4our Connect: November 7th...by Twy's Twavels

A part of our relationship history...on November 7th, 1997 on the rolling hills of southern Saskatchewan, a much younger Arden gave my much younger self a rose and asked me to lunch. After driving out to a secluded bed and breakfast that gave us a private lunch of flambeed duck and mandarin orange croissants, a toasted almond salad and for dessert a soft chocolate layered truffle; the owner brought out another 6 roses with a note from Arden saying that he was really glad I was his girlfriend. It started to rain as we drove back to his parents farm, past their home and up the hill to an old abandoned wagon that overlooked land that his Grandfather and Father farmed for well over a century and in the distance the mountains of Montana are a part of the landscape; this was a regular biking destination for us on visits to the area. After parking, getting an umbrella out and kneeling on his knee - Arden asked me to marry him...with another dozen roses and the ring we picked out previously (and he had couriered to this corner of Saskatchewan).

(A beautiful bird we saw in the morning of the 7th)

So...we had to celebrate on November 7th, 2017 - as it was 20 years ago!

We also have a history with drama on romantic dates in our lives...which has included flying squirrels in our house, the largest and most flies in a camper that we've ever seen, sewer pipes breaking and serious weather conditions that make for something to write home about. Without exception, we had a major ant invasion to mark the date - it all started when Arden shouted out that several ants had bit him while helping Meritt with school at the outdoor patio. The ants were pouring into the patio, the kitchen, the living room, the bedrooms - crawling into all the holes in the foundation, coming into the doors and cracks. Apparently, Costa Ricans just leave the house when this happens as the ants keep walking - but we didn't have a place to go in the heat...so we fought the ant war in the hopes that they didn't invade the termite eaten beams and foundation and stay for a long visit as they seemed to be planning.

(Ants...and more ants...the ants were marching two by two...)

Finally, we went won the battle. The weather cooled so we could go biking and were rewarded with a view of several guacamayos (green macaws). After coming home, we cleaned up and went to Diwo - a tasty laid-back bistro we could safely walk to in the dark as it's about 200 meters away. Meritt and I, both with a liking for spicy, had the cayenne fish...Arden had tuna steak and Maelle had homemade gnocchi. Very tasty! We finished the meal with dessert...a chocolate brownie with passion fruit ice cream for Maelle (she loves her chocolate!) and avocado lime pie for the rest of us (YUM - I think Arden is going to have to perfect that recipe for a special green birthday celebration in March!).