We have been having a lot of rain lately and so I have been wearing my Wellies when I walk to work. These are my "city boots" and they get me through all the puddles and melting snow on the sidewalks and streets.
By contrast, these are my "country boots", which I wear when I am at my home in the country. They are much humbler than my city boots and I wear them when I am digging in the garden or just generally slogging through the mud and muck in my yard in the spring. In other words, they are real working boots, whereas my city boots are just for walking.
I notice that, in the city, Wellies are a kind of fashion item, like the ones this woman is wearing.
Or like these bright pink ones or tall black ones these people are wearing while shopping. They seem to be particularly popular among young (i.e. in their 20's and 30's) people.
It's great to see all the different styles and colours of boots you can buy these days. Love the flowery ones!
Aren't they fun?
This time of year, I like to search out the various signs that Spring is imminent. We seem to be having an early one this year, so I am finding many of the signs earlier than usual. For example, in the Spring, the restaurants along Clarence Street in the Byward Market in Ottawa start to put out tables and chairs and construct outdoor patios for diners. This generally happens in early April, but I discovered today that the tables and chairs were already out. It was overcast and not all that warm - only +10 degrees Celsius - but there were many people sitting outside - like this group, who were enjoying a meal and the mild weather.
Across the street, these women were also relaxing in the outdoor patio of a restaurant. I noticed that they were wearing only very light clothing. Meanwhile, I was marching around in my winter jacket and scarf. It is hard to know what to wear in this weather. I saw some people wearing shorts and t-shirts today while others were still wearing heavy coats and hats and boots.
And, inexplicably, just a few feet down the sidewalk from outdoor dining areas, there was this big pile of snow. All the snow for blocks around had melted and this pile looked so incongruous. I wonder how it got there!
Today ( Sunday) certainly felt like Spring had arrived. It was sunny and warm and thus a perfect day for a visit to a couple of donkeys I know. Oh yes - and the people who live with them - my friends, Mac and Brenda. Other friends, Tim and Frankie, were also visiting the donkeys today. We walked down to where the donkeys were happily awaiting us.
And here they are - Donald and Bob. Donald is in front and Bob, who is a bit shy, is hiding behind.
Tim often visits Donald and Bob and brings them treats. Here he is feeding Donald.
And then Bob, making sure they both get goodies.
We went inside for a tête-à-tête with the boys. Brenda and Mac gave Donald a pat.....
.....and a hug.
As I said, Bob is a bit shy, but Tim seems to know how to bring him out of his shell.
As we left, I took one last parting picture. Aren't they handsome boys?
We broke a record today. It got up to +12 degrees Celsius which, for Eastern Ontario, is amazing in early March. The last time it was this warm on March 7 was in the early 1970's. It was even more amazing because yesterday morning when we woke up, the temperature was -19 degrees, which means we experienced a temperature swing of 30 degrees in about 24 hours. I went out for a walk on my lunch break and there were people all over the place, enjoying the warmth and the sun. I think this photo says it all. This young couple were sitting on a park bench surrounded by a field of snow, but happily basking in the sun.
A day like this is a cause for celebration. When I went home to my apartment in the evening, I decided to sit out on my deck. I love sitting out there in the warm summer months, but I have never been able to go out there this early in the year. Two days ago, the deck had been covered in snow, but today it was dry and inviting.
I put out my chair.............
.....got my glass of wine............
....and I even put on a pair of sandals (although I had on a winter jacket). Ahhh! It was great to be able to sit outside on a warm (relatively) early spring evening.
One of the reasons I love to sit outside on my deck is that I can enjoy the lovely view. I can see the spires of the cathedral and the top of the National Art Gallery.
The sun was beginning to set and the sky had a beautiful tint. It was such a fabulous day!
The simplest things can give so much pleasure, and it is nice to be reminded of that from time to time. I was taking a break at work this afternoon and looking out a window that overlooks a daycare centre playground. There were a flock of young children playing on a patch of ice. They were having so much fun zooming around, sliding on the ice, falling down, getting up again and zooming around some more. It was a delight to watch them.
A colleague of mine joined me and we both watched the kids for a few minutes. She remarked that they were like particles or atoms, bouncing off each other and careening around. I really liked the way their bright snowsuits looked so colourful against the background of snow and ice.
The kids never stopped moving and it was entertaining just watching them wheel around and around. But duty called and I had to go back to my desk. Oh well - it was a nice break from my routine to experience this simple pleasure of watching some children play, as it was a nice break for them to experience the simple pleasure of a patch of ice. Hooray for simple pleasures!
When I was in Toronto last week to attend a convention, I stayed at a hotel right on the waterfront of Lake Ontario. This was the view out my window. I could see the lake and some boats, and I could also see a lot of construction - many new condominiums are being built in this area. People want to live on the waterfront. I would too, if I could afford it (in other words, if I was a billionaire).
The weather wasn't great but I went out for walks when I could - usually during lunch breaks (it was a busy convention). I took several pictures of this boat, which is actually a restaurant - Captain John's Restaurant.
I was told by someone who had eaten there that Captain John's was a really awful restaurant with terrible food and bad service. I must admit, this sign for the restaurant didn't inspire confidence in the quality of the place. It was so tacky, I had to take a picture of it.
From the front, the prow of a boat looks quite dramatic.
On another part of the waterfront, I saw this rather charming "showboat". There were a lot of boats for tourists here. I imagine that, in the summer, they would be quite busy, but it was rather nice to see them on this cold day, when there was no-one around and everything was calm.
This fish was one of a whole school embedded in the sidewalk in front of Queen's Quay Terminal, a rather posh little shopping centre on the waterfront. These fish are made of metal and are little artworks in themselves. They are life-size and almost look like they were fossilized there. Very appropriate for the waterfront!
Last week, I went to Toronto to attend a conference and it seemed that I was doomed to travel in stormy weather. On Wednesday when I left Ottawa, the wind was blowing and they were predicting a mixture of snow and freezing rain, so the airline put me on an earlier flight. The takeoff was bumpy but once we were high above the earth, everything was calm and smooth sailing.
When one is looking down on a storm from above the clouds, it can appear so soft and beautiful, like a great endless field of fluffy cotton batting.
But then the plane landed in the wind (a white knuckle landing) and I had to take a ferry from the airport to the mainland. The waves were very high, with whitecaps, and the ferry strained to get across.
Not a great day for views of Toronto. The sky appears to be eating the tops of the buildings and the CN Tower has disappeared into the thick clouds. It was one of those days that it was better to be above the earth than on it. But I got to my hotel and attended the conference for the next three days, then flew back to Ottawa on Saturday - which just so happened to be the day another bad storm blew in. This one was almost worse than the one on Wednesday and I didn't even dare to take my camera out because I was afraid it would blow right out of my hands. Another wild ride on the ferry across to the airport and another bumpy take-off in the plane - then above the clouds again. Phew- I was glad to get back to Ottawa. Next time I fly, I think I will try to appease the weather gods before I go!
