November has blessed us (for the most part) with daily Celsius temperatures in the teens accompanied with brilliant blue, cloudless skies.
Whenever possible, John and I have headed outdoors to savour every precious moment - if only because we both know winter will soon arrive. The condo property is a perfect place to begin a leisurely stroll, long walk or in John's case a bike ride.
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| Le Parc |
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| Our resident Canadian Geese couple |
One of our favourite walks follows the Aviation Parkway bike path, passes the Aviation Museum and connects with the Ottawa River Pathway. The circle route takes about 90-minutes from start to finish and the terrain is a mixture of busy city streets, quiet residential areas and beautiful parkland and we've done it numerous times this month.
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| Picnickers |
Not all of the homes are palatial or grand, but these two are impressive from an architectural perspective.
What continually catches my attention, however, is the vast array of plants and flowers showcasing Mother Nature's quiet determination and resilience to share her magic. Just take a look at these trees and plants growing and thriving precariously on these steep rock faces.
Meanwhile, the flowers (and a few weeds) still in bloom in home gardens and yards are equally impressive. Honestly, IS this really possible given that it's November?!
Last week we drove to Warsaw, Ontario and spent a couple of days visiting with Doug and John. It was such a joy to reconnect and spend time with these guys whom we've known more than fifty years.
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| L to R: Doug, Dianne, John and John |
We shared some bubbly, delicious food, laughs and while John is the primary chef in this household I was quite impressed with Doug's culinary skill with a blow torch as he helped put the finishing touches on dessert!
The following day we toured their property...
...with Brynn following close behind.
Then, we drove to a friend's farm where Doug maintains a garden that includes just about every vegetable one can imagine - and then some.
I've not only added daikon radish to my diet, but I'm excited to try fermented daikon radish that I prepared yesterday. Thanks, Doug!
Back in Warsaw we went for a walk into town and as it was Remembrance Day we stopped at the War Memorial.
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| © PHOTO BY DAVID TUAN BUI. |
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| Walking back to Rock Road |
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| Indian River |
Shortly after we returned to their home that afternoon we spotted some kayakers on the river. To say that John was envious is an understatement, especially as he's paddled the Indian River numerous times and knows firsthand how beautiful it is.
After returning to Ottawa the weather remained exceptionally seasonal until this morning. One look out the window quickly brought us back to reality! This really is November and winter is just around the corner.
No worries. John has dusted off his skates and cross country skies and our snowshoes are within easy reach. Let the winter and games begin!
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