Visitors

And it begins.....

Last Monday I had my first visitor of the summer. Unfortunately it was a very short visit as I was headed to Halifax to the airport to pick up the second visitor!!

Paul Haskins arrived at my doorstep at 10:30 in the morning. I have known Paul since kindergarten. Our mothers both taught at Maple Grove School and as a result, we spent a lot of time together growing up. When Paul messaged me asking if he could visit, I was thrilled. I had to laugh when he said he was headed for Newfoundland but could drop by for a visit on his way. To be fair, he was visiting friends in Nova Scotia and I was not as far out of the way as I had originally thought. It was a terrific visit, showing him our house, introducing him to Dixie, going for a drive to the waterfront, having lunch (thanks again for that). He then showed me where friends of his from Ontario will be moving to at the end of the month. It will be wonderful to have Bruce and Betty here and hope that they do reach out and contact me!

Once Paul hit the road continuing on his travels, I also headed out to pick up my son from the airport. First of all, this was Brandon's first flight ever and he did it alone!! I felt so honoured that he would do that to come visit us. It was so fantastic to see him, I have missed him so much!! We have had a lovely relaxing week together.

We went out for a dinner to celebrate both his and Zoe's birthdays. Brandon of course wanted steak so we did some research and found a restaurant at which the food was excellent if very slow (we didn't get our food until 9:45pm-the restaurant had closed at 9pm?!?! and they were still packed with almost every table full at that time.)

I coerced Brandon into helping me cut down a tree one afternoon. It went very well. He got to drive the Cub Cadet and be the first person to use the new chainsaw. He did a fantastic job and the help was really appreciated.

We have done some driving to show him the surrounding area. He also had the great fortune of chauffeuring Zoe and I back and forth to work one day. Not his choice, but we were really grateful he did it anyway!

Brandon has also introduced to me a new series of anime which we have been enjoying together. The one thing we were unable to do which was on our list, was have a bonfire. We are in a burn ban right now and decided that although we could burn in a barrel, it just isn't the same.

We head back to the airport tomorrow to send him back to his life. As a mom, I am so proud of how well he has done on his own. He looks good, sounds good, is confident, smiling, happy in his job and with his friends. And while I want the best for him and know a life in Ontario is where that best life is right now...I miss him already.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this week and look forward to more visits...maybe Paul again on his way back to Ontario and Sandi in twelve days, and my parents next month.