Thursday, December 31, 2020

Twilight Descends Upon Another Year

I like to end the year with a set of shots of the twilight hour, and such is the case with this New Year's Eve. These first few shots are from the same evening in mid-September. I paid a visit to the Canadian Museum of History over in Gatineau one day, and the sun was setting as I was leaving. I went down to the shoreline of the Ottawa River and photographed across to the landmarks of the Chateau Laurier and Parliament Hill.


My route home took me across the Alexandra Bridge. I looked back towards the Museum.


And then upstream along the river.


The height of the Hill dominates things here. The Supreme Court of Canada can be seen upstream, beyond the Parliamentary blocks.


Reaching the end of the bridge, I photographed it in the dying light of the day.


Then I carried on, pausing to photograph Centre Block framed by this sculpture, called Dialogues.


In Major's Hill Park nearby, I took another shot of the Hill and the river.


And then I looked back towards Gatineau.


This last shot is taken from Plaza Bridge, where the Rideau Canal's locks descend to meet the Ottawa River.


In November, on Remembrance Day, I caught these two shots, a few blocks and a few minutes apart, on my way home.


And in the middle of this month, I went up to Parliament Hill for some shots late in the day, a rare clear day. This is the west side of West Block, bathed in the last light of the evening.


Across from it is a low hill that I haven't been able to get to for several years with the work going on here- though now it is accessible. Two statues are here, and one of them is seen here silhouetted against the dying daylight. This is the statue of Queen Victoria.


From here I went over to Major's Hill Park for my last shot of the year. The sun was just slipping below the horizon, with a low cloud bank to the west. The Library of Parliament looms high above the river, which was starting to develop ice. And if you look down at the river, you might see a speck close to the shore. That's a canoe, with two people rowing with the flow of the water. A pretty cold time of year to be doing that.

41 comments:

  1. Beautiful evening photos! Best wishes for a safe and enjoyable new year!

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  2. Sunsets are always beautiful. Have a wonderful New Year William.

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  3. I wish you a glorious New Year ... like a beautiful sunrise!

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  4. Beautiful. To a wonderful New Year.

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  5. Lovely series! I wish you all the best in 2021, a happy and healthy New Year.

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  6. Happy New Year, William. All the best for 2021. Normally in December we visit my daughter in Orléans, but this year it was not possible, of course. Maybe next December........

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  7. You had beautiful home road.
    Wish you the best in new year.

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  8. ...it can't set too fast for me. My best to you for a healthy and bright 2021.

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  9. A lovely post! Happy New Year William!

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  10. Lovely calming evening photographs..... thanks! Happy and healthy 2021 to you and your family and to all the bloggers who read this. Lets beat that nasty Covid bug out of existence!

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  11. Beautiful shots to end the year,
    Happy New Year, William.

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  12. @Linda: thanks.

    @Italiafinlandia: thank you.

    @Sami: yes they are.

    @Ella: thank you.

    @Iris: thanks.

    @Agnieszka: thank you.

    @Eileen: it had better be improved on this one.

    @David: hopefully.

    @orvokki: thanks.

    @b.c.: thank you.

    @Tom: good riddance to this yeatr.

    @RedPat: thanks!

    @jan: thank you.

    @Shammickite: I agree.

    @Bill: thank you.

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  13. Yep, hope those canoeists were wearing wet suits.

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  14. The one of the bridge is really clever I think, btw Happy New Year for 2021 hopefully it's alot more positive.

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  15. Lovely area and beautiful twilight shots!

    Wishing you a Healthy and Happy New Year,

    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  16. Very lovely sunset shots, and a fine way to end a year of posts. Thank you so much. :-)

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  17. Beautiful photos. Happy New Year.

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  18. Happy New Year🎉

    Thank you for another year of beautiful photographs. Your pictures helped make 2020 more bearable.

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  19. Beautiful photographs.
    Wishing you a happy and healthy 2021.

    All the best Jan

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  20. I am not sad to say farewell to 2020 but I do welcome 2021, and trust that it will turn out to be a much better year for us all.

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    Replies
    1. Well at least it's been something of an improvement, but 2020 set a low bar.

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  21. Those beautiful sunsets! And scenery. An absolutely perfect way to end the year ... in either real life or in blogland! I must say though, that last picture, thinking of those cold canoeists almost drove all the other thoughts from my head. Brrr. But I scrolled back and dwelt on the beauty and was happy again! Happy ... and hopeful ... NewYear!

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  22. Such beautiful photos to end the year with William. They are all beautiful. Happy new year to you.

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  23. Thank you. A lovely tribute to a dying year.

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  24. William - this is an outstanding series of photos ... the ideal choice to close out 2020. Happy New Year to you and yours!

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