Day 2 showcases DayZee, who is a beautiful sheltie living on
Alberta Avenue
DayZee and Roger
DayZee
3o Dogs in 30 Days!
Hello All! And welcome to “30 Dogs in 30 Days!”
A compilation of dogs on Alberta Avenue. Roof, Rrroooof!
This month I have challenged myself to create a montage of 30 Alberta
Avenue dogs in 30 days. Some pictures will be accompanied by poems
and some will not. Whatever the case, I hope you enjoy them.
Ty and William
Ty
You are the smaller shadow walking beside me,
Your tags creating tinkling music to my ears,
More resounding than Beethoven
Bright as Clair de Lune
Your wagging tail, orchestrating a maestro’s furry baton
As we walk
You leading the music between us
Two companions. Two friends. Together.
My Staycation
This year I decided to enjoy the wonders of Alberta Avenue by having a Staycation.
Hope you enjoy my pics!
This is me floating in one of the many public pools open this summer.
What is happening with Commonwealth Rec Centre anyway?!
This is the third summer that it has been closed for some reason.
One must adapt I suppose.
After a cool dip, I grabbed something to read from our “Little Free Library.” John Sandford is a favorite summer reading author of mine featuring Lucas Davenport, the rule-breaking, poetry-loving detective.
We are lucky to have so much wildlife on Alberta Avenue. Here I am with a rabbit and a moose.
A Staycation is a good time to smell the flowers.
Aaaah, lovely!
This is me in an angelic pose. I’m in heaven on my Staycation.
Alberta Avenue is a wonderful place to spend a Staycation.
However, watch out for the moose!
Talk to you later… and have a happy Staycation!
Village Upside Down
Village Upside Down
Greetings from a Village Upside Down!
Once again the Deep Freeze team has pulled off a successful winter family festival on Alberta Avenue. Word is that roughly 40,000 people were in attendance. A record!
This year, the wily, creative Deep Freeze family festival team came up with the theme “Village Upside Down.” Here are my thoughts on that.
Village Upside Down
Come inside this house so rare
enter by the attic stair
Trees stand
roots up in the air
Hatred becomes love
everywhere
In our village upside down.
Our mayor
when he is able
holds court atop the council table.
Tails wagging down and up
Oceans fit into a cup
In our village upside down.
The town clock strikes midnight at twelve noon
sounding so eerily out of tune
while children play ‘neath a silvery moon
In our village upside down.
Butterflies, Blossoms, Birds and Billboards
Today I was surprised and excited when I noticed a billboard with a painting by local artist, Maria Pace-Wynters, beside the Stadium LRT Station on Stadium Road.
It is entitled “I Can See My Dreams”
Congratulations Maria! What a treat to be driving down Stadium Road and see your art!
Of course, I wrote a poem about it…
Fair face
Suspended now
Youth exaggerate
Lushly growing things, seen through a gossamer wing
As from your thoughts arise, birds, flowers. Butterflies
This child, this muse, this dream
A wallpaper of life
Smash!Down
Early Sunday morning, a car was left abandoned in front of our house. By Sunday afternoon, someone had smashed in the car windows leaving a scene of violence behind them. Shattered glass covered the lawn and pavement surrounding the car. I still feel myself tense up when I think about it. Smash!Down are the words that I use to describe what I saw.
There’s a curve in the words
Smash!Down
Glass shards hit the ground
in a see-through sound
Smash!Down
No light savior behavior
Just a grin that turns in
Music born from within
You repeat to the beat
Smash!Down
Smash!Down
One is a lonely number- for a bicycle !
Bicycles in Amsterdam
Greetings everyone! We have just returned from Amsterdam.
Bicycles are rampant there as the city moves in a seamless ballet of pedestrians, cars and bikes. There is the occasional horn honk or brake screeching, after which the city’s inhabitants glance at each other muttering the word “tourist” under their breath.
On the Avenue, you might see a couple of bikes chained to a rack, but in Amsterdam there are crowds of bicycles huddled together. They have designated bike lanes, separated from the traffic, making it safer. There are also thousands of kilometers of bike trails running next to the highway in the Netherlands. Bicycle heaven!
One is a lonely number- for a bicycle!
Amsterdam inspired me to get out my bike and write this poem.
Night rain
water sprays behind my tires
plopping fluid drops
merging together
smelling clean and cool
Serene
lone cyclist with a newly-made sun
lighting my path
this Alberta Avenue morning
#Playme
Hello everyone !
We have just returned from an enjoyable holiday in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia.
Walking on the Halifax waterfront, I spotted this piano, which is covered because of fog and drizzle or RDF (rain, drizzle and fog). It reminded me of home and the piano which sits in front of the Carrot Café. Pianos in public spaces for people to play seems to have caught on across the Country.
Queen’s Warf,
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Public Piano
Carrot Café Piano
118th Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta
Fingers run up and down the keys
#children run back and forth chasing an ocean wave
notes reach a crescendo, then wane
Fingers run up and down the keys
leaping slowly, like mule-deer dancing through the grain
sound stopping on one clear note held low and long
#liketheprairie
Fingers run up and down the keys
a sprinkle of sound like #Depression dust settling to the ground
only to be whisked high and round
into the throbbing drum of combines cutting wheat
Fingers run up and down the keys
staccato horns blaring, laughter lilting
the smooth sound of #jazzy blues mixing with coffee
Fingers run up and down the keys
pounding, then gently, like velvety water rippling
chromatic gulls drifting
#music
#calling, calling
#Playme
#Playme
Blessed are the Poor in Spirit
I saw this sign as I was walking on Alberta Avenue. It made me think of the beautiful writing of the Beatitudes and inspired me to write this piece.
Blessed are the Poor in Spirit
Blessed are the poor in Spirit
So the good book said
Blessed are the stony benches
Where homeless lay their head
Blessed are the streetwalkers
Who struggle with their clothes
Blessed are the places
Lost cigarettes repose
Blessed are the mothers
With children held too tight
Blessed are the poets
Who gaze into the night
Blessed are the ones who listen
As the church bells knell
Blessed are the spirits
Who look beyond the shell
Blessed are the ones who work
For glad fraternity
Blessed are the poor in spirit
For all eternity.
SKY VIEW
I had a fun time this past week wandering around AVEFEST 2015 on Alberta Avenue. There were parachute games, free food, nail whacking, more free food, water balloons, snakes and ladders, marshmallow creations, stilt walking and did I mention more free food!
Even Tinker Bell made an appearance, so it must have been magical.
And as our emcee often reminded us “It’s all free!”
Great job Aaron and April Au and your team!
There was also kite flying, which inspired this poem.
Just imagine…
Sky View
There is a song you bring to me
A melody of community
Of children laughing, playing fair
Of joy, Of love
From way up there
Tethered by a single thread
You blink and wink and nod your head
As seagulls wonder who you are
This tailed invader from afar
Below
The circle opens wide
One more child can step inside
You see in this euphoric sight
Abundant community taking flight!
Bard of the Avenue 