"On the water at last!"

Au Feel de l'Eau posted a status update on Facebook, I see. It says:

Photo from tourismeoutouais.com

Enfin sur l'eau, sur notre belle rivière des Outaouais, en route pour les quai du casinos. 17 mai 2013

Au Feel de L'Eau is Ottawa's and Gatineau's water taxi company that not only offers a short ferry ride across the Ottawa River from the Rideau Canal locks to the Museum of Civilisation, but also private cruises on the Ottawa and Gatineau Rivers for parties of up to 10 people. They advertise the boat as being "electric powered" and therefore causing "zero pollution" and no noise either. I intend to sail on this boat this summer. She's called "Bes" after the Egyptian God of pleasure.

Fog bound

Last weekend thick fog hung over the city in the early morning and till midday along some stretches of the Ottawa River. My husband, planning to fly his plane to Quebec on Saturday, had to wait patiently until it lifted or shifted enough from the runway at Rockcliffe Airport before he could safely take off ... at lunchtime. On Sunday morning a visibility reading of  0 statute miles was reported at nearby Gatineau Airport; that is very unusual indeed.

OTTAWA/GATINEAU/QC
SPECI CYND 181249Z 00000KT 1/8SM FG VV001 RMK FG8=
SPECI CYND 181230Z 00000KT 1/4SM FG VV001 RMK FG8=
METAR CYND 181200Z 00000KT 0SM FG VV000 01/01 A3018 RMK FG8 SLP222=
METAR CYND 181100Z 00000KT 0SM FG VV000 01/01 A3017 RMK FG8 SLP219=
TAF CYND 181238Z 1813/1901 00000KT 1/4SM FG VV001
BECMG 1813/1814 3SM BR FEW004
FM181500 22006KT P6SM FEW030
RMK NXT FCST BY 181800Z=

A miniature river of stones

I am going to the Museum of Civilisation on the other side of the Ottawa River this morning and if I have time shall take a look outside at the Japanese "Zen Garden" ––created on a rooftop opposite the main building. This miniature landscape has a simple, peaceful look, resembling a mountain stream and its rocky banks, with pebbles representing the flow of water. (I took these photos about a month ago, so with the season's advance, the look will be different now.)

The Japanese co-designer Shunmyo Masuno has done such things in other parts of the world as well, using material found locally (here, the stones come from the Gatineau hills). You can find another picture of the Gatineau garden on his "Overseas" page (scroll down). It was designed with the theme Wakei No Niwa in mind, a reference to understanding and respect between the Japanese and Canadians. The pebbles may only be raked on ceremonial occasions by a Zen Buddhist priest. The garden was officially opened in 1995 in the presence of Prince and Princess Takamado of Japan.

Sun rising on the Ottawa

I'm cheating. This photo wasn't taken by me; it was linked from one of the websites I most frequently visit, the Ottawa page at The Weather Network, which incidentally is predicting a "feels like" temperature of -7º for tonight.

Posted by Gabrielle McCann, this photo was apparently taken this morning on the Hurtubise Boulevard in Gatineau, looking south across the Ottawa River. Note the leafless tree in the foreground!

Making snow

In the Jacques-Cartier Park on the north bank of the Ottawa River there isn't enough snow, so they're making some.

Winterlude 2008

A dozen of us went across to Gatineau to visit a friend who lives on the seventh floor of an appartment block overlooking this park––she also has a marvellous view of Parliament Hill and the other famous sights of the city––and so got a bird's eye view of the snow-making equipment in action, sending out steamy clouds of the white stuff.

As happens every year, snow hills are being created for Winterlude's "Snowflake Kingdom," in February, when visitors to the park will be able to have fun sliding down them at high speed.