Day 8 - 212 -- Rail Travel

With the mixed sun and cloud of the day, staying inside to do the usual weekend chores seemed doable. So, laundry and cleaning moved forward. 

In between the cleaning bits, I watched a few documentaries. that I'd recorded. One caught my attention in particular. It dealt with the history of the royal train from the first with Queen Victoria to the current version for Queen Elizabeth II. The older trains are housed in York at the train museum. That is something my dad would have loved to visit. He was a fireman -- the fellow who shoveled coal -- on steam engines just before the diesel versions arrived. Earlier in the week, a social media group had been discussion travel on iconic vintage trains -- most of which are no longer in operation. The old world charm and opulence certainly was found in the older royal trains. The current one is less ostentatious than those from the first half of the 20th century. I found it interesting that both the conversation and then a documentary on a similar topic occurred within a few days of each other. 

I have traveled by train across the Canadian prairies and in England, but nothing with Pullman cars and fancy dining cars. I try to travel on trains that I think my dad would have wanted to try, such as the high speed train into London. <smile> Given the topic, I've chosen two songs to share today. The first was one of dad's favourites -- this by his favourite big band and a favourite singer. The second is a great folk tune about a particular train. Keep safe. Enjoy! 

Chattanooga Choo Choo -- The Glenn Miller Orchestra with Tex Beneke and the Modernaires

City of New Orleans --Arlo Guthrie

Day 8 - 211 -- Rainy Day & Music

The week ended with a rather grey day that turned to rain early in the afternoon. Wind had been predicted, but none was present by early evening. The day was another quiet one spent at home doing a few small tasks around the house. 

A friend shared thoughts on an album that was released last week. I read lyrics and listened to some of the songs and agree that it is worth a listen. The singer-songwriter chronicled the early Boomer experience way back in the day. This recent album continues his examination of the world around us in his usual poetic style. I share the title track here today. Keep safe. Enjoy! 

Downhill from Everywhere -- Jackson Browne

Day 8 - 210 -- Outdoor Fete

Sunny blue skies filled the day along with moderate temperatures and lower humidity. It was a perfect day to be outside. A friend held a garden (and deck) party today. It was a fun day with loads of great food -- cheese and crackers, potato salad, fruit salad, crudites, shrimp, smoked salmon, crab spread, cake and so much more. Most people were retired faculty from the past many years. I knew a few peripherally, and a handful as acquaintances. I stayed to chat for a while after helping a bit with set up and then had to head out to a couple of urgent errands. I did go back early into the evening to help with cleanup. 

When I got home, I went for a short walk to enjoy the cooler evening air. On my way home, I met the new dog on the block -- a 30 lb ball of fluff -- only 8 weeks old. He is the grandson of the dog that passed in March -- it will be nice to see a new fellow there and what he can bring to the block. That house also has a new kitten who has grown a lot and is filled with amazing energy and stunning vertical leaps. The older cat (3 or 4 years old) keeps an eye on the young ones to make sure they are safe. Had a great chat with their person, too. <smile> 

As I was helping setup things at the party, a song line ran through my head. It seemed like the perfect song to share today. Keep safe. Enjoy! 

Garden Party -- Ricky Nelson

Day 8 - 209 -- Routines & Rhythms

The day appeared with cooler temperatures, but with little to no breeze so little could enter the house. Humidity still rules, though, so maybe not getting the air into the house is a good thing <smile>. It was a quiet day. I spoke with two friends during the day by video meetings. It does help to see and hear people when I'm home for the day. I did some prep for appetizers I'm taking to a friend's place tomorrow and cooked something simple for supper.  

Quiet days at home can be relaxing, but recent world changes have made such days feel a bit more challenging. Too much time alone doesn't feel great. I have been able to arrange virtual meetings over the week days to help with the isolation that is present still. Days like these leave me feeling like I haven't accomplished anything and looking back over the many months since the first lock down, those feelings only deepen. So much could have been done, yet dealing with the stresses of being holed up in one place seemed to paralyze productivity. I was only a year into retirement when things changed -- before a retired routine could be established. I have always loved to be alone to work on hobbies, read, watch movies, cook and such. When i felt the need, I would go shopping to see and interact with people, or call friends to go for tea, a meal or a walk. That rhythm from over the decades has been disrupted and I'm not sure how to re-establish something for the way the world is working now. I know I am not the only person dealing with such challenges. It just feels that way sometimes due to the isolation of the times. 

As I ponder my way through the newness today, a song came to mind. This title song from a movie holds a double meaning based o n the premise of the storyline. It made me smile, but then the words seemed to fit much of what I've been trying to work towards. Keep safe. Enjoy! 

Change of Habit -- Elvis Presley

Day 8 - 208 -- Sky View

Today brought much warmer temperatures than we've had for a week or two. The humidity was high with a risk of thunder storms. An air quality advisory appeared due to the approaching smoke from fires west of this coast. I headed out after lunch to run errands and took my rain jacket since it had gotten darker and the sun disappeared. Once I got up the hill and out of downtown, it became clear that is wasn't rain cloud, but heavy smoke hanging over the hills right down to ground level -- like I was walking through it. I sneezed once while in a store and several times once I got home. It doesn't smell like smoke, but the particulates were everywhere. There is hope that rain might help to clear the humidity and some of the smoke. 

The selection for today came from the streaming celebration of life I attended this evening. I hadn't heard the song for years, but knew all the words. The opening riff is unmistakable. It was a great recessional. And, it dealt with the sky as did my my outing today. Keep safe. Enjoy! 

Spirit in the Sky -- The Kentucky Headhunters

Day 8 - 207 -- A Day of Surprises

An interesting Monday. In the afternoon, when walking upstairs from the basement, I heard a banging noise outside. When I got to the living room I realized it was something hitting the roof of the house. I headed out to see what was going on and found nothing. There were a number of crows in the vicinity today, so it was likely on or two of them dancing on the roof. Being larger birds, they can make a big noise. This sounded for all the world like a basketball against the side of the house -- only on the roof. Surprise! <grin>  

I did an online grocery order today and had a later pickup in early evening. The woman working the shift was wonderful to chat with on the phone and when putting groceries in the trunk. As I had left the house, I got a text from a cousin about meeting for a chat. That happened after my shopping trip and we each had our respective evening meals -- mine very late and theirs at a more usual time since they are in a different time zone. It has been a few years since we conversed, so this was a great surprise added into the day. I found this greatly improved my mood -- which has been a bit on edge of late. It is interesting that one or two events -- in this case unexpected interactions with people - can have such a profound effect. I guess this goes to something I've always thought -- what we say and do with others can make someone's day without us realizing we had done anything significant. Cool, eh? 

Based on the mystery noise this afternoon, I chose a Goffin & King song sung by a group that began in Toronto when I lived there. Their a capella style gives a great rendition of this song. I loved listening to it as I looked across the city at night after a tough day at work. It helped me to relax, and still does! <smile> Stay safe. Enjoy! 

On the Roof -- The Nylons

Day 8 - 206 -- Lazy?

Today consisted of much down time. I have slept poorly for the past few nights and woke today with a slight headache. I did some small household chores, but spent most of the day resting. I listened to some recorded programs and an older movie.  For the second night in a row, major fireworks exploded somewhere close to the house. This was a huge display, but I wasn't aware of anything 'official' happening this weekend. It likely affected several animals adversely. 

Feeling fatigued and yucky created frustration at not being up to doing the few items that needed to be attended to today. They can be done later in the week, but doing so little just felt wrong today. We all have days when we are mentally or physically under the weather. These shouldn't be seen as personality flaws <smile>. Being kind to oneself can be challenging when there are places to go and things to do. I'm still learning this one. I did hear an odd little song in my head today that I'll share here today. Keep safe. Enjoy! 

Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon -- Queen