In case you haven't noticed .....I'M BAAAAAAACK
Now you're in for trouble haha
It was good to get away. Even if it wasn't long enough.
My friend Jean lives out in the middle of nowhere. Wow. An old country road that is 2.9 kms long (not quite two miles) and she is the only house on it ! And she is near the end of it. Well, there is another house about a half mile down the road, but it had been left to rot and someone only keeps a half dozen cattle there at the barn. And it is so peaceful and quiet there, every once in a while you hear a cow moo.
(view from Jeans' driveway looking towards the east - barn with the cows is just past where the road looks like it ends at the trees)
Every direction you look, there are fields, trees, rocks. And because there are so much land there and very few houses, some of the fields aren't being worked. So a lot of wild flowers, long grass, unworked hay fields and such. I tell you, I thought it was the most beautiful sight I had seen in a very long time.
I couldn't get over how peaceful it was. There is so much rock up there. Just a skim of dirt here and there to cover it in spots so grass and flowers could grow. Houses with above ground basements or partial basements depending upon the shape of the rock the house was sitting on. Rock blasted to make way for roads so that you go by rock facings. I should have stopped and taken more pictures but I kept leaving my camera at her house.
(looking out Jeans backyard with the very old house that used to be alive with activity of
day to day living - left empty in later years until the roof caved in)
day to day living - left empty in later years until the roof caved in)
We took a trip into the town where her son will be attending high school. It was like a grade 9 orientation thing. Its about a half hour away from her house. First you go through a little town, Lavigne, then a little bit bigger town Verner, and on into Sturgeon Falls. And I tell you, I was quite contented to be passenger and just drinking in the sights and all that beauty. I was truly fascinated.
And it's not that I haven't been that far north before. When I was a kid, my family used to go to Manitoulin Island for a vacation every couple years, and from what I remember, it has the same similar beauty. But in the other direction. And the only time I had ever been in Sturgeon Falls was many years before when a roommate of mine decided she wanted to see if her and her ex could make a go of it and that is where he lived. The only problem was, once we got there, she stuck me inside a motel room and buggered off. It was night. Dark had fallen. And she took the car. So all I had seen of Sturgeon Falls that night was the inside of a motel room and I sure don't remember a thing about it when we left early the next morning.
So while Jeans son was doing this orientation thing, we travelled around town a bit. Now I can say I've actually seen something of Sturgeon Falls !! haha Definitely bigger than where I live at the moment, while Lavigne is similar in size or just slightly smaller than here.
Now. You know that things happen for a reason? Some say it's God working in mysterious ways. Some will call it fate.
Thursday evening, Jean had popped a roast into the oven. We had been out and about earlier, had a late lunch, so dinner was going to be about 8:30, which was ok by me. I was on a no-stress-just-relax-and-enjoy schedule anyways. But at one point, Jean decides she's going to put on a pot of coffee.
Yummmm
Turns on the kitchen tap and the water just spurts and sputters out and finally stops coming out.
That ain't right.
Thinks she hears something, so she turns off the radio and sure enough, the water pump in the basement is running. She goes into the bathroom and tests the tap and toilet there. Nada.
So she goes into a bit of a panic hoping that the water pump motor isn't burnt out.
The people that owned her house before her had offered any services they can offer while she is there while her husband still being down here, so she called them and they came right over. (They live about 5 minutes away) Dave tests the tap and he and Jean head down to the basement.
While they are down there, Dave's wife and I get talking. What I think of the area etc etc. Then Marie asked if Billy is still in school. I replied that he is 24 but is involved in a Life Skills program down where we live.
(and now for the mysterious part)
Marie starts telling me how Sturgeon Falls has a great Community Living program for adults such as Billy and they do all kinds of wonderful things throughout the year etc etc.
Wow
Jean and I had talked about the possibility of Billy and I moving up that way one day, but only if there were programs available that would get him out of the house instead of vegetating in front of a tv 24/7 with nothing better to do. I also figured I would end up in Sudbury though. About a half hour or so from Jean in the other direction. Or maybe Parry Sound, which is two hours away from Jean.
But Sturgeon Falls ??? I never ever would have thought of checking there specifically otherwise.
So when Dave and Marie finish their coffee and head home, I told Jean what Marie had said. I think she was just as excited as I was at the possibility of us moving that much closer.
So, the next day, Jean grabs two local newspapers to check the rental market in the area.
Wellllll. There are two houses to rent in Lavigne (about 10 minutes away from her house) that are cheaper than what this idiot basement apartment I live in is each month.
I said to Jean that if the bus company that she hired on with will let me take Billy on it, if I get hired on as well, to attend programs in SF, then find something part time while in SF between runs, it could be doable if I watch my pennies.
And in a year or two, when her son gets a little older and a little more mature, he might be willing to earn some mad money if I took on a better paying position elsewhere by keeping Billy company during those times I can't be home. After school of course, or on weekends.
Billy and I left about 4ish, telling Jean how much I was going to miss her down here and she just says "we'll have to work on getting you two up here". Awwwwww
On the way out of the area, I asked Billy if he thought he might want to live up 'here' but that it would mean we wouldn't see anybody we know anymore. No Bruce's. No Corey's. No Jasons. No Eds. Nobody that we bowl with. It would all be new faces, new friends to make, new bowling buddies. I didn't mention dad as I'm not sure how that is going to work out. It's up to his dad to put some effort into it if he wants to still see his son.
Billy says yeah.
Now, to be cautious, I want to make sure he wasn't reacting on the spur of the moment, the good peaceful time we had. And I have to make him understand that we wouldn't be living with Jean and her son, we would have our own place if we did move up there. But finding out what's what up there will take some time. And maybe another trip or two up there too *grins*.
Of course, my no-stress-just-relax-and-enjoy feeling was short lived when I got home. Got hit with a bunch of crap. One being my parents. Barely talk to me for a year and not a whole lot in the previous three years, I finally broke the ice (again) on the 9th, mom calls just over a week ago and gave me shit for this, that, and the other (got me upset) and because I wasn't home the other day to answer the phone or return a phone call, they were all set to come down and get in my face about shit (again). I'm tired of all that crap. No wonder I was contemplating running away a few months ago and contemplating moving north that far. But the true reasons why are another blog topic haha.
The one thing about being up there, I didn't watch tv. Didn't even have it on as background noise. Jean and her family aren't into computers, but she is considering maybe getting one to stay in touch with others from this area. Maybe. See how her long distance phone bill is first haha. She loves to talk. So while I wondered if anybody missed me (I posted my going to be gone a few days blog then ran out the door hahaha), I had thought of you and wondered how you were doing.
But I must say this place sure has been busy while I was away. WOW. Between my contacts alone and the few groups I joined, there were over 200 new posts in my inbox !!!!
I do wish to say thanks to ...
... Cal for wishing me luck. Thursday did bring a surprise didn't it ? I just might end up there.
... Coolpap for being willing to buy Jeans house as well. You would love it.
... Moimoii for your well wishes. I came back refreshed and recharged and more determined to do what I need to do here at the moment. Really gave me time to think about stuff.
... Impy for saying you'll miss me. That meant a lot to me as well.
Missed you all and glad to be back so I can bug you all again *grins*
(I apologize for the novel here. And believe me, I edited a bit too haha)
Copyright @ 2008 Wolves n Rainbows
