Evening Light And Welcome Walkens

I have some odds and ends today. During Buskerfest one evening, I ventured out past Sparks Street to the grounds of the War Memorial and took this shot of the Chateau Laurier at night, from the southwest. Plaza Bridge and the sculpture set known as The Valiants are between myself and the hotel.

Taken a few metres away, this is a view of the National Arts Centre, with its glass tower lit up with imagery of upcoming programming.

August also sees fireworks in Ottawa over a two week period on several different nights, an international event featuring fireworks crews from various countries. I came to the grounds of the Supreme Court and photographed the display from there. It made for an interesting contrast with the Art Deco architecture of the building.

I photographed this ad near Sparks Street during Buskerfest. It's one of several variations on the same theme for this radio station in town. Which I don't listen to. I haven't listened to radio at all for years. Why? Too many ads, and way too much yak yak yak bloody hell would you people shut up yak yak. I am not a morning person, and while I freely admit these four might be entirely pleasant in person, I don't feel like starting my day with the standard morning radio script- the bantering male and female DJs, the sports jock, and the weather and traffic girl, each of whom talks in an incessantly cheerful way that makes me just want to throttle them.

Did I mention I'm not a morning person?

Another shot from the time of our Buskerfest. Hammocks were set up on Sparks Street. Here's my point of view looking down my long legs. Yes, that hammock was exceedingly comfortable, and it had been years since I'd been in one.

This was the view looking straight up. The building is the C.D. Howe Building, a government complex. I've been up on the roof once during Doors Open; there's a rooftop garden that's usually only accessible to employees in the building.

Here's much the same view the following day.

This sign is at the entrance to a barbershop in the Byward Market.

Nearby, the York Steps, leading up from the Market to Major's Hill Park, have been painted this year with a salmon design. Kwashkwan-in! is the title, and it means jump in Algonquin as rendered by the artist Naomi Ratte of the Peguis First Nation. Six salmon are making their way up a waterfall, part of their life cycle.

Sunflowers are at their height here in August and early September. These are in the flowerbeds outside the Sunnyside branch of the Ottawa Public Library.

Here we have an evening view taken at the Canadian War Museum, showing Lebreton Gallery lit up within. The Canadian fighter jet that's at the heart of this display area is visible through the windows.

And I close out with what has to surely be the ugliest car in Ottawa. I've seen this one in motion many times (it's even more hideous at night when half the crap on this thing is lit up), but haven't photographed it before. One weekend day earlier this month I finally came across it parked in the Byward Market.