The garden on July 13, 2024.

"Answer July" by Emily Dickinson

Answer July—
Where is the Bee—
Where is the Blush—
Where is the Hay?

Ah, said July—
Where is the Seed—
Where is the Bud—
Where is the May—
Answer Thee—Me—

Nay—said the May—
Show me the Snow—
Show me the Bells—
Show me the Jay!

Quibbled the Jay—
Where be the Maize—
Where be the Haze—
Where be the Bur?
Here—said the Year—

Cardinal at the bird bath

9 July 2024

St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Montreal

I've driven by St. Paul`s Anglican Church many times, it is located at 3970 Cote Ste-Catherine Road almost directly across the street from the Jewish General Hospital. It is a simple building, constructed in 1935. There are two other Anglican churches that I am reminded of by St. Paul's, all three churches are small buildings compared to other Anglican churches on the Island of Montreal: one is St. Stephen's Church in Lachine, it is the oldest Anglican Church on the Island; the other church, formerly Anglican, belongs to the Romanian Orthodox Church and is located on Upper Lachine Road. There is a wealth of history associated with all three of these churches. Here are a few photographs of St. Paul's Anglican Church taken at the end of June 2024; it is a brave little church. 

The Gardening Season

All winter we live with cold and snow and then April comes and things begin to change, some flowers begin to appear and tulips break through the ground. More happens in May, more flowers, more change, and life has returned to the garden. We've waited long enough for this and, still, it is slow. But you have to be patient to be a gardener, results are not instantaneous, they are slow, and the garden changes very slowly. It's years we're talking about, not days or months. And now, on the last day of June, the garden is still changing, the favourite lilacs are finished as are the peonies, and cone flowers, brown eyed susans, bee balm, and others are about to bloom. Some lavender has survived the winter and it is brave, it hangs on to life near a rose bush. Things are slow in our northern climate but even the climate is changing, we now have snails (many snails this rainy season) and these snails are new to us only in the last two or so years; otherwise, not much changes and what does change is slow. 

And then, last night, many fireflies in the dark night sky. What a magical sight!

Photos taken 30 June 2024.

June 2024 visit to Urgel Bourgie Cemetery, Montreal

This cemetery used to be called the Montreal Memorial Gardens, now it is owned and run by Urgel Bourgie Cimetiere Jardin & Complexe Funeraire and is located adjacent to Montreal in Ville St-Laurent. It is not hard to find but there is a lot of traffic, especially just before entering the cemetery. Planes landing at Trudeau International Airport can be seen overhead. All of the headstones lie flat on the ground; for assistance enter the main complexe building and the workers there are very hospitable and helpful. 

The grave of my great grandmother, my mother's grandmother, Bessie Richards Parker; 
born in the UK she died in Montreal in 1948

The grave of my mother's father, John Parker, born in Blackburn, England, died in Montreal; and his wife, Bessie Chew Parker, also born in Blackburn and died in Montreal

I think some people have their ashes left around or under a large rock, as this person has done;
a bit of humour, he writes "I crawled back under the rock I came from from"

June 2024 visit to Mount Royal Cemetery, Montreal

Where my parents are buried, "between Chaston and Green"

When Cote des Neiges Cemetery and Mount Royal Cemetery were founded in the mid 1800s, Cote des Neiges was a Catholic cemetery and Mount Royal Protestant; this has mostly stopped being the case. 

It was a hot day, it was +34C

A new headstone for my mother's brother who died in  1914

Headstone for Thomas Sydney Morrisey and his wife Hilda Coristine Morrisey; Syd 
is the brother of Darrell Morrisey, one of the "forgotten Beaver Hall artists