Welcome To Summer 2020

For many of us this past weekend marked the beginning of summer. What? You are surprised because we had snow last week, restaurant patios aren’t serving yet, large public fireworks displays are not allowed, the Blue Jays aren’t swinging their bats, and there are no campgrounds open? Well this is the new normal for us: a summer like no other. We have to make do.

On the Friday of the Victoria Day weekend we invited our son Daniel and his family to come over for a BBQ lunch on disposable plates, in the back yard, two meters apart. We woke up to rain, and it rained all morning. Since we can’t have people in the house, we began planning curbside pick-up for the food. But suddenly it stopped raining. We wiped the outdoor furniture and started the BBQ. It was a May 2-4 Miracle. When the guests arrived we enjoyed our lunch outside, the first burgers of the season. Just as we swallowed our last bites, it started to rain again, and the guests ran to their car.

On the second day of the weekend the weather turned beautiful and we went for a walk on the nearby path along the river. We invited another son to join us because they have a dog and nobody goes for a walk in this neighbourhood without a dog. The path was pretty crowded with other families and dogs out for a dose of sun and freedom, so we cut our walk short and went home for a beer instead.

On the next day of the weekend our grand daughter invited us to visit her back yard and share her Victoria Day projects. She and her mom served us a delicious Victorian sponge cake and, from a distance, she sang us a song with lyrics which included the names of all the Kings and Queens of England. How patriotic. How ambitious! Clearly her home-schooling is working out alright.

At home again in the evening we heard the sound of fire crackers. We put on our raincoats and walked around the neighbourhood until we found several folks gathered, socially distanced on the street and sidewalk, watching an impromptu display of fire works donated by a neighbour. At the end we all clapped. But what I really wanted to do was give this man a hug for bringing us together, for this traditional celebration, as close as we were allowed.

Yesterday I was wondering how to cap off this iconic weekend with something exciting, a suitable ending for my blog post today. I checked with my editor, Peter, to see if he had any suggestions. “Well,” he said, “there’s a chipmunk in the garage and he’s trying to get into the house. Will that do?”

I abandoned my laptop and went running out to see. This could be the ending I needed! “Oh Chippy,” I begged, “come on out from your hiding place!” Instead he hid in one corner after another, leading us around the garage in circles, and ignoring the open garage door. Next Peter started banging loudly on some old pots and pans while I tried to direct Chippy outside with a broom. No deal. Then Peter got the car keys and began honking the horn. The sound echoing in the garage was deafening. Chippy stayed out of sight, but some neighbours dropped in to see if we were OK. “Yes” we told them. “Just having a little May 2-4 fun!” As we chatted, I noticed the chipmunk sneaking by, headed for the river.

Looking back, I can say that the weekend was just like any other Victoria Day weekend: burgers, sun, beer, family gatherings, fireworks, chipmunks…Well maybe it wasn’t exactly the same, but we made do.

Sue

PS Here’s a sign of hope: our bougainvillea plant just after Christmas, and again yesterday.