What a difference a week makes! Sunday, the grass was greener, the first buds showing on the trees, gentle breezes perfect for golf, long straight drives in the fairways, smooth greens to putt on and ten strokes better than last week.

There are a lot of good views from the bikepath right now. So strange to be riding around in shorts and T-shirt, yet there isn't a bud on the trees. By mid-summer, you have to hike through the trees to see the river.

Last week, this wolf sculpture was seeing the last remnants of ice coming down from the upper Ottawa.

Today, he was seeing +25C and 50 kph winds, again from up river. The wind was so strong that, at times, it was impossible to bike against it, with dust and debris flying everywhere.

As requested by Rob, the Rideau Canal in all it's glory.

I skated 9 kms in my first skate in two years.

The mist rises from the Ottawa River as it descends on a frozen Parliament. -30 something with a wicked windchill. Somebody check that the groundhog's eyes weren't frozen shut.

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.

The ice is doing it's best to take hold along the river's edge.

Another beautiful walking day, this time with fresh snow, along the Ottawa River. This would have been a good perch for catching some rays, except that with the higher winter river level, it's several feet offshore.

A little graffiti along the Ottawa River walkway to brighten up a crisp, sunny, perfect-for-a-walk day.

And the other side of the underpass...very appropriate given the proximity to the river.

SherpaBob and Red Greenfield (ever wonder who tapes the trees along the trail?) take a Wine, Cheese and Sausage break somewhere below the summit of Mount Walpole.

A view looking eastward from the top of Mount Walpole.
That's Four Mile Bay way down there through the trees.

A sunny picture to brighten up this gray, rainy day.
Please, can we have some sun??

 

A little ice clinging to branches along the river.

 

In homage to MdM and RG, here's an Ottawa River ice shot.

 

Another gem from my California stay...a couple of refugees from the frozen north.

 

I sure miss my Eclipse Spyder and the California weather.

 

You just never know what you'll discover on a Margarita Bike Tour. This road graffiti is in Hull, PQ, between a set of RR tracks about 4km from the nearest margarita.

DB demonstrates the correct method of rock gathering.

More Ottawa River views from along the bike path.

 

The Aylmer Marina (actually the patio bar) was a colourful reward
for another hot bike ride west along the Ottawa River.
Still looking for a good margarita.

 

Brock Zeman, Keith Glass and their North Bay Fan Club
after a recent performance at
the Rainbow Bistro in Ottawa.