A very cool stranger

I love it when ‘stuff ‘ like this just happens. During the Bridge Club’s week on Vancouver Island we piled into our vehicles one morning – Bo driving 6 in the van, Barb with 4 in her car – to do the two-hour or so drive to Campbell River for lunch at Dick’s Fish and Chips. Nothing else would do! The first scenic stop was at Qualicum Beach. Gotta have a group photo … and before I know it, a gentlemen relaxing on a nearby bench has been recruited. He continues to smile as he is handed several cameras and proceeds to patiently complete the task. Wondering who we are, several of us chat with him for a few minutes, Barb takes a photo of the rest of us with him, someone hands him a postcard about the novel (the enthusiasm never waned) and off we went. Two days after I returned home, a polite e-mail (address from my website on the postcard) arrives from the Qualicum Beach ‘photographer’ asking if it is ok to contact me. Sure, I say, and thanks again for taking the great photo of us. Two more days pass and an e arrives from him containing a beautiful, lyrical, poem about his encounter with us. I forwarded it to the rest of the gang. We were all blown away. Thank you Qualicum Beach ‘photographer’ for making our brief stop that morning a very special memory forever. So cool!