Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Auld Lang Syne: Forgetting Past Acquaintances

"What does this song mean? My whole life, I don't know what this song means. I mean, should old acquaintance be forgot? Does that mean we should forget old acquaintances, or does it mean if we happened to forget them, we should remember them, which is not possible, because we already forgot?" ~ Harry Burns, When Harry Met Sally


I thought I would mark the passing of the year with two of the first shots I took in 2014. These were taken in Mississauga on New Year's Day. The Credit River passes through the Streetsville area on its way to Lake Ontario. The footbridge below passes over it. This parkland is very close to my aunt and uncle's home.


This being an Ottawa photo blog, though, I must also close out with a shot from Ottawa. I decided a shot of my occasional series subject, the Bank Street Bridge, would do. This shot is from early January. The pond is near the bridge, and linked to the Rideau Canal. When water levels in the Canal drop, it does the same here in the pond. About a year ago, a resident in the area erected an inukshuk on this mound facing the bridge there in the background. The inukshuk has stayed in place since, and when the water levels came back up in the spring, the head and shoulders remained above the waterline. I don't think the ice on the pond is quite set for walking yet, so I haven't been up this close in awhile.


Happy New Year! Don't have so much to drink that you end up kissing someone you actually dislike at midnight!

41 comments:

  1. Beautiful photos, William. I found this and thought I would share it in relation to Auld Lang Syne. http://www.newyearfavors.com/new-years-eve-song.html

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  2. Three great wintery photos today! Happy New Year!

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  3. Happy new year 2015, William. Wish you many many wonderful photos.
    Hyvää uutta vuotta 2015.

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  4. It feels like Ottawa here today. Snow and cold. I think the 'should' in Auld Lang Syne means 'lest', i.e. 'Lest old acquaintance be forgot...' since it then says we should take a cup of kindness for Auld Lang Syne (times long gone). Anyway, I plan on having a cup...

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  5. You enter with good foot in the new year (as we say in Spain).

    Tomás.

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  6. No problem. I probably won't make it 'til midnight anyway. "Early to bed, early to rise. . . " :-)

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  7. I like the song, but its meaning is still a bit foggy to me. All your images are really beautiful, but my favorite is the last one!

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  8. If you participate in ABC Wednesday, you'll have the most unique "I" inukshuk. Amazing. Happy New Year and let's keep pondering that song!

    Janis

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  9. Beautiful photos of river and bridge. And I love the inukshuk photo! Beautiful light and shadow! I wish you a wonderful New Year, William. I believe I'll be asleep by midnight but will kiss good night to my kitties as always :-) I look forward to seeing your wonderful photos in 2015 as well!

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  10. Beautiful images William. Have a great 2015.

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  11. @Linda: thanks!

    @Sharon: they seemed entirely appropriate.

    @Orvokki: thank you!

    @Pat: that would make more sense!

    @Tomas: I think I've heard that expression before.

    @Revrunner: my dad would have always preferred to be in bed before midnight. My mother always insisted on New Year's Eve he stay up.

    @VP: thank you!

    @Janis: I know of a blogger or two who does participate, but I've never gone in on that. I'll see about tracking down the meme today.

    @Tamago: I'll no doubt stay up, though at this point it depends on if I've got plans or if the meds take their toll and make me sleepy.

    @Luis: thank you!

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  12. LOVE this movie! It has great lines about the relationship of the sexes.
    "I'll have what she's having."

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  13. Have a nice New Years's Eve and a wonderful 2015!
    Greetings, Marianne

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  14. so neat that the inukshuk has remained! love it!

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  15. An inukshuk! Never heard of one before so I've learned something new!

    Nice shots!

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  16. Happy New Year William for You and all the visitors too.

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  17. Wonderful winter shots, I specially like the first and the last one.
    I hope you'll have a save turn of the year!

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  18. Lovely shots to say goodbye to 2014. Happy New Year, William.

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  19. @Birdman: it's such a classic, and Billy and Meg have good chemistry.

    @Marianne: thank you!

    @Tex: Yes, I wondered if it might be taken down when the water levels came up, but no! I wonder what the turtles and fish that live in the pond thought of it.

    @Cheryl: they're quite common here.

    @Inna: thank you!

    @Jan: thanks!

    @Jose: they felt like the right ones to cap off the year.

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  20. I love that quote and we were just saying it here, the other day. Great post. Happy 2015. And thanks again for all those wonderful cookie recipes.

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  21. Three great shots William. I thank you for visiting me over the last year and I have certainly had fun stopping by yours and look forward to more in 2015. To you and your loved ones, A Very Happy and Healthy New Year! :)

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  22. You've got me humming Burns, thanks a lot! No chance of kissing anyone I dislike under the mistletoe so that's good. I am however very jealous of your winter photos and especially of Inukshuk. Winter was here for three days and is but a memory already here.
    Happy New Year's Eve!

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  23. You do have some gorgeous scenery up thataway! I'm going to try to stay awake long enough to kiss my long-suffering wife tonight.

    Don't forget your old friends.

    Happy New Year!

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  24. It seems suitable that you end the year with winter shots!

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  25. A cool place to build an Inukshuk! happy New Year!

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  26. Great choices for your post today, William! And that's the best reason for not drinking too much that I've heard today!

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  27. Great photos, William. I hope you have a fun night celebrating New Year's and do take your own advice so as not to regret anything at 12:0lam. :) Have a Happy New Year and thanks for dropping by so often in 2014. See you next year. ;-) Hugs, Deb

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  28. @Whisk: you're most welcome!

    @Denise: thank you!

    @Ciel: I intend to avoid the offending staircase for the foreseeable future after what happened a few days ago!

    @Lowell: I might not make it to midnight, given the effect those painkillers have on me!

    @RedPat: definitely.

    @Red: it's a really good spot!

    @Lynette: yes, there's no shortage of people to be disliked, after all, and who wants to kiss them?

    @Deb: I'll see if I make it to midnight, but I'm under no obligation this year!

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  29. Excellent photos William!! Hope you have a great 2015. Thanks for all your comments that you left for me on my blog. Greatly appreciated!! Onward now to 2015 :)

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  30. Well how about that... I recognized the Credit River. I moved to my current home from Mississauga just over a year ago and spent a fair bit of time wandering her banks. Lovely photos. Happy New Year to you and yours!

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  31. That rock pile in the lake is pretty nice. It would be fun seeing it once a month, to get a feeling for the seasonal changes.

    Have a wonderful 2015, William.

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  32. Happy New year!!! All the best in 2015!

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  33. Happy New Year!!! Great snow scene, always love a river with ice....

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  34. @Bill: you're most welcome!

    @Hilary: I know that stretch of the river very well.

    @Jack: I'll definitely photograph it later on.

    @Jen: thank you!

    @Wilf: thanks!

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  35. Happy New Year, William! Here's to all the best for you in 2015.

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  36. Happy New Year to you, William! Here's to a splendid 2015 !!!

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  37. You're right. The ice isn't good yet. They lost a couple of people in canoes, who needed rescue. So stupid!

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  38. Your quote amused me because last night we watched the New Year festivities from New York and I couldn't help thinking of When Harry Met Sally.

    Best wishes for 2015, William and thanks for all you do!

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  39. @Kay: thanks!

    @Tamera: thank you.

    @Randy: thanks!

    @Jennifer: this year I'm wondering if they might have it open for New Year's Eve, even a section.

    @Linda: I love that movie.

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