Stupid Groundhog!!

Wiarton Willie has a lot to answer for today. That - no doubt rabid - rodent forecast an early spring.

Does this look like spring to you?????


Stupid groundhog!

April Fools - A Few Days Late

When Reese and I hit the backyard at around 0600 yesterday morning (April 5) it was apparent why you never remove the mulch cover in Ottawa until May.




Sure it's not going to stay but try and convince Reese of that - one day its green, next day its white. It can confuse a fella. And it's hard to find your favorite spot when the ground is frozen.

Sort of romantic - broken branches from an ice storm dusted with snow ........



....... abandoned skeleton of a BBQ from summer

Nope still says bloody winter no matter how you dress it up. (Actually I took the BBQ out last weekend and forgot to put it back in.)


Okay - this is romantic but notice even the birds find it too depressing to come around.

Mon Pays - Aylmer, Sunday March 4, 2007

Mon pays ce n'est pas un pays, c'est l'hiver
Mon jardin ce n'est pas un jardin, c'est la plaine
Mon chemin ce n'est pas un chemin, c'est la neige
Mon pays ce n'est pas un pays, c'est l'hiver


My country isn't a country, it's winter
My garden isn't a garden, it's the plain
My road isn't a road, it's the snow
My country isn't a country, it's winter

Mon pays ce n'est pas un pays, c'est l'hiver
Mon refrain ce n'est pas un refrain, c'est rafale
Ma maison ce n'est pas ma maison, c'est froidure
Mon pays ce n'est pas un pays, c'est l'hiver

My country isn't a country, it's winter
My refrain isn't a refrain, it's a gust of wind
My house isn't my house, it's the winter cold
My country isn't a country, it's winter

Mon Pays - Gilles Vigneault

Short Legs in the Snow

Kristina, our housekeeper in Warsaw, called Reesie "Nishki" (a bad transliteration as everyone knows that in Polish there has to be a least one letter with a line through it somewhere.) Apparently it is a term of endearment for a child but I've never had the heart to tell Reese that it translates as "short legs." But in his case it's certainly true - he's legs can't be more than 3 inches long. This can be a real problem with steps or on a snow day.

And yesterday was definitely a snow day. We only got 20 cm but the winds were high and bitter and the ice pellets stinging. Today is one of those strange days - its either overcast with snow or bright sun and melting.

Reese has always liked the snow - it's great for burying your nose in. But this year there hasn't been much hardpack so the odd foray off the deck has resulted in a stranded daschie. Its hard to go either forward or backward when you're halfway up your chest in snow and your butt is stuck. Twice now the rescue brigade has sprung into action.

Of course there's also the drawback of having hairy toes in weather like this. The snow sticks to your feet and can be really uncomfortable once you get back inside. That is unless you look really pathetic and someone comes along and dries you off. And maybe if they're a kind loving person who cares about poor sad daschies (and doesn't everyone) gives you a biscuit to warm your feet.

From the Office Window - Friday February 23 - 10:30 a.m.

Last Thursday I posted a few shots from our office windows taken on a cloudy day. The next day it was bright and clear with a wind that whipped the flags a caution. It was also -25c with that bloody wind but the views from the warmth of the 15th floor are great when the sun shines.
I'm ashamed to say I have yet to visit the Canadian War Museum - isn't that always the way. I'll have to wait for some visitors to come into town. I don't find it a particularly attractive building and frankly it looks like a building looking for a location with that expanse of land around it. However I have been told the exhibits are extremely well done and the current show on Afghanistan is worth the trip.

There has been talk about developing the entire Victoria Island complex including the Ottawa Carbide Mill (top photo) built by inventor Thomas Willson. Unfortunately the Aboriginal Experience village is complete covered with snow in the lower photo. This island has been a native meeting place for centuries.

When I look down at the Supreme Court Building I am always puzzled by the crazy - and let’s admit it unsuccessful - attempt to wed the Beaux Arts style with the Mansard roof line. Apparently that what Ernest Cormier, the architect, was instructed to built by the Government of the day. And it’s still more attractive than the War Museum.
The first bridge, the Alexandra Interprovincial Bridge, was the railway bridge into town when Ottawa had a train station at Confederation Square rather than in a distant suburb.
Sadly I will be losing my view of the Peace Tower in the next few days - the flag was always a good indicator as to how bad the wind was on a stormy day. The new job comes with a cost - relocation to an inside cell... sorry cubicle.

From the Office Window - Thursday 3 P.M.

(Click on the pictures for an enlarged view.)
We have a great view from our corner on the 15th Floor - pretty much uninterrupted from the War Museum in the West to the Peace Tower in the East. Even though today was a bit gray and overcast its still a good view. On a sunny day when you can see the Gatineau Hills its a great one.

When All Aloud the Wind Doth Blow

When all aloud the wind doth blow,
And coughing drowns the parson’s saw,
And birds sit brooding in the snow,
And Marion’s nose looks red and raw,
When roasted crabs hiss in the bowl,
Then nightly sings the staring owl,
Tu-whit;Tu-who, a merry note,
While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.

Love's Labours Lost - William Shakespeare

When Icicles Hang by the Wall

When icicles hang by the wall,
And Dick the shepherd blows his nail,
And Tom bears logs into the hall,
And milk comes frozen home in pail,
When blood is nipp’d and ways be foul,
Then nightly sings the staring owl,
Tu-whit;Tu-who, a merry note,
While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.

Love's Labours Lost - William Shakespeare