Ends And Odds In The Capital City

 Early in August while I was attending the Busker Festival, I noticed these two birds pecking away in the spacious planter I was sitting beside. They blended in well.

A short walk away, I noticed something I've walked past countless times at the corner of Bank and Sparks Streets without noticing. I believe the building at this corner might have once been a bank, hence the crest.

A bit further along on Sparks Street is the current location of a sculpture honouring Terry Fox, the Canadian marathon runner who lost a leg to cancer, set out to run across the country from east to west, and lost his fight to cancer before he could finish it. Millions run marathons for cancer research in his name each year.

Some photo bloggers do hip shots. I inadvertently did one during a busker performance, but liked the shot.

This summer has been one of rain. One day at home I noticed the building dark clouds outside my apartment building. Excuse the ropes- there's balcony work being done on my side of the building. To the west, the buildings across the way are government buildings.

The storm clouds built. When it unleashed, it was a furious storm.

With rain comes rainbows. This was on another day in the north end of the Glebe.

August and September is the time of sunflowers. These are outside Abbotsford House, a former 19th century farmhouse that sees new use as a senior's community centre.

On another day in the north end of the Glebe, I saw this rabbit early in the morning. They are not animals of the heat of the day; one is more likely to see them first thing, or in the evening and overnight.

En route to visit a museum, my route took me through the Riverview neighbourhood. I stopped along the way to head down a street and photograph a church. This is the Church of Christ, nestled in a quiet area.

My last shot that day was taken close to home, outside an LRT station. This compass is thematically First Nations, and I recall seeing a similar one outside City Hall.

The Sun Finally Sets Upon Another Year

I have a tradition of wrapping up the year with a series of sunset and twilight shots. And so here we have some from the last few months around the region.

This first shot dates to mid-July, with the late light of day disappearing behind an oncoming storm front as I walked through the north end of the Glebe en route home. 

One evening in August, I took this shot of the last light of day illuminating clouds to the south.

A few minutes later, I took this shot from the ridge along the east side of the stadium at Lansdowne Park. The sun had set in the west.

On an evening in the first half of September, I was back at Lansdowne, where among preparations for a music festival, I took this shot of the dusk sky against the stadium north stands and the Aberdeen Pavilion.

A short walk away, I took another shot.

Some days later, I took these two shots of Fourth Avenue Baptist Church in the Glebe at twilight, with the last light of day fading off to the west.

I took this shot on Remembrance Day in November just after leaving the War Museum. The sun was descending, and shining brilliantly through the trees on what had turned out to be a beautiful but cold day.

I took these in mid-December, a few minutes apart. The first includes an old farmhouse at center-right. Abbotsford House today is a senior's community center. A retirement home looms at right, while center-left is a building that houses a nursing home in the Glebe.

A few minutes passed by, and I was further along on the property at Lansdowne Park.

And just a bit further along, I took this shot of the Aberdeen Pavilion from the east.

I was downtown the weekend before Christmas; we'd had a bit of a warm spell that did a number on the snowpack, but got more snow after I took these shots. When I emerged into the late day, it was mostly clear, and I headed up to Parliament Hill for some final sunset shots. This looks towards West Block, with the setting sun behind it.

A look at Centre Block, partially hidden by scaffolding.

I headed for the area between the two blocks for my last two shots. This rise of land includes two statues- Prime Minister Lester Pearson sitting at left, and Queen Victoria at right.

A short walk beyond, a view of the Ottawa River, in the process of winter freeze up, and the last light of day. Happy New Year to you.

Tulip Beds In The Glebe

 The Glebe is a neighbourhood in Ottawa, quite familiar to me. This first bed of tulips is outside St. Giles Presbyterian Church in the neighbourhood.

Down the street, at Abbotsford House, these were showing.

Tulips can also be found at Lansdowne Park, alongside the Aberdeen Pavilion.

On my way home, I took these shots around residential gardens in the neighbourhood.

Twilight Descends Again Over Another Year

It is my tradition to close out the year with sunset shots. I begin with this shot from the end of July. I was over at the Billings Bridge transit station at twilight, and the sky demanded a take. 

These two shots were taken a few minutes apart in late August. I photographed the setting sun over the Rideau Canal from the Bank Street Bridge.

And then I was back at Billings Bridge again.

In the first half of September, I was out in Nepean, and the tones of the sky with the setting sun appealed to me.

A few minutes later and a short walk away, I took another shot.

Later in the month, I took this shot of Abbotsford House at centre in the Glebe, a senior's community centre, flanked by a nursing home at left and a retirement home at right.

A couple of nights later, I took this shot of the last light of day further north in the Glebe.

Around mid-December, I took this shot downtown after sunset, with the last light of day in the west.

A few days later, this shot of the last light of day was taken at Lansdowne Park.

On Christmas Eve, I took this shot of Parliament Hill from Major's Hill Park, with the descending sun hidden by the buildings.

A bus ride later, I was in Nepean to run an errand I should have taken care of days before, but such is life. The sun had set in the west, but the sky was still colourful.

My last shot, taken after my errands were done, and starting to leave this area. A Happy New Year to you.