Oct 8 - some chores

... but they don't seem like chores on a beautiful warm sunny day.

For starters:

-- I put away Stef & Aaron's kayaks;
-- Gavin helped me get the cement mixer into the shed;
-- I got the decoys into the boat but David will be too late for today's hunt, that's ok we're set for tomorrow;
-- I changed the oil in the generator and helped Jason do the same with his;
-- I pulled both boat trailers out of the barn, prepping to put away the Bayliner;
-- I moved a couple of good sized rocks down to the low spot by the rock wall, David can help move another couple down;
-- I put a tarp over the woodpile, hopefully tying it down securely;
-- I put away all the additional flat granite rocks, up in the barn with the basement tiles (I should get all the leftover tiles up there, clearing out my workroom!);
-- there is more, I just forget !

Basically it's been a puttering outside day. I'll have to leave for Mass in about a half-hour, picking up some evaporated milk at the General Store on the way. Sandy thought that she had more but doesn't -- a key ingredient for her pumpkin pie.

Sandy has been busy in the kitchen all day, reminding me of my Mom. On days like this at the cottage you would find her one of three places -- in the kitchen cooking, outside on the deck in front of the kitchen doing a crossword puzzle or reading, or raking leaves and pine needles. I know that she would have enjoyed the house as it is; I think of her often.

Dad, on the other hand, would either be sitting reading and/or making notes with the TV on in front of him or he'd be up in the garden. Given the state of the garden this year, he'd be up there trying to do something about it ! We have "living" proof of my Dad's habit of making notes -- his grocery list of the day is embedded in our soft pine coffee table from writing on a piece of paper with nothing under it. We laugh at that one.

Yes, we miss our parents. There are times, however, when it's just as well that they've passed on -- and Alexander's passing is one of those times. They (my parents) lived full lives and didn't have to grieve over a child or grandchild passing. I know that it would have been just as hard for them as it is for us.

It's even harder for Jeffrey and Sara. They have a hole in their day-to-day lives. From all consuming to ... nothing. They are constantly reminded of their loss. Alexander, on the other hand, is with God. That's what my faith tells me. He was much too young to have ever committed sin, so there's only one direction that he would have gone. My prayer is as follows: "Dear Alexander, please ask God to help your Mom and Dad find peace. They miss you terribly".

Jeffrey, Sara and Emma are starting counseling. Hopefully that, along with the passage of time, will help them adjust to the new-normal.

Melancholy hits Sandy and me at random times. Our peace of mind is always tied to how are kids are doing. Right now, of course, Jeffrey, Sara and Emma are top of mind.

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I went into Loring for 4:30 Mass, the last one that will be held there until Christmas. There just aren't enough people to make it worthwhile for the priest to make the trip. How many people attend once the weather gets cold ? Well, when the priest used to hold Mass into November and I was here, there would usually only be three of us ... four including the priest ! Next weekend I'll go to Britt, which has a large congregation and a priest who lives there. The Loring priest is actually based in Trout Creek and says Mass there, South River and Loring.

Kim had called earlier to say that they wouldn't be as early as they'd hoped, so there was no duck hunting last night. They did arrive in time for dinner, hosted by the Davies -- ham, scalloped potatoes (this combo is my favorite; my Mom would always do this for me), broccoli and cauliflower. We had a great evening. Tonight it's our turn with turkey as the centerpiece. Sandy just weighed the turkey on the bathroom scale and came up with 19.2 pounds.

David and I went duck hunting this a.m. and brought back a wood duck which I've cleaned and is now in the fridge. These ducks are small so it's just the breasts which I fillet off the bird. Adding excitement to our trip today was the fact that there was no tell-tale water stream coming out of the motor which indicates that the cooling system is working. Oh oh. Well, it turned out that the end of the hose was plugged. That wouldn't have caused a problem because the majority of the cooling water comes out elsewhere; the tell-tale is really there for visual reference.

I had to cut the hose because I couldn't get the cable tie off that held the nipple at the end in place. There is excess hose so it's not a problem. I have to cable tie this in place, however, or the nipple will gradually be forced out and lost.

After cleaning the duck, I got the Bayliner into the water and went for a short ride. I've offered to take Gavin waterskiing; David is back in bed and I'll check with him once he's up again. It's a bit wavy out there and the water is 60F but the air is very warm. Wetsuit time ...

Today ... water skiing ? skeet shooting ? rock moving ? Bayliner ride / pull out of water ... turkey dinner ... whatever.

Onward !