Happy national holidays

Friday was Canada Day on July 1st, also the 100 years anniversary of the battle of the Somme in France in WWI. Why significant to us? It was the most deadly and longest fought campaigns of WWI. Canada suffered 24,000 casualties, among these too many in a single day, almost a whole generation of Newfoundlander was lost, out of 2000 members of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, only 68 answer roll call the next day... Marching against well entrenched machine gunners is never a good idea :-(

We learned a lot from this experience and many new ideas were put to good use in Vimy a year later. For example a rolling artillery barrage that follow ahead of you.

Incidentally, one of Heather's relative (mother side) fought and survived this battle, then Vimy only to be killed shorty after at Arleux.

But this year, Canada day also had special significance for me, it was the day we celebrated Heather's life, here at my home.

Being Maritimers, we both enjoyed many good old Nova Scotia kitchen parties.
And that 's the only thing she wanted for a life celebration, at least a good one in our house, like we did for past friends.

Shortly after we first moved in this house, we had a musical wake in honor of a good friend, Stan Banks. That's the only thing she wanted.

So on this past Friday, we had a few friends over and break out into a good old musical hodge podge, what we called a Kitchen party.

Thank you guys very much appreciated, that is what she wanted and I am sure she was smiling upon us... Brought a few tears, but all good ...

Later on we closed the evening by watching the Greenwood fire works.
A bit small as fire works celebration's goes, but it is an event were the whole community comes out to watch the pre-show then the fireworks. The one of the very few days of the year that I have bumper to bumper traffic on my road (Hwy 201). Traffic? What traffic! I'm from Montreal :-)

Sunday, stopped at the usual local flea market (Sunday is the time for tools)
on our way to tile a floor area in Bear River.

Picked up a Peck, Stow & Wilcox Co No 3410 brace for US $4 ( I was out of Canadian currency :-) and a Millers Falls No 2 hand drill for $20, I'm happy.

PS&W Co No 3410 brace

Millers Falls No 2 hand drill

When my friend Keith picked me up this morning he mentioned we were going to tile a floor area, but I did not think he was serious. Sure enough, he was, so not being really dressed for dirty works, I quickly made a spot on one of my knees.
Heather would have gave me shit for sure, I just bought these pants yesterday, so I got a mechanic overall to cover my clothes and finished tiling the spot for a future wood stove. Richard cut, Keith back buttered the tiles, I layed them.

Being an ancient home, nothing is flat level or square. Oh what fun...

Richard on the left, just bought this place and has a lot of work ahead of him. 

We went to gave him a break.

And talking of ancient home, the area is quite old, and in his yard there are some remnants of very old vineyard, perhaps going back a few hundred years?
There are records of old vineyard in the areas.

Later on I hosted friends over for supper. It was a lovely ending of a great day. Rudy is exhausted, lots of car travelling and new people to sniffed :-)_

All in all a great day. Good friends, good company, great food (well yeah, I cooked it :-)

By the time you read this, it would probably be the 4th of July, so happy independence day to my American readers

Bob, overdue for his nap. And yes my pants are in the wash as I type :-)