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The Walls Have It!

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Yesterday I “regaled” you with my evening at the Montreal Symphony House on Tuesday and promised you another post on all the wonderful graffiti/wall art I encountered on my walkabout before the show.

Today is the day, folks!  Now, I mentioned I had to let my inner Resa out because she is the Queen of Graffiti finds.  Just check out her site right here. The only bummer was that I was not prepared for such a ‘happening’, so to speak, so I had no camera, just my phone – which, it turned out, was not so bad after all.

I mentioned that I had spotted one mural yesterday that I had to go back to see once I parked my car, and on my way east along Ste-Catherine Street – I did say we can walk right in the middle of the street in this part of the island and they have removed the asphalt and replace with lovely, bricks? or tiles? Whatever…

Ste-Catherine Street

Bright colour caught my eye on my right and I felt compelled to go investigate. It is a street but feels more like an alleyway – plus, as you can see, this one is a certain kind of colourful 😉

As you can see the sun (yay! the sun!!) was shining in such a way that it was difficult to capture properly.  I kinda wish I had taken a few more but, one must be reasonable…

Stepping back onto Ste-Catherine Street, I realised I was right in front of Foufounes Électriques – or as we like to call it, Les Foufs (translation: Electric Buns (or Butt, or Tush or… you get it…). It’s a three-story bar/show venue.  The times I’ve gone there, the show going on upstairs was lots of noise being enjoyed by peeps in all manners of tatts and piercings and hair of every imaginary colour. Not trying to say I’m too old for the joint… but maybe I’ll just stay downstairs at the bar. Or in the courtyard.  I dunno know why I just took just a shot of the entrance to the courtyard and not more of it.  How I roll.  Don’t think, just do. Ah well. An excuse to go back, right?

I walk past Les Foufs and turn into the alleyway/street just east of the building, figuring I was getting closer to the aforementioned mural I wanted to capture.

Whoa.  Along Les Foufs east wall, I found this:

Trying to get it all
Close-up of left
Under
Pressure

I turned around and the other building had this:

Trying to get it all
Right

I keep walking and get to the back wall of Les Foufs… Jeez Louise…

Trying to get it all
Creator?
What does this say?

And then, on the wall to the right, was this.

Is that a bright little neck of the woods, or what?

So, I end up at yesterday’s mural, take a few pics of which I shared that one yesterday and keep on walking. Well. Guess what? There was more!

Rub the lamp?
Cease Fire
A closer view

Feeling properly satisfied with my discoveries, I continue to make my way back and discover this bedazzled by mosaic balcony… who does that?

Shake my head, grinning, turn the corner. And.

Floating
Love the jellyfish

Wow. Can you believe all that art in less than one square mile?

I was practically skipping my way back to Ste-Catherine Street to find me some grub.

Our Hydro-Quebec is one of the sponsors of the “Quartier des Spectacles” (Entertainment or Performance Quarter) and has these whimsical statues, if you will, placed here and there. How fun (never mind just how much it costs me per month in hydro bills…)

Hydro-Quebec “Art”

I’m hoping I’ve not gone on too long this time and that you’ve enjoyed the joy I found on Tuesday.

 

 

When Things Go Your Way

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There are days and then, there are DAYS! Now, I know what you are thinking…when one puts it that way, that means that things turned dark or bad.

Nope. Not this time. No way, no how! About six months ago, I bought a ticket to go see Francis Cabrel, a French singer I’ve loved for ages. Tonight was the night I was going to the concert! (Tuesday, the 11th of June).

I worked a short shift, from 10 am till 3:30 pm, setting up the golf club for the mega benefit evening that night for a hospital foundation. I can’t say I was sad to miss out serving 400 people all-you-can-eat lobster. I had surprisingly little traffic on my way home – it’s been awful lately – and had more than enough time to go home and get ready, catch up on emails, read a few posts, etc., before heading into Montreal. What a surprise to find one from “Billeterie” (Ticketmaster) – time stamp 4:19 pm. In French, it stated:

We are taking the time to write you to advise you that the ticket you have in the “Mezzanine Loge” is slightly behind the stage which will not offer you an optimal view of the show.

In accordance with the show’s production company, we exchange your ticket for a loge on the “Corbeil” level (a lower level) which offers a better view of the stage. Also we are reimbursing you the sum of $100 on the credit card used to pay for the ticket.

The new ticket is attached.

They included the following images:

Your original view
Your new view

Wha??? Come ON! Who does that happen to? I won’t lie. I half-imagined myself arriving at the Maison Symphonique and being greeted with: “You lucky winner! You get to come back stage and meet Francis Cabrel!”.

Dreamer.

I wondered what traffic into town would be like and decided to leave just before 6:00 pm, even though the show started at 8:00. I figured I’d park, walk around and find a place to grab a bite before.

Turns out, traffic was nil. Which was great. As I drove along de Maisonneuve Street, I noticed a nice mural/graffiti art. I had more than an hour to kill so, after I parked the car, I took a stroll, on the lookout for my mural. I love Montreal in the summer. Both the Gay Village and the Ville Marie burroughs block off Ste-Catherine Street so it becomes pedestrian only. Place des Arts (PdA) just so happens to be in the Ville Marie one. As I headed east, some colour grabbed my attention to the right. It was a long mural along Berger Street, which looks more like an alley than a street. This particular graffiti was colourful in more than one way! I channelled my inner Resa and clicked away! IT was so large, I could not capture the whole thing.

I have just realised as I was going through my pictures that they deserve their own post. So what I shall do for now, is show you the one that got me to take my walk in the first place and save the others for tomorrow! I just wish I could crop out that car but hey… c’est la vie. I felt it was worth the walk-back to capture anyway.

By the time I walked back to the PdA area, it was 7-ish and I figured I should grab a bite to eat and checked in at Sesame. I asked the waitress if she thought service would be quick and she assured me it would. Better than a burger or a hot dog so I chose to sit outside on the terrasse (terrace for the non-Quebecers) and watch the folks walking by. I ordered a chili-lime chicken poke bowl, deciding to forgo the wine (and have one at the Symphony House. By 7:20, I still had not received my meal. The waitress came out, all apologetic, saying there had been a problem in the orders and mine was coming right up. Not five minutes later, it arrived. I usually take my time and use the chopsticks. Not this time. Gobble and out of there by 7:35. I suppose I could have taken more my time as the show was at 8:00 but whatevs. It looks kinda drab but was very tasty.

Place des Arts has six halls and one amphitheatre: the ‘newest’ member of the family and second largest of the halls is the Maison Symphonique, home of the MSO (Montreal Symphony Orchestra); Salle Wilfred-Pelletier, the largest one, where I have seen more than one production; Théâtre Maisonneuve, a favourite venue for ballets and such, Théâtre Jean-Duceppe, where many plays are held, and two others that I have not had a chance to visit, thus far.

The Maison Symphonique is a place of beauty and was my second time attending. First time being with my friend Alison from Louisiana which she came to Montreal to visit.

Funky sculptures in the waiting area.

And a few views of the inside.

Back of the house
Corner
I was sitting directly across

I sat down in my comfy chair (not affixed to the floor) and chatted up my neighbours. It appears we all got the same email and found ourselves with these spectacular seats.

The stage was right there! They were real sticklers for non picture taking that I could only snap a few quick-quick-like…

Last tune
Francis Stands along in farewell

I leave you with one of my favourites of his, “Je l’aime à mourir” and have included a translation of the lyrics. They sound so much better in French! I chose a live version because he did get the audience to sing, though not quite like this 😉

Moving Day – Friday Fictioneers

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It’s Wednesday. I must move my tush to get myself to work but I took a break to write this little story based on my real Saturday last.  Sort of. Only have 100 words so did what I could. A post about the move will definitely be coming, so till then, enjoy this “crib note version”!

Thank you to Rochelle for hosting and to c.e. ayr for his photo, this week. Click on the frog to play or read other stories. G’head, it’s fun.

Click me to play!

 

Moving Day

That’s a right pretty house you got there. 

Thanks, I’m pretty pleased with it.

Cool. When’s the move?

Next week. Movers are scheduled for noon.

I’ll come early and help with boxes and stuff.

Yay! I’ll take all the help I can get!

 

Your washer and dryer are hooked up and we’ve moved everything we could but we can’t stay. Tell me again what time these movers are supposed to be here?

Eight hours ago!

Wish we could stay.

Nah. Not like we can help them.

Hey! Here they come!

Perfect timing.

Is that irony in your voice?

Ya think?

Childhood – Friday Fictioneers

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It’s Wednesday, so I’m Friday Fictioneering!  Yessiree.  This photo by J. Hardy Carroll, chosen by our facilitator by excellence, Rochelle, brought me immediately to childhood.  One like I had.  When times were simpler and freer.

Care to join the party?  Click on the blue frog below to add your 100-word story.  G’head, it’s fun!

Click mo to join in!

Childhood

“Go outside and play. Be home for supper.” Mom dismissed us to go do what children do.

We went to the park. We played games we invented. We hung upside down on the monkey bars. We played hide-and-seek. We disputed. We negotiated. We settled.

Always too soon, Daddy whistled for us to get home for supper.

We jumped on our bikes, disbanding with promises to be back at the park tomorrow.

Nowadays? Kids aren’t allowed out of sight of their parents’ watchful eyes. Everything is scheduled. They’ve no freedom to figure out how to settle the score on their own.

 

Getting the Goods – Crimson’s Creative Challenge #24

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So, talk about last minute, eh?  This challenge is issued on Wednesdays and here I am on a Tuesday, finally submitting something.

Crispina’s rules and regs are wide open.  Click here if you care to join, or to see the link-ups to other stories.  I went way out there with this one.  Without divulging a thing, let’s see if you can see who my characters are…

Getting the Goods

“Left! Mumble! Left! — Left! Right! Left!  Forwaaaard, march!”

“Bloody hell, Marty, where are we going?” whispered Pete.

Before he could respond, Sargeant yelled, “Quiet, Private! No talking in the ranks!”

Out of the corner of his mouth, Marty said, “Can’t you see?”

“I can see, alright.”  Then louder,  “What I don’t understand is why we can’t just go under, Sarg.  We can get in, grab the goods, get out.”

“Do you not remember the last time, Private? We were ambushed by toxic powder.  This time we go up on the side and then go in and follow those ridges.  They will give us a great grip on our way to the opening.  Once on the other side, we will gather the goods and get out.”

“We don’t even know if there will be any goods!”

“I sent a scout. There is a huge bowl of jellybeans on the table!”

 

149 words

 

What Happens When You Procrastinate

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Last Wednesday I spent the afternoon with my long-lost cousin, Sonya, and when he got home from work, her hubby, Gilles.  A mere one-hour drive and I was back in a winter wonderland.  Yes, granted, this is ski country but still.  It was a shock.  Sonya and Gilles live way out in the boonies but once you get there, one discovers a little slice of paradise.  Let’s face it, if one chooses to live here, one accepts the weather that comes with.  Somehow I did not take a decent picture of the humans so I have stolen this picture from my cousin’s FB page.

Lace, Eagle and Sonya on Lac Dominique

We hadn’t seen each other in fifteen years and honestly, I don’t know who was happier to reconnect.  So I’ll say it was in equal measure and now that we have refound each other, we are not letting this happen again.

We went for a walk on the lake, basically in her backyard, which turned out to be quite the adventure.  We learnt to walk where the snow was packed otherwise we sunk down (up?) past our knees!  The dogs had a blast chasing each other and getting their freak on.  Too bad the sun only occasional peeked out so, forgive me for the crap photos.  To give you an idea just how big these beasts are, below is Eagle just standing next to the kitchen counter…

Frolicking
Eagle (back), Lace (front)
Eagle next to the counter

I regaled them with my “Mick” stories and it was determined that I have a talent in telling stories – such a polite way of saying I hog the conversation, albeit at their urging, dontcha think?

Skip ahead a few days and it brings us to Saturday.  Sitting in my office, doing computer work, I spotted movement in my little tree/bush.  Managed to grab my camera and capture these two from my window before they flew off.  There was a party going on but opening my window scared most of ’em off.  As you can see, the female wasn’t so read to step out into the open, so to speak.  My knowledge of birds is extensive. Red bird, not a robin, female, not so colourful.

Sunday.  The day I was going to post but then did, whatever it was that I did, besides post.  Which means my post about the beautiful spring weather has become something else entirely.  Because, well, you’ll see.  Sunday was gorgeous!  I had no more snow on my front lawn (advantages to living on the sunny side of the street) and Zeke and I were going to take advantage of this 11ºC (52ºF) and go for a good walk.  I figured our usual destinations would be rather mucky so, where to go?  I decided on the Parc de la Freyère, completely forgetting that there was a birding thing going on.  On our way there, I passed by the streets in my old ‘hood and could hear a major loon partay going on.  What a ruckus!  We stopped and yep, there they were hanging out on the bit of ice still or swimming – Canada geese.  Trying to get Zeke to not scare them off, we made our way quietly.  I managed to snap a few pics but it didn’t take long.  They were on to us and took off like the hounds of Hades were after them.  I’m not what you would call a nature photographer but I tried.  They were quick and I just clicked away and prayed.

Before Zeke
After Zeke
Totally manipulated this picture to try and get some details. Kinda like the effect
Where’d the birds go? And coz DK said I should not be excluded

The damage done, we continued on our way to the park.  There were quite a few birders there with their big-ass telephoto lenses (I look kinda poor with my 75-300mm lens but hey, better than nothing!)

Now THAT’S how you get great shots…

But I did manage to capture a woodpecker – sure it has a formal name.

There were more Canada Geese raising hell but nothing to write home about.

And then came Monday.  Rain.  Freezing rain.  Electricity goes out at 8 am.  I start work at 9 am.  Thankfully I don’t need to blow-dry my hair and it’s bright enough, sorta, outside to do my face, what little I do, do.  First day of work.  Great. I have to scrape my car.  It is April friggen 8th!  Whatevs.  Get to work, meet the new peeps, do my day, all goes well and leave by 4 pm.  (By the way, electricity came back on at about 12:30, I’m told.)

Walk outside.  What?  I come out from work to see this?

OK, OK.  It’s April.  We know foolish things can happen in this month.

Then today happens.  Andrea and I decide to go for breakfast.  It’s chilly.  Back into the negatives.  Sigh. Put on a thicker coat and off we go.  Enjoying a nice breakfast with endless cups of coffee and look outside.  What in the name of all that is holy is that white shit falling like it was bloody Christmas Eve?  For realz?

Umm… April SHOWERS bring May flowers, my ass.

Sorry folks, apparently we are gonna skip that shit this year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t Know Why, But I Like It – Friday Fictioneers

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What is today? Wednesday!  What does that mean? Friday Fictioneers!  Why is Friday Fictioneers on Wednesday?  To confuse you!

I received this lovely picture by Ronda Del Boccio, chosen by our lovely leader, Rochelle and cannot lie… I scratched my head.  There were a few ideas that came and went but everything I came up with felt like something I’d done before so I sent this pic over to my friend, Marc, for inspiration.  And he delivered!  Dunno that I did it justice or not, but hey, I did the best I are 😉 Let us just say I have gone outside of my norm and a tad more whimsical than usual.

Think you have a better idea, or, let us not be negative, another idea?  Then do click on the blue frog below and add the link to your own 100-word story! Would love to read what you write (coz I do read them all…)

©Ronda del Boccio

      Click me!

Don’t Know Why, But I Like It

Enjoying the cover of night, Penny Quillo made her way along the forest edge, searching for berries.

A light appeared out of nowhere, blinding her. Cowering in fright, she froze upon hearing footsteps approach. She felt a pinch in her leg, and all went dark.

When she came to, Penny surveyed her surroundings and realised she was safely back deep in the forest, unharmed. She sensed, rather than saw, a blinking light behind her.

Twisting her head, Penny noticed a bunch of twinkle lights ‘decorating’ her quills.

“What? Who would do such a thing? It’s kinda pretty though…” she preened.