I’ve never been very good at saying goodbye

Goodbye doesn’t mean forever
Let me tell you goodbye doesn’t mean
We’ll never be together again
If you wake up and I’m not there, I won’t be long away
David Gates

It’s hard to believe the summer is nearing an end. We’ve been away from our home in West Kelowna since June 26 and likely won’t be back until September 26…3 months!

Since my last post, we’ve kept ourselves busy spending time in Bathurst (mostly) and Moncton. I’m still recovering from my cracked rib(s) primarily due to the fact I didn’t rest enough for them to heal. It’s hard for me to sit still. I come by it honestly as my dad was the same. If there was work to do, he’d be doing it, and often I was helping him.

Ethan and Carissa live on five acres near Bathurst and when one has acreage there is always something to do. Sam and Leona purchased a new home in Moncton and took possession in July and despite being new there is also lots to do.

It was pure joy for me to work alongside my boys (and their wives) doing what needed to be done. In fact, I don’t think there is anything I’d rather do in life. I’m a little terrified of the day when I don’t have the physical strength to do this kind of thing. Perhaps that’s why I just plowed ahead sore ribs be damned.

At Ethan and Carissa’s we cut down standing dead trees, cut up deadfalls and split wood by hand. I was physically exhausted most days but honestly loved every minute of it. Carissa is a workhorse! She dragged trees out of the forest and despite me offering my help, said no way. It was so rewarding to see their place cleaned up before fall. By the time we left, they had close to 2 cords of wood stacked in the woodshed.

In Moncton, Sam, Leona and I hung blinds, mirrors, towel racks and toilet paper holders. They pressure washed, sanded and stained their sundeck all on their own, and before we left the contractors had come to pave the driveway and landscape the yard.

If there was one thing that surprised me about New Brunswick, it was how dry and hot it was. I never expected lengthy periods of hot and dry weather and I certainly didn’t expect forest fires. There were a few while we visited, the largest of which was near Miramichi, an hour south of Bathurst. Fortunately, there was very little smoke where we stayed.

In early August, Ethan took Carissa and me on a tour of his mill. It was great to see the operation and I was so proud of him as he showed us around.

The day following the tour, a forest fire broke out less than a kilometre from his mill. Ethan shut down and evacuated the mill and took a few men with him to fight the fire. The Interfor crew were on site knocking it down with water trucks within minutes. Ethan called his colleague in Miramichi to send a couple of bulldozers so they could build a fire break between the fire and the mill, and then grabbed a fire hose and walked into the bush to douse the flames. Eventually a few bombers came to spray retardant and when the fire break was complete, the fire service crew along with the Interfor crew contained the fire. Ethan’s crew stayed all night to monitor the fire and put out hot spots. Had it not been for Ethan and his team, the fire would have spread to the mill and ultimately towards Bathurst. The forest service supervisor told Ethan that he was very impressed with how Ethan remained calm and knew just what to do. Ethan smiled and said, it’s because I’m from BC.

Connie spent most of her Bathurst days with Boden. He loves his Maaamaaa best. He loves Buppa too but when there’s a choice, guess who he goes to? There were a few times when Buppa got to baby sit while Carissa and Maaamaaa went shopping. Boden is a busy little fella and we had loads of fun playing with his toys. Some days he’d come out to help his Mom and Buppa work in the yard.

On a few occasions we went into town for ice cream or “imeam”. Like his grandpa, Boden isn’t too fussy about the flavour, he just loves to eat it. One afternoon we went to the park and beach to have an early dinner. Grandpa thought he should get some authentic Acadian poutine before leaving town. I did and I’m not thinking I need it again. After dinner, I purchased a couple of milkshakes (perhaps the best I’ve ever had), one for me and one for Ethan and Carissa. Boden asked for “a little bit” of a sip…about 15 times! He definitely takes after his Grandpa.

On one of our trips to Moncton to spend the weekend with Sam and Leona, we drove to Sackville and toured Mount Allison University where Sam is a professor. We toured the campus but my favourite part was seeing Griffin Chemistry Lab after passing through the Griffindoor.

Ethan took vacation during the last week of August so it was great to spend a little extra time with him. We celebrated Carissa’s birthday on Wednesday and on the Thursday, Connie and I said goodbye to Ethan, Carissa and Boden. Connie and I shed a lot of tears but Boden took it in stride. Carissa and Connie were preparing him for our departure and I guess it worked. He hugged his Maaamaaa and Buppa hard and then waved goodbye as we drove away.

We booked a campsite for our stay in Moncton. Fortunately, it was just 10 minutes from Sam and Leona’s new home. On Saturday, we drove to PEI and toured Charlottetown, drove along the coastline, stopped at several beaches and at the Anne of Green Gables Museum in Cavendish. Connie, Zach and I had been there during our last trip and other than it being a bit busier, it was still worth the stop.

Shortly after arriving we stopped in Victoria-by-the-Sea, a cute little seaside town.

As we walked along the pier, I bid good morning to a guy and gal who were docking their boat. They were from New Brunswick and had cruised over to store their boat in Charlottetown for the winter. We got to chatting and told them where we were from and immediately he offered to take us out on the water despite having just navigated his way into the harbour. I was very tempted but thanked him and declined as we had places to go. One has to love Maritime hospitality.

We ate fresh lobster in Charlottetown at Dave’s Lobster (Dave is the brother of Connie’s friend and former work colleague Andrea) and stopped to buy a Cows ice cream before our return to Moncton. The weather was fantastic and we were privileged to watch the sunset as we drove across the Confederation Bridge.

We spent our final day in Moncton helping Sam and Leona with a few things around the house. After dinner, we said our goodbyes (again lumps in our throats and tears in our eyes) and headed back to the campsite to pack up.

This morning we were on the road shortly after 8 and made our way towards Woodstock New Brunswick and Houlton Maine. We arrived at the border crossing just prior to noon and were greeted by a friendly and kind customs officer. After a few questions about our return home, we were through the border and on our way to Pittsfield and the Maine Center for Classic Aviation, where we are spending the night at a Harvest Host site.

We drove down the I95 enjoying the thick forest on either side of the highway (the colours are going to be gorgeous here in a month). After a short stop in Bangor to purchase some groceries, we arrived at the Harvest Host site. As I write, it’s just us and another couple from Vermont spending the night. I went out to greet him when he pulled in and he said “you must be Canadian by your accent!” I laughed. He was born in Ottawa, Ontario and has family in Victoria BC. It’s a small and beautiful world and we are feeling blessed.

Before ending, I’ll leave you with the words by Jim Croce which I think are fitting for us.

I’ve Got a Name
Like the pine trees lining the winding road
I’ve got a name
I’ve got a name
Like the singing bird and the croaking toad
I’ve got a name
I’ve got a name
And I carry it with me like my daddy did
But I’m living the dream that he kept hid
Moving me down the highway
Rolling me down the highway
Moving ahead so life won’t pass me by
Like the North wind whistling down the sky
I’ve got a song
I’ve got a song
Like the whip-poor-will and the babies crying
I’ve got a song
I’ve got a song
And I carry it with me and I sing it proud
If it gets me nowhere, I’ll go there proud
Moving me down the highway
Rolling me down the highway
Moving ahead so life won’t pass me by
And I’m gonna go there free
Like the fool I am and I’ll always be
I’ve got a dream
I’ve got a dream
They can change their minds but they can’t change me
I’ve got a dream
I’ve got a dream
I know I could share it if you want me to
If your going my way I’ll go with you
Moving me down the highway
Rolling me down the highway
Moving ahead so life won’t pass me by
Moving me down the highway
Rolling me down the highway
Moving ahead so life won’t pass me by

Until next time, thanks for reading.