BARN BURNER OF A WEEK

This week started out with more record drought and heat. One of the outcomes was the destruction by fire of the barn on the farm where Pat grew up. The Before picture is on our wall, the After picture was on the front page. Real sadness and nostalgia for Pat as the barn was the centre of the haying and helping her dad. As the heat continued, unusual phenomena occurred like bats in the daytime (dead!) and poison ivy turning red 2 months ahead of schedule.

We have been reduced to 3 over-the-air TV channels because local relay towers have been taken down due to budget cuts. Talk about snow-in-summer! The warmed water in the pond has created lonnnnng roots that Pat sheared like giving ZZ Top a shave, Even out-of-focus through our kitchen window, we saw a first ---- 5 baby turkeys on the railing, like targets at a carnival shooting gallery.

But the biggest barn-burner of news is that I have sold my beautiful 1964 1/2 Mustang convertible. After a year of restoring and then 9 years of pure pleasure and pride of ownership, the time had come. The return on inve$tment was better than any blue chip stock, but really my first concern was to turn it over to people who would care for it as I did. After turning down other offers, I sold the classic online to a woman who was giving it as a surprise gift to her husband! No particular occasion! She arrived after a 3-hour drive from Newmarket, so excited she couldn't stop babbling and staring. My last image of the car is of a driver grinning ear-to-ear and waving like the Queen at her Jubilee. How well I know the feeling!

Even better, we got a call later from the husband who said either the wife had been very bad, or he had been very good! He was gobsmacked and of course drove it immediately. He thanked me for selling it to them. and promised to love and cherish it. Thing is, I truly believe him and I'm OK with letting it go. Things change.

And as on cue, the skies darkened today and brought much-needed rain. Or is that my tears?