Solace

"Earth has no sorrow that earth cannot heal." ~ John Muir 

I mentioned yesterday that I'd really needed this, to be out here. Those of you who follow me on Facebook might have seen my post a few days ago mentioning my current bout with depression. It comes and it goes, but it will always be there. I've been coping with a strong wave of it for several months now, and the cause remains unresolved. And with Christmas right around the corner- which guarantees another wave- even if this one stops tomorrow, the next will be coming. Getting out here helped a bit.

Muir was right: "in every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks."

Peace

 The Champlain Lookout is an ideal spot to spend time in, to let the wind blow in your face, and find some peace.

I descended to the lower area.

There is a hiking trail one can take as well.

I really needed this.

Views

 My first stop in Gatineau Park was at the Champlain Lookout. Here at the end of one of the parkways is the last of three lookout areas, and the most spectacular. The southern flank of the Gatineau Hills is called the Eardley Escarpment, where the heights of the park descend dramatically below to the valley floor. In the distance, the Ottawa River can be seen. On the far shore is the northwestern portion of the city of Ottawa- in fact countryside and small villages in this area. That is reflected on this side of the river, classic Quebec countryside of the Ottawa Valley.

There are a series of panels here explaining the geological history of the region.

I was here at just the right time.

I took a panoramic shot.

One more shot for today. I have more from this location over the next two days.

City Daily Photo Theme Day: Best Of The Year

 My last of this set of favourite shots of the year takes us out to Gatineau Park, a federal park run by the National Capital Commission over on the Quebec side of the Ottawa River. The NCC runs shuttles into the park on weekends, and I took one in the fall, stopping at the Champlain Lookout, where the southern flank of the Gatineau Hills descends to the valley floor along the Eardley Escarpment. The Ottawa River can be seen, with the limits of Ottawa on the far shore. This place is a delight to visit, high above the valley floor.

Another visit made on this fall day was to the Mackenzie King Estate. William Lyon Mackenzie King was one of our greatest prime ministers, and no one was more dominant in the Canadian political scene in the first half of the 20th century, seeing the country through much of the Depression and the Second World War. He bought land up here early on in his political career, inspired by nature, and would make it his weekend and summer retreat, starting with cottages he called Kingswood. This is the main cottage.

The land was along one shore of Kingsmere Lake- the name preceded his time here, but must have convinced him this was his place to call a home.

As time went on and he became prime minister, he built a house that he could properly entertain the great and the good in. The second house on the property he called Moorside, and here his ideas of landscaping, gardening, and being engaged with nature took full form, alongside his ideas for the country.

He was a man of staunch Scots Presbyterian sensibility and sentiment, and among his ideas were follys- structures that served no purpose but sentiment, salvaged from buildings that were being demolished, and turned into something new on his property.

This is expressed best in the Abbey Ruins, which blends together pieces from homes in Ottawa, as well as sections of the former Center Block on Parliament Hill, and even stones from the printing press of his own grandfather.

King left his estate to the people of the country he loved so much, as thanks for the opportunity to serve them in leadership. A visit to this estate uplifts the soul.

My last stop on this visit was Pink Lake, not that far away from the estate. Named after a family of settlers from the 19th century, it is a meromictic lake- a rarity among lakes in that the layers do not mix, and there is low oxygen content in the deeper layers. A hiking trail winds around it.

It is a peaceful place, with a life all to its own.