…the house is empty as we bring the last long weekend of Summer 2024 to an end.

There is joy in the summer months when people are looking forward to some time off from work and kids are out of school. It’s been 2 and a half years since we relocated to Nova Scotia. My daughter always says, ‘it’s wonderful living where people want to vacation’ and that sentiment does not get old. When asked what my plans are for the summer, my response now is, ‘I’m waiting for company to come’. I never get tired of entertaining guests and taking them to the hot spots here on the shores of the north Atlantic Ocean.

This year was a little different though. The desire was strong but the logistics conspired against too much travel. The cost of living impacted some of those I expected, hoped and longed to see. We did have some company come in spring this year rather than in the summer. Flights were a little cheaper in the spring affording more flexibility with the other travel-related expenses. But other financial obligations and considerations made traveling quite tough for most.

The one guest I did get to enjoy three weeks with was my granddaughter. Mary embraces country living and particularly loves getting out of the city. Despite having a guest room now, Mary likes to stay in a private little nook commonly found in these well built, older farm houses. When I see her taking her friends on a virtual tour, I cringe a little inside that her friends may find her space a little too Harry Potter’ish…you know, that space under the stairs!? And to be clear, it’s not some forgotten space under the staircase but rather a ‘loft’ of sorts, or ‘ledge’ as Mary calls it (cringe again!). But she finds it cozy and unique and it’s private so we brightened it up with light paint, put a daybed in it with an antique table and she’s happy so I’m good with that.

Mary also makes the ideal house guest since she doesn’t like to be too busy; she really is here to rest, relax and decompress. She is agreeable to do ‘one thing’ per day – one visit, one drive, one beach walk, one sea glass hunt – tucked in between her time with our barn cat, walking our big, goofy dog (who I swear would ditch me in a heartbeat to claim Mary as her owner), or just watching TV with me in the evenings. This year we continued watching our way through old episodes of The Mentalist!

We did have the great pleasure of participating in the Congrès Mondial Acadien 2024 and the Deveau Family Reunion. It was a wonderful opportunity to gather with people of the same lineage and hear some stories about the history of the family here in Nova Scotia.

But just like that, it’s over. Time to pack up and head back to routine and school. We knew it was coming of course. There is a saying here amongst the old time timers, that they can mark August 15th on the calendar to mark the change of season. And truly it’s true and almost that dramatic. This year it was closer to the 20th that the air turned fresher over night, the night temps dropped lower and the night skies are so clear we can see the stars across the entire sky and the Milky Way streaking across, just by stepping outside the back door. That’s the signal to make the most of the daytime sunshine and start cleaning up the gardens.

Mary and I took one last walk on the beach for this year the night before she left and talked about things that made us both smile. We talked about school too – about goals and strategies. Our visit was winding down. I got a little teary but still had a smile because the summer was a gift and Mary is my blessing.

Enjoy…m