Journey Out to My Parents'

After a frustrating day of moving--mostly cleaning--I left Vancouver for my 63km bike ride out to my parents' a few hours--430 instead of 2--later than I had intended. It was a great three-and-a-half hour ride, with nice weather and, somehow, pleasant traffic. A lot of the worrying parts of the Lougheed now have bike paths--particularly around the Pitt Bridges, which helped immeasurably in the pleasure of the trip. I stopped at Bruce's Country Market in Albion for a lemon soda and a container of yoghurt. (Metro Vancouver note: Albion is where the ferry used to be, before the recent completion of the Golden Ears Bridge, which, rumour and complaint have it, no one uses). I arrived before dark--though barely--at a little past 8.

My parents live on 5 acres of pretty land, with a creek bisecting it (when the beavers, industrious rioters that they are, don't dam the flow with their construction in the logging area adjacent to their property). One side of the creek is their house and shop; the other is the barnyard, where they keep turkeys and chickens. There used to be a plethora of other animals, from a small angora goat herd to a clutch of rabbits.

I wanted to add something to the gardens as a reminder and marker of me while I was gone. I don't know when I will return, if ever. Chances are good my parents may choose to sell and move into a smaller home at some point.

Since my father is sure to hate it, I don't know how long this will stay up. My parents have two apple trees in their back yard, very low and lovely ones with delicious apples most years. Earlier this summer, I discovered how lovely keys sound when they clang freely against one another; as I was packing up my apartment this past week, I decided to construct a windchime for my mother in my parents' yard. The apple trees seemed the best location for it.

I used glass (maybe plastic) bottles I found at Urban Source a couple of years ago, plus a bunch of keys that I found around the house. I added to this cutlery I was getting rid of, plus any sort of metal bit I could find. The best audible combination seems to be the soup spoon and the spent bullet.