Early Morning Photo Walk

I pulled into the vacant parking space, on Gore Street, in front of the TD Canada Trust. Nearly all of the parking spaces on the main street of Perth were vacant, but this was the last spot before the fire hydrant and the closest to the town hall without actually parking in front of the town hall.

I could clearly see the clock atop the historic building: it was just coming up on 6:30.

Cars and trucks were almost steady as drivers were passing through the core of the town along the Tay River. Gore Street is also Route 43, which connects the Trans-Canada Highway with the Eastern Ontario towns, through to Smiths Falls, Merrickville, Kemptville, Winchester, Alexandria, all the way up to Vankleek Hill, and finally to Hawkesbury, along the Ottawa River.

A few people were on the sidewalks, but too few to worry about social distancing. There was a far greater risk of being hit by a car while crossing the road than coming within 2 metres of another human being.

I was beginning to feel a bit fatigued so I knew this stop had to be short: no more than a half hour. I was now almost an hour away from home and the last thing I wanted was to be too tired to drive home.

Because I knew this town better than the previous two that I had already visited, I knew exactly where I wanted to go. From the town hall, I crossed the street and made my way toward the Crystal Palace, a small, glass and steel market area. There, a basin for the Tay River had three fountains that, to my delight, were running. I took a few photos and continued along the river.

A path led under Drummond Street and took me between the Tay and a legion hall, and to a narrow swing bridge that connected both sides of Beckwith Street. I photographed the bridge and decided to head back.

Once back at Drummond Street, I turned north, before the Crystal Palace, and followed another arm of the Tay, which flows past the public library and bends back toward Gore Street. I passed a riverside Mexican restaurant that used to be a Mexicali Rosa's. I had eaten there a few times before and wondered when my family and I would ever get to eat there again.

Just before the clock tower struck 7:00, I was making my way back to the Niro. I was tired and I wanted to go home.

The fastest route back home from Perth is to exit via North Street, which becomes Route 10, passing through Franktown and Richmond, before I can skirt along smaller country roads to take me back to Barrhaven.

I pulled into my driveway at about 7:50, almost exactly four hours after I had started my photo journey. Had this been a normal Friday, I could have started my workday as I usually do. But my company CEO gave everybody the day off, so I had the entire day ahead to myself. I took my camera to the basement, where my computers are set up, and downloaded my photos.

By 9:00, I was asleep in my chair.

Three towns in four hours. That has to be a record for me.