A few photos of morning frost…
Frosty
A few photos of morning frost…
Tag: Winter
I felt like a tourist in my home town
I went back to Ottawa to visit my family for the holidays and it struck me—not for the first time—that I was a tourist in my home town. Gone for almost 15 years, coming back once a year on average, gradually lost touch with most of my friends there—but this time, I decided to roll with it, and actually do the touristy thing. Well, it was either that or stay indoors and cower from the winter cold.
I went back to Ottawa to visit my family for the holidays and it struck me—not for the first time—that I was a tourist in my home town. Gone for almost 15 years, coming back once a year on average, gradually lost touch with most of my friends there—but this time, I decided to roll with it, and actually do the touristy thing. Well, it was either that or stay indoors and cower from the winter cold.
First stop, Parliament Hill. I’ve only gone a couple of times, including one school trip, and at least one student protest. Was kind of hoping I could get in, but no, only staff or tour groups were allowed inside. Oh well, I still snapped some photos, then wandered around the Byward Market, the Art Gallery, and Notre Dame Cathedral.
Next day, I hit the Experimental Farm. The weather was fine and clear, though still bloody cold.
And on the flight back, I managed to get some more pictures from the plane. Picking a window seat on the starboard side was a long shot because I didn’t know how good the weather would be, but it paid off. Skies were clear for big chunks of northern Ontario, and bits of Manitoba and Alberta, as well as the Lower Mainland. Score! And once back, I got some experience fiddling with colour levels to remove the atmospheric haze. On the whole, I’m pretty happy with the results.
White Out
As you might have heard, we’ve got a lot of snow here.
Of course, “a lot of snow” for Vancouver is not a lot for, let’s say, my home town of Ottawa. But it’s thick and soft and has fucked up traffic and power lines, and even though the weather’s warmed up some now, it’ll be hanging around for a while. There was a bit of snow on Saturday, in the higher places, but it’s been coming down hard between Saturday night and Wednesday, with just a few breaks.
As you might have heard, we’ve got a lot of snow here.
Of course, “a lot of snow” for Vancouver is not a lot for, let’s say, my home town of Ottawa. But it’s thick and soft and has fucked up traffic and power lines, and even though the weather’s warmed up some now, it’ll be hanging around for a while. There was a bit of snow on Saturday, in the higher places, but it’s been coming down hard between Saturday night and Wednesday, with just a few breaks. We haven’t had this much snow since that sudden cold snap in… 2002, I think. In March, of all months. I had to buy a snow brush & ice scraper for my car. Never needed one before, and I don’t think I’ve needed it since, except for this week.
And my gawd, it’s beautiful. This is one thing I miss about Ottawa, the pretty white Christmases. I don’t enjoy them like I should anymore when I go home for the holidays, since I’ve become way too sensitive to cold from living out here on the balmy West Coast. The snowflakes are just hypnotic, drifting to the ground like so many dancing constellations, and everything is just so bright at night. The soft pearly light from the clouds and the ground is a hell of a change from the dull orangeish glow of reflected streetlights.
In fact, though the sky’s been mostly overcast and grey, and the landscape seems to be all in black or white, there’s something quite magical about this snow-covered scenery. I know it won’t last, and frankly I don’t want it to. A couple of weeks of snow is plenty for me, thanks very much. But in the meantime, I’m enjoying the hell out of it.
