Yep, bridges and water. Sounds about right. Good description.

We got here with about 2 hours on public transit just getting to the edge of town, then far less time with a couple rides (a car and a pick-up), and Dave and his dad (also David S., but we'll call him Stan) came to pick us up at the Irving.

Today we woke up late-morning and went on a nature walk along the river. I'm now realizing how hungry I am, and so will sign off and go in search of: 1) somewhere I can upload my pictures to CD (the library has no burners available and I'm pretty much out of space) and 2) Em and Dave and food (they went home while I went off on my mission to do the former).

we are on our way today.

last night, our "extra" here, culminated in a somewhat spontaneous ritual on angela's living room floor, with herbal brew and belongings (ours and tooker's) and elements invoked, magically transforming and manifesting the energies that had been building. we read passages from the pagan book of life and death, and shared meditations, and honoured tooker's presence and passing and one another, and afterwards, when the circle was broken, feasted on chocolate chips and walnuts. it was a beautiful way to end our stay here.

we haven't managed to come through with a ride to bridgewater, or out of halifax for that matter, so soon it seems we will, once again, be hitting the highway (if we can figure out how to get there).

check in with yous later ;)

For anyone in the Halifax area, we're going to be on Angela's radio show on CRDU (I think) around 5-6pm (maritime time) talking about the environmental implications of hitch-hiking as a transportation alternative. Check us out :)

It's raining now and the water is covered in a deep fog as Em and I sit around Angela's living room, reading and stretching and otherwise stalling on starting the day (i.e., leaving the warmth and dryness of the apartment). The balcony door is open and the view I am facing is spectacular: overlooking the water and Halifax ahead and just to the right, the bridge. The one Tooker jumped from months ago.

Yesterday, on our trek down to water the trees she had planted in his honour along the beach, Ange commented on the possibility that one day his body could wash up and she could be the one to find it. She doesn't think the Cosmos could be that twisted, and therefore considers the chances it will happen pretty slim.

We then wandered along the shore and the three of us ended up stripping off tops and meditating on the rocks there. Something about being semi-naked basking spiritually in the sun... So sacred.

Being here, I can feel Tooker's presence - it is so obvious, so everywhere. I wrote yesterday to him in my paper journal "By the time I started getting to know /you/ were already dead, yet more alive somehow still than most will ever be."

There has been talk too of possibilities of an afterlife, and receiving signs, and other such things. Life always goes on - but it is interesting to see. Both sad and inspiring.

Em and I will probably be on our way tomorrow. Maybe to Bridgewater to say hello to Dave. Or maybe not. We will see. But we have, upon today's geographical check-in, agreed this seems like a buffer day - of relative nothingness or fare-welling, preceeding a new launch.

That's where we're at right now...

Yesterday, Em's birthday, we transitioned from PEI to here with an unexpected pit-stop to swim in a lake quite off our route but to which we were taken by our middle ride, Joey (between the backpacker van tour and the back of the pick-up truck, which together comprised our methods of tranport). Arrived at Angela's, where I put together the Dollarama supplies I'd sneak-purchased and Em blew out her 20-odd candles from 5 snack-cakes and I blew up a confetti bomb.

Today was Halifax Pride Day - very low key compared to Toronto, but nice. Cute. I feel patronizing, but still, when a province has less citizens then our city's parade, there's just a difference!

Oh, being beckoned. Later!

(One of the epiphanies reached during our hilly bike ride to Argyle Shore Provincial Park yesterday. What were you thinking ;) ?)

Confederation Centre Public Library, Charlottetown, PEI (AKA Free Internet :)):

Eating whole foods and breathing tree-y air sure don't hurt the soul... And fully enjoying the talks of politics and other interesting stuff that are almost rote in the tri-lingual farmhouse. In a good way. Like rot-ary. Or rot-i...

Turns out Peter used to live with Tooker, and so we surprised Angela by putting him on the phone during our call last night to verify our impending visit to Halifax. If all goes according to the current "non-plan" then tomorrow we head that-a-way, on Emily's 25th birthday (hint hint, those who know her, write her!!).

Oh yeah, today we raised some heck during "Les Feux Follets," a free youth production on the text-book "history" of Canada, replete with an opening scene of indiginous folks (none of which seemed acted by anyone descending from that heritage, not to mention only one actor of colour in the cast) who in the next song take off their masks and are suddenly all Irish settlers or something, along with tunes like "... dark forests too still to be real..." (with regard to pre-settlement days, no mention of the slaughter at transition)) and "...but time has no beginning and history has no bounds" (during this gloss-over link part). When the dude came on at the end to ask "How id everybody feeling today?" Em answered, sorta quietly, "Offended" at which point the director, Jim White, who had been sitting behind us, tapped her and, upon verifying that she had indeed said what he had thought she had said, himself said he would like to speak with her afterwards. We were then wisked away to the back chambers of the Confederation Centre of the Arts, where we proceeded to discuss with him and Anne Allan, the artistic director, our particular critiques. They invited us to write them out to be further considered. Maybe we will (X2).

We next visited the 1833-34-built "Government House", where we got the tour and learned some interesting tidbits. Like, apparently, Adrienne Clarkson had to jump up onto her bed when she stayed there cuz she's really short and the step was off being fixed. And that the toilet off of the Queen's bedroom has two holes so as to flush more quietly so as not to disgrace the queen with the loudness of her disappearing waste. And that the government officials who built the house used wardrobes instead of closets so as not to get taxed more (or fairly - it's a loophole, since closets counted as rooms for taxing purposes).

Hmmm... Back on the road means more convincing motorists of the wonderful passengership we have to offer. Not a complaint yet - but sorta been enjoying the laziness of being a bit more stationary/settled.

But 'tis time to move on. I have the refrain from Barrett's Privateers ("Now I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier / The last of Barrett's Privateers.") stuck in my head for a couple days now.

P.S. One thing that totally kicks ass about this province is that they go all out in separating their garbage. It's actually _illegal_ not to recycle the recyclables or compost the compostables!!

We made it to the ocean! The Atlantic! It's hard to believe that everything is working out perfectly according to non-plan...

No time to write and internet real sketchy, but let's just say Em and I are pretty blissed out on a little organic vegan-eatin' farm on the littlest province in our beautiful country. Today we got put to work trimming garlic... um... scapes (??) and then biked to ___(wow, memory failing), a lovely clay beach several hilly roads away.

It took a mini-van, a car, and three trucks to get us here, and it was completely worth the all-night wait in the truck stop...

Great gratitude extended to those who have helped us on our way so far, including but not exclusively: Ayla (ride Toronto to Killaloe), Whitney & Steven (ride to Pembroke), Pete (ride to Ottawa), Stephane (ride to Montreal), Anthony (ride to Cap-de-la-Madeleine, where we tented behind his truck beside the parking lot, and then to PEI), and last but not least Evelyn, Sol, Peter & Margarita(our amazing hosts here)!

Sending much love and light and will try to update more soon. Probably heading into Nova Scotia on Friday, Em's 25th b-day :)

So far, I've tried to explain the meaning of this word to at least two Spanish-speakers tonight. As in, I really should be packing for the trip I'm starting tomorrow (today!) morning, but instead I am _procrastinating_ by chatting with you.

Verdict (supplied by Erika after some difficulty with online translators - which are quite off in supplying "delay") - Procrastinating, a la Mexicana, is Haciendo "wey" (wey being the msn-ed down version of the already slang guey!)

I am definitely still procrastinating - writing updates about procrastinating must make some "best of" list somewhere - 3:30am and still not packed.

I'd say inability to pack/organise unless under great pressure would be my fatal flaw, in the Shakespearian sense, if such a thing could be lethal.

Ah, procrastinatory silly hour speculation. Must stop it now. Got a big day/week/rest of July ahead of me :)

Plan: Em and I get ride to festival with Ayla around 10am. Head east. Back in time for me to attend Josh & Adrienne's wedding July 31st. Have a blast. Learn, grow, sleep occasionally. Eat. Get along. Bond. Sing. Celebrate Em's birthday and July 25th (something about a reclaimed Mayan calendar). Keep up the job hunt remotely. (I expect that last part will be the only real challenge.)

Goodbye Toronto! I actually think I may miss you...

Ah, the Maritimes.

I've always wanted to check them out, but the closest I've come to date was my application to Dal back in 1997. When I opted for SFU instead, that pretty much dictated the direction of most of my subsequent Canadian journeys (West!). But now, all that's about to change!

What started as some casual ideas dropped in e-mails between Em and myself while I was in Mexico seems to be solidifying quite nicely. We even have a tentative leave date. Friday. Yes, that's in 2 days... And no, we aren't ready (i.e., packed or prepared) in any real way. But isn't that the best way ;) ?

The quasi-plan: volunteer at the MORNING STAR FESTIVAL July 9-11 in KILLALOE (Northern Ontario). From there, hopefully catch a ride with some returning partiers heading east-wardly home. If not, get to the highway and start hitching.

We have a few contacts along the way, great smiles, and a song book to keep us happy on the road. The rest of the adventure has yet to be created...

By the way, if anyone knows anyone cool in Quebec or the Maritimes who might be interested in meeting up along our journey and/or possibly offering up a rain shelter or meal, please let me know!

This afternoon I helped facilitate a "Culture and Expectations" workshop for the brand new youth participants in the WYC's pilot project (http://www.worldyouthcentre.com/). As much as I was pretty exhausted from last-minute preparations, it was fun, and we got nice feedback to boot.

It seems like these guys are going to have an enriching, amazing, dense learning and sharing experience over the next month. I'm really excited for them and the project, and hope it works out long-term. It has such great potential...

Meanwhile, nothing seems to be turning up so far in the job hunt. I keep looking for appropriate positions, and writing the occasional application when something turns up, and then... [Yeah, that's about it.]

I'm thinking my default plan of travelling out east (maritime-bound) with Emily at the end of this week, while keeping up the virtual search, is likely to pan out, since chances seem dismal I'll get any offers before the weekend.

I'm chatting with Elena in Argentina (the lovely GEO Juvenil co-ordinator there) right now, and we're trying to make plans for our collective futures. We're both going through similar situations with regard to thoughts on careers, loves, life plans, etc., and have made a pact to keep ourselves motivated. And maybe to do some of this life-journeying together, if we can find a way to co-ordinate the geography. Hope we stick to it :)

Stayed up all last night with Mez chatting and then watching a not-quite-final version of "The Take," the yet unreleased documentary by Naomi Klein and Avi Lewis. Mez, a friend of Naomi and Avi's, actually worked with them on the film in Argentina for 6 months, so I got lots of behind-the-scenes commentary and context. Official info on the film can be found at http://www.nfb.ca/thetake/.

Canada Day turned out less green than I had planned, what with Adam sleeping through his parents' ride to the farm. Instead, I ended up spending the afternoon with Stacey, my visiting cousin who now lives and teaches kindergarten in Texas, and other family members.

Later, I met up with Adam for some mushroom/pasta and attempts to watch fireworks from his 20th floor Bloor-Spadina apartment. When that didn't turn out too successful, we tried to make it to the Cherry Beach party. Getting off at Pape Station, though, we were in for an interesting twist; Greek flags and unmoving traffic and honking and celebrating in true Greek-Canadian style... The TTC dude basically laughed at us when we asked how long the bus to Cherry Beach would take. So we walked. All the way. It's a long way...

Got there for the skeletal remains of what might have been a good party earlier, so we just went off to the beach and sat and revelled in the view of the lake and the clouds dancing against the near-full moon-clear sky...

I just got invited to Adam's grandparent's farm with his family to spend the day in green-ness!! YAY!

Must sleep, we leave early...