farewells and thanks

This is it, my residency is over. It took me an hour and a half to pack all the drawings into this tube. I took this to the post office on Wednesday and Zanja was incredibly helpful. I miss having a good post office. 

I was thrown a farewell BBQ by several of my new friends, it was lovely. We had huge cheese burgers, chips and salad. Dave braved outside despite the rain and wind to barbeque the burgers. 

 As I left this morning a mist iced the top of the hills. I apologise to any local stuck behind my car as I did the speed limit- the gloom of the morning looked like a moose's dream.

I would really like to thank so many people for making this residency possible. First of all The Rooms for selecting me. Anne Marceau for her invaluable help particularly as I was preparing for the residency and Michael Burzynski for his advice on rocks. Kris Oravec for her help, advice and friendship-this residency would not have gone so smoothly without her aid. The artists I met during this residency including Christine Koch & Barb Daniell. Thanks too to Molly White, Robert Nelder and Peter Lakin for delicious dinners and good company. Barb Gillam for the best vegetables I ate in Newfoundland. Many thanks to Gayle Tapper for more delicious cooking, beautiful harp playing and for inviting me to several events & parties including Ruthie Tapper's 90th. Thanks also to Sharon Chaulk for her hospitality and the lift to Corner Brook and particularly her help with the purchase of the tube (thanks too to Lisa Shears of Shears building supplies for coming to my rescue). Thank you Zanja of Bonne Bay Post Office for providing an exemplorary service, for delivering my post (poste restante) and for sending me to the Legion to meet Danny Williams, the Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador. Thanks to Hugh and Barb for being good neighbours and for sending me off with muffins and cookies! Finally I would like to thank everyone I have met during this residency for the welcome they have offered me, please forgive me if I have not named you all. The kindness I encountered has touched me greatly.