I was walking to work this morning when I looked over at the stairs going down to the old boat launch. It's down a flight of beat-up stairs, and in summer it sometimes has a small crowd of teenagers or bike-punks hanging out, watching the river rolling by...
But lately there had been small changes. First there appeared a couple of concrete planters. Then pink begonias appeared in the planters. I wondered if it was the rowhouses that were decorating--I didn't think the park board would have done it. But today there was...a mailbox? I peeked at the mailbox and it had a West Island address...did somebody live in the cave at the other end of the dock? Did we have a cave-troll in residence? What could it MEAN?!
So I hopped down the stairs to find not one but two house-boats pulled up to the dock. I didn't even know you could do that on our stretch of river. How cool is that? They looked in good shape, a little beaten up by weather but obviously cared for. I am smitten by the concept of house-boats, and seeing them made me want one too. (I'm not alone here--I shudder to think what Neighbor Peaty would load onto a house-boat. Chickens, definitely, and the geese. He'd find a way to fit a garden plot on one, I have no doubts.)
Maybe I can collect some of the neighbors later this week and we can all poke our heads down there with a bottle of wine or something to say welcome. And get a better gawk at the cool, cool houseboats...
But lately there had been small changes. First there appeared a couple of concrete planters. Then pink begonias appeared in the planters. I wondered if it was the rowhouses that were decorating--I didn't think the park board would have done it. But today there was...a mailbox? I peeked at the mailbox and it had a West Island address...did somebody live in the cave at the other end of the dock? Did we have a cave-troll in residence? What could it MEAN?!
So I hopped down the stairs to find not one but two house-boats pulled up to the dock. I didn't even know you could do that on our stretch of river. How cool is that? They looked in good shape, a little beaten up by weather but obviously cared for. I am smitten by the concept of house-boats, and seeing them made me want one too. (I'm not alone here--I shudder to think what Neighbor Peaty would load onto a house-boat. Chickens, definitely, and the geese. He'd find a way to fit a garden plot on one, I have no doubts.)
Maybe I can collect some of the neighbors later this week and we can all poke our heads down there with a bottle of wine or something to say welcome. And get a better gawk at the cool, cool houseboats...
no subject
Date: 2009-07-20 05:04 pm (UTC)I wanted to live on a boat once, but I was young and couldn't afford it. Sadly.
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Date: 2009-07-20 06:35 pm (UTC)Hmmm...maybe it's not too late to have a very small house-boat for you. We could put a tiny shack in a canoe and you can paddle it around a bit...
no subject
Date: 2009-07-20 10:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-21 10:57 am (UTC)