The Old Green Gate

Every morning I take a walk through our neighbourhood.  It's not a very interesting neighbourhood, and it's trapped on three sides by major roads/highways, so I don't often venture past those roads.  Within these boundaries there is a road called Powell Road.  Where I grew up the name Powell was quite prominent in the area.  There was a family owned horse farm just up the road from my home, and there were a couple of generations of Powells living on the farm.  So when I moved to this town, the name Powell struck a chord with me, and I liked walking along the road because there were no sidewalks on that road, just a gravel shoulder and a ditch.  It reminded me of walking along the country roads where I grew up, and I missed those roads (and still do). 

Many of the houses along Powell Road were once small bungalows, some quite old.  They too reminded me of days gone by when big families lived in small quarters.  You made do.  You shared bedrooms.  I always shared a bedroom until one of my sisters moved out.  Sadly, most of these little bungalows are being replaced by large modern homes.  People move in, tear down the bungalow, rip up ancient trees, build a house that barely fits on the lot, and then a year or two later, move out again.  After living here 19 years, there are only a few of the original bungalows left.  There's nothing really spectacular about them, they just elicit a sort of warmth and honesty about them. 

This old gate is the entrance to the backyard of one such bungalow.  The yard is bordered by a tall cedar hedge, and you can't see anything in the backyard.  The house sits on a corner, and the gate is on the side of the yard.  I just love the look of it.  It takes me back to when I was very small when this sort of gate was often seen.  Nothing fancy, but it did the job.  The kids could get a bit of money if they painted their dad's fence or gate.  "Paint the fence, and I'll give you a nickel for every board you paint". 

It doesn't look like this gate has been opened in quite a few years.  Even though it's a tall gate, it doesn't seem to be saying "Keep Out" ... its time-softened weathering seems to say "remember when".

Thanks for stopping by

Wendy