One of the things that makes me feel so cozy here in our little village is the presence of a full-time dentist. And, serendipitously, she is also a really good dentist.

Last night I broke another tooth (it seems that my teeth are crumbling away on me, but that’s another story) and needed emergency “looking-at”. Unfortunately, Dr. Whitman was booked solid with a waiting list of ten already. That’s the risk of a one woman shop, as happy as we may be to have that woman here.

I would have waited anyway except that I knew if I didn’t get in today, I’d have at least a five-day wait over the holiday weekend. So I called dentists in Truro – which meant a round trip of nearly two hours over Nuttby Moutain–at least only in the rain, and not in the snow.

Image via 1st-art-gallery.com

Happily, one of the bigger dental offices in town was able to see me today and pull out the tooth in question. As happy as I am that they fit me in, I wasn’t really happy with the dentist’s work and want to get back to Dr. Whitman as soon as I can to get her assessment of the damage.

But that’s the risk of country living. If you’re fortunate, there will be one dentist close by. Often, there is no choice but to drive to the nearest town or city, which in some cases can be difficult.

When you’re looking for a community to put down roots, be sure you know what’s available in the way of dental care. You might think it nothing to drive back to the city to see your current dentist, but remember that emergencies happen–and sometimes at the most inopportune times–and in all kinds of weather.

The bright side is that when we drove in our driveway on returning home, we saw the hedge full of raindrops hanging on the branches. I have to take a course in digital photography so I can get better pictures, but maybe you can get the idea from this one.

Suddenly, things were just a little better. The city didn’t provide me with landscapes like this.