Marie and I were pleased to welcome the arrival of Lyn earlier this month! She had driven up to Cambridge, Ontario in her Saab to celebrate her birthday with Rande and family before heading east to Montreal for four days. It was an exhausting trip for her and I get the distinct feeling she'll be flying next time! We had a good time together, zipping around the city on the Metro, walking up to Mont Royal Cemetary to see Patrick, shopping in only a very small part of the enormous Underground City, checking out the goodies from all over the world at the Jean Talon Market a few minutes walk from where we are staying, having lunch with Chad and Lara, meeting our new friends Rafa and Pilar and, of course seeing Phil, Fernanda and her mother Rosalia in the new duplex. You can't appreciate Montreal in four days so we didn't try, just spent time together and enjoyed seeing each other again. The few days here went by quickly and then it was back to Florida for the arrival of Carolyn and Rachel from Utah. Perhaps though when she returns I can promise better weather!
The following Saturday was lovely and warm so Marie and I decided to drive out to the property. Although the snow was gone and it had been raining the roads were surprisingly dry and easily manageable, and the dreaded spring thaw seemed to be almost over. I even managed to get up our driveway without sinking into mud. We aired the cabin, picked up some gardening tools and my wheelbarrow from the shed to bring back to Montreal and tramped about in the woods - it was another beautiful spring day, tiny salmon bellies, bloodroot and trilliums were just starting to pop out of the damp leaf mold. You have to be quick to spot these tiny flowers that are gone once the trees leaf out and shade the forests floor. But for now, as we near the end of April, our thoughts turn to warmer weather, preparing the garden and making plans to renovate our duplex before moving in at the end of May.
Marie and I, with Phil and Fernanda, had the opportunity last night to attend "Totem" the new Cirque du Soleil musical/spectacle/event in Old Montreal! Wow! If you get the chance don't miss it at a big top near you! The stunts and performers were spectacular, funny and sexy and the music amazing! TOTEM traces the journey of the human species from its original amphibian state to its ultimate desire to fly. The characters evolve on a stage evoking a giant turtle. This is supposed to represent the symbol of origin for many ancient civilizations. The show presented, through a visual and acrobatic language, the evolutionary progress of species, but I still am wondering where exactly the two bimbo beach boys that strutted about and swung through the air fit in! We had excellent seats and felt the $100 per ticket was well worth it. Word of warning : bring your own liquid refreshments if you can. At $6.00 a bottle for water I guess Mr Laliberte needs to pay for his trip into space last September...
"Sweet May hath come to love us,
Flowers, trees, their blossoms don;
And through the blue heavens above us
The very clouds move on."
- Heinrich Heine, Book of Songs
Till next time...peace gws
