25-MAY-2017, Shearwater, BC – It has been busy, and when it is not we haven’t had internet access.
There has been weather… terrible forecasts, but not too terribly bad on the ‘‘inside’’ where we sail. Though on Tuesday we came into Shearwater with a host of there boats to wait out the weather. Needless to say, the bad weather dissipated and was not as bad as expected for as long.
While we could have sat out the weather in a hurricane hole, Jennifer righty decided it would be best to sit on a dock so we could do laundry and routine maintenance, and be able to go on walks with Hilary.
We did laundry, I changed the engine oil and did a few minor things on my list, bought additional supplies and replaced our Canadian flag, which has taken a beating.
The big news, and it is not good news, is Hilary. We’ve known that this could happen, and we’ve seen some analogous changes in Hilary that have not lasted, but Hilary’s personality is changing in the last few days. Slowly over time, we were noticing Hilary was become less tolerant. If she was reading, or the news was on, she would loudly shush us.
Yesterday, Hilary and I were sitting in the cockpit watching a woman clean her boat. I made a quip about it paying less than minimum wage – the type of comments that Hilary and I joke about often – and Hilary said, “Who the fuck cares.’’ I’ve never heard Hilary, pre-Alzheimer’s or post-, ever use that language. She is now more given to saying ‘‘shit’’ when something minor goes bad now, and last night she told Jennifer to shut up. Again something neither Hilary has ever done.
Jennifer and I have noticed that it is now taking now taking one full-time person to care for Hilary. This is new.
For the moment, it is reinforcing our decision not to have guests on this trip and enforcing the growing realization that it is time to start the move to a facility.
With Hilary, we are also engaging more and more in a guessing game. Words, oftentimes, don’t have there actually meaning anymore. We’ve learned that sometimes wanting to go home or anything that has some urgency means she is looking for a toilet. Though, we’ve never had an instance when she says she is looking for a toilet and means something else.
This morning the weather looks good. We need to wait another 90 minutes for the fuel dock to open, and then we’re on our way.
At the dock we met a number of people that we’ve seen on AIS and who have seen us. It is later in the season so there are more people heading north and fewer completely empty anchorages. ¡Que Lastima!
There are one or two posts that will appear out of order, if I can catch up. I need to return to my 5.30 am wakeups to write and do things while the household sleeps. Falco the cat deserves a post.
People write or see us again and ask if Hilary is still with us, I reply that not only do we have Hilary, but we have a cat as well. This is a source of humor.
