Red horse-chestnuts

[vaneramos]

On Wellesley Street, halfway between Yonge and Church on the doorstep of Toronto's Gay Village, stand two red horse-chestnuts, which give a much different impression from the common white ones. That's the only place I see these striking trees anymore, but they always remind me of Buffalo, New York. In early 2000 I had a three-month romance with Mike Morgan, a handsome rogue from Buffalo.

He picked me up one cold Saturday in February at the Black Eagle here in Toronto. Someone else was in the process of trying to charm the pants off me that afternoon. I spotted Mike out of the corner of my eye. He said hello, but my heart sank when he turned and walked out of the bar. Five minutes later he returned, walked right up to me and cut in on the conversation. I was smitten.

That spring I paid at least a half dozen visits to Buffalo. Mike is a graphic artist who loves architecture, so he would spend Saturday afternoons showing me around the city. It is remarkably beautiful. Downtown is full of ornate skyscrapers, such as the City Hall, built around the beginning of the 20th century.

Buffalo hosted the 1901 World's Fair. The residential neighbourhoods built on its site feature gracious boulevards, traffic circles and parks designed by Frederick Law Olmstead. The city also has several buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, such as the Darwin D. Martin house, and many Wright imitations.

But one of the things I remember best about the city is how the red horse-chestnuts opened in May. I had never noticed them anywhere before. There they lined the streets.

Between 1999 and 2001 I went through a series of brief relationships, mostly with good men, but none of them lasted. The spring of 2000 holds some of the most interesting and pleasant memories from that difficult period of my life. I still see Mike once in a while in downtown Toronto, and I'm always happy to do so. If you ever want a tour of Buffalo, I can't recommend a sexier or more entertaining guide. Be sure to go in May when the horse-chestnuts are in bloom.

Comments

[ruralrob.livejournal.com]

Nice shot. Now you come to mention it, I know those trees well.

Interesting what you say about Buffalo. It's much maligned and the butt of a thosusand jokes, but you're right about its architectural interest. Great spot for a photo expedition. Same to a lesser extent with Rochester, which suddenly becomes a bit more accessible now ..

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

You mean those two particular trees, don't you. :-)

I had never heard anything good about Buffalo, so I was surprised at its magnificence. It is similar to Toronto is some ways, although the downtown architecture is a little more imposing, and the city has stagnated over the past century (in 1900 it was the third largest city in the US), while Toronto has exploded. Too bad I wasn't doing any photography at the time; Mike gave me ample opportunity to record the city's sights.

I have never visited Rochester before, but Danny has a couple good LJ friends from there (who I'll meet next weekend) so maybe I'll have an opportunity within the next year.

[leafshimmer.livejournal.com]

Those photos are lovely. thanks for sharing.

hope you have had nice weather for your visit to TO. I was fretting over the weather out at the Farm. We had scrappy weather down here and the weather out there often seems to wind up being similar.

Claude's in Stratford this week, seeing plays with his partner.

If you see Bill before your return to Guelph, be sure and give him a hug from me. And a hug, nipple-rub and bum-squeeze to that sassy Daniel.

still trying to stir things up

That Witch Shimmer

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

You mentioned that last year, but I had forgotten about it. Unfortunately I didn't notice any smell when I photographed these, and now that I'm back home I don't know where to find any. Hopefully they'll still be in bloom on Thursday when I go back to Toronto.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Round about the cauldron go?

"You should be women, and yet your beards forbid me to interpret that you are so." ~Macbeth

Except for Thursday, the weather was Foul, and I'm afraid the boys will arrive home tonight cold, bitten and bedraggled. It was a perfect weekend for spending in the ctiy. Now I am back home.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Well, I found some, but I was disappointed. The scent was too subtle for me to describe, and it didn't remind me of semen.