MY FRIEND P.

Grumble, grumble…with all the anticipation of being able to actually watch the first period of hockey on TV instead of having to listen to it on the car radio during my drive home…it didn’t happen. The continual rain on Thursday knocked out my satellite. Then my internet. I had given up, and settled into bed with one of my new books and…off goes the electricity. It was 8:33 PM. The only good answer was to get in some snooze time. I woke once during the night; the clock said 10:30 PM, and the hydro was back. Realizing that the game would already be over, I stumbled up to turn off a few lights, then crawled back into the arms of Morpheus…. until 5 the next morning! Awesome! Insomniacs will rejoice with me, realizing how rare and how welcome is such a long sleep.

I’m sitting here now waiting on a truck to come and deliver 10 cords of firewood. I guess I don’t need to tell you what I’ll be doing for the rest of the day. It’s very handy having a huge garage; no digging the stuff from under the snow during the winter for me. Earlier, I moved my truck outside, got the backhoe out of the way, and did some shifting of articles that tend to accumulate in front of the woodpile each summer.

There is a young man who will be coming to give me a hand. His dad, a very close friend of mine, was my ‘right arm’ during the years I worked for the municipal recreation department.

I’m remembering those days now. I can still picture P. as an adolescent, sitting at the Clubhouse door when I arrived each morning. His family was large, and very poor. He was skipping school more often than not. Aware that he wouldn’t attend anyway, I thought it better to keep him occupied rather than let him wander in the streets. For a couple of years it was all volunteer work; his only reward was a few dollars and a free hamburger or soft drink now and then, but of course he was included in any activity that was going on, including the numerous ‘get togethers’ in my young family. Missing my brother, who was away in the army at the time, I took P. under my wing. When a full time job did became available, he was first to be hired.

Just after he turned 23, P. met the love of his life, who was the daughter of the goalie for my hockey team. Perfect! When they had their baby boy, I received his jubilant call in the middle of the night, and was more than happy to celebrate with him the next day. The baby was only 10 months old when my friend, P., died in a terrible house fire. I cried for days. I have tears in my eyes even as I write this. That’s how much it hurt.

Four years later my brother came to stay with us for a bit. He met P.’s wife, fell in love, and moved in with her. Although it didn’t last forever, one could say that my brother is the closest thing to a dad that P.’s son has ever known. He still is. The lad, now 23 himself, has two children of his own and has moved into the same apartment block as his substitute dad. He is in and out of my brother’s place every day, especially since my brother’s bout with cancer. Whenever I need a good pair of arms, and my sons are not available, I know who to call.


So my wood dude showed up while I was writing the blog. The lad came, as did Helen, and between the three of us the 5 cords were piled in no time! Tomorrow morning there will be 5 more delivered. My two helpers have promised to return early AM to give a hand. Am I spoiled or what???

The sun is out there, and the doggies are standing in the door with a ‘come hither’ expression. I leave you now to take a walk and revel in my mountain’s breathtaking array of colours. It will probably be the last chance to do so this year. The leaves are beginning to fall; I think this weekend is the climax of our Canadian autumn splendour.

Hoping you all have a great weekend, and sending you a huge SMILE! How could I not? There is wood to keep me warm in the winter, it’s a gorgeous day, and the Habs are playing tonight. Ah…but life is good.

Luv from the Bush in Quebec.