Sentries At Their Post

Tomorrow is Remembrance Day, and I thought I would show one of my favourite photographs of the War Memorial, taken at night, the spotlights illuminating the statues of servicemen coming through the arch. The Memorial was unveiled by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth to honour veterans of the First World War,  mere months before the start of the Second World War. It is now is a tribute for those lost in all wars Canadians have fought, and for those left behind.

It Is Just A Matter Of Time

"There are two seasons in Scotland. June and winter." ~ Billy Connolly

"Ah, the intractable Canadian problem. Winter and finery are basically incompatible." ~ Russell Smith

"Getting an inch of snow is like winning ten cents in the lottery." ~ Bill Watterson

"Could we possibly arrange for this to be the snowiest winter in the last fifty years? I'd be ever so happy." ~ William Kendall, Canadian rascal

Regarding yesterday's post, the church can be glimpsed in the first shot at this post. Click on the image, look at where the river disappears around the bend at the left, and directly above it you should see the golden dome of the shrine. It also gives you a sense of the parallel paths between the river and the canal.

This cold and snow covered marsh in the above photograph is in Guelph in southern Ontario, taken last December. I post this because on Friday we had snow falling for the first time in the day; we might have had some snow in the night here a few days before that. Anyway, I'm always happy to see the first flakes on my coat at this time of year, and I anticipate a long, cold winter with lots of the white stuff.

If I happen to meet a bad end.... well, let's just say at this point the suspect list will be getting pretty long, but it'll include a few people who for some strange reason don't like winter.

Snow, snow, snow, snow!!!!

The Dome Along The Canal

Down from Mooney's Bay, this stretch of the Rideau Canal passes through this area on its way to the university and beyond. The dome above the early fall trees is the top of  the St. John The Baptist Ukranian Catholic Shrine. I really should photograph that church sometime.

Taking In A View Of The Bay

This view is at Mooney's Bay, a large expanse of the Rideau River upstream from Carleton University. It is here that the river splits off into its final run to the Ottawa River as well as the last stretch of the Rideau Canal, as the river's natural course through the city is not particularly agreeable to pleasure boats.

Are You Having Any Luck Fishing?

Yesterday at her page Jennifer posted a video blog of a great blue heron. I got the idea to add a meme to a shot I took of one at Dow's Lake, about to go fishing.

And So Right Is Left And Up Is Down

There are a pair of replica 18th century cannons down at Dow's Lake, down by the office headquarters for the H.M.C.S. Carleton, which is in the process of being completely rebuilt. The royal seal of George III is on both of them. Do you prefer it right side up?

Or on its side?

This shot from last year before the construction really got going gives you a sense of the surroundings; the cannons flank a Navy monument here at the lake.

Pretty Good Looking For A Centenarian

Yesterday Judy at Prescott Daily Photo showed this classic car. It reminded me of this 1914 Ford. I saw it downtown in the spring, and took several shots, showing one of them back in May. This is another take from the series. I have seen the Ford a couple of other times since then. The owner, who you can see beside it, must have a shop or business down here. 

The building in the background, incidentally, is Mercury Court. I should have gone inside for Doors Open; the place apparently has a few visual treats inside,  including the Swedish embassy. The building is topped by a sculpture of the Roman god Mercury (Hermes to those of us who prefer the Greek version). 

The Liberator: Simon Bolivar In Silhouette

Last year I showed a statue of Simon Bolivar that stands downtown. You can find that post here. This is a profile shot of the South American leader's statue. His presence in Ottawa still perplexes me, but at least he's dressed for the weather.

The Warship And A World War Simulator

Today I have two archive shots from the War Museum. I'll no doubt be back up there for Remembrance Day in a few days. This is a model of a Canadian warship that was involved in the Normandy invasion.

In the Cold War section of the museum, a mockup of a military command center is set up, running simulations on what might have happened had World War Three broken out between NATO and the Warsaw Pact. There's more than one simulation, because I've sat through on a couple of occasions and watched it play itself out with different results. News headlines scroll on the screen, a casualty rate gets displayed, and military engagements and other events get highlighted as the simulation goes along.

When the casualty rates keep going higher and higher, you breathe a sigh of relief that the Cold War never got out of control. Twenty five years after that momentous fall of 1989.... a war room simulation like this still gives you chills.

City Daily Photo Theme Day: Landmarks

The first day of each month is a theme day for members of City Daily Photo, and for November, the theme is Landmarks. You can find other interpretations of the theme at this link.

Parliament Hill, of course, is what many of us think as the pivotal landmark in a national capital region filled with landmarks. These first two spare shots are from a previous visit. I have not been up on the Hill since the events that took place here last week. This first view takes in Confederation Hall in the Centre Block from the gallery above.

And the second is from the observation deck in the Peace Tower, looking out on the Ottawa River and Gatineau on the Quebec shore. The Library of Parliament always stands out so well, and dominates this shot.

I'm adding on a favourite shot of Centre Block taken this summer through the main gate, which is used on ceremonial occasions.