Oh, That Sky!

A few evenings ago, at sunset, the air suddenly turned pink...

Then red and purple...

It was magnificent!

In every direction - north, south, east and west!

Did the neighbour carrying his recycling to the road notice?! What about the kids playing soccer in the field?!

Such an amazing sky!

The next day, social media was full of photos taken by people all over the city.

Later, when I sent a few of my photos to my daughter in Toronto - she replied that Toronto residents were also posting their pictures of the sunset there...

What a sight that must have been from the air!

How often does a pink-red-purple cloud cover span several hundred kilometres  - or more?!!

Snow Mound Still Here!

My son and I walked past the college snow mound a few days ago. All the winter snow covering the parking lots was bulldozed into this one giant heap!

It actually didn't look any smaller than the last time we were here... But then, we did get a lot of snow!

The west side of the pile had partially disappeared.

But it was the high part that caught our attention. How did they bulldoze it up so high? They must have a very large snowblower to do that!

Early Spring Flowers

We don't have a lot of early spring flowers in our yard - and they don't bloom for long...

But they give me so much pleasure... 

Probably because they are suddenly there...

... right after the snow disappears!

A miracle!

I'm particularly pleased to see that this bunch of red tulips is still perfect. Every time I pass by, I count them. Six blooms.

The flowers are often snapped off by a squirrel as soon as they bloom. But it's now day 2 and they are still intact - so I'm hopeful they may be left alone.

Terry and I admired these flowers when we were walking in a neighbourhood called "Old Ottawa South." 

Terry noticed a bee buzzing around even though the weather wasn't warm..

I haven't noticed bees in our neighbourhood yet. Hopefully we'll see some too!

Our Ducks are Back!

One duck family considers our neighborhood their summer home...

Every spring they arrive...

Are they looking for a new location for their nest? Or just checking out their food options?

This squirrel ran over to check them out...

Then quickly ran off ... (to tell the others)?!

Welcome back! Since you've arrived, it must be spring!

Andrew Haydon Park - With the Kids...

Last week we took our grandkids to Andrew Haydon Park.

It was their first time there.

They played on play structures their father had enjoyed as a child..

We hoped to see some pond animals ... 

Sure enough, Jericho spotted a turtle sunning  on a log.

I wonder if these black eggs in the water are future tadpoles.

So much beauty - and young life - in the park in spring.

I always love going there!

Almost Like Being There

Toronto is only a 4 hour drive away, but we haven't been there all winter.  A combination of factors held is back - including potentially bad roads and snowy weather. Terry also wasn't feeling well for several months, and didn't feel up to the drive.

Even so, we do "drop in" for a quick visit from time to time, thanks to FaceTime - an app similar to Skype. 

I notice that spring is arriving there, too: The leaves on the trees are filling in! Hope to be back soon!

Perth Maple Syrup Festival

Terry and I have a long-standing tradition of driving to Perth (Ontario) for their annual maple syrup festival.

After all, maple syrup is one of Terry's favourite foods - and he loves to sample!

Last Saturday, our family met up there. 

In spite of coolish weather ...

We all had a wonderful time!