early morning dark
no pink stains the eastern sky
still the sun rises
First Sunday of Advent
The Grand River
When I moved to Bloomingdale last October I started walking along the Grand Valley Trail towards Snyder’s Flats. I took pictures often from one lookout spot. I’d hoped to have a full year’s worth of photos, but moving back to Kitchener interrupted the flow. So here is 10 months (October to July) on the Grand. (Take it full screen for best viewing.)
Gehieres’ visit, August 2017
A tumultuous month
On July 23rd I was asked to find another place to live; the homeowner wanted the apartment I was in for a family member.
This sense of homelessness sends me into feelings of panic though I have never actually been homeless. And so I did my best to calm myself and set about finding a new home. I’d been missing my old neighbourhood, the close proximity to my son and daughter-in-law as well as other family members, the streets to walk on, the park, but I started with little hope that I’d be able to afford anything in that neighbourhood.
My brother Jim suggested that we look for a place we could share — the two of us together could likely get something better than either of us alone.
One week into our search my lovely daughter-in-law volunteered to help; she loves to house-hunt! She sent me a link for a house to lease just two blocks from their place. I’d seen that ad, but had discounted is because it said, “No pets.” She encourage me to ask about it anyway. The next day Jim and I with Billie in tow looked at the place. The following day we met the landlord and signed the lease so we could start moving in the day after that!
It has felt to me like coming home. The floor plan of this place is almost identical to the house I owned on Ruskview Road for 13 years. Three bedrooms, finished basement, fenced back yard — we have never lived in a place with a fenced back yard in Billie’s lifetime!
A complication was that Trina and family arrived from California for a 2 week visit two days after our move-in day. That long weekend we’d booked a cottage on Lake Huron to spend time together as a family – first time ever since the kids left home. (We had a wonderful time; I’ll post some pictures eventually.) However, the move meant that the Gehieres could stay with me while they were in Kitchener, that would not have been possible had I been in Bloomingdale.
Yesterday was a beautiful late summer day, sunny and clear, not too hot. It felt to me like the first time in a month that I could really relax. Billie and I took a leisurely walk through Lakeside and Meinzinger parks.
Butterflies and other flying creatures
I’ve enjoyed taking pictures of birds, butterflies, dragon and damsel flies lately. Then I go on line to try to identify them. I’ve opened accounts on ebird.org and butterfliesandmoths.org/ to track and verify my finds. (Gardenswithwings.com is the first site I visit for identifying butterflies, they don’t offer the tracking.) I also opened an account on bumblebeewatch.org but so far have only got 2 photos of bumblebees. I haven’t started identifying the dragon and damsel flies yet.
Here are some of the creatures I’ve seen in recent days.