sqwabb

This fellow has been intermittently doing this for over a year -- always in the same spot -- he may live in the brownstone apartment building we can see, or this is just the best place he can find in the area to do this, um, exercise; the rope is looped around a sign pole just out of frame.

He gets a bit flummoxed by questions. If you're ever in the area, and see him, be sure to ask him if he's training to be a firefighter -- that's his very favourite-est question of all. I know because I got such a good response the first time, that I asked the same question on a few subsequent occasions. The first time, the answer was "no." The fifth time it was, "NO!!" It's neat how his face gets bright red, and the veins on his forehead bulge. Wait. He always looks like that when I see him (or when he sees me). Today I changed-up my pitch, and asked him if i could take his picture. Now he probably thinks I'm sweet on him.

By the way, he told me the rope is the kind they tie big ships up with; he bought it at a serious marine supply place on the North Shore -- that means the North side of the Burrard Inlet; downtown Vancouver is on the South side of that Inlet. My neighbourhood of Fairview is further South -- separated from downtown by False Creek.