Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Go Where You Shouldn't


A small town is a place where there's no place to go where you shouldn't. ~ Burt Bacharach

Come join me for a few sites from around town, taken on a sunny day or two in late April. Spring had just begun to emerge and so had the people. I hope you enjoy.

Peterborough Sunrise
One April morning, it appeared as if there was fire glowing outside of my window. This stunning sunrise had the sky all ablaze.





textures
A bit of a worn down home, in close walking distance from my place caught my eye for the textures and collection of items in the upstairs window. There appeared to be some Christmas ornaments along with a boarded up glass pane and a knotted curtain. The photo was taken at the end of March. On May 8, I immediately recognized the home in a news report of a kitchen fire which caused extensive damage to the home's interior. Thankfully, nobody was hurt.





young swinger
Oblivious to troubles in the world, this little guy was having the time of his life swinging from a tree branch while his Dad watched over him and helped him along with a hefty push.





quaker oats water tower
A Peterborough landmark, Quaker Oats first began operating here in 1902 but suffered a major fire just fourteen years later. In 1920, it was fully rebuilt into the structure you see in this photo. If the wind is blowing the right (or wrong) way, you can smell the sickly sweetness of flavoured oatmeal wafting over the east end of the city.





Willow on Little Lake
The catkins were just emerging on the weeping willow at the large lakeside patio of The Silver Bean in town. The café offers meals, snacks and drinks to enjoy out on their patio or dock. They're closed all winter but have just opened up for the season. In the distance, you can see the foot and train bridge which connects the west and east shores of Little Lake.





graffiti - dont get close
Here's a closeup of one of the beams on that bridge as it sports some of its ever-changing graffiti.





Esker - dog sculptures
This sculpture which is situated in Millennium Park is called Esker. Depending on whose article you might read, it depicts 1) a mama wolf and her cub, 2) a sled guide dog staring down a wolf or 3) a regular canine puppy and its mother. The artists are Maryann Barkhouse and Michael Belmore and I'd assume they know the truth. Back in 2013, vandals did damage to the smaller figure when they removed it and threw it into the lake. The artists restored their work, and the pair of pooches were soon happily reunited.





children remembered
This boulder is located near the Butterfly Garden - a children's memorial put in place by The Bereaved Parents of Ontario. Easter had arrived and these colourful offering were left by grieving parents.





guitarist
Sitting on the rocks, by the swift waters of Little Lake, this lone guitarist was enjoying his music.






Have a quick listen to the guitar and the water.





going fishing
I chatted with a young woman while we watched her brother head off along the walkway at the nearby lock. With the excessive rain which followed for days afterward, the walkway has now become completely submerged by the swift river current.





flooding
Only the very top of the rail is now visible.





minnows
Thousands of little minnows were dancing and darting in the water below.





gnarly
This is the last we'll see of those tree roots for a while. The bottom three feet (at least) of its trunk are now under several feet of water.





big boy toys
On my way back home, I found myself amused by the collection of toys in this young man's hands. Perhaps they were inadvertently left behind by a younger boy's hands.

28 comments:

Birdie said...

The boy on the swing! Beautiful.

joeh said...

You do have a good eye for this.

Cloudia said...

These are wonderful. I am just learning the joys and texture of living in a small town and can understand what you are talking/posting about. Nice to see you, pal

Out on the prairie said...

I have a whole basket of those figure I the last pic waiting for grands to play.

Andy said...

Life is good in Peterborough.

Rita said...

I love them all! Interesting the before fire and before flood photos. The boy on the swing--priceless. I saw mama and pup--just dogs. Wolves would have more raggedy, fluffy, scruffy fur. To me, anyways. (I watch a lot of nature shows.) The guitarist is quite talented. Hope all is going well your way. :)

Ruth Hiebert said...

All,that was a most fascinating tour around your area.You notice and capture so many unique details.

Linda at To Behold The Beauty said...

The sunrise truly does resemble a fire, but it's much prettier as a sunrise. Still smiling at the little boy on the swing. :)

messymimi said...

A happy day!

Mage said...

Just magic. Thank you so much for the walk. :) I hope life is going well for you. Hugs from the far corner of a California beach.

Red said...

Awesome variety of spring photos. You have too much water!

Barbara said...

So many sight, sounds, and SMELLS in this post! You've made me hungry for oatmeal! That irks me about the vandals tossing the smaller canine in the water, but how awesome the artists replaced it.

DJan said...

Yes, I certainly enjoyed this trip with you, but especially the smiling boy on the swing. :-)

Linda said...

Wow, that water is high! Love the last photo. And I am amazed that the sculptor of dogs has the surname Barkhouse.

Anvilcloud said...

That first photo: if the sky is good enough, almost any subject works.

Second photo: good eye. Photos like this are always appealing to me.

I'll stop there.

Marie Smith said...

Love the spring photos! It can take a while to settle in, but when she does, she's glorious!

ellen abbott said...

why on earth do some people find so much pleasure in destruction? I'm glad the puppy was rescued and repaired. stunning sunrise and pure joy on the boy.

Tabor said...

Another broad collection of beautiful bits of life out your way!

Daryl said...

i love these ... especially the water tower .. felt a touch guilty because every morning i have some of Quakers Instand oatmeal .. the maple flavor ...

William Kendall said...

Excellent shots- my favourite being the sculpture of the mama wolf and cub.

Rob-bear said...

Delightful pictures, as ever, except for the flood.

Blessing and Bear hugs!

Lady Fi said...

Great series - I especially like the first two shots.

Unknown said...

I'm always drawn to your landscapes and nature shots, and those are great as always, but this time the boy on the swing and the dude with the toys really caught my eye. Kinda like Norman Rockwell, you can totally see him painting either of those. You do indeed have an eye!

yaya said...

I live in a small town and it can be as interesting as a big city if you take the time to explore it like you do where you live. We have many old Victorian homes and some have been loving restored while others are left to decay. I imagine the one you photographed was a beauty long ago. We've had tons of rain these past weeks although not enough to cover walkways! Have a lovely weekend and I hope it's warm and sunny!

photowannabe said...

Love your variety of shots Hilary. The poor house to the man walking with the action figures.
Such a good eye.

Wendy said...

What a fun adventure! I loved the child in the swing - he looked to be enjoying the ride.
Quaker Oats? My goodness - brings back memories of childhood and well dang it - I still buy Quaker Oats today! Good food, my mom used to tell me and it's true. I buy the old fashioned oats, not the flavoured instant stuff.

We had flooding as well - better now, but the rains are back.

Love your pics! And your stories. Enjoy the spring!

Coloring Outside the Lines said...

That was a nice walkabout. Sorry aboutt he flooding- it seems everyone is getting hit with it this year. A little strange to see a grown man walking about with toys like that, but who knows.
Have a super weekend!

Jenn Jilks said...

Fabulous stories, here! You have a keen eye.