Happy Valentine's Day

Brought to you by Charlie Chaplin in City Lights - the movie that always brings tears to Mike and Jason's eyes.

Peter Togni

When I listen to CBC I get Peter Togni and Jurgen Gothe mixed up. To me they have the same voice and irreverent style. How funny that they are on opposite coasts - I wonder what they'd be like together over dinner and fine wine, a smooth conversation with gentle wit all told in their comfortable, effortless way. I see a nice fire in a rich study with great works of art and fine books.

Anyways, back in Ottawa, on Saturdays, I often woke up to Peter Togni chatting amiably with his studio guy over their coffee and it made me wish to visit this Halifax place that he lived in. And now I drive by CBC quite regularly where somewhere inside Peter sits. And often as Peter is drinking his coffee on the airwaves it gives me pleasure knowing that I too am enjoying a cup of java right along with him.

Market day

Today we woke up to bright sunny skies. No one wanted to go to the market with me which was just fine. I like poking around by myself without partner and kids hurrying me along. So with a pocket full of money, a whack of old plastic bags and egg cartons, and a smile on my face off I went.

The market is located in the old Keith's brewery down by the harbour - a maze of buildings that can hold its own against Granville Island. And after these many months I've developed my favourite stalls to haunt.

I show up at the front door through the fancy old gates that make me feel Like I'm in England somewhere. The Sax man is playing in his regular indoor spot in the hallway though in the summer he wears his white suit and plays out doors. I turn left and hit the fish stall first. Today I am in luck they have the maple smoked salmon M loves. I get the last bit of it, it has been selling out quickly lately and this is the first time in a month I've lucked out.

Then I try the German butcher where Wendy usually hands the kids some weiner and we buy our ribs and pork roast - but Wendy isn't there today and there's a huge lineup so instead I walk over to the fair trade coffee counter for a cup. The guy with the ear plugs is there - one of my classmates was oooing over him the other day.

Then it is back up the hallway to the apple stall and I drop off the bags with the musquodoboit butcher. (sorry you vegetarian types but market day involves a LOT of meat). As I stand in the line up for the butcher and her organic grain fed stir fry meats, I watch the apple stall lady chatting congenially with an old friend while the would-be apple buyers wait patiently to pay her. I keep having to remind myself I'm not in Kansas anymore.

Today I choose Gala apples though there are at least 12 different types to choose from. If the kids were here I'd let them go nuts and pick their own for the week.

There is the veggie stall (where honestly I buy alot of veggies), the lamb guy, the soup chef and the other soup chef who calls her concoctions such names as happiness, peace, success, etc. Today I buy some more serenity (organic cream of broccoli) and I don't care how much the kids complain about soup for lunch - it fits in with my idea of what a good mom would feed their kids dammit.

Of course I have to hit the lobster man's stall - C has left me with strict orders to buy him a lobster sandwhich and the lobster man is asking where C is. Instead I buy 3 cooked lobster for our lunch. I cannot cook the poor things but I sure can eat them. They are truly C's and my favourite food in the world.

The Jam couple have only 3 jars of crab apple jelly left for the whole season. Given that the kids have been going through one small jar every two weeks I can see a long drought ahead of us. She puts the jars in a kitschy little bag with a jam picture sewn on the front but I love it anyways and will put it in a place of honour on the kitchen counter.

A beeswax candle is the last thing to get from the shy honey lady and then its time to lug the stuff home.

There are too many other places to visit - if I had more cash I'd buy an apple pie from the other apple lady, one of those tall flowers from the flower guy, a bracelet from the eastern european jewelery lady, maybe a hat from the funky hat place.

The chamber orchestra isn't there today playing - instead its the slightly manic violin player ( I cannot figure out if he is sane or not but he plays beautifully).

And on the way back to my car the traffic stops as I near the street - the third time today already. Today everyone is going slowly and stopping for everyone. Halifax is at its best - cheerful, chatty, slow paced, polite to pedestrians.

As I drive home listening to Stewart McLean I am not at all surprised that Dave comes from the East Coast, not surprised at all.

seagulls

The seagull is an underappreciated bird. Back at home the seagull is considered a rodent with feathers - the poor creatures you see fighting each other for french fries in the parking lot of fast food joints. Their squawks just this short of annoying.

The seagulls on the atlantic are another breed altogether - likely because they are in their element. Today, as I drove by my favourite harbour view around the arm, I watched the gull gliding through the sky, swooping and flying behind the trees only to reappear a few moments later.A sovereign in its own land. It was a true site to see - a very description of majestic.

And a seagull's cry only really works against a backdrop of wilderness or the sea. The highrises of the city hold it in and makes it sound silly. But by the sea its cries can go for miles - the way it was supposed to. Against the sea, a seagull's cry can hold its own against the call of the loon any day.

Back at home once in a blue moon I'd hear the far off cry of the seagull and I'd practically see the coast and the sea in amongst the clutter of down town. I sure love seeing them here.

They are still damn silly when they try to land on an iced over pond.

Skating on the Lake

Until now I do not recall ever skating on a lake, the canal doesn't count.

It is truly a magical thing to watch the gangs of people come out with their sticks and pucks and dogs and sleds to skate around and play.

Happy Munro Day

No not Marilyn



Ok I didn't get to ski or sleep in. Some of us got to work for CMHC instead.