Bucolic: “relating to the pleasant aspects of the countryside and country life”

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I guess you can describe life on an Island in the middle of the Bay of Fundy as “countryside”. It’s certainly rural and it’s definitely not city. There are a lot of pleasant aspects and a few downsides – which, when you run into them, can be infuriating. However, it still beats anything a City has to offer at this stage of my life.

It’s hard to explain sometimes what being in a big metropolitan area means to those who have never lived in one. I mean visiting Saint John (pop. 70,785) isn’t an adequate introduction. I’ve tried on occasion and failed miserably. e.g., “You’re trying to tell me there are no moose in Vancouver?” sigh

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I can remember a couple of years ago a friend of mine said he’d met a guy from the mainland who said you can’t see the stars in the City. This is something I had been trying to explain for months. They just can’t picture it. Which, frankly, makes them the lucky ones.

My frequent over-sharing of slow internet speeds has probably become a bore. However, my 7 mps download speed is unbelievable to those with wiring that can only handle 4 mps. In 2021. In Canada. I saw something on Twitter recently about broadband being introduced to a rural community in, I think, Ontario. It turned out the TelCo’s President had a cabin there. We need somebody from Bell/Aliant to move here. 🙂

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Most of the few Scallop Draggers not still heading off into the Grey Zone are preparing for the start of the Spring Lobster Season. The rest will remove the drags and start working on twine for Herring. As a reminder, the name of that fish is pronounced the same as the bird and the addictive illegal drug. Context is important around here for clarity.

Lots of firewood is being cut and delivered and I have my order in. A friend stopped while we were out in the Park this morning and, during one of those inevitable pickup trucks in the middle of the road conversations, said he has extra and will bring me some this week. Just one of those “pleasant aspects”. 🙂

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It’s a nice day. The temperature is going to climb to almost 50 F (10C) in the sun and there’s very little wind. The Island has remained fairly isolated from the pandemic with the exception of a few cases last October. The goats are spending more time roaming around, as are the highland cattle. And no, they’re not supposed to get out of their paddocks but they won’t listen to reason.

I’ll open the windows to air out the house while I do some cleaning and Fish will spend most of the day outside on his run. The neighbours’ dogs will come visit and bring me presents just before they eat all the cookies and dog food.

I really can’t complain about much. Except, of course, for the internet. And maybe the ferry. I’ll try to find the pleasant aspects of them as well. grin

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