Some guy on the prairies accidentally stumbled on and began to read my blog a year or so ago.  He kinda liked it.  So, he read on and on.  He was especially intrigued with the area in which we live because he had been out here fishing now and again and could relate.  

Then one day, he and his wife were coming out here to fish some more and he discovered that we had published a book so he bought it and slogged his way through it showing remarkable tenacity and tolerance for boredom in the process.  Since he was coming out here already, he figured it might be fun to meet the old doofus who wrote the book and maybe luck out and meet Sal as well.  

We met in Courtenay last year.  It was nice.  They were nice.  We were nice.  Everything was nice and then we left to do our shopping.  But we stayed in touch.  A little.  

Then one day, they decided to drop in while they were out this way and, while here, expressed some interest in getting property.  We showed them some.  They saw other bits.  They met other people.  Heard of some more.  And then, lo and behold, they found the right one and bought a little piece of this heaven.  

‘Course, being sensible people, they found a piece far from us.  And then they got to work. “Oh, my God!  The schlepping!  You really should have written that part up more clearly. We schlepped and schlepped and then slept and slept and did that for days and days and we know that we will be doing it even more.  OMG!” 

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be!  We love this place.  We love this place and wish we had done this sooner!” 

And so it was that we re-connected last night while having a fabulous dinner at their new digs. Caught up on the last year.  Shared stories.  Became friends but even more so. Commiserated over the hard stuff, shared the joys of the wonderful stuff and generally ‘bonded’ as neighbours and friends.

A blog.  A book.  A stranger.  Then a friend.  Who knew that this kind of magic could happen so accidentally?

Coincidence?  Well, neither of us think it is coincidence, actually.  We both kinda think it is ‘timing’.  Of sorts.  We have no idea what the ‘timing’ is about but it feels as if we are both responding to something deeper and more personal, something like destiny but more subtle. Something like following a small voice but less defined.  Something like listening to your own heart beat and following that….hard to explain….but they hear it.  We hear it.

We’re doing it.  They are doing it.  I’d tell you what it is if I could tell it any more clearly than I just have.  

Listen to your heart.  Just listen carefully.  Listen real hard.  Maybe it’s just a barely perceptible form of Tinnitus and we both suffer from it.  Maybe a heart murmur.  But maybe it is something more.  Anyone else hear it?