Same city, new streets

 

A port, a railway, brightly coloured shipping containers, ships, ocean and mountains are what Hastings Sunrise residents see when they take Covid walks in their neighbourhood. John and I played tourist there on Wednesday. 

After a year of wearing Covid ruts into the sidewalks and trails of our Dunbar neighbourhood, John and I decided on a change of scene Wednesday. To the northeastern corner of the city, then, where the rail cars shunt, the port roars, and the rendering plant (if you’re lucky) isn’t too smelly. Hastings Sunrise is a traditional working class neighbourhood that still feels like a place where people live, as opposed to reside grandly. Many of the original small houses remain, side by side with some big beautiful old Craftsmen houses, with their stained-glass windows and spacious balconies. Gardens are tended, or not, the trees are quixotic, and people aren’t afraid to display their kitsch in the front yard or the raw materials for their sculpting in the back. 

 Here are some of the sights we saw on our little excursion. All photographs by John Denniston.

Snowdrops and crocuses and a Covid sign make the foreground, but in the background is a tiny, sweet little cottage that belongs in a storybook.

Two half boats make an unusual front-yard decoration.

Across the street, glittering in the sunshine,  a bank of decorative objects, including many representations of animals, made this front yard un-missable. I couldn't quite make out the theme.

Granite and other very heavy sculpting materials piled against a back-yard garage. The owner likely has no fear of anyone making off with them. 

This was one of a row of similarly cut-back trees waiting for summer to bring it alive.

The unusual bark of this tree, contrasted with the hellebores, drew our attention.

This lumpy, bumpy tree, type unknown, was too interesting not to be photographed. 

John has a thing about fences, and has even produced a photobook on the subject. This white picket fence, very carefully maintained, stands in front of a little house that hasn't received the same degree of attention.