I feel as if I’ve been MIA on this front for a few months, but the Official Record shows two posts in August and a steady-ish supply in July. I’m surprised: It feels much spottier than that. My head has definitely been elsewhere. Herewith, a non-chronological summary of the last few months.
In Ottawa, we decluttered, cleaned, prepared/staged, listed, showed, and sold our abode of 18 years. We arranged movers and de-arranged existing basic house services. We executed an extended Farewell Tour. We cleaned our abode again, decluttered again, organized our stuff for packers/movers, hosted said packers/movers, and cleaned our abode again. And we left.
In Calgary, we searched for, bought, and interim-financed a new abode. We arranged new basic house services. We cleaned again. We hosted movers again and began unpacking boxes, placing items in spots both hoped-to-be permanent and known-to-be temporary.
Our move from Ottawa to Calgary is not finished:
- many boxes remain to be unpacked
- many packing materials remain to be disposed of
- many personal services remain to be arranged
- many locations hoped-to-be-permanent remain temporary
However, we think that the move has reached a new stage: deadline-free. The essentials are done; what remains can be handled at our pace. Or so we hope.
So here I am. Again. Hi.
Between the idea
And the reality
Between the motion
And the act
Falls the Shadow
– T. S. Eliot, The Hollow Men
Between the idea and the reality of moving to be closer to family falls not the Shadow, exactly, but a bunch of work, an appalling amount of administrivia, a few surprises, some hard decisions, several trade-offs, more house-cleaning than enough, a flight halfway across the country and back again, a whole bunch of money, and 4 1/2 days on the road.
Between Ottawa
and Calgary
Between the leaving
and the arriving
Falls the Photo Opportunity.
Herewith, some images from our road trip.
Images Cumulal
Images Lineal/Smart-aleckical
Images International
Images Celestial
We weren’t actually out-&-about for too many dawns, but we sorta saw two.
Images Educational
This is Duluth, which I believe I had always heard as Duh-looth, without even considering the possibility of a French origin. But I saw something on a sign that corrected that misapprehension. Here’s what the City’s official website says about the name: Named “Duluth” in 1856, the city’s name recognizes Frenchman Daniel Greysolon, Sieur du Lhut, who came in 1679 to set up fur trade routes.
Images Linguistical
The apostrophe in “Mimosa’s” is just wrong; but substituitions is a little bit funny. And after so many years in Ontario, I’m delighted to be back in the land of addictive-free vinegar.
Images Humiliational
If this were my handiwork (sic), I’d find a way to hide all evidence of it. Or even just half the evidence. Yikes.
Images Inspirational
On an uplifting note, North Dakota encourages all travellers to Be Legendary.
Images Miscellaneal
Images Thought-Stimulational
With their green folds, these hills remind me of the Sonoran desert, where you can see the usual flow of the (scant!) rainfall by tracing the ribbons of green in an otherwise sere landscape. Plants are amazing: they grab any chance at a root-hold and, where one starts, others follow. Roots help hold the soil from following the water downhill. Seeds fall in the same area. Plant material composts and retains moisture, making the next guy’s job a little easier. Maybe people are like that too, at our best: where one of us finds or creates the conditions for flourishing, others can build on what we’ve done.
Images Cultivational
We saw acres and acres and acres of sunflowers under cultivation, at varying stages of maturity. This area (somewhere between Michigan and Saskatchewan, sorry, no idea really) is likely spectacular right about now.
Images Folk-art-ial
Images Gypsumian
Gypsum? (That was my second thought, the first being, Snow? Like, clearly not.) But just as clearly I have no knowledge about gypsum: what it’s made of, where it’s found, how it’s mined/extracted, and what it’s used for. For those interested, here’s a YouTube video.
Images Reflectional
Images Buffalo-ian
There was a push to have Saskatchewan and Alberta come into Confederation as one province, named Buffalo. Seriously. But as you can see, the topography and land-use are just too wildly different to have made that even feasible, much less wise. (SK on the left; AB on the right.)
Images Lunar-Partial-Ecliptical
Images Canonical (subcategory: Prairie)
Images Canonical (subcategory: Calgary)
Two images sum up Calgary mall parking lots at this time of year: the ubiquitous windshield-repair stations because Alberta uses grit/gravel more than salt on its highways and roads; the Taber corn because it’s in-season and famous in these here parts.
Images Final-ial
The views from our deck promise to be interesting. Now to find my better camera. I’m pretty sure it’s in a box somewhere . . .
Congratulations on surviving the marathon! Your description of moving is a life-lesson! Your photos express the journey, particularly with such thoughtful and whimsical titles.
When you feel able to breathe again, get in touch. Come over for tea, or we could meet for lunch.
Judith – Many thanks – all round. I forgot to mention that the Canadian Shield looms as large as it ever did: rocks, trees, water, rinse-repeat.
“If this were my handiwork (sic), I’d find a way to hide all evidence of it. Or even just half the evidence. Yikes.”
Whatever it is, I think it’s lovely.
And… goodbye, dear Isabel. It was fun to know you over these past many years 😀
Keep well and go south for those snow/cold winters.
Barbara – There you go: found art! I might have known. 🙂 It’s been a pleasure for me likewise. Take care.
Nice summary of the trip west, leaving out all the drudgery, nerve-wrackinedness, of the actual move.
Who knows what treasures you might find in a box at the bottom of the pile, under all the packing paper – might even be your real camera. But you did well with your other camera
Thx for the education re the white sands of New Mexico being gypsum
Nice views from the new abode. Relax and enjoy it! (easier said than done, I know)
Jim R – Thanks! And yes, it is hard to relax and let the boxes wait for another day, but I’m getting better at it through necessity!
Thank you for sharing a Big Life Lesson, so beautifully cleaned and sorted and organized and packed and unpacked — well, almost. Obviously, you have been in training for this Olympian sport for long enough to have survived it with aplomb. Take it easy as you arrange the finishing touches on your “still point of the turning world.” (so little of Eliot remains to instant recall!) Blessings upon you and the Big Guy and your new abode.
Laurna – When editors or therapists or such-like say, “There’s a lot to unpack in that”, they have no idea. 🙂 Thank you for the blessings. What’s the saying attributed to Julian of Norwich? Ah, yes, Google comes through again: “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.”
Isabel – another “adventure in moving” complete.
Wish I had thought to take a picture in the rearview mirror for my many pre-age 70 moves.
At one time I thought of moving back to NS, but then decided to stay put. You have convinced me of the wisdom of my decision.
Glad to see The Big Blue Ox is still there.
In five year’s time, if you still have unopened packing boxes, you didn’t need the stuff in those boxes anyway.
John – I almost forgot to take that photo, and had to politely ask for the car to be returned to the right position in the driveway! As for right decisions, I think there are many ways to be right, and (sadly) none of them are perfect. But we’re here now so I expect things to get easier.
Most sincerely hope so.