Dawn Of An Enduring Friendship

 On Victoria Day, I went into Commissioners Park at Dow's Lake for a visit to the tulips, with the photos meant specifically for a theme day later in the year. This meant facing the crowds, but also meant just enough shots for a single post. I decided to also photograph some interpretive plaques set up in the park at the same time, of the long friendship between the Netherlands and Canada, which finds its origins in the Second World War.

Canadian forces swept into the Netherlands starting in 1944 to free the country from Nazi Germany. Portions of the country were liberated by Christmas.

But much of it was still behind enemy lines, and a period called the Hunger Winter was the hardest point for many of the Dutch. Canadian soldiers took part in humanitarian efforts for the starving people.

As the spring of 1945 broke out, the great advance began, the ending of the war in Europe. Canadian soldiers made their way deeper into the Netherlands. It would end with the surrender of all German forces occupying the country.

The liberation of the country created the foundation of a lasting friendship between our countries that continues today.

Another panel series looks at those common bonds and shared experiences.

City Daily Photo Theme Day: Sky

The beginning of each month is a theme day for members of City Daily Photo, and for June, that theme is Sky. See how others are interpreting that theme right here.

To begin, I took this one morning in the first half of January before dawn at Lansdowne Park, with light in the east starting to brighten up the day.

In late January, I was passing along the National Gallery of Canada headed towards Major's Hill Park. I noticed this set of evergreens which occupy a portion of the Gallery property, covered in snow, against a slate grey sky, with snow falling. I composed the shot to only include trees and sky.

I moved into the park, where I photographed across the frozen Ottawa River towards Gatineau, with the Museum of History on the far shore, composing the shot to let the sky dominate things.

And did the same here, turning around and photographing towards Notre Dame, with the bare trees a contrast against the sky. There were hints of blue in that sky.

I took this on a night walk of the Rideau Canal during Winterlude in February, with an emphasis on the sky, with a mix of clear and light cloud, and some visible stars.

On two February days, I was around Lansdowne Park, and I took this sunrise shot at the east end of the property.

On the second occasion, I was at the west side of the property. I noticed the crescent moon, and lined up a shot, framing the sky with the office building at right, the stadium north stands at left, and the south stands in the background.

A March morning close to home, with the sun not yet up.

A short bus ride away, and the same morning.

Here we have the same location, but another morning, with contrails being lit by a sun yet to rise above the horizon.

And yet another morning in April, this in the pre-dawn at Lansdowne Park. This is taken from the west side of the stadium. Over at the east side, it's a construction site, with a new event center being built before the north stands are taken down and rebuilt. It'll be a long process.

I took this sky shot for the clouds on another day.

One day in early May, I noticed how dramatic the sunset was getting, lighting up the underside of clouds from the west. With not much time before the light gave out, I took two shots from my apartment windows. It was a cotton candy sunset.

Spring Colours Around The City

More various locations for tulips today- these being front yards in the Glebe. 

First time for everything- here we have tulips photographed at night, with a strong light source off to the right. These are outside the Aberdeen Pavilion at Lansdowne.

On another day, I passed by the Lord Elgin Hotel and photographed these.

Across the street is Confederation Park. There are a few tulips here, but the spring blossoms really caught my eye.

The aforementioned tulips, which are generally left in the ground to come back in the spring.

Close by, more tulips in a wooded traffic island just north of the park.

At the west edge of Confederation Square is the entrance to Sparks Street. Tulips in the foreground, and one of the entrances to the main post office in the background.

Sparks Street is a pedestrian mall. I continued walking to include tulips in photos.

The building in the background is the main annex to the Library of Parliament; Parliament Hill is one block north. As the work continues on the Hill, the annex is the primary locale for the Library at present. We've been inside before, and I hope to get in for Doors Open in a few days.

One more shot on Sparks Street.

And rounding things out for today, this was the last shot I took of tulips for the year- on the grounds of Library and Archives Canada looking towards the Supreme Court. This was taken on Thursday, en route to an event at the War Museum. I had missed getting here a week or so earlier, and hadn't expected them to still be blooming. We'll return to this series after the theme day.

Various Locations

 One day during the festival, I stopped by the Canadian War Museum. Planters around the front and side include tulips.

At the north side of the Museum is a full bed of tulips.

This particular day included heading over the Ottawa River into Gatineau to photograph tulips over there. Along the way, I stopped across from City Hall, with these tulips in a planter in the foreground.

Coming back from Gatineau, I photographed tulips, with the Chateau Laurier as the background.

A short walk away in the downtown core, more tulips in a raised garden outside an office building. Note the statue in the background, as you may remember it. It's part of a pair of sculptures of an indigenous hunter and a deer, unseen to the right.

On another day, I photographed these tulips at a residence near Commissioners Park.

These were outside St. Giles Presbyterian Church in the Glebe.

And my last shot for today- a bunny near a tulip in a front yard in the Glebe.