very talented friend of mine to write the following.

Segula

Wind, bells, cats. The day moves

through the blinds arching its back

in bronze tinkling over soft mews.

Was it always this way with us?

Whenever our footsteps matched,

one of us would always stop as if

continuing might summon the Devil.

Do we ever survive our superstitions?

There’s a storm on the sun and they

say the sky may burn tonight. Neither

of us dare look up for dread of proof.

How did we ever arrive at this?

Between the short measures of our

story, the tale was lost and wind

took whatever was left of the bells.

Joseph Gallo

August 3, 2010

Drop by one of his blogs and meet his work.

Share ]]> http://leehane.ca/raven/2010/08/09/of-beauty-and-inspirations/feed/ http://leehane.ca/raven/2010/08/01/a-walk-through-wytchwood-glen/ http://leehane.ca/raven/2010/08/01/a-walk-through-wytchwood-glen/#comments Sun, 01 Aug 2010 19:44:51 +0000 admin Uncategorized http://leehane.ca/raven/?p=45 The good days have been few since I have been here. It is usually dreary and wet and I feel damp to the bones.

The one beautiful sunny breezy day I decided to take some video of a walk about. Click the “View HQ video” at top right of box for better quality. You can hear the wind in the trees.

Walkabout part 1

From wytchwood

Walkabout part 2

From wytchwood

Walkabout part 3

From wytchwood

Walkabout part4

From wytchwood

I figured a double bed sure beats a soft single one so I slept in Mom’s bed. Now one has to know that Mom goes to bed at the ungodly hour of 8 and arises at the even more ungodly hour of 4:30 am. I don’t! Well that is not to be had at Wytchwood…I knew already I had to drag my arse out to the coop at daylight to let chickens out and lift blind one from her box. Seems the cats had alternative ideas. 4:30 on the nose…I SAY….ON THE NOSE!, Frankie starts miaowing incessantly in his very loud and assertive way. He wants out and that’s all there is to it. Out he goes. Back in bed another one starts….two more go out….almost asleep now when I hear clawing and items falling to the floor..There is Ratchit trying to get on the window ledge. Oh my….I can’t even remember if I ignored her or put her out..I think I was sleep walking at that point….I wake in time to see first light, off to the coop. I decided I could leave the back door ajar now and get more sleep. I lay there wondering if a bear might decide he is hungry and walk in. Not a good night at all.

The next night I change the plan and sleep in my own room, in my own bed with earplugs inserted. No way is any cat going to get me up at 4:30 again. I didn’t hear a peep.

Tuesday and I still haven’t done any painting. I looked at the brand new faucet still in a package on the kitchen table. Remembering Mom telling me that the kitchen one needs replacing as there is a leak. Being an “a” personality I decided I could do it. Why not. Can’t be so hard. right. I started by trying to reach the nuts under the hot and cold, waaaaaaayyyy up under the sink inside the cupboard. I had myself twisted in a pretzel. I discovered I needed to take the sink out altogether. This project took me a whole day. It was not easy and I will never be a plumber and I will never take on such an enterprise again. The next morning I could hardly move. My hands were like claws. But the sink was in, new faucet and all. I felt proud.

It rained the first two full days I was here. Finally Wednesday turned out to be a gorgeous sunny breezy day. I headed to Glovertown to the second hand store. Everything in there was a dollar or fifty cents. Can’t beat it. I picked up a friend on the way who is out there visiting. I was really good. I held back from buying much. I think all the good stuff was gone anyway. Mom beat me to it!
That evening I went to the closest beach. My favourite, Northside beach. It is a beautiful long stretch of seagrass and sand and pebbles with a river running into it. It is banked by a sea of evergreens reaching high. The abuse it suffers comes from people having fires and leaving garbage and the idiots on four wheelers tearing up the grasses, running over birds nests and creating deep grooves in the sand.

I videoed some of my walk. My batteries ran out unfortunately.

From Northside Beach

Winter always seems long and undeserved but I have to say we have been pretty lucky so far. My only complain would be the lack of attention given to the sidewalks, a never ending problem here.

This year it is the ice that is problematic. Sheer glass. I heard one councilor on the radio quip that if they salted the sidewalks we would expect it every year. I’d like to know what they are doing with the allotted budget for snow clearing when thus far we have had little snow compared to most years. Telling us there is no money in the coffers is a placebo at best. What will we do if we get 300 cm of snow in the next month? Call in the army?

I feel badly for older or crippled people, myself included. Forty years ago I remember seeing those little sidewalk ploughs. I remember them because I was terrified of ploughs as a child. My Nan would take me downtown to go to Woolworth’s for lunch and shop at the discount stores. That was when downtown had character. Old people everywhere, fish mongers with wheelbarrows in the coves, men in hats in doorways with pipes or cigarettes and guess what, the bloody sidewalks were clear. This of course was because the Mall was new, people still bought their stuff downtown, old people and poorer people still made up the population of the core so stores catered to them and, it seems, the city or store owners made sure the sidewalks were clear. What happened? Cars have taken over the city. They have the right to move freely but pedestrians don’t? We aren’t important enough anymore? Everyone goes to the Mall? The only shoppers who can afford to shop downtown don’t spend their time walking the sidewalks. The poorer people don’t matter anymore, nor the elderly. Our voices aren’t ringing. What truly amazes me is that no one has been killed. People driving cars treat pedestrians on the sides of the road like a nuisance and many won’t even pull around you as you walk, as if to declare their space will damn well stay that way. So that is my sidewalk rant.

Screaming Winds:

I decided I needed some groceries yesterday so I donned my clothes and headed out into the bitter wet wind to walk down the street to Sobeys. I was facing the wind and the sleet was whipping my face to a bright red and my eyes were filled with water making it difficult to see. Thankfully the roads were near empty. On my way back I was blown across the parking lot, gripping my bag of groceries and laughing like a kid. I had to hang onto a van at one point..it was parked…Walking down my street I could hear the wind screaming over the rooftops and against the old brick buildings. I had thoughts of something large and sharp hitting me in the head at any moment. Last night I had a fitful sleep. I was sure the roof would blow off. The house was creaking loudly and windows shuttering. Still it is exciting. I love the wind.

Cabin fevered cats:

My poor cats. I moved to this house last Fall and the newness of it was frightening to the critters. They were terrified of the new digs, the strange cats in the neighbourhood and the bully cats spraying my door. (Don’t get me going on spaying and neutering your animals.) Then the cold set in so they are not happy with being out for any length of time. They sleep all day, chase a toy around now and then to get rid of energy and generally just mope. A few fights here and there. I am looking forward to Spring.

Two blocks from our destination we hear a mewling. There at the corner is a sweet little cat, wide eyed, scared and crying out in that lost, break your heart voice.  Poor little thing is no older than 7 months. Friendly creature.

My friend mentions she is looking for a cat as a companion for her older one. I speak to the cat in a calm voice and cat responds gratefully. My friend decides then that perhaps now Isn’t the time and we need to get going. Fortunately a street man starts cooing to the cat so I feel at least a little warmed although still distressed.

The party is great. Fabulous vegan food. People swinging hula hoops, tumbling on mats, getting drunk, dancing to a great playlist of 70’s music. I feel like I am 12 and someone has dropped me into a weird and wonderful funhouse.

Ten minutes before 2009 we all go out to the parking lot. We are supplied with our sparklers, a bottle of bubbly for all 30 of us and a backyard-do-it-yourself fireworks.

What fun. Cheers from the crowd. Honking of Ships horns..woohoos and delight until at some point a firework falls on it’s side and streams like a blaze of white across the parking lot towards the building. “And Moses parted the sea”…..well…what a riot..people jump out of the way, duck behind cars, laugh nervously…what a moment. Like a movie.

It’s night’s end and my friend and I head home. We pass the A1C gallery and stand talking to friends at which point my friend turns to me and says “some girl just walked into the gallery with that cat we saw.”  I proclaim it isn’t a place for a frightened animal and she proceeds to go in and claim the cat, after a few fight’n words of course.

So off we go. She has the cat and some bags so I take the cat and we head west towards her house. At this point I realise that I am holding this poor little animal and have to get it to her house and it is a different direction from my house and wouldn’t you know every blasted bar patron is on the street trying to hail a cab. Thankfully I have my knee high made for Winter Doc martens on. Puss is so sweet and passive and gentle and trusting, it breaks my heart. We get to the infamous George Street, foolishly hoping for a cab. HA. I knew then it was a long trek ahead. You see, to get to her house one has to climb a hill that in my mind one should only be repelling at best. Barter’s Hill. That’s like saying “Mt. Everest” or say “Death Valley” to one who has chronic back and neck pain and has smoked since the age of 12 and perhaps imbibed a little too much for 30 years. All I can say is “thank whoever if anyone is out there, And I am not sure about that anyway for willfullness, single mindedness and booze.”

I am determined to get that darn cat to it’s new home. My lungs are ready to explode, the cat is starting to get squirmy and the road is slippery with snow. I feel like the little train that could. I keep the mantra “just to the top now, just to the top” in my head. Finally we make it. All I can think is, “I can go home now, go to bed and have that stroke that is hanging over me like a cloud and no one will know, but the cat will be safe. This is it laurie, the end.”

We seclude the cat in her front room while I splay myself on the couch grasping for air ….for 20 minutes. Kitty starts wandering around, purring, wanting attention, laying on the floor curling up and licking itself in contentment and that makes it all worth while. The moment is sweet. Both of us marveling. It’s like birthing a child and forgetting what you went through when baby is in your arms. Maybe it was the booze. It is a Thomas Kincaid moment to be sure.

So I leave to walk the last 15 minutes home…still praying to not have that stroke and feeling very pleased with myself and my friend for doing a very altruistic thing on new years Eve. The smile lasts.

Update: Starlight is happy and contented and loving his/her new diggs on Lemarchant Ave. My friend is in love with kitty. Of course if any notices appear on street poles, looking for lost cat, then circumstances will change but until then, two creatures are very thrilled.

If you are interested in helping our local no kill association whose purpose is to save and find homes for unfortunate animals, please go here.

I hope you will all stick around for whatever comes next. I have a blog for the more serious side of me at Shades of Twilight. Link at top. Haven’t been inclined to post on that yet either.  Life got busy over the last months, trying to make money, and this doesn’t do it.

ciao for now

Laurie