I’ve been in this predicament before – so many things to honour after another day of unparalleled and unanticipated favourable outcomes. Where to begin?
For starters – that is, a moment ago – while reclining on the balcony chair overlooking the maturing corn fields and the glistening river, I dared not stare directly upwards into the Summer Solstice from which descended the sharp (almost imperceptible) tapered bolts of radiance. My feet were comfortably and barely poised upon new black Crocs (Made in Mexico), judiciously chosen in Size 11 (to accommodate the alternative of woollen socks in the fall and winter). Meanwhile the interior rivulets of bumps afforded a welcome relief from neuropathy in my feet. This unpredicted beneficence arose casually this morning as we drove into the city to have the car washed. By further chance the retail shop (Tootsies Shoe Market) was located practically adjacent Petro-Canada in Bells Corners – in the same mall where my late mother (who would have been 99 today) once shopped for groceries nearby her cherished and bespoke home built by her and my late father around 1966.
And I needed relief from weakness of another nature – but equally peripheral. After returning from our morning venture, I immediately dislodged my Pronto tricycle from its subterranean cage then effortlessly streamed along the river to nearby tranquil road extensions, round about and directed back to home. But – again, first things first – there was a clatter at the back of my trike. A hurried examination disclosed the separation of a screw from the right rear fender; the nut bolt was missing (and perhaps a washer). Of course without a particle of reservation I instantly called His Lordship for assistance and advice. Soon – in keeping with his acclaimed reliability – he arrived with adjustable screw driver. But no bolt or washer. So, off to Levi Hardware where, with the assistance of the youngest son of my late first client – we secured two small boxes containing independent bolts and washers. But when we restored ourselves in the basement to attack the problem, we met coincidentally with Renato who confirmed the suspicion that a needle nose plier was required to attach the bolt and washer to the screw. A moment’s lapse. Then with acute dexterity the two aligned their skills to coordinate the union of the pieces. Success!
But I am ahead of myself. The morning began purposively early at 7:00 am, showering and dressing for the journey to Recess Café in Portland past Perth and near Westport. Guided by Google Maps we took the route through Smiths Falls to get there but returned via Westport and Perth which we found to be a less hurried and more bucolic passage.
Now to the nexus of the matter! This morning’s breakfast at Recess Café was nonpareil. In a word, we’d go back! From the moment of our cordial welcome, the experience was exactly as one would hope. Our summer-student server could not have been more kind. Her evident intelligence was the welcome layer of communication. She informed us (upon our inquiry) that she and her family have been cottaging in the area for many years. She is presently studying at the University of Waterloo.
The University of Waterloo (UWaterloo, UW, or Waterloo) is a public research university located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is on 404 hectares (998 acres) of land adjacent to uptown Waterloo and Waterloo Park. The university also operates three satellite campuses and four affiliated university colleges. The university offers academic programs administered by six faculties and thirteen faculty-based schools. Waterloo operates the largest post-secondary co-operative education program in the world, with over 20,000 undergraduate students enrolled in the university’s co-op program. Waterloo is a member of the U15, a group of research-intensive universities in Canada.
A final note of gratitude. I continue to play with my new Oticon hearing aids (left and right). The experimentation includes fussing with the App on my iPhone. Once again with the assistance of His Lordship, I determined that there is in fact a mild orchestral theme upon peremptorily inserting each of the hearing aids. There is admittedly adjustment required to the balance of treble and bass – as well as to the unaccustomed clarity of sound. On balance there is improvement of sound and exceedingly tolerable fit of the devices.
And across the road from Recess Café there is a cemetery. I have always been amused to investigate a cemetery – especially in the country where the ancestry is often easier to trace and commingle with local descendants. The juxtaposition of the living pleasures and the recorded past is a muted lesson to us all.
