July 31

July 31 - 26.25 km
Blasted out of bed very early by very loud music. Although I think at first it's coming from a neighboring apartment I realize that it's live music coming from across the parking lot, it's the beginning of "Buffalo Days". I head out to a new place for coffee, stop at a Macs store for newspapers and have an interesting conversation with clerk about walking and photography. I have another conversation about walking and photography with server at Roca Jacks coffee house. The shop is providing coffee for strikers on picket line so I leave some money for coffee fund.

Start on Day's excursion. Drop a copy of Rebecca Solnit's "Wanderlust" at gallery for facilitator to read and start walking toward north end of town in search of the "New Utopia" cafe . An obituary of the owner, local artist and restauranteur Roger Ing, had appeared in yesterdays newspaper and I thought that looking for the site of the cafe would be an appropriate tribute. I walk up Broad to Dewdney and then west on Dewdney for quite a distance with out sighting the cafe. I end up at the RCMP Heritage centre, in a new Arthur Erikson influenced building, have lunch there -smoked chicken sandwich & salad. $12.00 admission to the centre and $8.00 for lunch.
I return to the city along the Wascana Creek walking path mulling over my experience at the heritage centre which I'm thinking of more as a propaganda centre designed for training recruits in the grand tradition of the force. It makes me wonder again about the need for a nineteenth century paramilitary federal police agency in current times. To paraphrase Rousseau, "...I think when I walk...."
In the evening i walk down to the Mackenzie Art Gallery for a re-enactment of "The Trial of Louis Riel". As I enter I am invited to play the part of a member of the jury, requiring me to be in costume and sit on the stage in an extremely uncomfortable chair for two hours. Excellent re-enactment with predictable results.

July 30

July 30 - 9.31 km
After newspapers and coffee go to gallery for scheduled 11am - 1pm period. Pick up a copy of "The Epoch Times" on the way, a paper on Chinese and World issues published by adherents of Falun Gong.
1 pm - Two people come into the gallery to schedule a walk, Chris and her mother in law and I go into the park and wander around until the walk is cut short by quite impressive thunder, rain and hail storms.
Wait out the storms and then go for longer walk with E.M., a sort of circular walk in the blocks surrounding the Library ending up back in Victoria park.

July 29

July 29 - 11.74 km
Spent morning with ankle in ice-packs before going for newspapers. Bill Burns drops by for coffee at Atlantis, a surprise. Then to work at the gallery.
1pm. Walk up to postal outlet to mail some documents and pick up a package. While entering the drugstore containing the postal outlet I was told that I was entering a "back-pack free zone" and I had to surrender my pack at the counter, not unusual but inconvenient as I was going to the postal outlet not the drugstore. A couple of days earlier while buying a bottle of wine I was followed around the liquor store by a security guard, presumably because of the backpack. Seems like you become an object of suspicion if you need to carry everything you need for a days activity with you. Urban walking is a suspect activity.
After returning to the gallery for a bit more work I went down to a wine bar for dinner, a guinness burger with stilton, delicious. While I was enjoying an after dinner glass of wine a local artist arrived to drop off a commissioned painting.
After dinner I picked up some groceries and walked home.

July 28

July 28: 4.41 km
Out the door relatively early to go read the newspapers. A change in tactics is called for due to the ankle sprain. Walk around downtown mall in search of supplies and then go to gallery to work. Lunch with A.C. then work at the gallery for day.

July 27

July 27 - 15.28 km.
Take it easy in the morning then walk down to Mackenzie Art Gallery to see the exhibitions. Walked back via Wascana Lake to Broad St. and then back into town towork in the gallery for a couple of hours.
Got out of the Dunlop before it closed and worked in the apartment with my foot up wrapped in ice for the evening. Set up computer and printer.

July 26

July 26 - 19.50 km.
Get newspapers and go for home-cooked breakfast fry-up with CW at a local restaurant.
Walk out to airport to see CW off (walking with CW of course). Route back into town is along Regina avenue via Wascana park. cut back over to 13 ave. to shop for sausages and fresh pesto. After leaving shop I step into a hole in the pavement on 13 ave. and get a bad ankle sprain. Fell on my face in front of traffic stopped to let me cross, very embarrassing and painful. Limp back to shops and sit on edge of planter til worst of the pain passes. Had conversation with a fellow who sat down with me. He looked like he had been badly beaten and was wearing a hospital bracelet. He wanted to know what I was doing with a camera.
Limp back to apartment and put on ankle bandage (never travel without one!). Walk back over to gallery to work. The library closed while I was working in the gallery and when I left i found myself locked in. Embarrassing again. E Mcluhan came out to rescue me.
Go back to apartment for the evening to ice ankle and hide out.

July 25

July 25 - 9.67 km.
Coffee and newspapers, the Globe and Mail and the Regina Leader-Post, a bit of walking around the park and then to the gallery for a heavy installation day.
Finish at about 6 pm and head out for a pre-opening glass of wine with CW.
Exhibition opens at 7:30 - good turn out. Curator Elizabeth McLuhan opens and talks about Rachelle Viader-Knowles' work (Rachelle is in Singapore) followed by me talking about me and then Bernie Flamen (architect and co-curator) talked about the architectural aspect of the show.
More wine post-opening.

July 24

July 24 - 11.42km.
Up at 7:30 to coffee served by CW. Heaven.
Pick up newspapers and go to coffee shop for more coffee and to read the papers. Walk around Victoria Park a bit and then to gallery but they aren't ready for me yet so go back to apt. to work.
Back to gallery in early afternoon to begin installation and meet with docents.
Go down to Bushwakker Brewery for dinner and to sample some local craft beer. Very good. Walk home in the evening and look at architecture at night.

July 23

July 23: 17.89 km.
Up at 7am to walk to the airport to meet C.W's flight. Pleasant walk - only took about an hour. Lots of pedestrian pathways etc until reaching the airport when all sidewalks, paths and any other form of pedestrian access disapear.
Walk back to town with CW dragging her suitcase and stopping for coffee and other walking perks.
Stop by gallery & go for lunch with B. Shopping, monster thunderstorm, back to apt for nap.
out to dinner at a great wine bar.

July 22

July 22: 20.07km.
Get up early and walk around park looking for Rachelle's intervention. Walked more than 4km unsuccessfully and it's not a big park - ran into Bernie outside of Dunlop who gave me instructions. Lunch with R. Walked back up to Cemetery - GPS goes wonky again. Great birds again including flickers. Shop for supplies at large big box shops, a walking experience in itself.
On way back to town stop at Cathedral Village Free House for a beer (and sweet potato fries) - good local craft beer.
Drop in at store afterward and barely miss a massive thunder and lightning storm. It went from daylight (5:30 pm) to dark as midnight in seconds. Power went out in shop while I was waiting out the storm.

July 21

July 21: 13.18km today. Spent a good part of the day settling in, at the gallery and lunching. Walked a good distance up Albert Street looking for sources for supplies. Walked back on Broad. Stopped at the Regina Cemetery. GPS unit went crazy while I was in the Jewish section. Odd. Looked at headstones of holocaust survivors.
Lots of birds. Robins, Thrashers, Chipping Sparrows, Warblers. The cemetery is an oasis in the city, bounded on one side by the tracks that divide the city into North and south sides, and between Broad and Albert Streets on the east and west.

July 20

July 20: Walked 10.27 km despite driving most of the day to get to Regina. Walked around the periphery of the park in late evening.
On my way to Regina I stopped in Moose Jaw for coffee and noticed in the paper that Regina has more violent crime per-capita than any other city in Canada.

July 19

The Sun Never Sets: Victoria Park in Context.