Day 101 DeTour

Woke up to a perfect morning - cool and sunny AND we are staying put. Love traveling and seeing new sights, but it's also nice to pause for a day and regroup especially in a quaint little seaside village. Rode the marina bike down the street to the main village and did not pass a car the whole way. Love this place. It is so relaxing and just comfortable. As I was reading the display sign on the main thorofare through town that located all businesses, a group of geese crossed the street - that was the most traffic I had seen up to that point.  Across the road is a huge tree carving of an old sailor. The sculpture is called " The Passage Keeper". I asked the locals about it and they said that a guy carved it with a chain saw about 7 years ago when the tree started to die. Instead of cutting it down completely, he shaped a lighthouse keeper out of the trunk. The old man use to have a latern hanging from his hand, but the owner moved and took that with him. He was not an artist and had little knowledge of what he was doing, but he carved an amazing creation. Weather turned gray and cold around lunchtime. The surrounding townships got severe storms, but we were spared - so far. Went to lunch at the Shipwreck Cafe and got a local favorite called "a pastie", which is cubed potatoes, shredded beef, carrots and rutabaga wrapped in a thick pastry shell. Decades ago, the minors would carry them down in the mines for lunch - kept warm in a pail wrapped in newspapers next to a thermos of coffee. Very tasty and excellent comfort food on a rainy day. Later, we may head back to the Village Inn for another of their decadent burgers that we had last night for dinner. American fare - it's good to be "home".