The Dark Season

"Life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans." Rob Mann (long-time friend and housesitter extraordinaire) reminds me of John Lennon's never-truer words.

 Eighteen hours before take off to Cahuita, we learn that Andy's dad had died. Crazy timing! Everybody agrees that he would have thought it was a pretty good joke on us...

So instead of soft sand beaches and warm Caribbean, we have Ottawa winter... and Andy's family: good times despite the sad.

I like the way the men stand behind the women in Andy's family.

Andy's dad's man cave is filled with memorabilia and many, many memories.

Added bonus: I get to see my Gatineau bro' and his lovely filles Francaises.

My brother makes art of his life.

Then I fly home and get in my car and hightail it over Rogers Pass and the Coquihalla (snow in my wake) with two boys and we hang with our many-spendoured peeps at the coast. Oh, my, yeah! Life does toss out the odd curve ball.

Gyro never gets old.

Magical path to Mystic Beach.

No need for words.

Is this the last year our big kids will play like this? Herve wonders.

I was born at the coast, Silas reminds us.

December immersion.

Small cousins get big privileges.

Uncles get crazier over the years.

In jin shin jitsu the hands are used as "jumper cables."

And, as my friend Rita reminds me, we still have Cahuita to look forward to!