The seniors and the fox

One of the residents of an island nursing home feeds three crows faithfully every day. 

Occasionally, a young fox eats the food before the crows arrive. The residents whose rooms overlook the walkway where the animals visit, look forward to seeing the crows every day and the occasional visit by the fox. 

Over time, the fox has become gaunt and looks wasted. 

It has mange and the residents are concerned.  A nurse heard their concern and researched what could be done to help the animal. She found a group which provides medicine to put in food for a fox known to have mange. She acquired the medicine and with the help of staff, the residents started treatment of the fox. They are thrilled the poor animal is receiving help. 

The residents are watching closely to see if the poor creature is improving. It will take several weeks of treatment to cure the animal. However a love of animals lasts a lifetime.

Cycling seniors

Last week we rode 88 kilometres on our bikes with our longest ride 25 kilometres. We are enjoying cycling, the countryside, the weather, the picnics and the people we meet along the way. It became colder over the week but we’ve had the right clothing and a cup of hot tea at the end of the ride always hits the spot.

Our final ride last week took us from Ellerslie to Portage and back. In Ellerslie at the beginning of the trip, we met a woman waiting for her husband who was riding west from Richmond. They are in their eighties. They cycled together previously but she has problems with balance now so she doesn’t ride any more. Instead she drops her husband at his starting location and waits for him at the next stop. He goes as far as he can on a particular day. She enjoys driving to the locations and talking to people she meets. Cycling is still a sport they continue to enjoy together.

At the end of the ride we met another couple riding the trail, completing their Tip to Tip for this year. It is a bike ride on the Confederation Trail, from one tip of the island to the other, a total of 449 kilometres. This couple completed the venture last year and was busy doing one of the last sections for this year. They take turns driving to the next meeting point or riding the trail. They were in their seventies.

Meeting these cyclers encouraged my husband and I to continue the sport. As it stands now, we both ride a section of trail and back to the car. We would like to do the Tip to Tip plus return next year. We’ll see what the next six months bring.

P.S.

I hope you have a better day than this poor woman we saw recently in Emerald.

Happy Hallowe’en!