Father�s Day was Sunday. I walked the dogs extra long in the morning, when it was still cool. Down the Riverwalk, up past Boott Mills, through Kerouac Park, by the canals, the balconies and flowers. I pretended we live in Europe, a little neighborhood in Rome, then in Paris. Picking up poop takes me off-fantasy for just a bit. Oh, poo poo. Back in Rome, I stopped for a coffee at the lovely Caf� Aiello. They don�t mind the pups coming in, they are quite nice and offer a cup of ice. The walls are a chocolate brown and cream and my iced caf� latte looks somewhat similar.
We continue down Middle Street, past Life Alive and the Revolving Museum. At the RM, Shecky pulls toward the door. He�d like to see his pal, Oliver. �He�s not home,� I tell him, though for all I know Ollie is up there. We�re just not gonna stop to play, Sheck. He�s easily distracted and on we go.
Along the canal by the high school are huge hanging dresses and some lanterns. These are part of the RM�s ArtVentures project. The Boy Scouts did a green chemistry project � a giant magnetic game. I talked to Daddy about green chemistry a few months ago. I had had the crazy vision that somehow he would come up to Lowell and be able to go to some green chemistry type event�maybe even the ArtVentures opening. It is the kind of thing Daddy would have really enjoyed.
Two years ago he and Mom came up for the Lowell Folk Fest and that was a beautiful weekend. I carefully walked them around, trucking two chairs on my back so they always had a seat. Mom had her oxygen then, but Dad was in pretty fine shape. They listened to Italian folk songs, blues, Cajun, fiddling, bluegrass, and on and on. We ate all sorts of things and chatted with many folks along the way. It was a quintessential, ordinary, extraordinary weekend.
I�m really glad to have had that.
Walking past the green chemistry project I felt sad and happy and swirly twirly � like it is lately. The dogs are fighting with each other and I�m talking to my Dad and feeling him there with me, but he�s not. The signs say it all:
