⚓️ 🚣‍♂️ At the Harbourfront - The Slow Life Stories - Bedtime Stories for Adults - Calming Stories for Grownups and All Ages

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00:00:02,150 --> 00:00:07,760
Welcome to The Slow Life, a
village filled with cozy stories

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for everyone.
I'll read this story 2 times to

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00:00:12,950 --> 00:00:17,660
help you zone out or even fall
asleep during the second

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00:00:17,670 --> 00:00:23,300
reading.
This story is called At the

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Harbour Front and it's about
brightly coloured houses,

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00:00:28,230 --> 00:00:33,940
refreshing salty air and a
rhythm that any one can relax

7
00:00:33,950 --> 00:00:40,050
too.
I've spent my morning in the

8
00:00:40,060 --> 00:00:45,970
backyard still cleaning out some
of the garden beds and planting

9
00:00:45,980 --> 00:00:48,240
seeds in the ones that were
ready.

10
00:00:49,900 --> 00:00:54,570
Back in the house to get cleaned
up, I have a shower and get

11
00:00:54,580 --> 00:00:59,720
myself some lunch.
A glass of pink lemonade and a

12
00:00:59,730 --> 00:01:03,150
wine glass tops the meal off
nicely.

13
00:01:04,620 --> 00:01:09,630
From the front closet, I pull
out a small backpack with skinny

14
00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:14,750
straps to carry only the
necessities for a stroll on the

15
00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:20,120
harbour front.
My keys, my wallet for a drink

16
00:01:20,130 --> 00:01:25,510
and a treat when I want a little
something, a book to read on a

17
00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:31,390
bench or seated at a cafe, and
my journal for when my thoughts

18
00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:35,240
want to be remembered or
inspiration strikes.

19
00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:41,250
I've dressed in a couple of
layers as the air will become

20
00:01:41,260 --> 00:01:44,410
inevitably warmer as the day
opens up.

21
00:01:46,070 --> 00:01:51,260
Most of the village is awake by
now as I make my way through the

22
00:01:51,270 --> 00:01:56,560
streets lined with trees
sporting new leaves and some

23
00:01:56,570 --> 00:01:59,650
still with red buds about to
burst.

24
00:02:01,210 --> 00:02:05,400
Their houses make their own
statements with paint and all

25
00:02:05,410 --> 00:02:12,110
colours, red with white trim,
Navy blue with an orange door,

26
00:02:12,770 --> 00:02:18,180
deep purple with a copper
coloured metal roof, yellows of

27
00:02:18,190 --> 00:02:24,060
every shade and every colour in
between and on either end.

28
00:02:25,530 --> 00:02:30,080
After a few more blocks I start
to hear the creaking of the

29
00:02:30,090 --> 00:02:34,820
ships and their mooring lines,
securing them to the Wharf.

30
00:02:36,420 --> 00:02:40,890
Over the tops of some of the
houses I can see the taller

31
00:02:40,900 --> 00:02:46,950
masts keeping time as they tick
tock back and forth ever so

32
00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:52,290
gently.
I try to slow my steps to their

33
00:02:52,300 --> 00:02:57,330
rhythm, but the timing is more
suited to my breath than to the

34
00:02:57,340 --> 00:03:03,000
pace of my stride.
Coming around the corner of an

35
00:03:03,010 --> 00:03:08,970
emerald green two-story home, I
come into full view of the water

36
00:03:10,130 --> 00:03:15,060
crossing the street right away.
The sound of my footsteps on the

37
00:03:15,070 --> 00:03:20,560
sidewalk soon change into the
echoing tap of the sturdy

38
00:03:20,570 --> 00:03:26,090
boardwalk under foot.
I take in the sounds of the

39
00:03:26,100 --> 00:03:32,190
Symphony as a whole at first,
not favouring one over the other

40
00:03:32,260 --> 00:03:38,830
as they fade in and out in turn.
In the hollow underneath the

41
00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:43,510
thick beams, I hear the water
lapping against the wooden

42
00:03:43,520 --> 00:03:50,260
pilings that hold up the Wharf.
I'm not sure I could get my arms

43
00:03:50,270 --> 00:03:53,600
around their huge circumference
if I tried.

44
00:03:55,050 --> 00:03:59,860
The breeze is almost
nonexistent, so any movement of

45
00:03:59,870 --> 00:04:04,880
the boats is being caused by
others coming in or out of their

46
00:04:04,890 --> 00:04:09,670
berths, alongside the many
wharves of different sizes.

47
00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:16,620
The salty air carries into the
rest of the village, but having

48
00:04:16,630 --> 00:04:22,340
the water insight turns up the
dial, encouraging deep breaths

49
00:04:22,350 --> 00:04:28,970
to let it really sink in.
A sound I've come to appreciate

50
00:04:29,010 --> 00:04:35,440
is the call of the seagulls.
Sometimes it's quick, sometimes

51
00:04:35,450 --> 00:04:39,800
it's drawn out and is the
crescendo to the harbour front.

52
00:04:39,810 --> 00:04:45,560
Sounds then fades away for a
while until they make themselves

53
00:04:45,570 --> 00:04:50,360
known again.
They don't seem to be in more of

54
00:04:50,370 --> 00:04:53,640
a rush than anyone else does
around here.

55
00:04:54,730 --> 00:04:59,320
They know they'll get what they
came for, but thankfully these

56
00:04:59,330 --> 00:05:05,300
ones aren't pushy about it.
I watch one of them land on the

57
00:05:05,310 --> 00:05:10,870
seat of an empty Dory, the white
feathers standing out against

58
00:05:10,880 --> 00:05:16,020
the thick red paint.
It's a funny sight, like seeing

59
00:05:16,030 --> 00:05:20,580
a dog sitting in the front seat
of a car, ready to be

60
00:05:20,590 --> 00:05:26,270
chauffeured around.
I think of the Dory races too

61
00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:29,060
that take place here every
summer.

62
00:05:30,110 --> 00:05:35,200
It's fun to watch and the
village forms an entire festival

63
00:05:35,210 --> 00:05:40,460
around the event.
The harbor front is like being

64
00:05:40,470 --> 00:05:44,520
in a painting.
The view from all angles is

65
00:05:44,530 --> 00:05:49,990
something out of storybooks.
The sun sparkles on the ripples

66
00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:53,870
of the water.
The perk and gardens across the

67
00:05:53,880 --> 00:05:58,180
way offer a year round beautiful
sight to see.

68
00:05:59,510 --> 00:06:04,600
It is still a working harbor, so
there's always some activity

69
00:06:04,610 --> 00:06:08,820
going on.
Boat tours have started up for

70
00:06:08,830 --> 00:06:14,100
the season, including sailing
adventures on which you can sit

71
00:06:14,110 --> 00:06:18,880
back and let the crew do the
work, and others where you can

72
00:06:18,890 --> 00:06:25,270
pitch in and learn the ropes.
I see some folks lined up to

73
00:06:25,280 --> 00:06:30,150
board a boat that will take them
whale watching, something I've

74
00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:33,760
put on my list to do in the
coming months as well.

75
00:06:35,170 --> 00:06:39,920
Walking further on, there are
bright posters pinned on a

76
00:06:39,930 --> 00:06:44,990
community bulletin board.
Bold Titles announced the

77
00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:50,080
upcoming Busker Festival.
I see the names I've never heard

78
00:06:50,090 --> 00:06:55,380
of, knowing there's a guarantee
of good music and dancing in the

79
00:06:55,390 --> 00:07:01,320
streets, juggling and other acts
and laughter echoing through the

80
00:07:01,330 --> 00:07:04,180
village in just a few weeks
time.

81
00:07:05,750 --> 00:07:10,720
There's a cafe just ahead of me
that puts a skip in my step.

82
00:07:11,580 --> 00:07:16,710
I must be on a lemonade kick as
this will be my second of the

83
00:07:16,720 --> 00:07:21,910
day, The Tang of lemons
surrounding my tongue as I find

84
00:07:21,920 --> 00:07:24,240
my way back out to the
boardwalk.

85
00:07:25,810 --> 00:07:30,720
I reached the end of the wharves
and sit down, letting my legs

86
00:07:30,730 --> 00:07:35,950
dangle over the edge.
The wood beneath me is warm from

87
00:07:35,960 --> 00:07:40,300
the sun and smooth from years of
weather and use.

88
00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:47,830
Sitting below the conversations
being had by those passing by, I

89
00:07:47,840 --> 00:07:52,130
can really TuneIn to the
creaking of the ropes, the

90
00:07:52,140 --> 00:07:57,410
protective buoys and tires being
squeezed by the bigger ships

91
00:07:57,600 --> 00:08:03,330
nudging up against them.
The tiny waves tapping at the

92
00:08:03,340 --> 00:08:08,690
wooden halls is one of my
favorite sounds and I let myself

93
00:08:08,700 --> 00:08:12,820
become a bit hypnotized by the
boats gentle sway.

94
00:08:13,860 --> 00:08:21,060
It's a rhythm I can relax into.
At the far end of the harbour

95
00:08:21,380 --> 00:08:23,780
there's a bench I've come to
favour.

96
00:08:24,300 --> 00:08:30,090
It sits where it offers the best
view, uninterrupted water

97
00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:35,010
stretching out to the horizon
past the scattered boats at

98
00:08:35,020 --> 00:08:39,669
anchor.
I can sit and simply watch, or I

99
00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:44,730
might pull out my book and
journal on my way towards it.

100
00:08:44,740 --> 00:08:48,050
I'll get a drink, a hot one this
time.

101
00:08:48,660 --> 00:08:53,790
Eventually I'll rise and
continue walking, but not yet.

102
00:08:54,500 --> 00:09:03,360
For now, I'm exactly where I
need to be, at the harbour

103
00:09:03,370 --> 00:09:09,180
front.
I've spent my morning in the

104
00:09:09,190 --> 00:09:15,100
backyard still cleaning out some
of the garden beds and planting

105
00:09:15,110 --> 00:09:17,360
seeds in the ones that were
ready.

106
00:09:19,020 --> 00:09:23,710
Back in the house to get cleaned
up, I have a shower and get

107
00:09:23,720 --> 00:09:28,860
myself some lunch.
A glass of pink lemonade and a

108
00:09:28,870 --> 00:09:32,260
wine glass tops the meal off
nicely.

109
00:09:33,720 --> 00:09:38,750
From the front closet, I pull
out a small backpack with skinny

110
00:09:38,760 --> 00:09:43,870
straps to carry only the
necessities for a stroll on the

111
00:09:43,880 --> 00:09:49,240
harbour front.
My keys, my wallet for a drink

112
00:09:49,250 --> 00:09:54,630
and a treat when I want a little
something, a book to read on a

113
00:09:54,640 --> 00:10:00,510
bench or seated at a cafe, and
my journal for when my thoughts

114
00:10:00,520 --> 00:10:04,360
want to be remembered or
inspiration strikes.

115
00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:10,390
I've dressed in a couple of
layers as the air will become

116
00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:13,530
inevitably warmer as the day
opens up.

117
00:10:15,190 --> 00:10:20,380
Most of the village is awake by
now as I make my way through the

118
00:10:20,390 --> 00:10:25,680
streets lined with trees
sporting new leaves and some

119
00:10:25,690 --> 00:10:28,770
still with red buds about to
burst.

120
00:10:30,330 --> 00:10:34,520
Their houses make their own
statements with paint and all

121
00:10:34,530 --> 00:10:41,250
colours, red with white trim,
Navy blue with an orange door,

122
00:10:41,910 --> 00:10:47,300
deep purple with a copper
coloured metal roof, yellows of

123
00:10:47,310 --> 00:10:53,190
every shade and every colour in
between and on either end.

124
00:10:54,660 --> 00:10:59,210
After a few more blocks I start
to hear the creaking of the

125
00:10:59,220 --> 00:11:03,940
ships and their mooring lines,
securing them to the Wharf.

126
00:11:05,540 --> 00:11:10,010
Over the tops of some of the
houses I can see the taller

127
00:11:10,020 --> 00:11:16,070
masts keeping time as they tick
tock back and forth ever so

128
00:11:16,080 --> 00:11:21,410
gently.
I try to slow my steps to their

129
00:11:21,420 --> 00:11:26,450
rhythm, but the timing is more
suited to my breath than to the

130
00:11:26,460 --> 00:11:32,120
pace of my stride.
Coming around the corner of an

131
00:11:32,130 --> 00:11:38,100
emerald green two-story home, I
come into full view of the water

132
00:11:39,250 --> 00:11:44,180
crossing the street right away.
The sound of my footsteps on the

133
00:11:44,190 --> 00:11:49,680
sidewalk soon change into the
echoing tap of the sturdy

134
00:11:49,690 --> 00:11:55,220
boardwalk under foot.
I take in the sounds of the

135
00:11:55,230 --> 00:12:01,320
Symphony as a whole at first,
not favouring one over the other

136
00:12:01,370 --> 00:12:07,950
as they fade in and out in turn.
In the hollow underneath the

137
00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:12,630
thick beams, I hear the water
lapping against the wooden

138
00:12:12,640 --> 00:12:19,390
pilings that hold up the Wharf.
I'm not sure I could get my arms

139
00:12:19,400 --> 00:12:22,720
around their huge circumference
if I tried.

140
00:12:24,170 --> 00:12:28,990
The breeze is almost
nonexistent, so any movement of

141
00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:34,000
the boats is being caused by
others coming in or out of their

142
00:12:34,010 --> 00:12:38,790
berths, alongside the many
wharves of different sizes.

143
00:12:40,450 --> 00:12:45,740
The salty air carries into the
rest of the village, but having

144
00:12:45,750 --> 00:12:51,460
the water insight turns up the
dial, encouraging deep breaths

145
00:12:51,470 --> 00:12:58,090
to let it really sink in.
A sound I've come to appreciate

146
00:12:58,140 --> 00:13:04,550
is the call of the seagulls.
Sometimes it's quick, sometimes

147
00:13:04,560 --> 00:13:08,910
it's drawn out and is the
crescendo to the harbour front.

148
00:13:08,920 --> 00:13:14,680
Sounds then fades away for a
while until they make themselves

149
00:13:14,690 --> 00:13:19,480
known again.
They don't seem to be in more of

150
00:13:19,490 --> 00:13:22,760
a rush than anyone else does
around here.

151
00:13:23,860 --> 00:13:28,430
They know they'll get what they
came for, but thankfully these

152
00:13:28,440 --> 00:13:34,430
ones aren't pushy about it.
I watch one of them land on the

153
00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:40,000
seat of an empty Dory, the white
feathers standing out against

154
00:13:40,010 --> 00:13:45,160
the thick red paint.
It's a funny sight, like seeing

155
00:13:45,170 --> 00:13:49,700
a dog sitting in the front seat
of a car, ready to be

156
00:13:49,710 --> 00:13:55,420
chauffeured around.
I think of the Dory races too

157
00:13:55,630 --> 00:13:58,190
that take place here every
summer.

158
00:13:59,220 --> 00:14:04,310
It's fun to watch and the
village forms an entire festival

159
00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:09,580
around the event.
The harbor front is like being

160
00:14:09,590 --> 00:14:13,650
in a painting.
The view from all angles is

161
00:14:13,660 --> 00:14:19,130
something out of story books.
The sun sparkles on the ripples

162
00:14:19,140 --> 00:14:22,990
of the water.
The perk and gardens across the

163
00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:27,300
way offer a year round beautiful
sight to see.

164
00:14:28,630 --> 00:14:33,720
It is still a working harbour so
there's always some activity

165
00:14:33,730 --> 00:14:37,950
going on.
Boat tours have started up for

166
00:14:37,960 --> 00:14:43,210
the season, including sailing
adventures on which you can sit

167
00:14:43,220 --> 00:14:48,010
back and let the crew do the
work, and others where you can

168
00:14:48,020 --> 00:14:54,400
pitch in and learn the ropes.
I see some folks lined up to

169
00:14:54,410 --> 00:14:59,270
board a boat that will take them
whale watching, something I've

170
00:14:59,280 --> 00:15:02,880
put on my list to do in the
coming months as well.

171
00:15:04,290 --> 00:15:09,040
Walking further on, there are
bright posters pinned on a

172
00:15:09,050 --> 00:15:14,100
community bulletin board.
Bold Titles announced the

173
00:15:14,110 --> 00:15:19,200
upcoming Busker Festival.
I see the names I've never heard

174
00:15:19,210 --> 00:15:24,500
of, knowing there's a guarantee
of good music and dancing in the

175
00:15:24,510 --> 00:15:30,440
streets, juggling and other acts
and laughter echoing through the

176
00:15:30,450 --> 00:15:33,300
village in just a few weeks
time.

177
00:15:34,870 --> 00:15:39,850
There's a cafe just ahead of me
that puts a skip in my step.

178
00:15:40,710 --> 00:15:45,820
I must be on a lemonade kick as
this will be my second of the

179
00:15:45,830 --> 00:15:51,050
day, The Tang of lemons
surrounding my tongue as I find

180
00:15:51,060 --> 00:15:53,340
my way back out to the
boardwalk.

181
00:15:54,930 --> 00:15:59,840
I reached the end of the wharves
and sit down, letting my legs

182
00:15:59,850 --> 00:16:05,070
dangle over the edge.
The wood beneath me is warm from

183
00:16:05,080 --> 00:16:09,420
the sun and smooth from years of
weather and use.

184
00:16:10,920 --> 00:16:16,950
Sitting below the conversations
being had by those passing by, I

185
00:16:16,960 --> 00:16:21,250
can really TuneIn to the
creaking of the ropes, the

186
00:16:21,260 --> 00:16:26,530
protective buoys and tires being
squeezed by the bigger ships

187
00:16:26,720 --> 00:16:32,450
nudging up against them.
The tiny waves tapping at the

188
00:16:32,460 --> 00:16:37,810
wooden halls is one of my
favorite sounds and I let myself

189
00:16:37,820 --> 00:16:41,940
become a bit hypnotized by the
boats gentle sway.

190
00:16:42,980 --> 00:16:50,190
It's a rhythm I can relax into.
At the far end of the harbour

191
00:16:50,500 --> 00:16:52,790
there's a bench I've come to
favour.

192
00:16:53,450 --> 00:16:59,210
It sits where it offers the best
view, uninterrupted water

193
00:16:59,280 --> 00:17:04,130
stretching out to the horizon
past the scattered boats at

194
00:17:04,140 --> 00:17:08,800
anchor.
I can sit and simply watch, or I

195
00:17:08,810 --> 00:17:13,859
might pull out my book and
journal on my way towards it.

196
00:17:13,869 --> 00:17:16,970
I'll get a drink, a hot one this
time.

197
00:17:17,790 --> 00:17:22,920
Eventually I'll rise and
continue walking, but not yet.

198
00:17:23,630 --> 00:17:27,109
For now, I'm exactly where I
need to be.

199
00:17:29,320 --> 00:17:31,780
I wish you sweet dreams.