Canadian Beauty – The Ballast Grounds

There is an area downtown in my hometown called the Ballast Grounds. I have been there more times than I can even begin to count. My father’s barber shop was there for many years, I played there as a child while waiting for him to finish work, I hung out there from time to time as a teenager with nothing better to do and I got my very first set of car keys there when my father handed them to me after getting my drivers license.

The one thing I have never done is really look at it and really see it.

Like most other things I notice when I go back home, this is something I only appreciated once I was gone.  This small strip of land where people keep their fishing boats never really impressed me much or even crossed my mind when I lived there… but when I was home I couldn’t wait to walk down there and take it in with my camera.  Here are some of my favorites from the day I finally did…

It was a beautiful day that day, warm enough to walk around in just a t-shirt in the middle of October.  I spent a while sitting on a bench just enjoying the view and, just like old times, waiting for dad to get off work and come meet me.

I’m glad I’m able to recognize just how much beauty there is where I come from.  I also love that after living there for 21 years and visiting numerous times, there are still things that I see differently every time.  I can’t wait to go back.