Spring Odds And Ends

 I have some odds and ends today, taken at various points in April. Early in the month one morning I was out before dawn, and took this shot looking west. The Moon was seen in the western sky, along the left side of the street.

A short walk away, looking eastward: the first light of day over Dundonald Park, with snow still on the ground.

It's been awhile since I've photographed this building. Mercury Court is in the Byward Market downtown. It was once a department store. An architecture firm that specializes in heritage buildings gave it a complete overhaul, and today their offices are among those inside.

In the middle of the month I was heading to the Ottawa River for my twice a month views from the Portage Bridge. On the way, I stopped at the site for Adisoke, the building that will house the future main branch of the Ottawa Public Library and some facilities for Library And Archives Canada. Progress has been made since I last showed it to you.

Getting onto the bridge, I saw the first Canada geese I've seen in the spring resting on Victoria Island. I photographed this pair.

Coming back, this scilla caught my eye. These are the first flowers of spring, always seen in the latter part of April here.

Winter here went out with an ice storm. A couple of days after the above shots, I was passing by Dundonald Park, where some of the damage from the storm was waiting to be dealt with.

One of the best spots for scilla in the city is in Central Park in the Glebe, where on a slope on the east side of Bank Street, they flourish in April. I stopped by a few days later and took these.

I was by the stadium at Lansdowne Park at dawn one morning late in April and took this shot of the rising sun.

Lastly, this was taken yesterday. I bought this pair of socks at a shop in Little Italy. I got a much needed smile out of the inscription- entirely appropriate since I got as sick with a cold as I've ever been in early April and am still dealing with the effects of it.

Adisoke, A Work In Progress

 Every once in awhile I show you the progress of the work at Lebreton Flats on what will be a joint building for the Ottawa Public Library and Library And Archives Canada. The work will continue for some years before it's ready to open, and the building has been given a name: Adisoke. The indigenous word is Anishinaabe, meaning the telling of stories. The future main branch of the city's library will be here, and the federal government agency will share some space here too. 

At the current main branch, admittedly not a good design (Brutalist architecture rarely is), out in the main foyer are a series of posters and design sketches. The concepts have been out there for awhile, and the design, strongly influenced by indigenous culture, certainly appeals to me.

And here's what the worksite looked like when I passed by a few days ago. Progress is being made.