Friday 28 August 2015

The Waterfront Pub - a grand gesture from a stranger!

The Waterfront Pub Napanee
What an interesting day. Hubby needed some of his favourite face wash from The Body Shop. Now, we can do the 60-minute drive into Bayshore, an Ottawa mall (or Carlingwood Mall), but the parking is tough for him (I take photos). Instead, he said, let's go to Kingston's Cataraqui Mall!

Then, ever the trip advisor, he came up with a plan. After we get his goop, we would go to Napanee, to eat at The Waterfront Pub! We were there May 17th, and it was cool. I mean cold, it was great, though!

My ideal summer day is eating lunch beside water, al fresco! Hubby knows this. He's pretty cold, most of the time, and we've had some chilly outdoor lunches. He's awfully good to me! We hoofed it to the mall, picked up our suds, and wandered a bit. It was nice and quiet in the mall.
Our day trip!

Off to The Waterfront Pub! They have an amazing terrace, with individual patio tents, and a computer on the terrace, sending meal and drink orders into the pub itself. As we arrived, with self-seating in force, I spotted a woman just signing off on her check. We sort of hovered. The server came by, didn't like me hovering (aggressive vs. assertive?), and showed us a couple of tables for two, not beside the water. She would reseat us, if possible. I told her we'd just driven 120 km to eat there! She explained that another patron was waiting for our table. We sat elsewhere. The server came back. She said that the gentleman waiting for the table usually sits here with his dog. He saw how anxious I was to sit there, and he gave up the table for us!

We sat, ordered our drinks, and I ordered a drink for the gentleman in thanks. He is a popular man. I could see all of the servers know him, and were visiting him on the way by. He nodded thanks, lifted his glass, and he sipped his white wine!

We were waiting for our meals, and he came over with his dog, Spencer. Spencer is 11 years old, and they usually sit there on the end, but where they were sitting, there weren't any other patrons and he was fine. He knew I was keen on the table beside the water. He thanked us for the drink, and we chatted for a bit. I didn't get a photo of Spencer, who is feeling his age (aren't we all, I said!) and we chatted some more. He told us about driving home through Godfrey, as they've set some elk there, to increase the population. In January, when all is frozen, we will remember these lovely days!

I explained to the man that we've been managing cancer treatments for several years, and we are enjoying each day, one day at a time. He asked about surgery, and I said that it didn't successfully get all of the cancerous cells.  He wished us a good day, and our respective meals came. While we were still eating, I saw him wave to me, again, his meal finished, and off he went with his buddy.

A short time thereafter, our server came over with some news. THE GENTLEMAN BOUGHT US OUR LUNCH! We all wept with joy. Several servers came over and we all had tears in our eyes. Too many humans gone wrong hit the news. This man gave us such a grand gift, such a sweet gesture!



From our May visit!


Off we went to see the falls. The gentleman and his dog were sitting by the water, too. I was still so moved, that I didn't snap a photo of beloved Spencer. We thanked him, again, profusely!


There is excellent signage around this renovated park.


We tootled around town, exploring the old buildings!

11 comments:

Olga said...

This lifted my spirits. :)

Out To Pasture said...

What a sweet man, you encountered over lunch! The kind deed must have given all concerned a warm and fuzzy feeling for the rest of the day at least. Wise choice over heading for Bayshore!

eileeninmd said...

Hello, looks like a fun outing for face wash. I like the pub and the scenic shots. Happy Friday, have a great weekend!

Nancy J said...

I have the idea that kindness is in a circle, and if you do one kind deed, the recipient might not be able to return the same to you but can pass it to another, and in time, it will come to the starting place with you. Lovely man, tears all round, and your last photo, is that a magnificent old church. A long drive for face wash and a meal, but your story enhances it to the top degree.

Christine said...

what a kind stranger! Sounds like a lovely outing, meant to be!

William Kendall said...

What a wonderful story to share!

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

What a very lovely story! It made my day to know this. Beautiful.

Elizabeth Edwards said...

the hubby loves anything waterfront. eating, camping, & he's such a fan! awesome waters! ( ;

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
Oh Jenn - not only a beautiful drive... but to meet an angel too. My heart swole up fur ya!!! YAM xx

Red said...

What a great day! You chose the right day to go to Napanee.

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

What a nice guy your new friend is, going above and beyond and thinking of others besides himself. Great post.