First, a pause to remember the veterans on this Remembrance Day, including my grandparents. (This is made extra-special by the fact that none of us will get to see this exact date again.)

And on to the less important stuff…

I am off in a little bit to get on with the mad scramble that is known as apartment hunting in this city – it is a competitive process! This song, “City Grrrl” by CSS, seems particularly appropriate to argue for why one might want to move from a small town to the big city:

(I don’t plan on dying my hair pink or wearing black lipstick any time soon, but it’s nice to know we have the option here.) Also, Brazilian band CSS is a fun, quirky group and you should consider listening to them once or twice, if you don’t already and you are so inclined. Just saying, since it’s Friday and you might want to get your dancin’ shoes on early.

Yesterday I walked along St. Clair to Mount Pleasant Cemetery, which is big and awesome. Photos to come, whenever I find a place to get them developed. While I was there, I saw what has been by far the best thing about this city so far, and who I kind of forgot about while I was living in Vienna. It’s these fat guys getting ready for winter:

Yep, it’s SQUIRRELS!

I know that the big city squirrels have often lost all fear of humans and will not hesitate to attack if they think they have a chance at wresting a sandwich from you or preventing you from entering your home by jumping onto your jacket (and my friends seem to have scores of anecdotal proof of this phenomenon).

However, the ones I saw in the cemetery yesterday were intent on eating nuts and bounding away all adorably when I came too close – which is about three feet for the majority of these squirrels, due to the no-fear thing. One even skittered up the side of a headstone to check out the situation, cocking its tiny head inquisitively as I took its picture.

Ontario has the distinct privilege of having not only chipmunks and grey squirrels, but the BLACK SQUIRREL. So cute! And eating nuts with its little paws!

Keep in mind, the squirrels I saw are just about ready to go into hibernation, so they were fat. Easily twice the size of the little guy pictured above. That made it even funnier to watch them attempt to escape up trees. (Am I easily amused? Definitely.)

So, my first week in a new city and I am already wandering through a cemetery and taking pictures of squirrels. OH HEY, CULTURE. I’ll get into that soon, I’m sure. Once I have a place to live.