It's a real winter now after a week of arctic temperatures. Tomorrow, pictures of the canal and Winterlude preparations. In about ten days, we've gone from open water to....well, you'll see.

Not much ice after our first really cold night in ages. Must be the local heat wave, also known as the Senators, who destroyed 'les Habs' in front of my eyes yesterday. Give the thousands of hab fans in attendance credit. They shut up and drank their beer in silence.

It was another one of those glorious sunny days,

perfect for walking along the river.

Jean and I went looking for snow on New Years Day and found some at Bryan and Carol's place in Crown Point, west of Ottawa, on the river. A long hike in very good company was our reward. In my memory, the river's never been this open this late in the season. It felt like late March.