“So what have you guys been up to lately,” asked Molly Whiteside one Monday morning recently as she passed out menus at Mabel’s Grill.

“I watched a hockey game yesterday,” Dave Winston said, “but I fell asleep so don’t ask me who won. Unfortunately they didn’t have any good fights to keep me awake.”

“Huh,” grumbled George Mackenzie, “I wanted to watch that game but my wife insisted we go for a drive. ‘It’s such a beautiful day, who wants to spend it inside,’ she says. “Me, for one!”

“And where did you go for the drive?” Molly wondered.

“Oh, only around some of the roads just outside our normal neighbourhood,” George replied.

“Did you see anything interesting?” Molly wondered.

“Just that some of the cattle are out,” George grumbled.

“Well that I’m happy for!” said  Cliff Murray. “Getting my sheep out on pasture was a great load off my mind. Now I just have to clean out the manure from the barn.”

“And did your wife enjoy the drive?” Molly wondered.

“I suppose,” said George. “She kept saying, ‘Oh that’s where so and so used to live but he died and she’s in the old age home’ or ‘That’s a big house that Hank and Mary have, with all their kids grown and gone now.’ I was getting to feeling so old, like maybe I should be selling out and moving into one of those little four-plexes they’re building in town.”

“And are you?” Molly wondered.

“I’d rather go straight into one of those boxes at the funeral home!” George fired off.

“Hey, don’t hide your feelings. Tell us what you really think,” Molly chuckled before she gathered up their orders and left them with coffee.

“So the first of the summer holidays is coming up,” said Cliff brightly, trying to get things on a cheerier path. “Got any plans for the May 24 holiday?”

“I’ll probably spend it in my pig barn, as long as I’ve got the corn planted by then,” grumbled Dave.

“One of the benefits of having sheep,” said Cliff. “Most of the lambing is done in the winter months and by the time they’re out on pasture, things get easier – unless you have dog or wolf problems.”

“When is the holiday this year anyway?” George wondered. “I kind of get mixed up when they move the holiday to a more convenient weekend like they do.”

“Yeah, the 24th is a Friday this year but Friday holidays are difficult so they’re having it on the 20th, the previous Monday,” said Cliff.

“The lake ought to be good and cold for all those cottagers and young people going to resorts like Grand Bend to start the summer holidays,” chuckled Dave, enjoying the idea that people who did get the holiday might have a little pain.

“I get to enjoy the fireworks without leaving home,” smiled George. “They set them off in town but you can easily see them from my place.”

“Sure beats when I was a kid and we could just buy some firecrackers – or maybe splurge on a Roman candle or two,” said Dave.

“Yeah, it’s great to realize some things have improved since we were kids. And now some people have fireworks on July 1 too,” said Cliff.

“And for once we beat the Americans,” said Dave. “Their Memorial Day always comes later in May than Victoria Day. It’s great not to follow them for a change.”       

“Yeah, hopefully the CBC and CTV are talking about Canada so much they skip their preaching about Donald Trump for once,” George grumbled. “They can never seem to say one good word about the poor guy.”

“Hey, you know Mabel’s rules about not talking about politics in here,” warned Molly as she brought their breakfasts.

The looks on Cliff’s and Dave’s faces relaxed when she said this.

“Well, Mabel is the boss so I guess we can’t talk about Trump,” Dave smiled.◊