Ivy bridge to nowhere

Holding on
London, ON
September 2009
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Ivy is one of those things that's a practical nightmare, but a thematic joy. If you're a homeowner, ivy means bugs, cracked masonry, no opportunity to paint and a whole range of similar inconveniences. Sure, it looks old school and charm-filled in that John Hughes Chicago suburb kind of way, but it's a royal pain to uphold the illusion.

But few things can make you stand on a sidewalk and wonder as effectively as a wall of ivy, especially when it's as forlorn as this one. As I watched the late afternoon sun paint this wall in rich tones, I thought about the defiant snippets of life snaking their way across the hostile concrete, and the remnants of leaves too stubborn to admit the season was finally over and it was their time to fall to the ground.

Maybe soon, but not today.

I smiled at the thought, tucked my camera away and headed back home.

Your turn: What three words first come to mind when you see this shot?