< ![CDATA[  The house is quiet. The logs breathe a sigh of relief. Or was that me? It is the first morning in the honey colored log house that sheltered the second half of my childhood; now known exclusively as "Grammy's House". We arrived yesterday on the four o'clock ferry after an eight hour drive. As we approached the dock Gabe summed up the state of the children: "Mom, sometimes I just get this electrical shock feeling in my insides.... its like, I'm so excited that I just want to run, and run, and run..." He's not the only one. Gramps, equally excited was found hiding along the road back to the house, "Its a GRAMPSY MUSHROOM!" shouts Ezra. Gramps does this for every arrival, rain, sleet, snow or sun, he'll be hiding by the path somewhere. Sometimes they find him, sometimes they don't. For both Gramps and children the highlight of this trip is definitely the new row boat. Built by Gramps himself over many a long winter afternoon with CBC droning in the background, now painted nautical blue and white with shiny brass oar locks, waiting in the side yard. I can't tell who is more excited. "CAN WE ROW IT RIGHT NOW?!" Shout Hannah and Gabe in unison. Of course. Gramps has been waiting sixty years for this moment. Or so it seems. But first it must be moved the hundred yards or so down to the dock. Gramps, referring to the ancient Egyptians, shows the children how to move the round bumpers from back to front beneath the boat as they roll it down the hill and through the forest of weeds higher than their heads. Half way there, Gabe stops, pants and says, sagely, "Gramps, I think we should park the boat next to the water from now on." Within ten minutes they had the rowing basics down and had been emancipated into the canals with the boat herself as their teacher. This morning, they were up at 6:42 a.m. Gabe ate two plums, declared himself full and made a run for the door with his foam cup full of worms in one hand and his life jacket in the other. Not so fast. Gramps insisted on Rice Krispies and juice, as well as his sister before he left the house. 6:59: out the door, two kids, two fishing poles, two life jackets, two oars, and worried worms under an ominous grey sky. Being eight and ten, we poured tea and left them to their own devices under the tutelage of their new mistress, the boat. Then came the rain. In sheets, for a good twenty minutes. we peered out the windows, laughed, laid out a bar of soap for a joke and drank more tea. Surely they would be back soon. A half an hour passed before they made their appearance. Dripping wet, squishing in their shoes. Hannah emerged from the path first, "Well, THAT was an adventure!" she proclaimed. Gabe came next. "Mom. It rained" "Really? Is that why you're all wet?" Ezra: "Did you fall in the bay Gabe?" "No, Ez, it rained so hard we couldn't see. Hannah was crying. I was crying. We called and called for Grampsy and Mom. We were all the way out in the bay by the cows in that field! No one came, so we had to suck it up and row home. Can we ride our bikes now?" Grammy: "Don't you want to dry off first?" Gabe: "Nope. We're only wet. Come on Han, let's go!" Grammy, "Wait for me, I'll get my bike." Off they went, water flying off the ends of Hannah's braids as they rounded the corner and headed for the road at the end of the 1/4 mile driveway. Meanwhile, Gramps packed up the little boys and the box trap containing a "chickmunk" caught over night and headed for the village. They are on a mission for boat gas, coffee, and candy, if I know Gramps. The "chickmunk" is destined for an unsuspecting neighbor's sugar maple forest at the other end of the island. He and his friends have been nesting in Grammy's car engine and causing all manner of expensive damage. Gramps and the boys are on a mission to trap them all this week and drop them off at Mr. Connell's. "Let's not tell Mr. Connell, okay boys?" Says Gramps, as he loads the box trap into the back of his van, "It will be a surprise." Boy's giggle. Gramps winks and they too disappear around the bend in the drive. What's that I hear faintly from inside the house? Oh yes, it is my empty tea cup calling me. All this and its only 8:46 a.m.]]>