A ‘BEST BUDDY’ POST

DEER PARK LODGE'S LARGEST RENTAL IS CALLED ‘KILBRYDE’ & THIS IS WHERE WE HAD KELLY'S SURPRISE BIRTHDAY PARTY 4 YEARS AGO))

I remember a time when best friends were the most important thing in the whole world.  A best Buddy was just that, a best Buddy.  Wasn't anything you wouldn't do for your best Buddy or he for you.  I have had a lot of best Buddies over these long years.  Inevitably they have come & gone as lives have intertwined for awhile & then diverged along different paths.  Once unshakeable friendships are lost in the distant mists of time & travel.  It was in the preteen & teen years that friendships seemed to matter the most.  They seemed crucial to one's survival.  Going it alone was not an option.  A fellow always kept his best Buddies near by.  Well, I did anyway. 

 
WEEK-END WEDDING TENT AT DEER PARK LODGE….THE CEILING & POLES HAVE BEEN DECKED OUT NICELY & LIGHTS ADDED…WOODEN DANCE FLOOR HAS TO BE RELOCATED FRIDAY

My best Buddy stage lasted right up until the age of 35.  My Buddies came before my marriages.  My Buddies came before my work, & like I said, hanging out with the Buds took priority over everything.  Hung out with my best Buddy John who grew up just around the corner from me.  We were inseparable for years & in High School the saying was, wherever John is you will find AL & vice versa.  Even in a Year Book photo of a group of students there was John & AL standing side by side.  It's the way it was, but it was not the way it would remain.  Times change, people change, & the hands of time move tirelessly ahead with little thought of holding friendships together.

 

RICHARD & I SPOTTED THIS GREAT BLUE HERON ON OUR TRAVELS THIS MORNING
My Best Buddy era ended, literally overnight.  In a space of 24 hours I stepped out of one old lifestyle & completely into a new one.  I hit my new life with both feet on the ground running scared & never looked back.  I couldn't look back.  My survival depended on that.   All my best Buddies, along with myself, had lived in a world of bars, hotels, alcohol, hard partying, & all the good & bad things associated with that kind of lifestyle.  Within a day of being charged with my second Impaired Driving offence I turned my back on the world I had known best, the world of all my best drinking Buddies, & literally walked away.  That was nearly 33 years ago & I have not seen some of those guys to this very day.  They didn't have to avoid me, but I had to avoid them if I was going to stay sober.  Overnight, in one fell swoop, all my old friends were gone. 
 
A CANADA GOOSE FAMILY IN THE HULLETT MARSH

From the very minute I walked in to my first AA meeting days later I was immediately surrounded by a whole new group of people who were to play an instrumental part in the rest of my life.  A group of folks who knew exactly where I was coming from & where exactly it was I needed to go.  I wasn't exactly looking for any more best Buddies but out of those early AA days evolved two fellows who to this day are two of the Best Buddies I have ever had.  And the longest best Buddies too.  One, an AA member & the other, a non AA member.  I have touched on both these fellows from time to time in my posts.  Names are Jim & Richard.  Won't get into any long stories about these two fellows but I was reminded again of the special friendship we share when Richard & I headed out this morning for a three & a half hour coffee tour.  Checked out some properties for sale, some wildlife areas, & just generally traveled the countryside soaking up everything that was of interest to us.

 

IN PEAK SUMMER TOURIST TIME THIS UNIT RENTS FOR $1,495 A WEEK

Best Buddies Richard & Jim have stood the test of time & although Jim & I don't hang out like we used to anymore & Richard only lives a couple hundred yards from me, we don't see each other a lot.  But when we do, it is a non stop marathon of conversation akin to a couple manic Magpies on steroids.  We are like minded, have the same values & interests.  And we have over 30 years of friendship history between us.  No male egos here, no male immaturity.  We understand each other to a T so the conversations just flow, non stop.  Down to earth, meaningful, personal & intelligent life conversations.  The only kind you can have with a best Buddy.   Oh, & add to that mix generous amounts of wit & humor.  I am so fortunate to have these two close friends, these two best Pals.  And, I guess what I have learned over the years from all this is that it is the quality of a best Buddy & not the quantity of best Buddies that really matters.  Well, for me it does anyway.

 

PHEEBS GETS IT IN THE EAR FROM GUINNESS THIS AFTERNOON IN DEER PARK’S OFFICE LOBBY          
With a better sleep Wednesday night I was energized today.  Deer Park Lodge was needing a few more interior photos of a couple cottages so Pheebs & I headed over there this afternoon with camera in hand.  They have a fenced yard where Stella & Guinness (remember the doggy sleep over) spend their days so I dropped Pheebs off there to play with the guys while I walked over to photo some of the cottages.  Also took a few more pictures of the big wedding tent because a crew had just come in Wednesday & put a liner in the tent.  It was at the request of this upcoming week-ends Bride.  Gives the tent a more Ritsy luxurious look.  I will have to try & get over there in the coming nights to photograph the nice lighting effects.  All in all……a good day:)) 
 
EVEN THE MOBILE OUTHOUSE WILL HAVE FLOWERS FOR THIS WEEK-END’S WEDDING

GROANER'S CORNER:((   A Short Neurological Test
1 - Find the letter C amongst all the O’s below..
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
2- If you already found the C, now find the number 6 below.
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
69999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
3 - Now find the N amidst all the M’s below. It's a little more difficult.
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
If you were able to pass these 3 tests, you can cancel your annual visit to your neurologist. Your brain is great and you're far from having a close relationship with Mr. Alzheimer. Congratulations!

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- Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right  now...AL.
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