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...