Today Wendy and I received our friends Norm and Nelllie into our home. We have known Norm since our high school days, though we attended different schools. Norm went on to become an engineer and he and Nellie have lived in Toronto all their lives. They bought the house Norm and his brother Larry grew up in, so he lives in the paternal home! How nice is that to be able to do.

I had thought about getting a picture of the four of us, but then they arrived and we started to talk! And talk, and talk and talk…. we had pie and ice cream together and talked some more.

Then it was time for them to go…and after they drove away, I thought; I should have taken a photo.

The epic story for Norm and I was a canoe trip in May of 1975 or ’76 when we set off for a trip that would take us along two lakes via a river or two and one night of camping. Norm’s late 60’s Dodge Dart got us to the start spot and we loaded up the canoe and headed out across the first lake. As we started up the first river, which seemed more like a creek, we suddenly found the bottom of the canoe scrapping the bottom. What to do? The banks were too bushy to be able to walk along them, so we walked in the river/creek pulling the canoe behind us. Yes our boots, socks, pants were soaked! Finally we came to our camping site – and we began to set up camp.

We had a tent, and we also set up a tarp to keep our things dry overnight. We built a campfire but before we could light it, the heavens opened and the rain poured down. We ran under our tarp to await a pause in the storm when Norm shouted out – “our matches”. Yes, the matches, box open, were siting next to the campfire in the rain. Needless to say, we were unable to start a fire.

Wet, tired and now hungry…we went to bed. Fortunately we had some dried fruit, chocolate and nuts to eat but what we had to cook was not going to happen.

At the end of the day we found a small rural family run restaurant and I remember ordering spaghetti. It was the best meal ever!! I was so hungry.

We didn’t do that again. Ever.

Still it was nice to see Norm and Nellie and to know that they are doing well.