Yesterday around 3:00 pm, after having motored for four full days from Key Largo northward, we crossed the US/Canada border. Within minutes we were languidly cruising along the Ivy Lea Parkway adjacent the north side of the St. Lawrence River. We breathed a collective sigh. It felt good to be on home territory.
Upon awakening this morning to a new day on terra firma we immediately set upon the fulfillment of our hitherto adjourned domestic and medical objectives including for example grocery shopping, hardware sleuthing, commencement of the arrangement of furnishings in our new apartment and going to the pharmacy to get our 6-month Pfizer booster shot in the arm. But before undertaking these burning exigences we called ahead to the golf club to inquire whether things were yet under way for the season in the Village of Appleton. Chef Wendy MacDonald soon returned our call and gave us the green light. What followed (on the heels of a stimulating Cuban black espresso at my drawing room seat) was an exceedingly sumptuous breakfast in the Mississippi Golf Club dining room overlooking the first tee. The exceptional nourishment and vista were made all the more winning by the animated care of our table stewardess who had as usual gone to the trouble of reserving our favoured indoor perch adjacent the outdoor flagstone patio.
The welcome views from within our new apartment upriver to the Village of Appleton and from within the golf club along the Mississippi River made for a singularly agreeable transition from the Interstate 95 and 81 (although I have to say the short asides along A1A and through the Shenandoah Valley were a particular delight as always). Nonetheless the sense of belonging and tranquillity which attended our local outlooks today made for incomparable distractions. The cosmetic regards on this brilliantly sunny day were both soothing and sedative. This, combined with the predictable exchanges with local personalities whom we crossed upon the way, contributed to the overall relief afforded our return to a familiar protectorate. The latter included exchange of gossip which also heightened the revival of our personal insinuation.
Just as we were beginning to sew up our projects for the day, we were hailed by Rogers Communications to address the installation of WiFi in our apartment. To the credit of the company we had only called about the installation yesterday afternoon and already the technician was at hand to complete the task. The distinctive modem now crowns our more traditional utilitarian accessories, rendering discrete evidence of plausible modernity. We have this evening succumbed to an agenda of moderate interior decoration and a remarkably refreshing fruit salad (which is all with any dignity we could have consumed following our generous breakfast repast earlier this morning at the golf club). All in all we’ve more than accomplished what we had hoped to achieve. The providence of life continues to pervade our dominion. The countenance of our outlook is for the time being at least assured to be congenial.