Winnipeg has changed. This is not the city I remember growing up in and raising my children in. This is not the city I would ever care to live in again. There is such a cold feel to it. Winnipeg may be my hometown, but it definitely is not nor ever will be home to me again.

When I think home, I think Washington State and I think Aguascalientes.

It is nice to see my friends again. It’s been a few years. We have lots to catch up on. It’s interesting to see where we have moved to and what we are all doing now as we’ve grown older. Retirement has meant different things to different people. And let’s not even contemplate all the compromises we’ve made that have been impacted by health issues.

We’ve gone for drives through neighborhoods from my past. New roadways and buildings. A multitude of new apartments and condos. Even the trees look different, and not because they’ve grown taller over the years. They’re new too.

I met a friend for brunch on Friday and wandered over to look at the high school I graduated from back in 1969. University of Winnipeg Collegiate still looks pretty much the same. That’s my feature pic for this blog post.

We drove by my old elementary school and middle school. We drove by the house I grew up in as well as the house I lived in when my two kids were born. And of course the cemetery was one of the first places I wanted to go to as well.

The Forks has seen a few changes. Many of the restaurants have changed. Shops are not the same. But the river is still there.

I’m currently staying in the downtown area. It’s sad to see the empty Bay building. Taller skyscrapers also dot the downtown area and many buildings have changed names.

Tomorrow I’m headed to a cabin with a friend for a few days so I won’t be posting on Wednesday. Looking forward to the peace and quiet possible with No Wi-Fi!

Happy Fourth of July to all my friends out there!