Lather, rinse, repeat

The true start of summer is, for me (and LOML) at least, the long, Canada Day weekend. On this weekend I appreciate all of the hard work it takes to run a small business in a small tourist community. Let’s face it, Prince Edward County, is a small touristy kinda place when the long weekends start. We don’t need to tell people from away to come here. They wake up on the first of June, mark their calendars and put PEC on their GPS.

This weekend, LOML and I have a full house. Some of our from-away-kids, their from-awaypartners, a large dog who just wants to know when you’re going to take him for a poop and a little kid who wants to see the “fire crackers” and “go in the pool” and us. It’s on a weekend like this weekend, I think about my friends who run B & Bs, small businesses and offer seasonal services. They endure the endless heaps of towels that have been used on more than just damp bodies. The rentals, returned in not so good nick. They brew the vats of coffee for people hungover from an evening by the bonfire and then deal with an endless pile of coffee mugs. They try to explain why a bottle of SPF45 costs more in a Mom and Pop than it would the mega-chain they shop in at home. They hand out maps and give directions. They put their best high-school French to use at least twice a day.

And then, there are the patios and the beers, the wings and the fries, the chilli dogs and the bacon burgers and “this isn’t Heinz” and “do you have malt” and “is there gluten in your milk shakes” and “can we see the sand dunes from here” and “can I ride my townie on the trail”. They guide, warn, hug, they take it on the chin and they internalize. They wonder why people ask for sour cream chips, by the truck load, this year when roast chicken chips were the rage last year. They explain that U.S. dollars aren’t really legal tender in Canada but offer to take it anyway. And, they smile through it all because it’s a short season and they know how to make hay while the sun shines.

For the rest of us who are “at home” in the County, it’s the calamine lotion and the aloe vera. The homemade hangover cures. The Alkaafter- s’mores, the mountains of bed linens and running out of bacon or bread or milk or Bailey’s or beer. The tumble of fluorescent flip-flops in the front hall and the soggy swimwear draped over the back of lawn chairs. It’s two eggs over easy and seven scrambled without “gluten”. The crisp bacon, the sliced tomatoes and the lightly toasted bagels. It’s the endless questions and googling about local events and activities and all before lunch. And, then there’s lunch, afternoon coffee breaks, dinner and drinks by the bonfire. Wash the beach towels while they sleep, clear the dishes, restock the brew fridge and take a breather.

It’s the long, Canada Day weekend. It’s the lather, rinse and repeat time of year. We waited through the sleet, snow and rain for this. Coffee with Bailey’s? You’ve got that right Pete.

theresa@wellingtontimes.ca