We are to pick up Karen and Bill Donovan at the Montpellier airport at 2:30. We met Karen and Bill on our Patagonia photography trip 2 years ago. We really liked them and have been in touch since then. They live in Houston and we share a few coincidences. They went to high school in Ft. Worth, TX and were at the rival school to mine across town (although we were not the same year). Bill had a business that was valued by the same firm I worked for after my public accounting stint. His work with the company preceded my arrival and he did not go forward to sell the business at that time. But the close connections were surprising and helped cement the friendship.
So we take the dogs to the airport or not?? We decide they can’t stay alone so off the 5 of us go for the approximate 1 hour drive. The trip is uneventful except for the parking; it takes us a while to find a parking place. Now that we know the set-up we will not have any problems picking up our other visitors. We arrive a good 30 minutes before their arrival so we decide to visit the cafe. Howard goes up to the counter to order an espresso for me and a beer for himself. I’m trying to get the 3 leashes sorted out when I see Lucky making a bee-line towards Howard. How did he get away from me? I quickly catch him and we get settled. Karen and Bill arrive on time and we take off for home with our first visitors. What fun!
We relax at home and casually make dinner: chicken and shallots, pasta and salad. It’s a wonderful evening and we look forward to the next few days of their visit.