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| Notes on a Border Crossing | |
| 2007-09-25 | |
I drove up from DC in about ten hours, winding along Route 15 through the spectacular Susquehanna Valley and enjoying the view from the "Senator John Heinz Memorial Scenic Outlook" (Governor Ed Rendell, presiding). The Appalachians rose and then fell back as I sluiced north through Pennsylvania and headed west into the Empire State, across to not-quite-Buffalo before turning north again to pay my New Parity Dollar bridge toll and enter O Canada. As the last US talk stations faded out, I turned off the radio and basically left the news and current events behind me. The plans had been set well in advance; Niagara on Saturday, Toronto on Sunday, the grueling drive home on Monday. We biked and hiked around Niagara Falls for almost the whole day, with groovy tours of their awesome Sir Adam Beck 1 [Hydroelectric Power] Generating Station and the adjacent Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory. The thought occurred to me that this is what civilised societies *do* - they generate power and conserve butterflies. We saved the Falls proper for evening, arriving as dusk fell and the last rays of the setting sun were still glimmering on the casinos. And really all I can say about that is: If you haven't been to see Niagara Falls, what the hell are you waiting for? Sunday found us all on the bikes again, tooling around the placid shores of Lake Ontario and enjoying the hospitality of the local seagulls (long story, don't ask). We toured historic Fort York, which reminded me that there is one more thing that civilised societies do; namely, they build properly engineered military installations clearly marked as Forts, in which persons in Uniform (at Fort York they wear the regrettable Red Coats of the British Army) perform Duties that are easily identifiable as military in nature. I was particularly surprised to see a birthday party for a bunch of 8-year old boys on the grounds of the fort, parents smiling happily as the kids donned red jackets and took The video linked at the top here is "Freewill" by Rush. It is posted here today because the song came on the radio at the exact moment I crossed the border on my way home. Right between the Canadian and US flags. Absolutely uncanny. I put a link to the lyrics in the title, but here's an excerpt: There are those who think that life Has nothing left to chance With a host of holy horrors To direct our aimless dance A planet of playthings We dance on the strings Of powers we cannot perceive "The stars aren't aligned - Or the gods are malign" Blame is better to give than receive You can choose a ready guide In some celestial voice If you choose not to decide You still have made a choice You can choose from phantom fears And kindness that can kill I will choose a path that's clear I will choose free will And those are my Notes on a Border Crossing, and here ends my Canada travelogue. Thank you to my Canadian friends (minus one, er, two seagulls) for a phenomenal weekend, and thank you Canada for your friendship and steadfastness. May we all choose free will. | |
| Posted by:Seafarious |
| #3 Deserting, eh? |
| Posted by: Jack is Back! 2007-09-25 15:41 |
| #2 Very nice, Sea! |
| Posted by: DanNY 2007-09-25 07:27 |
| #1 Amen. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2007-09-25 05:03 |