Ghosts, Goblins, And Hallowe'en Night

 It is Hallowe'en today, and so time for the proverbial things that go bump in the night. I tend to spend a lot of time in and around the Glebe neighbourhood, and homes and businesses do a lot of decorating for the occasion. This is the front window display of a pet grooming business.

Homes have a lot of creative ideas in the neighbourhood in how they decorate.

On Wednesday night, I went to the National Arts Centre for a Hallowe'en theme concert, with classical music and film score selections appropriate to the occasion. One of the large spaces in the building was decorated for photo ops.

Lots of guests were wearing costumes for this, the first night of a three night run of the concert, and most of the orchestra were in costume as well. It was a fun concert, and well worth attending. From the classical side of things, there were pieces like Ride of the Valkyries, The Hall of the Mountain King, Witches' Ride from Hansel and Gretel, and the Danse Macabre by Saint-Saens.

Film score selections included music from Psycho, Joker, The Witches Of Eastwick, Aliens, Signs, Jaws, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and the Harry Potter films. The conductor was a delight, remarking on how her father had taken the family to see Aliens when she was six, and of course it terrified her. She also remarked on how the music for that film is beautiful, thrilling, and even violent, and the suite they played definitely reflected that. It is an odd thing to both have music make you smile, and unnerve you, best reflected in the opening notes of the Jaws theme. And closing a concert like this with music from Harry Potter? Just perfect.

A World Where There Are Octobers

 "I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers." - L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

Pink Lake is a delight to visit, but especially so in the fall. Its characteristic tint of green could be seen in the water.

One last shot from the lake before I headed back to meet the shuttle and return to Ottawa. After the theme day I'll pick up with more autumn shots, from the Ontario side of the Ottawa River.

Descending Towards The Water

 I could not do a complete circuit of the hiking trail that winds its way around Pink Lake, as I had other commitments later in the afternoon, but I wanted to get down to the lake. I started down the trail.

As mentioned yesterday, there was a hint of green to the water.

It really is a lovely place to come for a visit.

An Unusual Kind Of A Lake

 Pink Lake is nestled deep in the Gatineau Hills, a particularly lovely lake, and a rarity. One of the shuttle stops is at the lookout, which is a two level overlook of the lake, with the hiking trail close by.

Interpretive plaques look at the nature and history of the lake. Named for a homesteading family of the 19th century, the lake has several qualities that mark it as unusual.

It has been noted to have waters that turn green in late August and into the fall. This is caused by algae. It also contains a species of fish that is a holdover of the saltwater Champlain Sea- the three spined spickleback, which has adapted to become a freshwater fish in this lake.

And it is a meromictic lake. This is a rare thing in lakes, but is defined as a lake where layers do not mix. This results in the deeper parts of the lake being low in oxygen.

It is a fragile lake, where erosion is an issue, and the hiking trail around it has been modified to minimize erosion.

Even glimpses of it from the lookout are tantalizing.