Walking in the Neighbourhood
with Sophie Brador


featuring
Hedgehog in a supporting role

this is the back lane we walk almost everyday

Sophie loves it, because it takes us to the Boulangerie

Where she waits outside by the bike stand where I never have to take my eyes off of her,

while I purchase yummable breads made of organic flours.

But Sophie has very little patience for waiting around and the minute I step back onto the sidewalk, she is ready to go.


This is the fire station on the corner of our street. The top windows are all boarded up because the firemen were making French Fries one day and forgot to turn off the oil when they rushed out to fight a fire. They're lovely old fire hall almost burnt to the ground while they were away.

This is our local fruit and veggie market, also on the corner of our street. They were just putting out their local produce for the day. Inside, is a very chic-chic shop with all kinds of nice olive oils and cheeses. I wonder if that's where the firemen got the oil for their French Fries.

This is Sophie, espousing the benefits of eating veggies.

This is our local hardware store, which is right across the street from the fruit store and kitty-corner from the fire hall.

These are a few of the things not allowed in this store.
No roller blades and no plastic bags.
You have to bring your own canvas bag to shop there.

But Sophie is always allowed in and all the young guys who work there know her name and give her lots of attention.

These are Bixi bikes, which is a public transit system. I am very proud of my city for putting this in. There are bike docks like this all over the city and you simply take a bike from one, go where you need to go, and dock it there. Now if only the blasted vandals would get over it and stop stealing the bikes and wrecking the docks.

Some houses on our street.

and gardens on our street.

And Sophie looking beautiful in a Cosmo patch.

Over and over and over.

These are kids crossing the street.

This is the Dépanneur around the corner and down the street.

There is a closer, much nicer one, but they don't let Sophie in and are generally kind of grumpy, so we walk the extra short block to support the nice people who run this store.

This big truck was parked in front of the house when we got home from our walk. We thought it looked a bit surreal.




This is Sophie on the landing outside our front door, waiting for me to stop taking pictures and let her inside.

This walk around the block was brought to you by
Ms. Sophie la Brador.

Note to readers: Hedgehog made it home as well. Sophie likes to take him out and then abandon him half way, presumably to see if he can find his own way back. I usually have to carry him home myself.