The past six weeks have zipped by and so it seems has winter morphed (or should I say begrudgingly plodded) into spring. Winterlude, held each February, is a major celebration in Ottawa and one of the highlights is the opening of the Rideau Canal Skateway.
Another Winterlude event is the ice sculpting competition that draws contestants from around the world. Their work is truly breathtakingly detailed.
Twenty minutes outside of the city is Bear Brook Game Farm that raises everything from bison to elk to white peacocks. It was far too chilly for the white peacocks to be outdoors, but the bison and elk had no problems whatsoever.
This guy was massive and it worried me that such a flimsy wire fence was all that separated us.
John encouraged me to stand closer, but I was having none of it.
He, of course, had no such problem. But then, he opted to stand next to the babies.
This winter was exceptionally cold which extended the length of the Rideau Skateway season. John felt fortunate to skate the entire length on three separate occasions. On the final Saturday the temperature nudged above freezing and in typical Canadian fashion a good number of folks removed their coats and jackets to soak up a few rays.
One Sunday we took a leisurely walk in the National Military Cemetery.
The cemetery honours those who gave their lives for Canada, but like the carved trees remind us their memory lives on.
This month we also took a road trip south of the border.
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| Snow covered White Mountains in Vermont |
At our daughter's and son's home just outside of Boston we spotted some deer on their front lawn.
When Sarah asked what we wanted to do on Saturday I immediately suggested a walk on the beach.
The four of us spent two incredible hours on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean and even in March it is spectacular!
This snowman could very well be the most popular guy on Plum Island. He was the focus of a great many photos, straddled between so many strangers (like ourselves). But to be honest I don't think he minded in the least. Look at that face!
And last but not least is Tim and Sarah. I had to laugh because Tim hates (and I mean HATES) having his photo taken, but he dutifully stood at attention to appease his mother-in-law. Good man!
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