Adventures

The arrival of ink_ling in Toronto this weekend gave occasion for a gathering of LJ literati. Saturday paulintoronto and bobalone hosted a delicious meal on the back porch of their home. Later as several of us cruised from bar to bar, we commented how there had been unwanted dinner guests, mosquitoes, a surprise at this time of year, and in midtown Toronto. I said they usually leave me alone, "but I was getting bitten." We happened to be passing a gaggle of prostitutes on Carlton Street. One of them overheard my remark and responded in a sultry voice, "Sweet blood." I blushed and kept walking.

Jason is one of those rare individuals (ghostsandrobots is another, and my writing partner, Sarah) who draw me out endlessly. I feel no necessity to filter any thoughts. It would be hubris to interpret this as a special bond. Really, it's a response to his good humour and sincerity, which probably affects many people the same way.

To me fell the bittersweet privilege of transporting him to the airport this morning. I didn't have work today, so afterward I drove into the hills of Halton. Whenever I try to drive randomly, the Niagara Escarpment exerts a magnetic pull. This time I ended up in Glen Williams, a picturesque hamlet on the outskirts of Georgetown. I've only visited it once before, for the wedding of two friends about 20 years ago.

I followed a dirt road that edged the escarpment, to a sharp bend offering a scenic vista over the golden countryside. There was a pull-off at the shoulder, so I parked, hoping to spot blazes for the Bruce Trail.

All I found was an old, abandoned cut through the trees. ATVs had run through there sometime earlier in the season, so I followed their trail. Not far from the road it meandered into an automobile graveyard. There were only two vehicles, one a minivan, the other a 1980s Town Car, tucked out of view behind hawthorns. By the look of weeds growing around, they had sat there a few months, maybe a year.

Paper wasps had set up home behind the side panel of the van; they came and went, pausing to waggle and caress one another at the entrance.

After taking a few pictures, I realized it was risky to stand so close to the nest. Stepping back, I suddenly got a creepy feeling about the whole place, and left quickly.

Earlier in the morning Jason had brought up the idea of finding a photography partner, a companion for outings such as these. I must look into that. It might save on gas and motivate me to explore outside my comfort zone.