June 22nd, our 22nd anniversary. At the Montreal Botanical Garden, touring the exhibition, Mosaiculture 2013, an absolutely magnifique horticultural achievement. Our guide, Annie, usually does the French-speaking tours, but since the English-speaking guide didn’t show up, she decided to practice her English with us, and Jess and I got a private tour. We also learned some new French, like La Terre Mère. I was delighted with this word for Earth Mother. Terre Mère has a lovely resonance, like a ringing chant that can surround the planet. But the more I chew on it, the more attached I feel to the old Anglo Saxon r and th sounds of earth mother, just feeling more gutteral, more instinctual and, well, earthy. We taught Annie some new English, too, i.e, in danger of extinction. Most of the animals depicted in the exhibit are endangered species.
