Rediscovering Hess Village

I can usually manage to keep myself busy this summer, even though I'm not working.  As busy as I am, it can get a little lonely since everyone is at work, and I have these 2 months off.  (I am not complaining; I work really hard during those 10 months on, and I am grateful to have a rest to prepare for the next year.)  Because I spend so little time socializing during the school year, in the summer, it seems I forget how to do so.  Luckily, I have some friend that are all too willing to drag me out of my apartment, and out even if its for a few hours.

One thing that I haven't done at all this summer is sit on a patio and have a beer.  So we did just that.  We decided to go to Hess Village.  Hess Village is section of Hess St. in Hamilton that is all pubs and bars.  I hadn't been to Hess Village in years!  The last time I was there, I was singing in a bar there every Friday night.  Since its been a while, I had a new rediscovery of Hess Village.  It was nice in the day; not loud, no drunk fools stumbling around.    

It was very hot, but nice to spend some time outside with some friends who didn't give me grief about my 2 months off. 

We ended up on the patio of a bar called the "Gown and Gavel." Very litigious name.  We drank; I made wisecracks the whole time.  You know, the usual. 

I think my favorite feature of the Village, is that many of the bars are these Victorian era houses that have been re-purposed as bars.  I'm sad that they are still houses, but at least this way I get to visit them without being labeled a creeper.

Afterwards, I wasn't in a hurry to get back into the apartment after having sat in the sunshine.  So instead, I went for a walk around the neighborhood of Hess Village.  The next street over is one of my favorite buildings, The Scottish Rite which is the Hamilton temple of the Freemasons, whoever they are.   I love the building so much that I would join the Freemasons, but they probably don't allow Black women into their ranks.  Idiots.  Their loss.  I guess you don't become a outdated, clandestine organization by letting just anyone join.

Overall, it was a great time.  I got out of the house, I saw my favorite building, and got to make fun of the Freemasons.  A successful day!