After the Party

It is a misty morning here at the lake, and I am recovering from a stomach flu that attacked me the night of my birthday. My birthday itself was wonderful, but the next few days have been fraught with less pleasant things.

My pump is in a mucky part of the lake and needs to be moved because it is constantly bringing sediment into the system. My water pressure becomes a dribble and I have to clean the filter to get it back. This interrupts washing cycles and makes filling kettles and water bowls or cans take longer, but is most annoying when it happens in the middle of a shower. Some days I was cleaning the filter half a dozen times in a day. Moving the pump is a chore I cannot manage without help because there are cinder blocks attached to the hose and the heat line. Once again I will ask friends.

There is a raccoon carcass rotting in the basement area of the old cottage which has to be buried or moved far enough away that dogs will not be tempted to roll in its execrescence. But first I have to calm my rather nervous stomach. I have prepared a waterproof box to shovel it into. This wouldn't be as urgent a matter except that Remi, the puppy, is arriving this evening, and he has already shown considerable interest in the corpse. Not only that, he is suffering from diarrhea, and I am sure that a raccoon snack would not help his medical condition. I will have Remi for the weekend.

And then there was the birthday card from Revenue Canada telling me I owe more money than I have already paid. RRSPs are hazardous to one's financial health. So is house building, especially when you hire the wrong people. The repairs to the roof which was done so badly will cost almost $9,000. It is the surprises that attack from behind when you least expect to be hit that are the killers, I am finding. Had I known how RRSPs work I would have bought bonds. Had I known how Mike worked I'd have hired a Quebec licensed contractor and paid up front.

The days since my birthday have not been all bad. I received a lovely birthday card from one of my oldest friends, and my plumber (a former student) told me how to fix my problem without incurring more costs. When I didn't appear on the road with Kenya, Rowboat Flo phoned or came over every day to ensure that I was alive, and yesterday Sarah ran an errand for me and walked Kenya.

Life may have its setbacks, but I still look out at this lake which is now an oasis of green after last night's rain, and I realize I am glad to be alive and here.