Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Saturday in the Country

To continue my weekend story, on Saturday, after Larry and Miranda left Barb's house I got a tour of the progress that she and John had made in their landscaping. They had heavy equipment up and the ground had been leveled and a new circular driveway installed. Plans for the pond and the volleyball court were well in hand. I took photos and loaded them up on the picasa web site. You can go here if you want to see the photos.


Barb's friend Leslie arrived and the 3 of us decided to go for a walk over to visit with a rural neighbour of Barbs who lives about 5 miles away. I had met her when I visited during the Christmas Holiday and on New Years day when Barb and I had walked over to see her. It is a great time of year to go walking and in the country you see all manner of interesting things. Plants, flowers and animals as well as freshly plowed fields.







On the way we saw a herd of Buffalo and I was able to photograph two mothers and their babies. We also saw a horse with its newborn colt.


Beba is an elderly lady who lives on her own on an rural acreage. Beba (somehow short for Bernice) is 81 and she has lived on what might be called a hobby farm for 36 years. Originally, with her sister and her husband, but they have both since passed on and she lives there now alone. She is spry and as vibrant as either Barb or I. As an example, she had spent the morning stacking firewood. She still works in her shop refinishing furniture for a living.

Her friend Betty was visiting and I had met Betty at Christmas also. Betty is 80 and is on her own for the 3 summer months every year as her husband preferrs to spend his time up in the Northern Ontario bush. He hunts and fishes in a community not far from where their daughter lives. I think if the truth be known, Betty enjoys the 3 months on her own as well.

I was so impressed by these two women who live very independently and who are as happy as can be. After we arrived at Beba's house we chatted over a glass of wine and then decided that we should all go back to Barb's house and have dinner together. Barb threw together a great meal and we ate and chatted the night away!