Getting my arse out the door on a cold evening is not the easiest thing. I was trying to find an excuse to ditch on my walk and then I remembered what Ray was going through late last year and early this year. He was in the late stage of dealing with terminal cancer and every small thing took all of his energy. I remember the night he fell trying to cross the room to get a picture out his back window.
Of course he tells me about the fall after I have spent five minutes royally bitching about how much winter sucks ass and I hate it and I can’t find anything to take a picture of blah blah blah. Then I find out after telling him what a lazy piece of shit I was how he fell on his prat giving 110% just trying to cross a goddamn small room for a picture. Holy hell did I feel like a dumbass after.
I got my ass out the door this evening after remembering that. If I can’t get out the door for me then I sure as hell can get out the door with a camera for Ray. So I did. My phone said it was -17C with a wind chill of -27C, but it didn’t feel that bad to be honest with you.
I had on a good winter jacket, a neck gaiter, a thick toque, thermal longjohns, and my heated gloves. I especially enjoy the heated gloves and how they glow in the dark. Being that I am fifty-six going on six, I can sort of stalk down the street wearing them and pretending I am Thanos from the Marvel comics sporting a pair of Infinity Gauntlets.
One of my standing jokes is that I didn’t like my first childhood so I am giving myself a do-over. If I am acting childish, it’s on purpose, and just roll with it. Or don’t, because I don’t care (hey, I did say I was being childish).
When you see a middle-aged d00d with a dad bod and a camera or three wearing glowing gloves and walking around Strathmore in the freezing darkness taking pictures and also snapping his fingers at various points, don’t panic. It’s just me being a kid again and also trying to honour the memory of a friend while I’m at it.
Another cell phone image. Funny how that happens, huh. Half of the Earth’s population was not “snapped” away during the making of the above images, although honesty compels me to admit that I did try.
