Saturday, May 25, 2024
The Annapolis Valley was my home from 1988-2001. I met dear Audrey early on in my stay, in the waiting room of Dr. Kenneth Langille’s practice, where I was working at the time. She had just returned from a birding trip to the Northwest Territories and, a birder myself, I was enthralled by her stories. We became fast friends based on that initial encounter. Audrey had a beautiful, spiritual side to her that went hand and hand with her strong Christian faith. I remember weighing with her the merits of her plan, on the death of her beloved cat Simon, to send him on a pyrrhic boat journey on the pond by her house on Brooklyn Street. In the end she opted to bury him at the base of a tree close to the house and she placed a lovely smooth boulder on top of the grave. Shortly thereafter, a butterfly alit upon the rock and stayed there for several hours. Audrey was so pleased and comforted by the butterfly’s symbolic gesture.
The picture of Audrey smiling behind an ice cream sundae was taken by me in July of 2019 when I took her to the Blomidon Inn in Wolfville for lunch to celebrate her birthday. We had a great philosophical chat and we strolled in the gardens afterward; she so enjoyed the roses! I had so hoped to see Audrey this August during my trip to Nova Scotia; now I will visit her grave and remember a dear friend who meant so much to me.
