Went up to the Q-hut today to add my barely-significant contribution to the renovation we are undertaking.  We are changing the old one-room schoolhouse into a community woodworking shop.  I’ve been somewhat delinquent in my duties these past few weeks what with all the fun and hoopla of Xmas. Too much giddiness to work. 

While we (Hugh, Doug, Bruce and I) were standing around trying to figure out how the new door latch worked we were visited by Tim, a new neighbour.


But first the latch…..  Doug examined it closely but it was too confusing so he gave it to me.  I stared at it for five minutes until I looked in the packaging and found two more parts.  That helped.  It took four of us about 15 minutes more of analysis and we had to run through it a few extra times before Hugh believed the rest of us were right…..and this was just for the door latch! 

Anyway….. 

Tim seemed very nice.  Perhaps bit too clean for our standards in a day-glo red full-survival suit.  “Nice to meet you but you’ll have to stand aside at the photo ops”. I said.  “Excuse me?”  “Sorry.  Nothing personal.  Clothes are too new, tho.  Too shiny.  No dirt.  No rips.  Waddya think this is, a Vanity Fair shoot?”

Everyone chimed in, “Yeah, that thing new this morning?  Right out of the box, eh?”  “Not really an islander yet, are ya?”    

Tim laughed.  It was OK.  Being teased is a sign of acceptance (I am clinging to that otherwise my life is too tragically cruel).  I love that kind of male worker goofiness.   It really is the best part of the job. 

As Bruce was whacking away at something in the corner, I asked over the din, “Sheesh.  What the hell is Bruce doin’?  Doug replied, “No idea.  Not part of any plan for this building.  But don’t disturb him none as he is the only one doing anything!”  Hugh chimed in, “Lunch time yet?” 

Hugh asks about lunch at least three times a day and at least once after lunch has been had.  It is one of those timeless jokes that doesn’t lose a thing in the re-telling.  I guess you have to be there………..

At one point I was standing alone looking into a darkened corner where the floor boards have yet to be put down.  Then I saw it.  Movement!  As I adjusted my myopic, blurred and fading vision, I saw the last of a long tail disappear under the building.  It was black, it was hairy – but not bushy – and it was at least 18 inches long!  Some critter had been watching us and it was no house-cat!  “Hey!  Hey, guys!  There was some kind of animal over there.  Something with a long tail.  Big.  I think.  Hey!”  

“Gotta expect animals in the forest, Dave.  They come with the territory.”   
“Yeah, but……like………….this………huge………….like……………”

“Lunch?”