Aylmer Marina: moments of beauty by a river

Today I took my daily exercise in a different venue. My son wanted a ride to Aylmer (which has been amalgamated into the larger city of Gatineau but still retains its character.) It is an old town, old buildings, and along the river, a lovely walkway from the boats to riverside homes through a park.

Someone was flying a kite shaped like a fish, multicoloured. A small girl ran after a seagull. She did not think about running. She just ran, calling to the bird as if expecting it to come. On the water, sailboats, a kayak. In the water, a few small children on the sand. Along the pathway, an older, rather portly couple, holding hands. Slim young runners. Many cyclists, one an older man, grey-haired, carrying a bag of milk in his basket. Some helmeted, some not. Beside the pathway, a fountain. A breeze. I gathered a feather, a shell. Two small schoolboys were eating lunch near their summer class in sailing. They greeted me with a friendly bonjour, much to my surprise.

I could feel the smiles inside. For a while, I listened to the sound of water and wind. Then, my trusty iPod, starting with Van Morrison, then hearing Alanis and Seals&Crofts and Cat Stevens and Smith & Dragoman, Rosemarie Petersen, and the Baha'i Choir singing Blessed is the Spot. It was exactly that: 50 minutes along a river, blessed in summer sunshine. A breeze.