EASTER AND A GOOD WALK IN THE WOODS

EASTER SUNDAY 24 APR 2011 9:09am Had a really good visit with Matt and family yesterday. Jackie and Michael went also, so that made it a real family get-to-gether, which was great. It was good to see the kids out playing in the dirt. Very kind of Gail and Barry to house them until their farmhouse is available.

Earlier I took the car to Matt for tires and bearing replacement. A dent in the wallet, but it's so good not to have to worry about the car breaking down. We had enough years of that, and we drive a lot, living out here in the boonies.

And even earlier – Thursday and Friday – I was outside the whole day through burning, and raking, and just trying to make the place look less messy. It's probably the best clean-up in a long time. There's always more to do but the worst is done. If I was retired I'd work away at it each day and it would all get done. But, I do what I can.

The cat, who has been licking herself for a half hour, looks up at me and gives a big sigh to let me know how hard it is to keep all this fur clean, then goes back to it.

Just went for a walk in the woods. Looking for fungus to photograph. Found some nice ones. Also an old dump, picked up a few bottles.

Shag-bark Hickory

Marsh

Reflection

Bloodroot

 

Moss & Fungus

CONSORTING AT THE CONSORTIUM

TUES 12 APR 2011 3:50pm  The second day delivering to the Consortium in Mississauga, and again tomorrow. It's called that, I guess, because they couldn't think of a more pretentious name for a Wal-Mart warehouse.

And, as you might suspect, it's a big one. Maybe about a city block long, with 57 loading docks on the one side. You come in and drive past those, turn left and go about half that distance again, turn left again and go down the other side, which is near identical. But, first you stop at the security kiosk so the attendant can check your papers. Oh, and don't be too eager. Although you have to be on time for your appointment, you also can't be early. If you are you can pull over and wait.

After you chat to security and maybe hear about his vacation, you can proceed to the office. There you park and walk in to a tiny vestibule about the size of an elevator, with a single washroom off to one side. There are four small benches. You slide your papers through the hole in the glass and wait til they tell you what bay to go to. All the flower trucks are on the far side near the entrance. So, you drive back, wave at the security guy on the way, find your spot and wait.

This is when you really settle in, because it could take up to two hours before they get to you. But, then the green light turns to red and someone hollers, "How much of this is ours?" And, once you're unloaded you drive back to the other side, wave at the security, and go back to the office. And wait. Lately, for me, this has been only 15-20 minutes but it has been up to 2 hours. Other drivers, with much bigger loads, can be there most of the day.

People sit or stand, look at each other, or try not to. Some talk on phones, or to each other. Some sigh and moan a lot as the time drags on. Some even brings books to read. I tried that once but someone insisted on talking to me. I guess some people think the only reason someone would read is because they don't have anyone to talk to.

Some are waiting for a door, some for completed paper-work, some are lumpers waiting for a call to go unload a truck by hand. They are hired by truckers who don't want to handle things like bags of potatoes by themselves.

Then, finally, your number is called and you can leave. So, once more around the building, but first a stop at security so he can look in the back of your truck to make sure you haven't lifted anything.
Then, to the exit and off to do another 7 deliveries.

NOT A LOST WEEKEND

SAT 02 APR 2011  11:03am  Took Jackie to Lynedoch for her Qigong class. I went shopping. Needed a new camera bag, got a nice one that will hold another lens when I get one. Also cat food and a couple of movies and the big one – new nose pads on my glasses. And it was so easy. I've been suffering with no pad on one side for a long time now. And here for 3 bucks I get two installed and have 2 more to keep for the next time I need them. Sometimes the modern world is just too much for me. Saw some frames I like also. There are ones without any frame at all. They are more expensive but look good and are very light. But, there are some metal rim ones that are cheaper and I like. Might look into this soon.

Sitting in the Walmart parking lot, a foreshadowing of what it will be like starting next week, when I'm back at work.  I'll stop long enough for a coffee or a bite from my lunch. And if it's the end of delivering I might take a ½ hour for my lunch break. We get docked for it anyway but sometimes the day is so long and hectic you just want to head for home. Or, if you're on the wrong side of Toronto, you want to get out on the highway and get past the congestion as soon as you can. So, you grab a coffee and go. Sometimes I forget that I had bought a coffee and will be sitting in stop and go traffic on the endless pavement and think what I wouldn't give for a cup of coffee. Then I look down and see I have one.  That's what a miracle feels like, I'm sure.

Spring is putting spring in my step. Is that why it's called spring? Spring is melting the snow, tossing the branches of trees, exposing holes in roads, opening the gates to millions of birds, squeezing trees until leaves pop out, turning frozen fields into lakes, loosening tongues and collars.

Rain clouds rolling across the heavens. Rain is always a good thing, unless you have 4 years of it like in 100 Years of Solitude. That can get to be a drag. My favourite book by the way. Someday I would like to get a good hard cover copy of it. Might be hard to find though. It's a very popular book. I had a time just finding a good paper back.

SUN 03 APR 2011 10:10am Had some good comments about my blog from J's chi-buddy who she emails each day to keep both on track with their Chi-Fusion practice, sort of like an AA friend who you can call in the middle of the night if the bottle is coming closer to your hand all by itself. She said my writing puts pictures in her head and she enjoys the stories. Very encouraging words to hear.

We're leaving soon for the  gem & mineral show in Paris. J had a really good class yesterday, almost all attended. After, Kimberley gave a short tune-up workshop, which everyone enjoyed, and then they bought lots of our jewellry, which Jackie took to show them. They seem to like my chain maille  earrings, so I'll have to get at making more.

1:34pm  Good gem show. You might be excused for getting the impression that the ancient past is littered with dino-droppings. Everyone had a few for sale. In an odd way, it does bring the past dramatically to life.  Very well attended show. Tables of gems, stones, jewellry; displays of petrified wood, gem polishing and for kids, scooping stones out of sand and, with pick and brush, slowly releasing a fossil from it's stoney shell.


A group is trying to save the old Town Hall in Paris. They were encouraged by a visit to the OTH in Waterford.  I wish them lots of luck. You have to be very determined to fight for City Hall.

Last night I did some more on the electronic song I'm composing. It needs a bit more attention but it's coming. Also learning some new songs to play and sing.  If someone wants me to play at a party or something I need to be ready. Besides, learning new songs is fun and keeps one interested. There's no shortage of songs to choose from, but only certain songs are good for my voice. First of all I have to like the song, then I have to be able to handle it. I can't usually sound like the original so I have to make it my own. Sometimes it is a surprise which ones make the cut. And often I have to give up on ones that I really like, but, there's just no way. But, what I'm saying mostly is bringing in new songs takes time. I also have to play them many times to begin to feel comfortable with them. Which isn't a problem because if you really like the song you want to play it.

It took me many years of horrible singing to finally find my range and realize I needed to stick to it. It's ok to stretch at times; in fact, that's the only way to increase your range. But, don't be all over the place all the time. Learn to breath and learn to stay in your range. That's my hard-won advice, children.

AND THE COMMENT IS...

I realize that it's a complicated procedure to make a comment on this blog. But, I would like to hear from you who read it. So, please feel free to send a message on my email if you wish. It is always available at the side panel, but here it is again davidwells49@gmail.com
Just don't contact me if you think I owe you money, or want me to relieve you of a million dollars sitting in a South African bank, or want to sell me the key to the Universe. Or probably anything to do with money in any form. That way we can remain friends.

BACK TO WORK (APRIL IS THE CRUELEST MONTH)

FRI 01 APR 2011 4:23pm  So, here it is April, the cruelest month, according to T.S. Eliot. It certainly is a transition month, with everything green just waiting to burst forth, and the last of the snow melting with the temperature rising. And my personal winter is over since I got the clarion call to return to my place of employment. It actually doesn't seem so bad, I guess because I've been off so long. And it helps that I got a lot done that I'd planned on. And some I hadn't.

I'm sitting in the bright late-afternoon sun in my workshop. still amazed at the beautiful plank floor I put in just this past week. I was surprised at how fast it went. And it makes a huge difference. There's room to move around. It feels solid, not like the dirt floor it had been. Easier to keep clean. Room to lay stuff out. It's the shop I've always wanted. And the crazy part is there's enough floor space, with the table saw easily pushed out of the way, to practice dancing. We have a ball room now!

A couple of days ago we went for our first walk on the beach. Not much glass showing yet but we did find one really nice piece. There were still a few hills of ice and snow, but most of the water is free. Colts' foot are out on the hill-side. Little yellow harbingers of spring. A whole world that lay buried beneath the snow for a good four months is now rushing to make itself known. Soon I'll be writing on my back porch. It will be the for the first time, because I started this blog in January. 

Tried to start the motorcycle today. It cranked but, not quite. Put the battery on the charger again. It drained fast so probably needs more juice. If that doesn't work I might have to drain the gas and put new in. That worked one year. But, it's amazing how often, after it sitting outside all winter, it's just started right up. It's a 1982 Suzuki. I wonder how many new ones would do that?

 Met Lori for lunch in Dover last Thursday. Really good visit. She gave me a book called The Yellow-Lighted Bookstore by Lewis Buzbee. It's a memoir and a history of the book trade. When he was a teen and being disparaging of the books his parents read he was upbraided by an older woman who pointed out that they did him a favour in bringing books, any books, into the house and made reading a natural thing to do. I had the same attitude and now feel upbraided along with him. 
A few pics of Port Dover follow.....

Had a bit of a day away. Went to a few thrift stores. J was looking for some dolls she can use in her class to show how the spine bends. Something to make it fun. Then we went to a big mall to look for beads. Didn't find any but went into a music store and was pleasantly surprised at the large selection of vinyl records. And these are new, not used. Also had little record players that look like the portable ones we had years ago. No matter how hard they tried they couldn't kill vinyl. Lifts my heart. Photographs and printing that you can actually see with older eyes. Long live LPs!