Strangely Socialised

I really should have updated before now but I never seemed to make time for it. There was always something else I should have been doing, even if I wasn’t doing it right at that moment. I’ve lost momentum on the packing, but hopefully that’ll pick up again once I have more furniture. What furniture I can fit in here, at any rate.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Arrived in Toronto the morning of July 3, a Saturday, after just over two days on the road. I made great time, even though I was driving a hulking brute of a truck the whole way. The weather was gorgeous and the drive was much easier than I thought it would be, even navigating in the cities. I was just thinking about it and I was driving about 12 hours a day and haven’t the faintest idea what I was thinking about that entire time. The scenery around the lakes is gorgeous, though, and I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. Okay, maybe for the world. Took a few pictures, but not as many as I would have liked.

And so I’ve been here just shy of a week and I’m starting to get used to the place. I know where the grocery store is and where to get the best Thai takeout and the people at the Canadian Tire at Church and Yonge probably know me on sight now. The rain finally let up long enough for me to paint one of the walls in my living room green, and it’s gorgeous. Probably could’ve used a third coat of paint to smooth it out, and I need to do touch-ups along the ceiling, but I love it a lot. Sunlit Forest, it’s called, and wouldn’t you know it, it’s actually an appropriate name.

TV being delivered Monday, IKEA order for a shitload more storage going in tomorrow, hopefully, and maybe I’ll even get out and have some fun.

This is where I grew up:

The walkway out to one of the vegetable gardens.

The edge of one of the fields.

The creek near the house.

Our little waterfall. Not far down the creek from here, when we were young, my brother and I and our friend from up the road lined the creekbed with bricks and pretended they were underwater pirate treasure. I looked for them today, but the area has washed out so many times I think they’re long since buried or long gone.

A bit of land between the edge of the lane and the creek.

Rockpile at the far end of the field. (God bless good zoom.) I always had an odd fascination with the rockpiles all over the local land.

More green land.

And last but not least, my daddy. He’s had a really rough year, and a really rough time yet to come, but he’s hanging in there and I love him a lot.

20080228: I was just updating the URLs for the photographs, and felt I should note that my dad passed away on January 31, 2005. This was the last day I got to spend time with him.

When my computer started acting up after lunch today I took it as a sign and went out skating again. And this time I remembered to bring my camera with me. (Though, well, I should’ve checked the batteries first. Luckily a flash wasn’t required.)

So, since I actually went and took the pictures, you are now subjected to a picto-journal of my afternoon. Note: every one of these pictures was taken on the river.

Because we clearly like to state the obvious.

New this year, a skate maze at the Forks. Which was peopled entirely with small children who had no awareness of anyone skating but themselves. And was therefore not as fun as it sounds.

You could almost forget you’re in the middle of a city, once in a while.

And what would a Canadian winter be without hockey, anyway? There are currently two hockey rinks and five sheets of curling ice cleared and painted.

For when you’ve worked up an appetite after the hockey game. In the white tent (which is actually much larger than it appears in the picture) there was a band playing Johnny B. Goode as I skated by. I mostly like this picture for the sign above the chip truck.

At first glance this may seem somewhat unwise, but eh. =) They have two or three firepit stops along the trail, to warm up at. It was a gorgeous day today, though. No warming up necessary.

And finally, this guy. Who was actually the third bike rider on the river I passed, but the first I got a clear shot of. He was obviously wondering why the psycho with the camera was taking a picture of him.