Last week we drove to Almonte - where we walked next to the river, with its rushing waters…
The river always runs high in spring.
By midsummer, the current slows down to a trickle.
This time - for the first time - we were there with our son’s family.
Both the water - and the grated platform we stood on to get a good view - were intriguing to the children!
I expect we’ll be back again soon. Almonte is a lovely place to visit.
After years of talking - and complaining - about lengthening and shortening days here in Canada, I started to track daily sunrise and sunset times to discover how much daylight - or darkness - we gain throughout the year. (Apart from a week or two in December and June, no two consecutive days are the same…)
In the last 20 days - since March 17 - we’ve gained an hour more daylight! Changes like that make a real difference! Not only to the ice on the river - but to my mood!
Today is the birthday of my cousin Rose-Marie - seen here with her brother Gary and me, on the right.
We are all a year apart in age.
We are sitting on the base of a gas pump at my father’s garage in Hay Lakes, Alberta.
At the time, my family lived upstairs in an apartment above the garage… (I wonder if a residence above a commercial garage would be allowed today?!)
My favourite neighbourhood walk takes me past houses into a hilly field…
Icy roads and paths have kept me from coming here all winter.
The path was still impassible - covered with a mound of snow collected from the college parking lot…
So glad I’m able to walk this way again!
A few days ago Terry and I drove to Pointe Gatineau for a walk along the east side of the Ottawa River.
There was still ice along the shore…
And ice floating down the river! It was moving quickly. Will it melt before reaching Montreal…?
We were surprised to hear - and see - a speedboat…
This is the only other boat we saw… moored, still locked in ice.
We were dressed for winter…
It’s always colder - but so very refreshing - walking next to the water.
When our children were young and wanted to help with chores like dishes or vacuuming, I remember telling them that they were still too little…
“You can help when you’re bigger,” I’d say.
The problem, of course, was that when they got big enough to help, they didn’t want to…
Terry and I are not planning to make that mistake this time round with our grandchildren.
“You want to help? Great! Here’s a broom!”
After the flowers all died, I was pleased to see my amaryllis growing tall leaves…
A new phase of growth?!
Then the leaves started to tilt and tip over!!
Too little water? Too much water?! Or just a new phase of growth?!
Every week or two, it looks like a totally different plant!!
The leaves did go upright again, so maybe I wasn’t watering it enough in the top photo. I also trimmed back a limp leaf and stem.
(Not to confuse things, the flowers in the photo are sitting in a vase of water …)
I’m still wondering what will happen next!
