Fall

Now we are into November, the month of the long nights.  On Saturday I read a good article in the ‘Globe’ about how the myth of Levesque’s and Quebec’s betrayal on the night of Nov. 4, 1981, The Night of the Long Knives, persists among certain Quebecers.  It made me remember the picture I have of Jim with Jay in a pack on his back on Parliament Hill on the day we went to see the Queen and Trudeau sign the papers for the repatriation of the Constitution with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.  That was a good day in our lives and for Canada too, I think.

Last night we fell back to standard time and gained an hour, which I appreciated because I went to the Vernon Jazz Club with Mo, a friend, and her husband, John.  We listened to the music of the Sean Cronin Quartet featuring Bruno Hubert.  They were great, a bass, a clarinet, drums and Bruno on piano.  Mo and I talked with Bruno during one intermission.  He must be about 40, but it’s hard to tell because his curly hair is everywhere.  He’s a shy, strange dude who plays jazz piano like a genius.  I asked him about the club’s piano, which didn’t look that hot and he laughed.  He’d played on it about 5 or 6 years ago and actually liked it, but it was out of tune when he tested it yesterday.  However, he can tune a piano, so he did and really enjoyed playing it again.  If you ever get a chance to hear the group or Bruno play, take it.

Hallowe’en on 26^th Street was fun.  I had more kids than we ever got in Wakefield, and they were all cute and well costumed.  One tall couple of high school students dressed in black came collecting food for the food bank. I just sat by the front window reading, watching the street and handing out candies and cans from 6 until 8:30 and then it was over.  Tuesday, I had an ultrasound on my shoulder, which showed that I’ve severed 21/2 of the 4 tendons in the rotator cuff.  I got flu and pneumonia shots on Wednesday, so the centre of the week was spent on maintenance.  I felt like an old car that spends more time being fixed in the garage than driving on the road. 

Fall hit the horse chestnut in the back yard in one blow.  The leaves were just beginning to turn yellow when the temperature dropped to -5 on Wed. night.  I awoke on Thurs. morning to see the ground covered with leaves and more dropping heavily from the tree.  They’re huge and you can almost hear them clunk as they land.  I’m going to leave most of them, but even at that, I spent some time today bagging the ones on the sidewalk, garage roof and parking area.  It was a bright cold day, perfect for such work.  The enormous maple is still holding on to its green leaves.

I will end this entry on a sad note.  Albert’s mom died this morning.  She went slowly but painlessly, and the whole family was around her in her final days.  She never liked to be alone and rarely was.  

Hallowe'en on 26th Street