Driftwood Scavenging At 5am

Axie and I were on the road by 4:58 am to get to a spot I thought I might find a few bits of interesting/useful driftwood for my mobiles. By 5:08 we found our spot and I soon discovered that either one or the other and possibly both of us would succumb to a disastrous misfortune before all said driftwood was collected. The location, you see, is a man-made pier and the fill is various sizes of jagged-edged boulders. Axie is not the best walking-mate under normal circumstances. He is a Cairn Terrier and likes to be boss. Besides that he has short legs that would not be able to transport him where I needed to go. So, he was tied to a park bench while I risked life and limb to find my treasure. I must say, it was meagre pickings and my limbs lack their limberness of years ago. There was a kind cyclist who stopped to say, Hello and when The Axe-Man and I were leaving, he waved and called out from a fair distance to say good-bye. Unbeknownst to me, he had been watching the whole time. I think he had 9-1-1 on speed dial just in case but I imagine him to be a doctor/nurse at one of the many excellent hospitals we have dotted through-out the city and was prepared to rescue me himself – after dispatching an ambulance to the scene. Yes, I’m imaginative.

So I was rock-climbing for over an hour, moving Axie from one park bench to the next so he could have contact with me. I honestly didn’t think he’d care until I heard him whimpering from 25 yards away Ottawa is very quiet at 5:30am and his calls were clear though not loud. Who knew, After 10 years together, I’ve learned that my independent, feisty, furry companion actually DOES like me. He just likes to hide the fact.

On the way back to our car with a large blue IKEA bag full of somewhat suitable driftwood, I, unknowingly lost my jacket that I’d draped over the lot. I re-traced my steps 1/2km or so and easily found it. It must have been fate that delayed me because by the time I had picked up the IKEA bag of driftwood again, a jogger was coming towards me. I’m every so friendly and said Hello and without her questioning but looking curiously at the huge blue bag, I explained what it was for. Fortunately, I had my plaid cap with Dinah perched aloft to show her. She asked where I lived and I told her. She said she was the City Councillor for the Ward – whom I now know is Theresa Kavanagh, but that’s because I googled. She did not name-drop… well not her own anyway. She said she’d mention to my own Councillor, Rick Chiarelli, that he had a new business woman in his riding. That could only be good right. Unfortunately my business cards were in my purse in the car. (Gotta remember to have them on me at ALL times!) I did tell her my website address and hoped that she’d remember it.

When I got back to the car and strapped Axie in and put my stash in the back seat, I thought, ‘Sue! You have a captive audience. She’s jogging to the Pier and back. There’s no other way out. She has to come back this way!” (I was so excited, I may have said it all out loud.) She’d only be 10 or 15 minutes… So I got my business cards and with Axie safe and NOT HOT in the the car (6:25am), I re-traced my steps again to meet Ms. Kavanagh, as she returned from the pier.

Sure enough, 5 or less minutes later, I was able to hand her 2 business cards. One for herself and a second for my Councillor.

….And here’s me, originally planning to hunt for driftwood on Sunday. Decided to get it done ASAP and look what happens! I feel as though I’m being smiled upon.

I hope you’re blessed with good fortune today as well.

Sue, Axie, and The Fancifulls (I promise a Story, with Dinah as The Lead ~ she’d demand no less, by Sunday morning since I have some driftwood now.)