The concert was quite amazing. The set lasted just over an hour and a half. Nothing was performed off the first album, which makes me think that Thrice actually knows how weak an LP it was. They did two encores, one of which was Dustin playing an acoustic version of Staring At The Sun, and the other which was a short little piece from the middle of The Abolition Of Man, where Dustin actually hands off his guitar to a guy who comes on stage with a grey hoodie, and walks into the crowd to scream the last few bars. Unfortunately, my memory card ran out of space during the LAST WORD, ultimately ruining the clip.

It was good to see that people knew all the words to Artist In The Ambulance, and Deadbolt (which they didn’t play until everyone was yelling it in chorus).

On his celebrity, Dustin once said, “It’s pretty awesome. A lot of people throw underwear at bands, but our kids bring us books”. If I ever had the chance, I’d give him Huis-Clos by Jean-Paul Sartre.

There’s more that can be said, but I think I’ll put this to rest for now.

Thrice is Love.

The Thrice = Love Series

1. Introduction
2. The Journey
3. As The Crucible
4. Rock It
5. The Rush
6. Far From The End

It was five days of relaxation, with someone I could spill my guts to. The only person who knows everything about me, every embarrasing experience I’ve had, every dark secret in the back of my mind. I could try, but I doubt that I would ever be able to explain my relationship with John. Let the indescribable remain so.

Most of the time was spent in conversation. In the car we would cruise. On the couches we laid ourselves out, both as shrink and patient. We revisited my old stomping grounds, the university campus with its dull, right-angle architecture. There was a bit of serendipity during his stay, the kind of happenstance that makes one question their sense of faith, fate, or lack thereof. After a series of random and correct turns, it was a sudden, rather terrifying, confrontation of months of meditation on the second introduction. Something I’ve been discussing with John ever since I started writing about it, something I wasn’t ready for at all, and something we happened to catch on camera.

The long weekend was just plain relaxing. It’s good to get out every once in a while, although once a year is enough for me to appreciate my clean room, my comfortable bed, and the company of my kitty cat. Getting to know Chris, Aaron’s brother, was a treat.

It drizzled for most of the weekend, but it wasn’t enough to stop us from playing poker in our tents or under the tarp. As can be seen in the last photo, on the last day, the leaves were completely dry under our tents (left side of the picture) while leaves on the ground were soaked through (right side).

Even camping food is easy. Meals cooked over the fire are plate and utensil-free. Cake is eaten with hands, and one feels no more guilty in the company of others than gorging alone.

I managed to get some great shots at night. I still wonder how I’d do with a nice digital SLR though. The one in the bottom right corner came out especially well: the circular lens patterns of my Maglite can be made out in the leaves.

One of the best parts of camping is passing through all the little towns along the way. It always reminds me of the drive up to John’s cottage. The buildings are homely and unique, with so much personality. We passed by an old, working drive-through in the middle of nowhere, and I had to get a picture of the weathered sign. There also happened to be a tiny, pastel-coloured bowling alley, and we decided to play a few games. Funny how the one time we end up going bowling is the time that Trolley couldn’t go with us (he’s never been bowling, and we keep telling each other that we have to go with him sometime).

A growth, a flower, and a lizard. I have no idea what is growing on the log, but I do know that the flower is a trillium, which is the provincial flower of Ontario. It’s also protected, which means that one can get fined for picking it (Any person who contravenes the act is guilty of an offence and on conviction is liable to a fine of not more than $50,000, or to imprisonment for a term of not more than two years, or to both). The lizard is a salamander, and there were a few crawling around in the leaves.

And so, the weekend had to come to an end. It was great to get away, and refreshing to hang out with some decent people. Adam most of all, who renews my ever waning faith in humanity every time I see him. I had a few songs in mind for the video, but the first song I thought of, and the one I eventually used, is by The Postal Service. Before I started editing, I could only recall the first few bars, but I knew that those notes would be able to perfectly define the feeling I wanted. Funny that it happens to be named There’s Never Enough Time. There are so many things I could say, but the videos say it all.

One of the best things about the farm is that it’s a farm. There are the two large and loyal dogs, Willow and Atka. There’s the chirpy housecat, Femo, who likes to twist and turn her body for one to scratch. There are cows, who can jump really high if frightened.

Aside from the animals, there are all other sorts of little things that make the farm rustic and differentiate it from the city life I’m so used to living. It’s not every place that I’ll find random 12-guage shotgun shells on a cabinet, or piles of firewood that are bigger than my house. It really makes me feel like I’m away; away from computers, school, work, or traffic.

I’ll end off with a shot of the inscription on Eric’s flask.

Here’s to them.

It wasn’t a great day for landings, but it was perfect for hanging out on the hill, soaking up the winter sun, and goofing around.

If I’m introduced to a good song at a moment in time, I associate it with a specific memory. At Sandbanks last year, it was Eric blasting Yellow Ledbetter by Pearl Jam before the park warden stopped by to gave warning. This time it was 93 Till Infinity by Souls Of Mischief, a track with a true 90’s beat. It’s easy to deduce the general age of the group from the music; the songs that Eric plays on his stereo are the ones that the Bancroft group grew up listening to.

It was the middle of winter for us, but on that one weekend, it felt like the beginning of spring. We donned our vests, hoodies, and sweaters for runs down the hill. The temperature was just under 10°C, and there was no need for heavy down-filled coats. The scenery is beautiful. No one around, no authority telling us what we can and can’t do. The perfect weekend gettaway.

As Aaron noted, Matt’s ability to jump on a board and naturally carve up the hill after an extended snowboarding hiatus is telling of his board experience in general. The one successful landing I got of Aaron seems tiny compared to the jumps that Matt and Eric do, but he assures me that it’s a lot steeper (and scarier) from the top of the hill than it looks at the bottom.