Tancookian?

Staring out the Narrows from the Marconi room once again.  Worth catching up on the last few days, given the proclivity to check back through here to June Fifths gone by.  Baptism of young N. in Ontario prevented the usual inch celebrations, but headed out the night before for a cold sail, then a productive evening of touring old favourite bars that are soon to be demolished/moved.  Would have loved to follow the original Tancook plan for the sunset, but renovation works interfered and I wonder if that wasn’t actually useful in the long run.  To keep the dreams of that island alive through the weekend and beyond.  And instead, the sunset on Lawrencetown helping demonstrate the lack of appeal of the Eastern Shore, although the Amrut and lobster salad sandwich at What’s the Scoop tasted sweet and the Finbar Guinness a fine way to end one of the days of the year.

The birthday weekend was planned and executed basically to perfection – Joel Plaskett in Bridgewater and the cheap B&B with dolls and a view on Feltzen, further spurring the thoughts of potential wrinkles that may form part of a Tancook option.  Then Gaff point, surfers and the sound of the wake on the rocks at Hurtles, lunch at Lane’s and discovery of the secret third Carter beach, and Keji seaside adjunct.  Port Joli Head not a hike that needs to be done again, but the beach past Harbour Rocks proved as beautiful and relaxed as you can hope to find.  Then gorgeous sunset at the lake, despite the ridiculous tired misunderstandings about watching the sunset versus cooking that came out later.  There shall always be such communication breakdowns, I suppose, but they are no less annoying when they occur.

(These seagull wind charms on the tops of these buildings are distracting and hilarious.  Never noticed them before.)

Then the birthday, which is well captured on the annual tape.  Not sure how much longer that will continue to be done, or when you should set aside some time to listen through them for old time’s sake.  Some further birthday decision-making, no doubt.  Waking up at the cottage, through to the sail down to the Basin (1hr 40 minutes only to the dock of the text messaged sunset from the prior post, where the invitation remains open... only the future will show whether you end up landing there before summer’s end).  Led to some adrenalin-filled moments flouncing about on the return and some hilariously poor bow-first docking.  To the airport, mom and Al and the sunset flight to St. John’s, drafting of the message in a bottle (despite the confusion again in its SOS origins), and then the perfect hike in darkness around the fabled Signal Hill. 

 

Think the first time I can remember walking it was 2003, looking out to Europe and Oxford.  There have been a number of work-themed treks since, really a lovely way to spend an hour and a half, especially considering the amount of time spent looking out at it from this board room or the hotel, dreaming away.  (Remember the joy in the frenchman's comments at the neighbouring table last night at the scene.)  The silence in which the container ship floated past in the blackness, and the spotlight out in front of it showing the way, were so stunningly beautiful - a perfect spot to finalize the turning of an age.

Sad to have to return home so soon, actually.  I could use another do-nothing evening in the hotel, some Netflix and sports... as it was quite the performance by Lebron and Curry last night... “in terms of degree of difficulty that’s a straight 10.”  Hopefully this sets up a return trip now that you are involved in master scheduling and regulatory craziness and the like.  (And so, in two weeks, you do get to return after all.)

 

This file has been a good exercise in accumulating hours, all of which is useful in the longer term compensation as you begin to consider a Plan 40 and another mid-life goal/scheme to aspire toward.  2018-19 or 2019-20 each seem like good years to possibly kick off the Arsenal season ticket adventure, if not before.  The Euro planning has also already begun in earnest, with the draft ticket application from last night.  Assuming that involves 3 weeks next June, then you may want to wait until summer of 2017 to begin any creative writing courses.  But then again, that’s no excuse not to proceed with the writing, and see about setting up that escape to Tancook to help make it happen.

Who knows... by this time next year, maybe there could even be a purchase on the horizon that could mark another momentous eight of June?  Keep reflecting, investigating, and wondering... you never know.  If Slim the taxi man in SJS has a cabin, why can't you?