My Typical Morning Walk

 

    

I have met and talked to more people in just a few weeks of walking around downtown than I did in all of my 24 years of living in the suburbs of Montreal.

I looked out the window to see about 10 cop cars with flashing lights involved in what looked like some sort of sting operation involving trucks. Apparently they are ticketing all trucks using our street as they're not supposed to use it. I'm beyond thrilled because it means it will be much more quiet.

This morning I met a lady janitor in a blue and black flannel lumberjack shirt (we called them a Keswick Tuxedo) walking a sweet little Shih-Tzu named Fred. From her I got the name of an excellent vet who works close by.

I met a couple visiting from B.C. I stopped to ask them why they were photographing each other mailing a postcard (writers are, if nothing else, extremely nosy.)  Turns out they were traveling back across the country and mailing postcards made with his art work back to themselves in B.C. She is a teacher at U.B.C. After a few pleasantries about what to do and see in Montreal/Vancouver, they handed me two free passes to a great art exhibit at the Musee de Beaux Arts.

I saw a guy in a tweed jacket and horn rim glasses walking a miniature ginger poodle wearing a teensy baseball cap that had "HO" embroidered on it.

I directed a couple from Paris to look more closely at the Chateau apartment building to find the "hidden in plain view" fossils. Now that I know they're there, I go to look for more fossils every time I pass.

And as I was walking back into my building, a woman stopped to ask about the police operation, and we chatted about how she and her husband want to sell the house and move downtown into our building. I urged her to just do it. She urged me to join the athletic club which is right next door and left with a wave and a "see you at the club!"

I know people think a city is impersonal and everyone is rushing about, but I really feel like I'm part of a small community here.

Love. It.