[ Present day: 8 years later… Axel… thinking… ]

I’m so grateful for my friend Adolf, who was able to hack into some of the Canadian guy’s internet traffic. Adolf, who spends most of his time on the dark web cyberstalking children, was able to find out that this guy practices Tai Chi and was signed up for a Tai Chi retreat at the Canadian International Centre.

 So here I am close to Orangeville, set up in the bush just off the centre, which is like a university campus grounds. I could see statues of dragons and tigers as I walked around, exporing the beautiful park setting.

 But the traffic getting here along Airport Road was terrifying, even for me. They call this area the GTA – Great Traffic Aggression.

 There are a lot of people here, over 100, but I can plainly recognize the guy that is my prey, as he walks around the grounds with his brand new Fujifilm XE-5 camera. He thinks of himself as the tall, dark stranger, but he’s no Clint Eastwood, especially when his blood is all over my blade.

 Peaking into the window of the Practice Hall, I could see him and all the others at the 6:00 AM meditation session. He didn’t look like the meditation type, or indeed even the Tai Chi type, but there he was, meditating with his eyes closed, right next to the guy from The Netherlands, whom I think he made friends with.

 Then I observed him again during the 108 Tai Chi  movement sessions, as I ran the stone across my blade. So sharp it could split a hair. I’ll be using it soon.

The Tai Chi retreat had over 100 attendees, from all over the world. The accomodations were sufficient, the food very good and the training sessions were fabulous. Tai Chi comes from the ancient Chinese Taoism, but there was no religion here, only mindful contemplation. Walking around the grounds, there are statues, several beautiful temples and the smell of incense filling the air.

Watching the guy moving, almost Karate-kata-like, Axel thought, “Schisse! This could be difficult.” And saying out loud, “These Canadians are just too tenacious for me!”, and so like a true coward, he chickened out.

But the torture of driving back to the airport made him think of alternatives, and he thought, “I know someone who’s all alone at home. And I know the address from my friend Adolf. This should be easy and even more fun.”

And so, Axel, a serial-killer wannabe, got into his rental and headed off.

[Click on any photo for the slideshow. Please leave comments at the bottom of the page.]

Entrance to the centre

The Tai Chi International Centre

The Tai Chi International Centre

The Tai Chi International Centre

The Tai Chi International Centre

The Tai Chi International Centre

The Tai Chi International Centre

The Tai Chi International Centre

A Taoist alter

The Practice Hall

The original temple

The newer temple

She eventually decided to take up skiing and joined a local ski club. Starting as a beginner in Step 1, being a perfectionist, she quickly moved up to Step 7. This level is known to be a difficult one to advance from and Glenda was getting frustrated. She watched her instructors very closely, who in her mind were making perfect turns. But it wasn’t happening with her… she just couldn’t make that leap to Step 8. The harder she tried; the more mistakes she made. She was just fighting herself.

Then Glenda heard about a new ski program in her club, called “Mindful Skiing”, which she joined, thinking, “Why not?”. In this class, she learned to slow down… body and mind, and think about what her body is actually doing. She learned to forget about all that happened in the past or what might happen on her next run and just focus on the present. And she learned to meld mind with body and to leave perfectionism behind.

Step 8? Maybe; maybe not; but she felt better about her skiing and was suddenly having more fun, and really—that’s all that matters!

So, to quote author Paul Arden:

“Too many people spend too much time trying to perfect something before they
actually do it. Instead of waiting for perfection, run with what you got, and
fix it along the way.”

Another personal example of perfectionism gone awry is myself as a young boy playing hockey. Being a Canadian boy, I loved hockey passionately and tried my very best to be perfect. That never happened; I’d just fall on the ice, or fanned my shot, or whatever.

And there were no hockey mom’s or dad’s back then to drive me. I had to walk every winter Saturday morning in the dark; almost 2 km to an outdoor rink (but it did have artificial ice) just carrying my skates and stick. All the other equipment was worn. Sometimes hockey felt like a huge trial. I was frustrated that I couldn’t be a perfect hockey player.

Then eventually, at a very young age, around 12, I decided to slow down and concentrate on something I thought I could do – play defence. Slowing down my skating and not having to score a lot of goals changed my whole outlook on hockey. Getting as far as a regular defenceman in my Bantam league was a success for me.

So, I’ve found that perfectionism can lead to emotional distress, anxiety and low esteem. Back to Paul Arden… “run with what you’ve got, and fix it along the way”. Making mistakes and then working on them and fixing them are how we learn.

This story was developed during a short course by a philospher that I follow; Lawrence Yeo and his website moretothat.com . This is a photography blog, but I don’t have any photos for this story. So you’ll just have to look at some from my latest from 52frames.com.

Oh, and just for a quick update on my knee surgery… last week of February I skiied some green runs at Blue Mountain… no Advil, no knee brace and no pain!

[Click on any photo for the slideshow. Please leave comments at the bottom of the page.]

Week 26: Fluid

Week 27: Frame Within a Frame

Week 28: In the Style of Faizal Westcott

Week 29: Something New

Week 30: Unusual Crop

Week 31: Colour Temperature

Week 34: Low Key

Week 36: Shoot From Above

Week 38: One Light Source

Week 41: Time

Week 42: Shadow

Week 44: Your Worst Nightmare

And I want to thank everyone for their well wishes for my knee surgery recovery. I really appreciate the comments and the emails.

I don’t do social media anymore and I hate watching world news lately, but I do read a few blogs, especially by good writers and deep thinkers. Recently I read a blog by Robert Breen, who lives in Arizona. Him and his wife, older now, were getting bored with their environment – you know, same old… same old. So they decided to move to Manhattan for 5 months for a change in scenery. He wrote a few blogs about walking their dog in Central Park, going to the bakery for coffee and pastry and visiting all the highlights in NYC plus Broadway shows. They’re back now and it seems that this change of pace was the perfect routine breaker for them.

Well it got me thinking. How about moving to Montreal for a few months. Now that’s a total change of pace from Collingwood. But then I thought about our Roadtrek RV van. And yes, we’re starting to talk about an extended trip to Nova Scotia next June, and maybe even do part of it with our friends Pascal and Johanne from Quebec City, whom I know are thinking about NS, as well.

I wanted to treat this blog like a conversation at a café, but where I do all the talking or rambling on and on, and you can only listen. But of course you can leave comments below. Lot’s to talk about in this boring time at Len’s Café. Not drinking coffee, but a glass of Oakville’s Barnburner whisky.

One of the readers of the previous blog, Mary, wanted an update with photos. The only photo I could think of was of my knee, with the staples now gone. But with all the cracks and scabs in a 7 inch scar, you don’t really want to see that. So I’m including a few from this year’s 52Frames, which I’ve been diligently completing. And Mary, I’ve been tirelessly doing my physiotherapy both at home and at the Collingwood Hospital physio clinic, and things are improving on schedule. I hope to be on the hill at Blue Mountain (at least the easy runs) by the end of February.

[Click on any photo for the slideshow. Please leave comments at the bottom of the page.]

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Week 1. Self-portrait

I Will Survive ( Self Portrait )

I couldn’t decide what to write for this photo

But since yesterday, I’ve had
“A Touch of Grey” by The Grateful Dead
In my head
So, it’s alright
I will survive
Another year of 52 Frames

Week 2. What I eat

A Balanced Snack ( What I Eat )

Cappucino and Biscotti go together like… well…

… Cappuccino and Biscotti

Week 4. Something Old

Old and Older ( Something Old )

My hammer from the 1970’s and my father’s chisels from the 1940’s. Still sharp and still useful.

Week 5. Blue

This was cool in ’62 ( Blue )

Using greasy hair stuff
Got to look buff
Girls attracted to the comb

Lookin’ at my ass
More fun than sitting in class
More fun than Sunday morning mass

Future Puddle ( Puddle )

Week 6. Puddle

It’s -20C where I am
Not a puddle in sight
But wait, there are icicles
And the sun is so bright

I take off my gloves
Stay away from the trends
Then I get my week’s shot
With my nippy toxic lens

Decision ( Motion Blur )

Week 7. Motion Blur

Getting off the lift
No time to lose
All seems a blur
Which way should I choose?

Awaiting the descent
Can I do it, or just a poseur
Will get over that edge
Life seems a blur

I know I can get there
But things in the way
Then I’ll just have to deem
It’s a wonderful day

Week 8. Triangular Composition

My Favourite Triangle ( Triangular Composition )

Couldn’t find any triangles outside
They’re all under the snow I guess
So I made my own triangle
And drank it after the shoot

Still Touring ( Unfinished )

Week 9. Unfinished

A songwriter, singer, musician and photographer
Graham Nash was never finished
With the Hollies, then Crosby, Stills and Nash
He pushed the envelope of music
And is still touring and shooting

Younger than him, but like him
I’ve spent much of my life with a guitar
And a camera
And that will never be finished

My Day Off ( Egg )

Week 11. Egg

Just sitting here
Looking out the window
Not skiing today
Just day dreaming
Thinking about eggs
And what’s one doing on my window-sill?

Alone ( Mood )

Week 13. Mood

A mushroom in the forest
Begrudging the couples at the tables
And the small party celebrating
Feels like I’m trapped in a void
This bottle my only friend
Easy to camouflage
With a fake smile and denial
But I can’t hide from myself

The Aggregate ( Details )

Week 15. Details

I was walking on a beach
In Prince Edward Island
The sand was red
Then I saw this entity

Stooping down to take a look
A cluster of clam shells
What brought them together
I wondered?

A clam orgy?
Cemented together somehow
To be locked in embrace
For eternity

Through a Window ( Luxury )

Week 19. Luxury

Walking ‘round my town
Searching for luxury
It’s a bit cold and windy
But not quite blustery

I look into a resto window
Pretty fancy and upscale
The food here is pretty good
But the prices make me pale

Down the street a little way
A homeless person on the walk
For her to see this opulence
I’m sure it’s quite a shock

Small Town Downtown ( High ISO )

Week 21. High ISO

Such a bustling place in daytime
But the night-time transformation
Brings introspective quiet
The clock tower of the town hall
Is the moon to my eyes
I can walk here
To let my mind ponder
And my imagination run amok

Is This Reality Or Just A Fantasy ( Through The Looking Glass )

Week 22. Through the Looking Glass

Falling through the rabbit hole
You land on a chessboard
Or is this the Google Matrix
You wonder?

A poem is written backwards
But Humpty Dumpty can read it
And when he falls off his orange wall
Can they put it back together again?

The White Knight
Shaves his eyebrows
He knows how to live
In his Looking Glass world

So if you go chasing rabbits
Or smoke from a hookah
Or take some kind of mushroom
And things seem to be going backwards

You have to wonder
Are there any grownups in the room?
Do you know the moral?
But actually…

There is no moral

It’s a Wonderful Thing ( Daily Ritual )

Week 25. Daily Ritual

Nostalgia kick lately
Beach Boys in my head
Remembering the
Lights Out basement parties
Dance “Grinding” to “Surfer Girl”
With my Grade nine sweethearts

No daily rituals
Only lusty desires and impure thoughts
But now?
My daily ritual is coffee
And when I’m camping
Making coffee outdoors is
A wonderful thing

Well, that beatiful smile set me up for a very good day in post-op after my total knee replacement surgery at St. Michaels hospital in Toronto. Surgery by Dr. Atrey, who was referred to me by a skier friend in Collingwood who had both knees done. Could this be a skiing by-product? Well, not for everyone.

So after I had a nice conversation with the nurse, she was replaced by another who was assigned because she had more tolerance with nonsensical rambling. She was very young, just a couple of years older then Sydney, my granddaughter, who is in 2nd year nursing at UofT. And did I ever ramble! We talked about Sydney, and then I went on to tell her my life story; 3 times. I couldn’t stop talking, but she explained to me that this often happens when coming off OR drugs. By the way, all the nurses and other staff I encountered were exceptionally great and I told them so.

After the freezing came off they moved me to the final recovery room where they gave me more pain killers to get me home – a 3 hour drive back to Collingwood. Chantal drove of course, because I’m not allowed to drive for 6 weeks. And now Chantal is waiting on me hand and foot for the next few weeks.

I have my 5×7 pass for Blue Mountain. Kept it because it’s a great motivator to get some runs in hopefully at the end of February, or March, if there’s snow.

So now, the physio therapy starts, and hopefully, there won’t be an episode 2.

Suddenly the sails started to raise and a deep, growling music started – this was the profound gravity of Vangelis’s ‘Conquest of Paradise’, from the movie “1492”. It sounded to me like the opening soundtrack of “Vikings”. The wind was blowing, the ship was moving and the shivers were running up and down my back.

The 3^rd and final part of our Italian adventure was a cruise on the “Royal Clipper”, sailing towards Sicily with 7 stops, before finishing in Civitavecchia. This is a large square rigged clipper cruise ship carrying about 200 passengers, so it doesn’t overwhelm a visited community, like the 6000 passenger ocean liners. I didn’t feel like we were aggravating over-tourism. In fact, often while anchored off one of our destinations, private boats would circle our ship, waving to us and admiring the beauty of this vessel.

No broadway musicals, no tie and jacket needed, just the splendor of the ship, good food and great destinations – that’s what the Royal Clipper is all about.

One disappointment was the fact that there was so much commercialism in the ancient medieval settings. But you can’t blame the locals for trying to make a euro, and we could always find the authentic Italy.

Please enjoy the photos and the captions for the real description of the voyage.

Oh, and before you ask, the beautiful woman above wanted to take my picture.

[Click on any photo for the slideshow. Please leave comments at the bottom of the page.]

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Sailing at night to the sound of Vangelis’s ‘Conquest of Paradise’

The journey

The Roman ruins of Pompei

The Roman ruins of Pompei

Denise and Rick – from Collingwood to Sorrento, Italy

One of the tenders used for landings

Amalfi, Italy

Approchaing the Royal Clipper from Amalfi

Setting sail

The top deck of the Royal Clipper

These are the “White Lotus” girls.

The Royal Clipper, in Lipari, Italy

Taormina, Sicily

Syracuse, Sicily

Syracuse, Sicily

A very quiet cafe off the beaten tourist path in Syracuse

The market in Syracuse

This market vendor looks even more unhappy then the squid

Spices at the market in Syracuse

the market in Syracuse, Sicily

Sidewalk shopping in Syracuse, Sicily

Diane diving off the back of the Royal Clipper

That’s me diving off the back of the Royal Clipper

Len in the crows nest of the Royal Clipper

Street vendor in Lipari, Italy

Acolian Islands, Italy

Ponza, Italy

Ponza, Italy

Ponza, Italy

Ponza, Italy

Ponza, Italy

The caverns of Ponza, Italy

The rocks of Palmarola, Italy

The Royal Clipper

The Royal Clipper

The Royal Clipper

Venice, with its narrow canals and calles, is my favourite city. When you consider its history and architecture, it’s the most interesting and mysterious place I can think of; and this is what I try to show in my photographs. But I think I’ve captured this mysteriousness better is a previous post, click here if you’re interested in Mysterious Venice.

Rome was very, very busy. Thousands of post-pandemic tourists, both Italian and foreign, clogged the streets. Except for close to the train station, Venice didn’t seem so busy.

Our favourite moment in Rome was a visit to one of our favourite restaurants in the Trastevere neightbourhood… Alle Fratte di Trastevere ristorante. We’ve been there 3 times.

 [Click on any photo for the slideshow. Please leave comments at the bottom of the page.]

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Venice

Our B&B breakfast place

A Venice canal

Len and Andre

Brushetta

A Venice piazza

A little wet

Mysterious Venice

Mysterious Venice

Venice – a place of contrasts

The Grand Canal

Watching you!

Andre, Diane and Len at San Marco, Venice

Mysterious Venice

Shopping

The gondoliers

An art class

Mysterious Venice

Burano

Burano

Burano

The shoppers in Burano

Rome

Close to the Colosseum

The Colosseum

Rome – The Trevi Fountain

Santa in September

Brushetta at Alle Fratte di Trastevere ristorante

Little boys getting into trouble in Trastevere

What year is it?

The Colosseum at night

After flying to Venice, Italy, then train/busses to Cividale del Friuli, we still had about 12 km to get to our agritourism, farm hotel. Then we found out that the only cab driver in town had died a few months ago and never replaced. So I called the hotel owner, who sent out his son to pick us up. Soon we found that the hotel was old and rustic, but very nice and the owner is a chef. This is in the tiny village of Prepotto, in the Friuli province of Italy northeast of Venice, which is a very large wine producing region, producing most of Italy’s white wine.

This was the beginning of the first stage of our 3 week Italian adventure, a week of cycling in the Friuli region.

Friuli is a fairly hilly area where many pro cyclists, especially from Germany, come to train. Several times, as we were doing about 25 km/hr on our hill-flatteners (e-bikes), a pro cyclist would wiz by as if we were standing still. And this was uphill!

One day we encountered what we thought was the Giro d’Italia, but talking to one of the trainers from the Belgium team we learned that it was the Giro d’Italia Piccolo (small), which included 150 riders. We managed to snag a couple of water bottles that the riders just toss off the road.

Every day we cycled, we were surrounded by vineyards. Chantal was looking for gelato, but none was to be found. I said to her that I haven’t seen one cow, only grapes. She would have to wait for Venice; but maybe not, as our hotel plan included gourmet dinners with dessert, which was gelato several times.

The former Soviet country of Slovenia borders Friuli and we cycled there a couple of times. In Slovenia we also found many, many vineyards. It’s funny, I’ve never heard of Slovenian wines. I think that it all went to the dachas of the Soviet leaders, and now, probably to the dachas of the ex-KGBer’s, instead of the LCBO.

On the 3^rd cycling day we found ourselves in a piazza in a small town, where there were a group of girls dancing with an instructor. Turns out the town was preparing for a street festival. When we sat down at a café in the piazza a woman asked where we were from and how did we find this town; there are no tourists here. This is one of the beauties of cycling trips; you are way off the tourist path. You can breathe there.

We were navigating by a combination of GPS, paper maps and written directions and sometimes there were mismatches between them and irregularities. For example, also on the 3^rd day, the GPS told us to leave the road and go through a vineyard. Well, that didn’t seem correct, as the map and directions didn’t mention that, so we peddled back a few kilometers to see if we missed something. Turns out the GPS was correct and we pushed our way through the vineyard and sure enough; we got back on track. Little surprises like this add to the adventure, and the memories. Just don’t panic!

This was our 10^th cycling trip in Europe and I’ve pondered on how cycling in a foreign country opens your mind, as well as your eyes. When you’re cycling in the countryside you’re not just travelling over the landscape… “you ARE part of the landscape”. And you definitely see more. I was beginning to see how passionate the Italians are. Several times I witnessed a group of people not only hugging and air kissing (even the men), but I witnessed women kissing on the lips. Now that caught my attention!

So now for the photos, and as usual, the photos with their captions tell the real story. And of course,

[Click on any photo for the slideshow. Please leave comments at the bottom of the page.]

***

Our B&B in Prepotto

View from our balcony in Prepotto

View from our bathroom in Prepotto

Our living room in Prepotto

Our outside ristorante in Prepotto

A view of our living room in Prepotto

An appetizer

A dessert

Prepotto at night

The local bar in Prepotto

The local ristorante in Prepotto

Vineyards in Friuli

Along “The Wall”

Crossing the Ponte del Diavolo (Devil’s Bridge) in Cividale del Friuli

Cappuccino in Cividale del Friuli

The gravel road

Here they come – the peloton…

… and there they go!

Taking a peek into someone’s backyard.

Cycling up the hill in Orsaria

Dancers in the piazza

The GPS told us to hike through the vineyards.

Grape pickers

The road to Slovenia

The Slovenian town of Dobrovo (Is this my name in Slovenian?)

Bike lanes in Slovenia. Doug’s nightmare?

Slovenia trails

Is this GPS wrong again?

Aquileia

A movie photo shoot in Aquileia

Trying to figure out our route in Aquileia

Roman ruins in Aquileia

The Adriatic coast

Anja and Stephan, hikers we met several times.

Tunnels along the Adriatic coast

Cycling along the Adriatic Sea towards Trieste

Refreshments on the Adriatic coast

Too often we just walk by them on the streets acting as if they’re invisible; worried that they only want a hand-out. But Leah informs us that mostly they just want to be noticed and treated as if they’re actually human beings. Her photos, when you look in their eyes, truly humanize them. She’s a wonderful speaker; invoking much emotion, I’m sure, to her audience.

I had a chance to speak with her and mentioned that I’m an amateur photographer and have done a lot of street photography and even a few homeless. Although to me, approaching a homeless person is very difficult, not because I’m afraid of them, but because I feel that I’m intruding. But Leah has been able to break down these barriers.

I mentioned one particular photo I made a few years ago of a homeless person. This was for the Dogwood52 weekly challenge. The challenge was “forgotten” and it was just a pile of blankets on the corner of Young and Dundas. The photo was shot with a slow shutter creating motion blur on the many people walking by; looking like they’re just rushing by as if the pile of blankets wasn’t even there. But under the blanket was a homeless young woman. After I made the shot, I went over and lifted a blanket to find the young woman smiling up at me. I gave her a few dollars and asked if I could take her photo. She said yes, but of course, it was already done. The photo is shown below and it did bring out some emotion from the Facebook viewers. Leah wanted to see the photo, but I don’t have any way of showing it, so I decided to write this blog which I can show her. I’ve also added a few other street portraits that I think she would appreciate, but they’re not all homeless people.

[Click on any photo for the slideshow. Please leave comments at the bottom of the page.]

***

Forgotten

Forgotten at the corner of Young and Dundas

Not in Service

A homeless man selling CD’s in front of old city hall, Toronto.I talked to him and gave him a few dollars.

Homeless in Hamilton

Homeless man in a very good mood in Hamilton. Looks like she’s looking down at him.

Lonliness

This was another Dogwood52 challenge. I got lots of comments on Facebook about mental health, etc. I was told several times that this is not a photo you can “like”, but it got the message of “lonliness” across. I drove about 50 km to an abandoned farmhouse to make this selfie, bare feet, broken glass and -20C. I had fun that day.

The Boss – Friday 13th – Port Dover

I was talking to some MC gang members at Port Dover on Friday 13th and this really rough, scary looking guy kept looking at me like I was an undercover cop with a camera. But then they introduced me to him and he was not a bad person. He’s the president of the gang.

Friday 13th – Port Dover

A really nice ex-convict

I had a really interesting conversation with this guy in the tattoo shop in Port Credit. Then later I found out that he was just released from pridon.

Lizzy

I don’t think she’s homeless… she wants to be an artist, writer, clothing designer. I hope she finds what she’s looking for.

Jenn at Barton 541

Barton 541 is a restaurant in a poor area of Hamilton, Ontario (my hometown). Most of the employees, including the cooks, are volunteers. The food is very good and very reasonable and you don’t leave tips. The coffee is very, very good by the way (and I’m an expert). Instead of tips, you buy buttons for $1 each and put them in a donation jar right next to the cashier. People less fortunate, who cannot afford a meal, can take these buttons and use them as cash. No shame and no judgement. You just sit anywhere you like to eat. I’ve seen homeless people almost right next to suits. I love going there because aside from the great food, and conversations wih the manager, Jenn, I like the neighbourly feeling and the sense of tolerance and inclusiveness.

Inside Barton 541

Lisa

The Wayside Lunch diner, is on Beach Road, in the tough north-east end of Hamilton. It’s been closed for awhile, but a few years ago, I met with the owner, Lisa, who told me that her diner was featured in a couple of TV series, all about vampires and satanic cults. Doesn’t my hometown sound like fun?

I was thinking about the “Planet of the Apes”. You probably know that in the movie, all the pet dogs and cats were wiped out, so people acquired monkeys and chimps for pets. These apes, being very intelligent, probably more intelligent than the owners, learned how to speak English. ( I think this only happened in the the States). Eventually the apes took over, until Charlton Heston came along many centuries later and cleared things up. But they never explained what happened to the cats and dogs.

Well… here’s the prequel…

There were aliens from a planet in the Proxima Centauri system which is 4.24 light years away from earth. These aliens, who didn’t look at all like us, and we don’t know how many legs they had, or even if they had legs. Like Star Trek, they were exploring worlds “Where No Alien has Gone Before”, but their technology was far superior then warp tech. They had knowledge of wormhole technology; a wormhole being a fold in space-time. So instead of spending thousands of years in a spaceship to get here, it only took a few weeks, as they could simply jump through a wormhole. Weeks because they had to use their impulse engines to get to the wormhole. The jump through took only minutes, but gave them extreme headaches and anger issues.

So they got to earth and noticed 4-legged creatures leading around 2-legged ones. And the 2-legged ones were picking up all the shit. The aliens got really pissed off at the 4-legged ones because they had legs. Envy issues on top of anger makes for a nasty outcome. So they set up a satellite around earth which sent out brain wave signals tuned to the dogs, which eventually killed them all. For some unexplainable reason, the cats were affected also, and so they too died.

This is just the main plot. Of course there were many side stories on the spaceship… the aliens had relationships, including sexual and platonic. Each had its own characteristics and dynamics.

So aside from this story, I also thought about my weekly photo challenge, which was “Daily Ritual” and the recent death of Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys was also on my mind. Here’s what I wrote for that; and see if you can pick out the photo that goes with it.

Nostalgia kick lately
Beach Boys in my head
Remembering the
Lights Out basement parties
Dance “Grinding” to “Surfer Girl”
With my Grade nine sweethearts

No daily rituals
Only lusty desires and impure thoughts
But now?
My daily ritual is coffee
And when I’m camping
Making coffee outdoors is
A wonderful thing

[Click on any photo for the slideshow. Please leave comments at the bottom of the page.]

Chilling at the 1000 Island campsite

No smoking, no vaping and no cycling

The Upper Canaada Village

The Upper Canaada Village

The Upper Canaada Village

The Upper Canaada Village

The Upper Canaada Village

The Upper Canaada Village

The Upper Canaada Village

Daily Ritual

Sauble Beach, now called Saugeen Beach, is famous for its seagulls, and it’s fun to watch them flying in the wide open space or patrolling the sandy shore looking for stray fries. But these gulls at the campground were behaving more like owls, flying between the branches, diving and swooping. Hunting. Searching for food laying around.

The campsite next to us was occupied by a young couple with 2 dogs, and they were gone for the evening. There was a seagull strutting around looking for something to scavenge.

Then I looked again, and the seagull found one of the doggy bowls and was eating the dog food.

I think there’s a moral to this, but I just can’t think of it. If you do, please leave in comments below.

Now on to the main story. And at the bottom are links to the other Dark Stranger episodes. No photos here this time.

Tales From the Closet

The dark stranger waited patiently in the cramped closet for the weirdo intruder he knew would arrive. Full of clothes on racks, stacks of sweaters, at least 50 pairs of shoes, he felt like a Leafs fan in the Montreal Forum during a Habs game. And there was a smell of expensive perfume. Louis Vuitton? But he had to ignore all that; he had a job to do. She wanted her stalker taken care of for good.

He was thinking of back at that bar, when she first approached him. click for the bar episode. He can’t stop thinking of how her split skirt rode up when she sat on the bar stool. Then she took has hand and slowly guided it along her inside thigh. And when he reached bare skin how the fireworks went off in his mind. Lucky he was sitting on a stool because there’s no way he could stand up. But mostly he thought of her sultry Lauren Bacall voice. That’s what hooked him into her sphere and he couldn’t say no to her offered contract.

Then the sound of broken glass!

The intruder broke a window and got into the place. The sultry woman had lured him here, then got away un-noticed, leaving him to the demise of the dark stranger. He caressed his brand new Japanese Matsato knife that he saw on Youtube. He was impressed how it cut through a whole chicken like it was jello. He would use it tonight after he had his fun. He creeped his way up to the bedroom and opened the door with a squeak that seemed as loud as an OPP siren in a Northern Ontario ghost town.

The dark stranger, still hiding in the cramped closet, heard all this and was ready. He chambered a round and turned off the safety on his Glock 17. And waited. He didn’t want to make a mess, but he thought, “nine millimeters between the eyes leaves hardly any blood. Maybe some brains flying out the back, but no stains.”

Then the closet door slowly opened with a squeak. Holding the weapon with 2 hands, he pointed it out at face level and got ready.

More dark stranger episodes… the encounter, the dark stranger, an uneasy rendez-vous, a woman screams.