Monday Morning Musings

Posted on October 23, 2017 under Monday Morning Musings with one comment

Fish are jumping at Tippabrew

October might possibly be one of the busiest months of the year. It seems that the opening of school in September is like hitting the reset button. Routines are re-established and everyone is back to work or in my case ( as a retiree ),  attending  meetings for various organizations. Very few people are on vacation. University sports and professional sports are in the thick of several different seasons… baseball, football, hockey, rugby, basketball. The engine of life is firing on all cylinders. It is “ go time.”

Last weekend, I attended the Keppoch Fun Day. I got talking with Hughie Stewart who has been one of the driving forces behind the revitalization of Keppoch Mountain. If you haven’t been out there lately, grab the family and go for a hike or bike through the trails. It’s magnificent. Good for the heart and the soul. Hughie extended an invitation for me to come out some day and see ALL of the Keppoch. So yesterday I went out to meet up with Hughie. My brother joined us.

We donned helmets and climbed into his off road vehicle. For the next three hours, on a crisp, sunny Fall afternoon, we drove through several kilometers of back roads. We spent some time at St. Bean’s Cemetery, the resting place of Hughie’s grandparents. We saw the foundation of the house owned by the bootlegger, one of the last residents of the Keppoch. Back in the day there were 67 homes in the area, mostly used for cattle farming. We saw lakes and the waterfalls at Black Brook before arriving at Tippabrew, the summer home of the Stewarts.

We were greeted at the front door by Keppoch, possibly the largest German shepherd on the planet. Unbeknownst to us, we had been invited for supper. I took one look at Keppoch and hoped that we wouldn’t be HIS supper!

The meal, simply put,  was sensational. Debbie had prepared moose meat along with garden potatoes, carrots and turnips. A basket was filled with homemade bread. Dessert was “ sex in a pan.” ( It was as sinful as it sounds ). And a good cup of tea.

Some people spend thousands of dollars on exotic vacations. Nothing could possibly be better than spending time with really fine people in a little slice of paradise. Thanks Hughie and Debbie.

My friend, Father Abhi Anand from Varanasi, India is around these days. Just about every year, he comes to Canada to spend a month for a bit of R&R and to spread the word about his organization back home. DARE is an organization with special focus on the rescue and rehabilitation of children trying to find food and shelter from the trains and railway stations in India. Those of you who followed me when I was in India this past year might remember that I spent Christmas Day with the “ railway children.” It was a Christmas I won’t soon forget.

Father Abhi is going to show a short film ( 20 minutes ) and talk about the work of DARE on Wednesday, November 1^st. in the small meeting room at People’s Place library at 7:00 P.M. I will be there to introduce Father Abhi. Please mark this on your calendar and join us.

Coming up later this week ( Oct. 26-28 ) is the Antigonish International Film Festival. The AIFF is a great opportunity to see some terrific films. You can get a pass for all films for $20 ( $5.00  if you’re a student ) or you can show up for a film and make a donation. A pass guarantees you admission and are available at People’s Place Library and Lyghtsome Gallery.

True confessions. Like thousands ( maybe millions ) of other people, I have become a raving Downton Abbey fan.  The characters are all expertly portrayed, even the loathsome, Mr. Barrow. Carson , the butler and Mrs. Hughes ( who really runs the place! ) are my favorites.

Have a great week.

P.S. I’m still plugging away trying to raise the money for a host machine for the Daughters of Mary in India. We’ve collected $4200 of the $6,000 required to make this purchase which would increase profitability to help the Emmaus Home for mentally ill women to become more self sufficient. Donations can be made at the Credit Union in Antigonish ( Investment India account ) or by e-transfer: investmentindia2017@gmail.com  . Eighteen donors @ $100 each would do the job!

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