Sunny But Very Windy

Yesterday we had Clair, the landscaper, over to discuss our landscaping plans. We chatted about a number of topics. He owns land just down the road from Brigitte’s parents, so of course he knows them, and we talked about them. As we are retired he told us that the local colloquial expression for that is “I threw my lunch pail in the canal”. I thought that was a great turn of phrase.

As today is Tuesday we started our day at the fish truck in the NSLC parking lot. The truck driver/salesman was still setting-up. We chatted with the middle-aged couple in line in front of us and at the head of the line. They asked where we lived and when we told them, asked did we know this person and that person. We told them whom we knew, three people. Clearly this was the wrong answer, as the next question was, “How long have you lived there?” “About a month” I had to admit.

They explained that their daughter-in-law was here picking up her three children who had been staying with them since mid-May when the family was forced from their home by the fire in Fort McMurray. They were buying fish to send back with her. More chatting and I was asked what I did for a living. I said, with great pride, “I threw my lunch pail in the canal”. That got a big laugh.

After about 45 minutes the fish truck opened for business. There were about 20 people lined up. There is only room for three or four people on the customer side of the counter, so Brigitte went in with the couple we had been chatting with. They spent $381 on fish to send to Fort McMurray!

Paul