A Week and a World Away

Sunset at Murray Harbour, Canada

Dinner at Windows on the Water, Montague

Turbo on the Grass

Rossignol Winery, PEI

Miles to go ...

...before we sleep.

The closing went off without a hitch. It was a long day, but it all came together, bankers and attorneys notwithstanding. We drove back to RI to meet the kids for dinner and celebrate the purchase of 37 Maple Avenue. We went to Hemenways on the water for a little al fresco dining.

We spent the next day doing errands to get ready for vacation. At 6:30 am Sunday we began our journey to Murray Harbour, Prince Edward Island, Canada. Some 14 hours later, we arrived. The next morning was cool and sunny. Marty and I sipped coffee outside overlooking the harbor. The house is nice, and suitable for us all. It has three bedrooms and is even Turbo-friendly. We discovered that the northeast has been under an intense record-breaking heat alert, but in Murray Harbour it was 80 degrees and breezy. We all ran or biked everyday. Tuesday was the only day with rain, and it wasn't even dreary. Marty, Mariel and I went to a local winery and sipped samples before buying several bottles.

We drank a lot of beer. The drinking age in Canada is 19, so Mark was legal. Harry was not, but we allowed him to imbibe anyway under the close scrutiny of his liberal parents. My parents treated me the same way when I was a teenager. They would allow me to drink with them at home or in a restaurant, not that I did very often, or even wanted to. By the time I got to college, I was an experienced drinker, and almost never drank to excess. What was the point? I had nothing to prove.

We watched the Tour de France and World Cup Soccer. We spent a lot of time together as a family doing nothing but reading, eating and talking. It was a nice change of pace from the usual scenario where we don't spend time together due to work and other commitments. It probably won't happen again any time soon.

The drive home was another 14-hour torture, but nobody complained. One thing we're not is a family of complainers. We go with the flow and deal with what's thrown at us. It's not a bad way to live.