Sunday, June 20, 2010

A Weird and Bittersweet Weekend

  This has been a very weird weekend so far.  The weather has been fabulous.  We came to the cottage on Friday afternoon anxious to wake up here in the peace and quiet of the Bruce Peninsula.  It was also the weekend of the Garage Sale Trail, a huge garage sale event.  I was woken up to a noise that seemed right outside my bedroom window.  Not thinking that bears came this close, I assumed it was a raccoon.  The next morning my neighbor said there was a black bear 5 feet from her bathroom window.!!  Glad I                                                wasn't outside letting Gracie out for a pee.!

  I set out early Saturday morning with my neighbor and our morning took us from the east side of the peninsula on Georgian Bay to the west side on Lake Huron.  We found some wonderful Bits! Will post my finds later.
  
What seemed like a peaceful and fun morning changed when I recieved a call from my daughter to say that a friend had been killed in an accident.  He was the best friend of a work mate of hers.  Of course she was shocked and saddened. 
I faffed around the cottage for the rest of the day, trying out settings on my camera for pictures.  At lunch I went off to buy some sugar to make jam.  I had picked up berries from a farm on the way up.
On the way to the grocery store I passed an old guy hobbling down the street and thought how difficult this looked for him.  He was walking quickly though, and I wondered where he was going.
 
I went home and spent the afternoon making jam.  I love making jam and could spend the whole day in the kitchen with the music going and jam bubbling.  My favorite part is listening to the tops snap as they cool and seal.  I have always said I should have been a Farmer's Wife! 
Later in the afternoon, an OPP helicopter started circling and continued for hours.  The police boat is in the water right in front of our cottage.  They came and put it on the trailer and removed it.  I wondered if there was a sailor missing somewhere.  The marina was busy and nothing seemed out of place.  At around 8:30 I went off for a little bike ride to discover the whole town crawling with police.  They were looking for a man who had wandered away from the nursing home.  Apparently, it was the old hobbling fellow I had seen over 8 hours ago.  I was the last and only one to have seen him.  I had to give a statement.  I felt awful as we had no idea they were looking for him.

I lay awake for hours thinking of these 2 families and the poor old fellow happy it was a warm night at least,  and the bears.....So we sit here this morning hoping that a family will get good news today.  It is a wierd and erie feeling here.  It is so quiet and everyone is sad and concerned.  We pray this poor fellow is found safe today.





14 comments:

  1. That is a strange weekend for you Raz. Too many events for so short a period.

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  2. eeie, indeed....sometimes life can seem so dull, with nothing going on, and then all of a sudden you have a day like that, where you are over-loaded........i hope they find the poor old fella. please let us know what happened.

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  3. Chania - what a difference a day can make! Think you must have had all kinds of everything in that one. Your blog is lovely and the pictures too. The Google 'follow' thingy no longer works on my computer for some unknown reason, but I will add you to my fav bloglist instead.

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  4. Fingers crossed that the police find the old guy before the bears do. And healing light to the family who have lost their son.
    I know what you mean about jam-making. We gather in Florida to make guava jam each year. I bought my jam at our strawberry festival this year...too much construction going on in the house. I'll wait for early fall and tomato sauce.
    Your photos are stunning! If you ever consider a camera-setting-lesson-post...I'd be all ears.

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  5. OH I hope they find that old man! Those kinds of circumstances usually never turn out okay, as they suffer from exposure and dehydration!

    Death is a shock no matter who it is...it is so final. I hope your today is better and I hope they find the old guy! :(

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  6. Chania,
    way to much to deal with right? or worry about!
    Well you have your jam making to pull you through the tough times.

    I remember my Mom makig jam when we were all little and it was an exciting time during canning season.
    xx
    Dore

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  7. Chania,

    Your day seems to have developed as a microcosm of one's life. Happy moments, scary and sad moments and time to take pause.

    Amazing how much life can take place in a mere 24 hours.

    I've sent up a prayer that your old guy will be found safely and that your daughter and her friends will find comfort after such a sudden tragedy.

    After a sleepless night, perhaps a nap this afternoon will help?

    blessings,

    z

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  8. What a strange and disturbing day for you and for the man's poor family. Hope the news will be good.
    Sharon

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  9. Oh my Chania, what a rollercoaster of a weekend! I am sorry to hear about your daughter's friend. I also hope they find that elderly gentleman as soon as they can. We have had an experience very similar to this and it did turn out well, so I am sending all my positive thoughts to him, the searchers and his family. Please let us know when they find him. ~ Tina xx

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  10. Oh you poor thing. It sounds like a weekend you would not want to repeat in a hurry. I am sending warm thoughts to your daughter and the family of the elderly man.

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  11. This is the second post about bears I've read tonight. Gosh, the critters are flourishing. What an up and down weekend -- hope you'll get a few days of peace wherever. Thanks for stopping by to see our fish camp. Jane F.

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  12. Oh my. Thoughts and prayers going out.
    oxoxox
    Denalee

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  13. Hi Chania....!

    I can only imagine the troubling thoughts these incidents would have played on your mind....As if the bear wasn't enough....I'm sorry about your daughters friend & I'm hoping as I type the old gentleman is found safe & sound....You weren't to know lovey....!!

    Warm Aussie hugs,
    Tamarah :o)

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I love to read each and every comment and are thrilled that you take the time to send one. Thank you so much. Chania