Saturday, September 20, 2014

Fifty Two Candles

The sun was shining brightly when my parents and brother Graham drove up with lunch on Friday. It had been cold overnight, hovering around zero, and it wasn't forecast to get very warm throughout the day, so I had put out blankets to wrap ourselves with.  There wasn't much wind and not a cloud in the sky - we were even able to take off our sweaters by mid afternoon.

We ate lunch and visited in the sunshine. Graham and I went for a walk through the woods and along the waters edge. We found tracks from two giant turtles that we either going into or out of the water, we couldn't tell which. A Blue Heron squawked at us when we disturbed it from its roost, its great grey wings carrying it to the sky like an ancient tryadactal.

When we got back to the campsite I saw that a beautiful birthday cake had been set out on the table: angel food cake with pretty flowers arranged about it. I've had angel food for my birthday for I can't count how many years. Mom quickly took some photos so that I could gather up the flowers and dash out of the site - the wasps were starting to swarm. I don't think it was the flowers they were after though - I think it was my Dad they wanted as they continued to buzz him for the rest of the afternoon.

I even got to open a big bag of presents - pretty etched glasses from my Mom & Dad. I felt spoiled!

By 4:30 they were on their way back home, and we settled in for a quiet evening. By the time supper was over it was too late to watch much of a movie, although we did watch part of a Marlene Dietrich flic.

A warm front came through overnight, along with strong winds - maybe not so strong as Presqu'ile though. The sun peeks out from between the clouds every so often, teasing us with the prospect of another beautiful day.

You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them. ~Desmond Tutu

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