Today would have been our father's (Billy's) birthday. He would have been 87 years old today. And it was a day in weather that he would have said matched his feelings about the day; a warm day with mostly cloudy conditions, a bit of light rain here and there but a good day to be alive. He used to remind me that when asked what he wanted for his birthday, Frank Sinatra replied; "Another one!" Well, unfortunately, both highly respected individuals don't get that chance again. Which is all the more reason to appreciate what you have while on the north side of terra firma.
I think I'm the only one in the family who hasn't given his father's ashes a proper burial yet. We all got a portion. This because I just couldn't think of something truly appropriate. I know the others have been very thoughtful about it and did their part to do what they thought was the best. And I think they have. All were good choices. But I've never been satisfied with the right choice in anything I have ever done - at first. This is unless my first choice was the best choice after a lot of thought. So I'm still not sure about it at this time. I want it to be special. I want it to be a place that both he and I recognized together as special. And I don't want the nagging feeling that I could have done something special but didn't. I know you are thinking that I am reading too much into this. But I believe our father would take my side on this one. He always took the time to do the right thing for me. So I think that the least I can do is the same for him.
Today we have all our winter projects finished. I will highlight only one. The patio/garden at Barnacle Billy's, Etc. We finished replacing the new retaining wall, capped and painted it, closed off the garden with a split rail fence and had the most wonderful 316 stainless steel horizontal railing made overlooking Perkins Cove. The old wooden vertical railing was one that limited one's view of the Cove while sitting. The new one is much more friendly to the eye. It is a work of art made by one, Mike Dumas, from Dumas Welding. I mention this because it is one of the things I truly believe that our father would have been very proud of. And there are a lot of things I do that I truly wish I could share with him: a particularly good business day (like this year's Mother's Day), a weather event, our best haddock spring we have ever seen on the Bunny Clark or even how nice the tulips look in the garden. All of these things he would have appreciated hearing about. All of these things I would have had the greatest pleasure seeing his reaction to. Some have said that he is still here, like someone looking over your shoulder. At times I think this is true. But you have to be careful with these thoughts. After all if it is really true I sure as hell want to look busy!