Monday, October 7, 2013

Season's Ending

Fall is upon us; the days are slowly getting shorter, and the leaves are turning. I've been taking pictures of the changing season lately, and over the next few days I'll be showing some of the places I've been wandering about. It does seem that the brightness of the fall colours is less vibrant here than in previous years. And lots of trees are still green. Maybe we need a good frost.

This weekend, however, we had a holdover of summer. Sparks Street is a pedestrian mall one block south of Parliament Hill in Ottawa, a busy place in the summer when government workers wander through the shops and cafes. At night or in the winter, it's a lot quieter. Earlier in the summer, a number of travelling barbecue outfits came through on their annual circuit through the province for a Ribfest weekend. They're both Canadian and American groups, competing for the best ribs and barbecued chicken all over the place. They set up along the street, and considering that these people spend all summer travelling from city to city, they must bring in enough cash to pay their expenses and staff. Fortunately the crowds really come out, and the food is tasty. Oh, and it's a vegetarian's nightmare. This weekend, the whole lot of them were back again, barbecuing pork and chicken, and you could smell the smoke from blocks away...





And the season on the Canal is ending too. Below we have the view from Plaza Bridge (you'd think I'm fond of the vantage point). The bulk of private boats on the Rideau Canal are already heading for drydock. The tour boats you see below will soon be in winter quarters, and in a few weeks, work will begin to lower levels for the winter.

This shot was taken on a sunny day a few days ago. You can see the Conference Centre there on the far left. On the right, hidden by the trees, is the National Arts Centre.

Over the next few days, we'll be wandering about, taking in some of the signs of fall in the national capital...


14 comments:

  1. It would require much sacrifice on my part--going back two and three times--but I know I could be an impartial judge.

    Several years ago, we were in Ottawa for three weekdays and got to wander around your magnificent capital. So much to see and do.Gorgeous buildings. But I totally understand why you return to the canal. BTW, your geese don't seem to be as active this year. We're below their flight path. Kinda worries me.

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    1. Impartial indeed!

      The geese that are here during the summer seem quite busy at the moment. I'm expecting their departure soon. And over the next few weeks, the ones from further north will stop in for a break. We see some of them around through the end of November.

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  2. It's sort of like Indian Summer now includes the scent of smoked meats. I'm okay with that. Yummy descriptions of your beautiful Capital.

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  3. Pooh on vegetarians! I love barbecue! All kinds!

    Lovely photos.

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  4. Texas Outlaws? Aren't they a bit too far north there?

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  5. The poster walls are wonderfully colorful.

    And, the blues in the canal photo are otherworldly.

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    1. They are a contrast to the buildings around them. I notice in the second one it is in front of an original branch of one of the banks. That building is pretty interesting in and out.

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  6. Ribfest? Sounds fantastic! Love those colorful wall of signs too, and of course the amazing canal view.

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    1. It was after publishing that I realized one of those signs says how much meat they go through!

      And wait til you see the canal in winter!

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  7. Oh yum!! My favorite part of fests around here - the food! Oh I can't wait to see a pic of that in winter!

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