To Downtown Montreal from a Farm in the Bush

For thirty three years I lived the idyllic rural life in the backwoods of the Gatineau Hills. No neighbours were in sight. My old farmhouse overlooked a twenty five acre private lake teeming with Canadian wildlife. It had 40 acres of pasture and bush. There was electricity, a phone, running water and indoor plumbing.

I was blissfully happy and knew how blessed I was to live in a place like that.

Then six months ago I moved to downtown Montreal.

Yes it was an immense change. And yes I do miss the vista of nature out of every window.

But Montreal has people and recreation and food and convenience within walking distance at almost any time of the day or night.

This writing is to be the stories of settling into my neighbourhood (mon quartier) of Hochelaga and at the same time to pull together some loose ends of my time as a backwoods farmer from Quebec.