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09/30/2005: "Some Fresh Air"

This Thursday, our circle collects on the northeast sidewalk of Yonge and Bloor. Except for Chloe, everyone's brought out their dark clothes. She's in a bright yellow sweater and cozy blue mittens. Laurel says, oh no not the mittens, but Todd too is wearing his new pair of MEC gloves. It's chilly for sure and I say I bummed that summer's over. Anna says what about the winds that've pushed out the stale city air, and isn't it nice to wear sweaters.

Loreen brings her dog Josie, and someone suggests the dog lead our way tonight. This takes us east along Bloor, through a stretch of camoflauged street benches, one of which clips HiMy in the shins. In front of the Manulife building, we pose with the pedestrian tableau sculpture and learn that the insurance company spends as much as $15,000 a year to maintain their putting green front lawn.

A long flight of stairs beneath Mt Pleasant Road leads us into Rosedale Valley, to a quieter turn in the night. The new air brings a fresh perspective, and combined with the limited light and sound in this heavily wooded neighbourhood, particulars become more obvious. The sound of Josie's collar clanging ahead in the distance, the push of fallen branches and leaves as we walk through them, the deep cold of a stairwell railing, even a skunk's spray smells good. When we pass beneath a Balfour Park bridge, the overhead train is so loud, it's as though I can feel the sound waves rolling through.

We emerge from the valley at the Rosehill Reservoir, and stare at the hydrogen atom fountainhead for a while. Then Shawn leads us to a window on the lobby of his old apartment, and shows us the fountain there. We are fourteen people lingering on Pleasant Boulevard, enjoying the close to our night. A man older than myself, wearing an open coat and a grey shirt that reads 'Security Guard', stands with us. He smiles and says good night. I look to him and smile back in agreement.