14March1996

My dear Jones and Hambachers,

I sat down at midnight to tell you about our day. Then I apologised mentally & went to bed. I was exhausted. This business of taking half a dozen holidays a year is far more demanding than most people realise. But the immediate cause of my condition was a jog I had just taken with Tomba - our 4th outing of the day - around the outskirts of the estate. We were accompanied by the howling of the coyotes, an eerie background music that crawled up the back of my neck & tickled the hairs there. I arrived back panting. I'm good for the briskest of walks but not in jogging condition.

Kevin arrived back from a dinner at the same moment. He has long days. We chatted briefly before he retired. He's off again before 0700. Earlier in the evening, Mum, Ann, Penny & I had sat down around the table to play scrabble. Penny took an early lead. Ann was foolish enough to challenge a word I had put down & suffered the penalty. I established myself as firm favourite. Then right at the end, after I'd put all my counters down, Mum sneaked up & laid a multi-directional word that gave her the game. I took it in good part although it was hardly in the spirit of things, I'm sure you'll agree.

Ann spent the morning at her grief support group. She goes in Tuesday (a long day with double sessions), Wed & Thur. Mum & I did our circuit around Heritage Point. It was a sunny day but the wind was very cold & we struggled down the long drive way in the face of it. Once we had it behind us, it was a lark. There were still great dams of water in the ditches in front of the houses. These, still semi-blocked by frozen culverts, leak away during the day & freeze over again at night. Mum & I have had lots of chats about all kinds of things as she feels her way towards a decision on her future. Kevin & Ann have urged her not to commit herself until after Bernie & Iris have visited her later on in the summer & I concur.

In the afternoon, we took ourselves off to the little town of Okotoks where we have previously gone to the quaint tea room - just about all that's quaint in the town. I sniffed around the local liquor store - which had a splendid selection of SA wines - while Ann & Mum took themselves to the supermarket. Then we met Alan at a little eatery for afternoon tea. It was midway between cake shops British & Portuguese, displaying a scrumptious selection of home made goodies but serving cool drinks in the can with a straw sticking out & coffee in cups minus saucers. Alan drove me home afterwards in his car, a small black Dodge (what they call a starter car) of which he is very proud. He drives well. He's a natural!

Ann & I spent two hours on the computer to help bring her up to speed. We plan other sessions today & tomorrow. She's familiar with some of the basics already & shouldn't have a problem getting up to speed. This .am., I rose sevenish to follow up a series of faxes Mum & I have been sending off to bank, medical aid & insurance people in SA. There's one call more to make. But we are well satisfied with our efforts. They've been bearing fruit. Let me wish you lots of love and leave it there for the moment. (Have bought Carl Orff's Carmina Burana for the family & it's going down well.) XXXXXXX