In Orleans

Orleans, Ottawa is a beautiful city. The leaves have changed and dropped here now. Winter is thinking of making its appearance. The frost is heavy on the ground today and I shall cut down the remaining plants; that will be my work for the day. Lots of leaves to rake but they are pretty damp. Will wait until later today to clean them up. Two bags already from just the front and one side of the back. There are probably ten bags of leaves if I can get them all done! However will not worry about that. I can still do that in December after it is colder the leaves will be drier. 

Today is Remembrance Day and I remember my Great Uncle who fought in the First World War. He was injured not long after he arrived and spent the rest of the war in the hospital. The shrapnel that he acquired stayed with him to the end of his days (he was 86 when he died) and he used to show us the spots on his arms where shrapnel used to come to the surface every once in a while and then it was removed. He loved horse races and used to go to Kentucky every year for the Kentucky Derby. He worked until he was in his 70s (early 70s I think). Edwin Denner Buller named after his father Edwin Denner Buller. His parents were an interesting couple; they named their first two children after them. The other five had various family names in the Buller family and I suspect the Taylor although to this day I am not precisely sure that I have found my Taylor family in Birmingham. I will leave that for someone else probably. I always wanted to go and stay a week in Birmingham but Ed didn't want to do that. I could understand as there wasn't a lot to see there and it is a huge city without the colourful enticements of London which is where we did spend about a month over three different trips. I really saw all that I wanted to see but Edward wanted to do more shows (The Old Victoria Theatre he really enjoyed) and more historical attractions. There is a lot to see there. 

In the Second World War one of my Dad's first cousins was killed in a plane crash doing reconnaissance over France. I think they were shot down actually. All on board were killed in the resultant crash. He was just twenty years of age and left behind his pregnant wife (my second cousin was his only child). She actually came to Canada later and called our house. I was the only one home but invited them to come if they wanted. I guess my instructions were not clear enough as they got off the bus too early and had to walk a ways. She was married and they ended up having three children and staying here in Canada. I do not believe I have seen them since my mother's funeral in 2003 actually. Must ask one of my siblings about them. One of Edward's descendants (he was the cousin shot down) sent me a set of letters from the people of the village in France where the plane was shot down. Wonderful letters actually expressing their sorrow at the loss of Edward (and all of his crew mates) and I forwarded them on to my cousin in the early 1990s (his father had kept them and Ivan sent them to me after we started to correspond). I did make copies of the letters and scanned them. 

I shall watch the service on the Television. We used to go down to the National War Memorial every year Edward and I until his health made it difficult for him to do so. Last year we watched the service together. I was spending my mornings sitting with him in the Living Room watching Television this time last year. I am glad that I did that as we had some lovely conversations for me to remember now this year. 

My grandson is off to school; he really likes both of his schools. He likes to learn and often searches out items on You-Tube and watches them. He loves singing and speaking in French which is keen as that was the language he was learning when he was a toddler since his father is French Canadian. He speaks in English generally but can also do some French.

Time for tea; it is cold outside and hot tea sounds enticing.