Waupoos, Canada

Waupoos, Canada
Visiting With Friends
Summers 2007, 2008, 2009

My friends, Darcy and Rick,  have two homes, side by side in Wapoos, Canada, right along the magnificent Lake Ontario.  A group of us get invited form time to time to come up and visit. These times with Darcy are always the same.  We sit around, laugh, drink, tell stories, laugh at ourselves, make fun of other people’s politics, talk about Stroudsburg, reminisce about working together, mention Joni Mitchell, talk about our parents and continue to drink.

As with last year, we are joined by Doug, Jenn and Mara Botts and Jim, Sue and Elijah Francis.  They are all good company and never at a loss for conversation, jokes, games or drinks.

One night I proposed a toast as we sat down to eat dinner.  I thanked Rick and Darcy for hosting us and we all cheered.  Darcy tears up and toasted to friends who were important to her.  We cheer her on and continue with great admiration of the corn and the chicken and the snow peas and the rolls.

Our days are spent in slow motion.  There is no agenda and no hurry.  We move from one location to the next.  We may start out in the living room with a cup of coffee and then move to the Adirondack chairs on the lawn and then we may head to the dock to fish or ride on the swing or flirt with the idea of jumping in.  Then we go over to the bank of the river and take a swim or go for a paddle in the kayak.  Some people play tennis but I am not one of those types.  Horseshoes are out but on one take advantage of that opportunity and then there is the always boring croquet set which no one has been asked to play.  I am sure Darcy is not asking us because we made such fun of her last year for boring us with a three hour game of torture.

Sue and Jenn make most of the meals.  I offer to help but they firmly and impolitely tell me that my incompetent help is not needed.  I surrender to the living room without offense.  I offer to do the dishes after dinner.  They agree.

We have dinner.  I linger over conversation and Doug gets up and does all of the dishes.  I protest that this is my responsibility but he keeps going and I pour myself and him another beer.

At night, some of us wander up to the local bar.  Rick is playing there but I stay behind.  I don’t want to drink any more.

Darcy and I stay up late each night to watch a political comedy show.  We then spend the next day rehashing the points we found to be particularly funny. And our routine starts again.