Fredericton: Crazy with birds

This place I've moved to, in Fredericton, not far from Odell Park, is crazy with birds.

Not that I know much about birds, but they kind of get your attention when you're living in what appears to be a kind of aviary.

As spring has unfolded over the last month or two, I've been entertained by warblers, black-capped chickadees, winter wrens, ravens, mourning doves, robins and varieties of other birds I couldn't identify for lovin' or money.

What I find particularly engaging is the soundscape they create. Having lived in larger cities for the last few decades, the sound of this place is a welcome change.

You know, when people talk about places they talk about landscape, weather, architecture and so on. But they don't very often talk about sound which can (and should) be a distinctive characteristic of a place.

In Edmonton, the sound was cars. Here, the sound is birds.

I prefer the latter.

Bluesin' Through Time

Hard to believe this is me. I've lost track of how long it has been since I was dressed in such a fashion.

There was a certain nostalgic quality to it. I use to be dressed this way all the time. Or close to it.

Unfortunately, it is late at night as I type this. And I don't trust my semi-inebriated state. Were I to generate a legitimate blog post I might publish something I could regret.

It was an interesting evening, to say the least.

I mean, how often do you sip wine, step outside for a smoke with like-minded people and hear Voltaire's name brought up in a drunken rant?

Yes, it was entertaining ...

(btw ... The evening was a C.N.I.B. event and the music was provided by the George Street Blues Project.)

Tear down the wall

Yes, this use to look like this. The kitchen is now considerably different, as it a good deal of the house.

It's not complete, however. There are some niggling things remaining. Hopefully they'll be completed early next week. (Although the "backsplash" stuff has to wait at least a week to get the tile in, then a few days as they put it in ... blah blah blah.)

But at least I can use my kitchen again. The stove is back!

You've no idea how happy that makes me.

Cool renovations - really!

The reno project is now well underway and, as is to be expected, there is the odd blip. I'm thinking here particularly of the one where the electrician guy somehow disconnected the power to my furnace.

Yes, I'm freezing my ass off.

Fortunately, the weather has been great - nice and warm, at least during the day. However, it still gets very chilly at night and that is an "issue" for me since I am still living in the house during all this.

As for what's happening, these photos show the progress.

Adieu, old kitchen - poof, it's gone

And so the old kitchen is gone.

In it's place, enough dust to make Hollywood destructo types envious. When I got home a thin white coating was on everything.

Some of the interesting and very confounding aspects of ripping up an older place are the oddities and problems hidden behind the walls. Like pipes where none were expected. Building materials and techniques that have more in common with ancient ruins than modern building approaches.

Much head scratching ensues.

But the work gets done, perhaps more slowly than anticipated or desired, but done.

At least, that's the hope.

Today is only Day Two. Many more will follow.

(In the meantime, it's an itinerant lifestyle I follow these days as I carry my Powerbook from place to place. I'm want to avoid hanging out at home during the destruction.)

Remember this kitchen

Beginning tomorrow (or more probably, Wednesday) the deconstruction of my kitchen begins. They tear it up. They tear it down. They put in something new.

They also change all my windows.

So for the next little while I shall be living in dust and confusion. A state of discombobulation. An environment of muddle and mayhem. But they tell me the end result will be worth with it.

I certainly hope so.

I can't stand this kitchen in its current state. The house is 50 years old and the kitchen looks it. I also think, when designing this kitchen back 50 years ago, they were high as kites. It makes no sense.

Well, no sense if you plan to cook in it.

But this will change! Soon, soon ...

Sunday afternoon revisited

As I may have mentioned ... I'm still playing with and learning about video and this is why I've been posting a number of short videos. Such as this stroll about Fredericton on Sunday ...