ENJOYING SUMMER -Part 2.
(please read the previous blog page “ENJOYING SUMMER -Part1” before reading this if you haven’t already done so)
Sunday, Jeanette and I set out for Northumberland Hills, some of the most beautiful rolling hills scenery in Eastern Ontario. Our destination was ZimArt Rice Lake Gallery, an outdoor exhibition of hand-carved Zimbabwean stone sculptures. The sculptures are placed on several lovely acres of land to walk around and enjoy the awesome workmanship of 50 Zimbabwean stone sculptors - it is a gallery like no other! I am so lucky to be visiting the Carters this summer because, after 24 years, the curator is closing the gallery in September and is moving permanently to Merida, Mexico.
When we returned to the Carter’s in the afternoon, the smell of the dinner Dale stayed home to make for us, stimulated my salivary glands. But first, Jeanette and I had a bottle of Prosecco to drink while our eyes feasted on the many colours of their fabulous gardens. I can only imagine the hours of work put into them, but obviously done with love.
After dinner, we sat at a smokeless fire pit, enjoying the sunset. After saying our goodbyes at the station the next morning, promising to see each other soon, I boarded the train to Ottawa where Dee was waiting to drive me to my condo.
Two days later was the 4th anniversary of Don’s death, August 16. I received a message from Di that afternoon to tell me about my granddaughter Amanda's experience earlier that day. Amanda, who is now living in Colorado with her husband and young family, had just arrived home from a business trip to find a Canadian dime lying on the floor of her entranceway. Finding dimes so many times in the past four years, in totally unexpected places, has come to mean to the family that it is a sign from Don telling us that his spirit is still with us. Cayden picked up the dime with a look of utter disbelief on his face, as Amanda picked up Carter, her youngest, to step out to the garden to be enchanted by the unusual spectacle of a double rainbow. A fitting end to that special day!
