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Even those did not go smoothly, for in removing the roofing on his father's cottage, an expanse of dry rot was uncovered, and Todd ended up doing extensive and unexpected repairs. He put the final touches on his work only the evening before he returned home to Nova Scotia.

I, too, worked right up to the very last minute of my vacation.

Before I could head home to Winnipeg, I needed a safe way to store the Jack Aubrey. Years ago, when I was trying to remove Ross' boat from the water at the end of the season, the boat fell back on me, causing a number of very painful scrapes and bruises. Now that I am in my sixties, I know that pulling a boat up on shore by myself would be foolish.

The ‘Jack Aubrey’ comes up the boat ramp

So I designed and built a boat ramp, with lumber, and some parts from my boat trailer kit.

It was very satisfying work, but took several days. I was due to leave at noon, but couldn't, and indeed was still at work on the boat ramp at six p.m. But, I did finish, and the ramp works like a charm. The drive to Winnipeg, which usually takes three days and two nights, had to be done in two very long jumps, with a single overnight sleep.

Meanwhile, I was never able to clear up last years roofing from the forest floor. The trunk of a huge tree now lies over it, as well as the debris from the sudden repairs. So, next year the new chainsaw will be put to work in earnest, and then the shingles will finally be hauled away. I hope.

My sister, Dawn, when she heard about the tree falling on the cottage, had a quick-witted quip to offer. Re-working a well-known philosophical question, she said, "If a tree falls in the forest... does Tony make a sound?"

The answer, I think you will agree, is, "Nope. Instead he posts a saga about it on the Internet."

Sunset at the lake