Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Making the most of an oil change

My car was at the dealership for an oil change and tire rotation. Not wanting to waste a beautiful day by waiting inside the grungy old garage, I set out to walk the old section of Lachine.  I crossed over a rickety wooden bridge spanning the Canal, traipsed through a bike path, and on to a grassy area lined with trees. 

Making my way over to a park bench, I plonked down and took my time to savour the warm spring sunshine. After a while, I became attuned to my surroundings and began to notice details. Right in front of me stood a gnarled, ancient tree, leaves just beginning to unfurl.  Too bad I didn't bring a camera - I wanted to capture this tree's personality,  but who brings a camera to the garage? Wait a minute - my iPhone! (thought processes a little slow here, I was caught up in the essence of the tree, calm water and peaceful surroundings). 

After snapping a few pics, I turned my gaze upwards to catch branches from "my tree" reaching out to another tree as if holding hands across the sky - fingertips to fingertips!

Across the Lachine Canal, I spotted one of the domes of College Sainte-Anne, a private school founded in 1861 (yes I looked it up) by the Sisters of St. Anne.

I needed to move, so said "good-by" to My Tree, got up off the bench and continued on my way.  What a strange looking building.  Almost like a ship!   

I crept closer for a better look.  Curious, I circled the house-that-looks-like-a-ship, thinking it might be a restaurant. Once I got to the back, however and peeked brazenly into the windows (from afar of course) and saw someone's car parked in the lane, I realized that indeed it was a private home and I'd better snap this pic quickly before someone came out and suggested I leave (or threatened to call the police!) 

Continued down the road ( now what street am I on anyway?) Well, this is a blast from the past.  How long has it been since Iroquois roamed here?  Hundreds of years I think, but this is a very old part of the city.  In fact, Lachine gets its name from the early French explorers who set sail for China somewhere in the late 1600's.  They landed here (south/west part of Montreal island) and thought they had found China - hence the name La-Chine. 


Nice architecture.  Wonder who lives here.





And here - looks like a castle with its stone walls, tall windows and turrent!

Time to go back and check on the car.  Some people had been watching me as I snapped pics of the houses on their street, but no one said anything or even asked what I was doing, so it felt all right  but now it was time to leave.  But there was time for one last pic - a flower; could not leave without a flower (or flowering shrub).  This forsythia looked lovely snuggled into this sunny corner, basking in the sun. 

10 comments:

Jackie said...

You sound like me. Never waste a moment to see and photograph the splendors around us.
What magnificent views you shared!
Homes that look like castles and restaurants that look like boats. Love!!
Great shots....
Thank you again, for sharing with us.
Hugs,
Jackie

Cheryl said...

Hi Wendy,

Thank you for the stroll......love the tree, majestic by the waterside.

I like the boat and castle home.....very unusual. I quite like the thought of living in a castle :)

Hope that you are well.

Rose said...

What a beautiful city you live in! The boat-like house and the castle are very unusual. I've taken photos along the street before and wondered what people driving by must think of what I'm doing. It's good to just take the time to look around and really "see" our surroundings. Hope you are having a good spring, Wendy!

Maggie May said...

Well, what a collection of really interesting photos! Enjoyed going for that walk with you.
Loved the ideas of the branches reaching out to each other as if holding hands!
Maggie x

Ruth said...

Lovely spring city scenes. My iPhone is also a handy camera for an unexpected picture moment.

Heidrun Khokhar, KleinsteMotte said...

Wendy I have been so very slow at getting back to you. Thanks for commenting on my post.
I love all the unusual structural images yu captured and shared.
I hope you and your larger family is all doing well.
How's the reno of the house you decided on doing?
I still think of you often when I get a sense of some one I love sending me their presence through some object. It continues to happen:)
How about you? Any new discoveries?

mxtodis123 said...

Wendy, I just wanted to drop by and say thank you for your kind words regarding the death of my mom. Thank you for being there for me.
Mary

Shammickite said...

I haven't seen you blogging recently..... I'd love to catch up with all your news. Hope you are well and happy! Enjoy the summer.

Hilary said...

I wish I had been interested in photography when I lived in Montreal. I had no idea that Lachine had so much beauty to offer and never knew the history of its name. You've captured some lovely photos on your phone. I would have liked to have seen you skulking around that private ship-home. ;)

Thanks for your very kind words on my recent blog post. They are so appreciated. I hope life is treating you well, dear Wendy. Big hugs to you, sweet friend.

Grammy said...

What a beautiful place, I am so happy to see you write and photograph a bit on here again. Sorry I have not been by till now. I miss the old days. But It is hard to keep up with so many things. I really like ding utube now. It is easier that typing. But you can not auto correct. LOL. Best wishes. E