Ghosts of Winter Past

One of the things I like most about Ottawa is that even though it is not the USA, it is close enough for me to catch an occasional little wave of nostalgia from my childhood in Iowa and Oregon. Halloween is an obvious example, but there are plenty of smaller things. For example…

~ The intense quiet found by standing outside alone at night during a heavy snowfall. It’s wonderful. It’s beautiful. And it is very, very peaceful.

~ Incredibly cold and sweet drinking water straight from the taps in winter. It’s like drinking ice water, without having to make a glass of ice water. This one also reminded me of a particular dead of winter event in my teens when I had to crawl around under a house in Baker City, blow torch in hand, because the water pipes had frozen. Not quite as sweet.

~ Creating a bedtime light show via static electricity. A proper snowy winter is cold and dry, so all you need is a your PJs, sheets and friction. The sparks you'll generate just by rolling over are amazing.

I am really looking forward to seeing what else I will recall come the Spring, Summer and Fall.

On the Ice

Today we drove out to a rural property at the invitation of one of Jane’s colleagues (Peter). The deal is simple. The house is warm, containing tea, coffee and assorted cakes and biscuits. Outside is clear and frosty with snowy grounds to stomp or ski about, and an open air skating ring.

For myself, it was a stunning success. By which I mean I managed to poddle around the ring several times without once introducing my backside to the ice. By way of context, I can count the number of times I have been ice skating one hand. What is more, the last time I was on the ice would have been in my early/mid teens. I fully expected to hit the ice several times, but was very happy to be wrong.

Tom also had a tremendous time. We got him a pair of ‘Block skates’ to start with. They are skates with twin parallel blades to provide extra stability, that simply strap onto his normal winter boots. Peter’s pond comes fully equipped with a hockey goal net and several sticks, including one that is pee-wee size. Tom shuffled his way down the ice towards the net, receiving and replying to the several passes of the puck until it has his turn take ½ dozen shot at Peter’s very poorly defended goal. Annoyingly, I did not know we had brought the camera, so no pics were taken until later in the day.

Jane took her skates out for a tentative test run, but I think she had a far better time of it in her snowshoes.






Lillian had rather a less terrific day, much of which looked like this.




And finally, here is a picture of Jane showing Tom the proper way to hold a shotgun, or something.

Roadtrip!

Grandpa was very generous at Christmas, Jane has been very keen to see get out of Ottawa and see more of Canada. We own a minivan and Old Montreal is just 2 hours down the road. Add it all up and you get the 1st Wagoner-Family Canadian road trip last weekend.

Saturday morning we got up, had breakfast, and then piled into the car. We were staying in a lovely hotel right in the middle of Old Town. We dropped the bags in the room and then wandered just over a block away down cobblestone streets to have crepes for lunch. Tom and Lillian both enjoy cafes enormously, a combination of new surroundings, different food and people to watch. To their credit both were extremely well behaved at lunch and again at dinner. After lunch we had a quick walk around Old Town before hopping onto a horse drawn carriage. Everybody rugged up in blankets and away we go – clip clop clip clop - through the cobbled streets for a very leisurely tour through a very scenic neighborhood. After wards we shot through the hotel room and then headed back down the street for dinner at a nice steak and chips place. The steak was lovely, Jane got herself a lamb-fix and Tom got his groove on to a café Jazz version of Jumping Jack Flash while Lillian looked out the window waving to passer-bys and the occasional horse drawn carriage.




































































































The Montreal Biodome was the big attraction for Sunday. It has walk through exhibits, with live animals, which simulate a number of different climates. My high point was getting a good look at an actual Capybara, even tho at no point did it look like springing into action to fight the dreaded foot of crime. The kids loved the exhibits, but the best bit was right at the end. They have a big play area with a slide, snow blocks (made from foam), lots of arctic soft toy animals and costumes for the kids (Eskimos, penguins, polar bears and seals). The kids spent a good hour dressed up, 1st as seals and then as polar bears, and playing.

























































All up, a very successful weekend. Although, to be honest, we didn’t see much of Montreal. We drove to Old Town, stayed in Old Town, drove to the Montreal Biodome, and then went home. However, I am now a total convert to having GPS. The traffic and roads in Montreal are not pleasant, not even on a Sunday afternoon. Having the GPS made the whole ordeal far less stressful. And if we did not have a GPS, we would no doubt have seen far more of Montreal than desired.

Seasonal Pics #4 - The House

This is the last of the planned 'Seasonal Pics' posts for Winter.

1st we have the birdfeeder piled high with snow. The feeded doubles as a Squirrel-frustrater, and thus child-amuser. And then, there is a sad, lonely snow-bound BBQ. Which I have used in sub-zero weather.

























These were taken the night of the 1st big snow. Our front steps, a wider shot of the house and then one of the street taken from our footpath.



















































And now, the morning after.

Seasonal Pics #3 - The Kids

There was always going to be one of these about the kids and their first snowy winter.


Tom makes a very short snowman. he had the right idea, but the snow was so fine and powdery that it would not stick together.


Making snowangels. Tom is pretty good at it these days, but Lilli tends to just lay there and flounder about.


It takes ages to get them dressed to go outside.


Sled rides are fun.























Especially when daddy is the sled-dog.























Lillian spends a lot of time like this. Sitting in the snow, waiting to be picked up and carried to safety.


Thomas and some winter-friends.

Seasonal Pics #2 - The Bridges and Waterfalls

Like the GG's park, these two places features in our early pics of Ottawa. See how they have changed...

Approaching at dusk with the old style streetlamps alight, it is not at all hard to imagine this as a bridge into Narnia.


These next two pics were taken from the bridge.























The Waterfalls generate a constant localized mist that coats the surroundings in beautiful ice.

Seasonal Pics #1 – The Governor Generals Park

Amazing the difference just a few months can make. You have seen the pics we took when we got here. These pics were taken shortly after a bout of freezing rain came through the city. We couldn’t drive anywhere, but of course the GG’s park is an easy walk. (click on the pics for larger size)

These 1st two pics are of the rose garden and stone arch that chronicles the history of Canadian government. Its a lot more fragmented then I had expected. For example, Newfoundland was part of the UK until the 1940s. In fact, troops from Newfoundland fought at Gallipoli.







Not Blair Witch.


There is a cricket pitch under there.


The beautiful stone and iron fence that surrounds the park.






I will put up more seasonal pics from the local area, and of the kids, before too long.

Our Xmas Tree Epic

1. Hand saw for cutting tree …Check.
2. Bag of snacks for the kids …Check.
3. Kids bundled up to within an inch of immobility …Check.
4. GPS to find the place …Check.
5. Singing Xmas carols in the car on our way there …Check.
6. Parking …Ah, no. The place is packed and the carpark is completely full.
7. Car sliding gently into the ditch when trying to park on the ever so snowy rural road out front …Check.
8. Realising that getting stuck directly in front of the place we were going anyway isn’t so bad …Check.
9. CAA (RACQ/NRMA equivalent) membership …Check.
10. Spilled own blood cutting down tree while waiting for tow truck …Check.
11. Horse drawn sleigh ride …Check.
12. Hot chocolate …Check.
13. Scent of real pine in the house as kids decorate a real tree while real snow falls gently outside …Check.

All up, totally worth it.