random thoughts – Day 1,604 – (Thursday) – more downtown street walking

Window painting
at LaLa Books.

There was more street walking today, this time in a group after work. It was cloudy during the workday, and I was busy enough (but not in a stressed out way), that it never occurred to me to take a break away from the desk for a walk downtown. No worries, I knew there would be walking a bit after work.

The walk was scheduled for 5:00 with a meeting point two streets away from work. At 5:00 I was in the elevator descending four floors and at 5:04 I was standing in front of LaLa Books with a group of strangers and two people I knew, again imagining how cool it would be to live downtown. This idea visits me a lot lately, usually when I’m downtown doing something fun, sitting in traffic to cross the river, or mowing the lawn that made more sense when the dogs were around.

The walk was organized by Mosaic Lowell, the organization that also coordinated the thirty artworks and thirteen locations. It was a leisurely pace, with enough distance between the stops for conversation. Some of the artists were in the group and talked about their window paintings as they stood before them.

Geometrics at
Enterprise Bank.

The paintings were done before Folk Fest and executed during the height of the July heat wave. A couple artists talked about the challenge of applying paint onto window glass in full, hot sun, the paint drying almost immediately, and then trying to find the magic sliver of time with optimal daylight and temperature to continue.

I had walked past many of the paintings and stopped to study or photograph a couple of them over the past few weeks, but I hadn’t approached them (or appreciated them) as a curated collection. Neither had I noticed that within the collection there were smaller themed collections of geometrics; music; culture; and nature, including the Merrimack River and fish. One especially clever painting, located in the window of the CTI organization which organizes the farmer’s market, celebrates nature and local farms and the fish as various fruits and vegetables.

Luckily, the rain clouds that had gathered late in the afternoon waited until close to the end of the walk to express their drops. As the rain began to fall, the umbrellas began to rise and we headed to the final stop on the adventure.

Fruit and veggie fish
and the artist Lily Gigante

The walk ended at The Old Court Irish Pub and Restaurant where a reception was scheduled. When we entered, there were appetizers set out on a section of reserved tables. It was a relaxed (and dry) chance to enjoy potato skins, chicken tenders, and wonderfully crispy seasoned fries and chat with people who were on the walk.

At home, Kiki was lounging under the dining table. There was a greeting from the kitchen, then a slow approach with my outstretched hand, and she let me gently stroke her cheeks and head. More frequently now, she creeps closer to where I am then sits a few feet away to stare at me, or lays on the rug in sight and out of reach. And then she disappears when I'm not looking. It’s a tightrope walk of baby steps but there is progress every day.