The Family Scowl: The Not That Camera Shy Self Portrait

Tomorrow is the theme day for City Daily Photo bloggers, playing around with the notion of Camera Shy Self Portraits. As a lead-in, I thought I'd mess around with my standard photo that appears in comments throughout the blogs I follow. This shot was taken some years back on the deck of the Visitor Centre in Algonquin Park. My face happens to be setting into that genetic quirk that runs on my mother's side of the family- from my grandfather to my mother and aunts, to some of my cousins, and yours truly- there's a tendency for our face to set into an expression that suggests we're thoroughly annoyed, even when we're not.

And so as we head into tomorrow, I added some memes into this photo.

After Winter, Spring Eventually Shows Up... Or Not

Spring still seems elusive in these parts, though supposedly there will be a warm-up sometime this week. This is Central Park in the Glebe neighbourhood. At least around the edges of the park, snow is giving way.

Big Enough For An Aircraft Hanger

The interior of the Ottawa Convention Centre is spread out over four levels. There are a number of meeting rooms, ranging from the sort of size suited for perhaps a couple dozen people to larger spaces for company conferences, meetings, or receptions. The largest space is Canada Hall, on the third level.

Canada Hall is big enough to fit a plane (as long as you assemble it, because that's the only way it's getting in here). It can accomodate six thousand people, and one can expect things like trade shows, large conferences, or political conventions in here. The Hall can be subdivided into smaller sections with retractable walls as needed.

Here work is being done in between trade shows. The benefit of living here is that one can take a peek inside the Convention Centre at leisure.

No Smoke, Just Plenty Of Mirrors

The wall of the Conference Centre gives off unusual reflections from here of both the Rideau Canal....

...as well as the National Arts Centre.

Distorted Views Of A Glass Wall

The glass wall here at the Convention Centre certainly allows for good reflections.

My title yesterday was in reference to the character Kang, a time travelling pain in the neck Big Bad where the Avengers are concerned. A terrific character, but let's just say trying to work him into a movie would cause no end of headaches.

The Council Of Infinite Kendalls

A reminder: the theme on the first day of April for City Daily Photo bloggers happens to be My Camera Shy Self Portrait. 

I was down at the Ottawa Convention Centre not so long ago, and that fabulous wall of glass triangles makes for some good photo opportunities. The photographer looks rather small amid the reflections. And more than one reflection of said photographer might be found.

I expect only comic book readers might be able to make sense of that title.

Bringing Back The Hardware

While Americans are busy obsessing on college basketball, our Canadian national university basketball championships wrapped up a few days ago. The Carleton Ravens men's team won the trophy yet again. This is the fifth consecutive win and the eleventh national championship in the last thirteen years.

Ghosts Of The Past

Today I am back in Dundonald Park, with these views of this particular apartment building.

It's quite nondescript, but history happened here. A Soviet clerk working at the embassy lived here with his wife and children at the end of the Second World War. His name was Igor Gouzenko. His story can be found here and here. The short version is that in September 1945 he defected into Canadian custody with his family, armed with numerous files proving the Soviets were spying on Western nations. The evidence he brought was one of the triggers of the Cold War.

Gouzenko and his family lived out the rest of their lives in Canada, and he wrote two books. When he appeared in public on television, he always wore a mask. Several years ago this historical plaque and an information panel were placed in Dundonald Park across from the building.

Work In Progress

I am still at Dundonald Park today, only it was a day earlier than yesterday's shots.

Across from the park on the north side of Somerset Street, there was a store here, the Beer Store. This is not the sort of business that goes out of business... but something happened here last summer. One day it was open, and then it was closed up, with notices of no trespassing, work being done, and trucks marked with damage assessment tags parked at the site. Lo and behold, the building was torn down during the fall, and the site cordoned off. This began some weeks ago, construction gear brought in, the first steps of a new building going up. Whatever happened in that store must have done something substantial and catastrophic to the structure, but I expect when this is finished, the same store will be in place again.

It is next door to a small apartment building. I found the texture of the exposed wall interesting (though I see the work of taggers on it). I have featured this building early on when I got started blogging, and will show it again tomorrow.

Not Yet Spring

It's been quite awhile since I've photographed in Dundonald Park, in the downtown core. These two photographs were taken on Friday. The snow is still around, of course, though the snow pack is reduced from what it was at the height of winter. Still, for the first day of spring, it didn't feel like it.

Turning around to the east, we have this view of what was once a church, now converted into apartments. As trees start sprouting leaves through spring, the view to this structure gets obscured to a photographer in the park. This time of year it's still possible to still get a shot of it. It is a building I have always liked.