Fresh air before the rain

After an early breakfast on Carling Avenue I had time for a short walk in Dick Bell Park by the Nepean Sailing Club before the rain started (and continued all day). It was cold (4º) but refreshing, with grey views of the Ottawa River, and nobody in the park apart than me and a solitary jogger. A small lighthouse at the mouth of the harbour guides the yachts to their docks in summer; not much need for it at this time of year when most of the yachts have been lifted to higher ground for the winter. The Nepean Sailing Club's website reports:

Despite the nasty weather, a large group of very dedicated volunteers were on hand this past Saturday to help haul about 85 boats. Tow-boat drivers, Radio-jockeys, Dock Crews, Shore Crews, Safety staff, Cradle placement teams, Layout planners [...] All in all, nearly 100 volunteers on hand in cold and wet conditions.

Geese were taking off from Britannia Bay this morning; they sleep on the river in large flocks by night then commute in family formations to the local cornfields by day.

My favourite Ottawa River view, as I've mentioned before, is the view from Dick Bell Park looking west, where the river appears to go on for ever, luring explorers upstream towards the wilds.