When we go east we go to ‘The Maritimes’ not just one province, so we drive a lot. Jim has a brother in Saint John, NB, Peter; a sister in PEI, Pat; and a son in Nova Scotia, Paul, (I’ve just noticed that they are all Ps) and they all have spouses and kids/grandkids so it gets complicated. And we both lived in PEI for many years so our oldest friends are there too. The timing of this trip encompassed two birthdays, Jim’s brother Peter’s 60th and our daughter-in-law Sue’s un-numbered and we had to factor in Paul’s extensive travels for their company Over the Edge.
The weather was wild and weird as it has been in so many locales. We had a week of 32-35C in Nova Scotia which is unheard of in September, and then there was our buddy Earl which blew through fast and furiously, followed by a week of showery cool clouds.
And now we are back home catching up on the garden gone rampant and projects neglected.
Here are the siblings, Jim on the left, (me) Pat, (Ed), (Betty), Peter.
The quite famous Saint John Public market. I don't know when it first opened but it is still a going concern.
Lakeside at Paul and Sue's house. It was wicked hot which you wouldn't guess by seeing P&S sitting in the sun.
Let's not neglect the PEI beaches. This is Brackley, about 20 minutes from Charlottetown, on an early September afternoon - empty.
This motley crew is the group we "hung around with" when we lived in Charlottetown. Twenty-one years later we are all still active and reasonably healthy and we have this group photo taken every time we get together, just to prove it. There was one hilarious year when we realized we no longer fit on the stairway where the orginal shot was taken. Missing from this photo is Betty ( a different one) who was at the theatre that night. Jim Colodey, second row, second from the left had face-planted a couple of days previously and had a broken cheek bone and two black eyes but he showed up anyway!
Jillian (almsot 6) on the left, mugging as usual, and Rachel (7 1/2), looking after Sue's birthday dinner, which was delicious! Lobster doesn't get any fresher than this.
Grandfathers Jim and Darryl putting together a gas heater. The shed in the background really is as crooked as it looks. It leans a little more each year and we assume someday it will collapse on itself!
The birthday cake and Paul's three girls. It was a very happy occasion.
And last night sitting out on our own deck in Victoria, enjoying the garden and Jim's favourite red-meat meal.
