I have a lot of people to credit for today’s good mood. First I want to mention why I don’t update here as much as I do in the winter… Simply, I am rarely inside. The weather has been amazing. There is no reason what so ever to be indoors. Also, most of my postings are of special interest to the islanders who have gone home for the winter…Nothing much to tell them when they have been with me all day.

Yesterday, I was invited on a day trip to a country market with five island women. The market is about two hours up the highway from where we dock our boat. Within the narrow street of  market shops is a lovely restaurant with shaded patios and a thirst quenching Pino Grigio. I am still on this “Friggin Eileen diet” I havent mentioned it before, but I have given myself 1 year of this friggin thing to regain my youth before it is time to climb into and clean the water tanks.. Ironically for future reference I am going to call it the F.E.D. diet….  I wasn’t able to share in the stuffed croissants at coffee, the Focaccia bread at lunch or ice cream cone snack. But I did have a delicous spinach salad  with a glass of Pino Grigio.. I don’t care what F.E.D. says, I am not giving up my wine…. 🙂

In my long list of challenges living here, I had as yet never driven the TinMan without E on the boat for support. Yesterday, I offered to drive the women across the water. After several emails back and forth confirming I had enough life jackets they accepted my offer. AW offered to chauffeur us in her van up island… The antics of these women together make me happy.

We had no sooner left BH when we picked up a hitchhiker at the side of the road… We called him Frank and he seemed to enjoy being included as one of the girls. His new home is going to be our out house.. Every kayaker who paddles past takes a picture of our unusual outhouse. We never use the outhouse and I thought it would enhance their vacation photos to have Frank’s cheery smile. Its the least I can do.

When I got home last night our dear dear neighbour from SoHo had delivered the much-anticipated new patio table and chairs. E threw his back out chopping Arbutus wood and had to sit by helplessly while BF carried the furniture down the hill and set it all up… He and his wife are just the kindest people.. The new furniture looks awesome on the deck and it will be great to share a drink at the table with Hutch when her family visit in August. All in all it was a good day. Makes me happy to realize how many great friends we have. To paraphrase MB yesterday on the subject.. “whether I want them or not”