Thursday is a big day

Looking for some routine and steadiness in this crazy time, I seem to have latched on to Thursdays.

Thursday is the day I blog now, apparently. It's also garbage day, when one might actually see a neighbour, talk to someone across the street as we put our bins out.

This was a rather special week, as quite a lot of things happened. On Tuesday Stephen rented a van, drove to Ottawa, threw Arthur's stuff in the van and then they drove back. Five hours each way, so a big day. It is nice to have the big galoot back with us, but clearing off the fourth place at the table was a bit of work! The flat surfaces have become rather cluttered, even the end of the dining table!

Wednesday was Stephen's birthday. Our neighbour plays O Canada at 7 pm each night, on his tuba.

Tuba player across the street

He is definitely improving as time goes on... Earlier in the week I asked if he could handle Happy Birthday and he leapt at the chance to double his repertoire. Stephen was quite surprised, as I had let more neighbours know and we all joined in the sing-song. I wish I had a picture to show you! Not quite the house party that he has become accustomed to, having a birthday at the end of the university term, but satisfying enough.

Knitting... I am plugging away at the newest scarf.

My niece is having a baby later in the summer and so I figured a blanket was in order (though now I have the yarn I am having all sorts of different ideas: matching family hats?). I didn't have just the right yarn lying around the house, so I had to order some from my local yarn shop online, and go and pick it up. The danger with online shopping, as is well documented, I am sure, is that old impulse buying. I got another skein of crazy Studioloo yarn and picked one that was pretty, not to expensive... but it turns out it is mohair which I would never have bought in person; it makes me sneeze just looking at it.

So I guess I had better knit it up really fast to get it over with, right!? That will become a pick-me-up for the new mom, to go along with the practical blanket for Junior.

Big turmoil in my twitter feed is the Great Toronto Cherry Blossom issue. When we left Vancouver in March we were able to see ordinary residential streets lined with gorgeous ornamental cherry trees; there are a variety of types that bloom one after the other for a month or more. Here, we have very few and they are pretty special, for the week or two they bloom.

The biggest cluster of the trees is in High Park. Every year there are traffic jams as the whole population of the Greater Toronto Area tries to get selfies with blossoms. So this year, the city has closed the whole park, something like 300 acres of walking space, so that people don't crowd around the trees and breathe on one another. You can now watch the trees on a webcam, and you can see last year's blooms! This page has some nice pictures if you scroll down a bit.

Cherry tree in top-secret location

I do know of another smaller cluster of trees, and they are just as beautiful, although now right next to a big construction site. They will be in their full glory in a few more days, if it doesn't rain too much. I've been there twice recently and there were other people, but we all managed to keep our distance.

Today should have been the beginning of the Hot Docs festival. They are doing their best to put some of the films online. You can watch at CBC Gem, some are on Netflix or Apple TV. At least I know that spring is usually really and truly here by the end of the festival, so in 10 days, the sun will be shining.