Posted on November 12, 2015 under Thursday Tidbits with 3 comments

The Grassy Knoll – Dealey Plaza Dallas, Texas

Peter MacDonald Photo

 

I hardly know where to start.

A long road trip is so interesting with all the twists and turns in the road…literally and figuratively. You need to go with the attitude to expect the unexpected. This latest sojourn with my son, Peter has provided this and much more.

After a week of sun and sand in Florida, we have been wending our way to Victoria through the United States. I have been keeping copious notes of all three of our trips and could easily recommend routes, hotels and especially great places to eat. We have had some fantastic authentic meals including Cajun, Mexican and Texan BBQ.

It is also neat passing place names that were popularized in songs. We had lunch the other day in Tucumcari, New Mexico. If you were ( are ) a fan of the band “Little Feat” you will instantly recognize this as a place name in the song “Willin’” And of course, many of you weighed in on Facebook the other day when I posted the name of Winslow, Arizona. We were going to stop and take a picture “ standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona” but there was only one exit and were by it before we could blink.

So, here I sit in the lobby of the Maswick Lodge at the Grand Canyon tapping out these words at 4:45 a.m. on Wednesday. The triple time zone change plus the clocks going back last weekend, have me on the move at 4:00 every morning. Not sure my traveling companion is amused when I’m clunking around getting dressed and getting out the door to give him a few hours of extra sleep.

There is little doubt that the highlights of the trip will be the stop in Dallas and our visit to the Grand Canyon.

We arrived in Dallas on Sunday evening. The Cowboys were playing football in Dallas that evening which was a godsend as the traffic was almost non existent coming into the city. My plan was to get up early Monday morning and go to Dealey Plaza to see where JFK was killed, do a tour and then hit the road. We had a late dinner Sunday evening and took a cab ( Uber. Now that was an experience! ) to the site of the assassination. Although it was dark, the area was well lit and Peter snapped a very interesting picture of me standing on the exact spot on the road where the president was killed. Also in the frame are the “grassy knoll” and the Texas School Book Depository. The experience was surreal and I have written a major piece that I will be publishing in the days to come.

The Grand Canyon. If it’s not one of the “seven wonders of the modern world” it should be. But before you can see it, you have to get there. We ran into a rather serious snow squall about an hour away from the Canyon which nearly spoiled our day. I have detailed this entire adventure in a story called “A Grand Illusion” which will be published soon.

Most interesting sign on the trip so far? Just outside Amarillo, Texas we stopped at one of the many rest stops along the way. Exiting the car we noticed several signs warning us of rattlesnakes. We didn’t linger very long!

If all goes as planned, we’ll arrive in Victoria late on Friday.

Have a great day.

Posted on November 5, 2015 under Thursday Tidbits with one comment

Casey and Maggie. Co- conspirators in “The Smell of Success”

 

 

I just had to show you the other part of the dynamic duo who starred in yesterday’s story “The Smell of Success.” I wasn’t sure how this story would be received but I knew the picture of Casey would at least get your attention! I’m a sly old dog myself. From the response I received, most dog lovers not only liked it but many of you could relate to it and had your own story. Like the lady attending a wedding shower when the hostess’s dog let one rip a few feet away from her. Everyone looked at her when the smell permeated the room and at least one person accused her of being the author. “The dog farted , not me,” she said embarrassingly. The hostess replied “ Yeah, that’s what everyone says. Always blaming it on the dog.” Ya just can’t win.

I mentioned on Monday that I had two stories just about ready for printing. The first one is about people who work shift work. It’s called “A Seismic Shift” and it is a tribute for people who work very hard and are continuously dealing with the vagaries of shift work.

The other story is about a recent crossing of the border at St. Stephen, N.B. We got very unlucky as we got pulled over by a slightly overzealous Customs official suffering from terminal boredom. We were the only car in the lineup. When I mentioned this on MMM the other day, one of you got back to me to tell me about the time that your family got stopped at the border for 24 hours! I had a hard time keeping my patience ( and from wetting myself until the border agent relented and let me use the washroom ) for one hour. “Borderdom” will be posted in the next few days.

Rarely ( never )do I stray from the path of righteousness but there’s always a first time. I heard a story at the resort the other day and it was so funny that I just had to write it even though it might attract attention from the censors ( my editor! ). My duty is to entertain and not provoke so I’ll have to grapple with this before I (we!) decide to publish it. It’s really quite harmless… I think. The subject is pedicures and it is the hilarious story of a middle aged guy who is cajoled into getting one. The story is called “Ressurection” and I’ll let you know how this goes once I send it along for editing. BTW. I tried it out at the book launch yesterday and people LOVED it!

And finally…. my Florida book launch. Despite sweltering heat and high humidity, 20 brave souls came to the Gypsy Souls coffee shop for an hour of music and story telling. We had a blast and just winged it. Peter was in great voice. I read the dedication for the book ( dedicated to my 4 children ) and then Peter got things going with Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire.” Had some fun and sold some books… helping keep the economy of Nova Scotia strong!

We had a surprise anniversary party at our resort last evening for two of the sweetest people you could meet. They have been married for 60 years and they still have a zest for life. They bicycle just about every day they’re in Florida and aren’t hesitant to go to trivia night at one of the local bars. In other words, they’re good sports. After a pot luck supper, I sang “Rennaisance” ( a Valdy tune ) as their anniversary song. They danced. It was quite touching. And then Pete and I let it rip non stop for an hour and a half. We have made so many wonderful friends here over the years. Joyce, one half of the duo, gave a beautiful talk when all was said and done. She says that coming to Florida and seeing old friends is life giving. I feel blessed to be part of this group.

Ok, folks. One more day before Pete and I hit the road for Victoria. More road stories and Peter’s pics comin’ at you.

Have a great weekend.

Posted on October 15, 2015 under Thursday Tidbits with one comment

Carefree Highway

 

 

Greasers! When was the last time you used that word that was oh so common back in the 60’s? It hadn’t entered my consciousness ( like a lot of other things these days! ) until yesterday. I was walking through town when a car roared by. A young kid with a mullet, a cigarette hanging out of his mouth and a very loud “muscle car” drove, nay sped, up Church Street. It was almost like a chase scene from “Bullitt” with Steve MacQueen flying through the streets of San Francisco. Of course the dual mufflers had holes in them… for effect, I’m quite certain. I don’t know why, but the word “greaser” not only flashed across my cerebrum but the actual word came out of my mouth.

There. Glad to get that off my chest.

A good friend of mine recently lost her husband to cancer and her dog died three weeks after that. It sounds like a bad country and western song. I am not making light of her double tragedy. She has a great sense of humour among her many strong character traits. To make matters worse she lives quite a ways from town. She and her late husband always traveled together so much so that she rarely drove during the course of their marriage. In her words “ I gave up my driver’s license for a marriage license.”

She decided that she needed to take a road trip in September to re-establish her independence and relax and unwind a bit. Well, her car broke down… on the Labour Day weekend on the 401 outside of Toronto. What happened over the next 10 or so days couldn’t possibly be made up unless you were a Hollywood screen writer. Coming soon, “Judy’s Joyride” is the story of a strong woman who took adversity, gave it a good shake, laughed and managed to get through a string of car woes.

I am also putting the finishing touches on “Hidden Gems” which is the story of a rural country doctor and his wife who moved to a small community in the Cape Breton Highlands and ended up staying there for their entire married lives. They are two of the only people I know who uttered these words, “ we stayed because of the winters.” They were absolutely delighted with the 17 feet of snow that fell in the Highlands last winter. They are a delightful couple and I think you will enjoy hearing their story.

Thankfully, the Federal election will be over next Monday. I was one of the 3.6 million people who voted in the advance poll. Please get out and vote next Monday, regardless of your political persuasion.

As the poster above indicates, I will be doing the first of three book launches on Saturday, October 24^th. at 2:00 at the Cyril Ward Library in Guysborough. The second will be in Florida in early November and my Antigonish launch is Saturday , December 5^th. at the library. Hope you can make one of them. My new book will be available at the 5 to $1.00 at the end of the month. If you want to save yourself 15% tax, you can buy them directly from me.

Have a great weekend.