emotion. Some things I saved, but the mementos that remain are now in a very small box.

I worked on sorting things from the huge box all morning. I put some things in envelopes to send to friends who are featured in the article or photographs, and I’m going through everything again soon to sort things for Steve to see when he comes in the Summer, in case he wants to keep some of them.

I’d been on the go all day, so when lunchtime came, I fed everyone and then settled onto the chaise to read for a while. I loved being still. It rained all day, but it wasn’t super heavy rain, so I went out to the cistern again after lunch and saw clearly that it is slowly filling. I had a regulator put on my pump; it ensures that the pump stays on for only 10 minutes per hour, otherwise, it would empty the well and the pump would burn out. Filling the cistern will take three days or more.

We went into the village to shop, and then we went for a walk in the rain. I got some new shoes, that’s why my bone spurs have been hurting. So, I soaked the back of my left shoe in water and did some bending of it before we went, and it made a huge difference. 

It rained all day, and in the afternoon low, low cloud obscured the treetops and gave a ghostly, bluish hue to the visible part of the forest. But it was warm, and I loved the eeriness in the forest. I am extremely happy here, and a big part of that is living in nature, in the forest. If only I’d known at a younger age.

Last night was the usual.

It’s going to be a dull and damp day today. We shall go into the village to go to the post office and to pick up some groceries, and then I’ll read and do more sorting of things and rearranging my storage of souvenirs and clothes. I enjoy doing the very practical chores I’ve been doing. I love getting rid of unnecessary things.