Sculpted

 Winterlude is also about ice sculptures, of which we'll see plenty in the days to come. This first shot was taken before Winterlude, and my first on the theme. Around town, a number of small ice sculptures were placed, with a small sculpture beside the standard one. This one was in the Byward Market.

This one, featuring a bird, was in a courtyard at Fourth Avenue Baptist Church in the Glebe.

I found this one outside the Horticulture Building at Lansdowne Park.

Also at Lansdowne- this was outside the west entrance of the Aberdeen Pavilion.

The Lord Elgin Hotel routinely puts up an ice bench outside during Winterlude. No, I did not sit on it, but have done so in the past. I took these shots, plus a spare I'll use for the upcoming theme day White.

For a number of years, the big ice sculptures were hosted at Sparks Street. It was the wrong location, and they were rightfully returned to Confederation Park this year. However, the pedestrian street mall did put up some ice sculptures, some linked to businesses along the street.

Skate

 Continuing where I left off yesterday, another view towards the Arboretum.

This looks into the home stretch of the skateway- it curves to the left, where it meets the Hartwell Locks at Carleton University.

My path this morning took me north- towards the top end of the lake and back towards my home.

I looked back. The sun was peeking through the clouds.

The Dow's Lake Pavilion is at the northwest corner of the lake, housing a couple of restaurants.

My exit was at the end of this stretch, through Commissioners Park and back to my apartment.

I took one last shot before heading that way, back where I had come. We'll return back to the Canal as the series goes along.

Skate

 A strip of snow is left on the Canal in this stretch at the sides for walkers- which was good, because the ice was slippery.

A glimpse of the next bridge, where Bronson Avenue crosses.

On the west side of the bridge, we find Dow's Lake, a reservoir for the Canal. On the west shore, trees mark the grounds of the Arboretum.

I took two panoramic shots.

The sun was trying to poke through the cloud deck.

Skate shacks and some food choices are found along the south side of the skateway here. That includes poutine and Beavertails.

Canal

 Winterlude is the annual celebration of the best season of them all here in Ottawa and Gatineau, and it is very much centered around the Rideau Canal Skateway. 7.8 kilometers of ice are groomed for skaters between the Ottawa Locks and the Hartwell Locks. I do not skate, but I like walking on the ice. I make a point of photographing some of those walks for my Winterlude series, such as a day early in the month when I arrived onto the ice at the Bank Street Bridge, which links the Glebe on the north to Old Ottawa South on the south. Part of the bridge is undergoing some rehabilitation at present.

I started west, seeing the Moon poking through clouds in the pre-dawn light.

Not many skaters this time of day, but I seem to prefer to photograph when the skateway is quiet.

One look back at where I'd arrived- at Lansdowne Park, seen by the condo tower and South Stands at left. And then I proceeded on.