Visiting a Cold War Satellite Installation

Participating in Doors Open events - held in towns and cities all over Ontario - has made me much more aware of the community I live in.

This year Terry and I visited four sites that were open to the public during the Doors Open Ottawa weekend. One of them was a former satellite communications station, built in the 1950s, during the Cold War.

Now owned by Canada Space Services Limited, a company that designs and builds covers to protect satellites from wind and storms, ...














... part of the building remains as a museum, a reminder of those old days and those old military installations.














It was interesting to explore the building and hear the story of how it is being used today.














Visiting on-site locations is much more interesting to me than visiting museums - though both have stories to tell about the past! 

An Art Gallary in the Country

Last Sunday Terry and I drove out into the country to see an art display at the Herb Garden, a rustic gallery out in the country near Ottawa.

Located on a farm with lots of old log buildings...














... the art show was only one of several events taking place.

Historic tours were being given as part of Doors Open Ottawa.

There was a plant sale...














An outdoor wedding had taken place the day before.














As I wandered through the buildings, I noticed this antique wedding gown displayed in the wedding planning room.

Several times over the summer they also host farm-style dinners.

After seeing the menu, we decided it would be a delicious outing! We may be back!

An Interesting Greenhouse

During the Doors Open Ottawa weekend, Terry and I also toured a large greenhouse in Manotick.

Here vegetables are grown hydroponically, allowing local stores and restaurants to sell - all year long - produce that hasn't been shipped from afar.


















I was amazed at the size of the complex!














I knew they grew cucumbers and many varieties of tomatoes...


















But I was surprised to discover that they also grow peppers and beans.














No pesticides are used in this controlled environment. (We had to wipe our shoes on an antiseptic mat when entering.)















We were able to taste samples of their produce - including the owner's favorite: fresh pepper slices with peanut butter!

Their little shop is open all year long. I know I'll be back!

Ottawa's Open Doors: Guide Dogs Training Facility

Last weekend Terry and I enjoyed being 'tourists in our own town' by visiting a few buildings that were open to the public as part of Doors Open Ottawa.

The first place we visited was the Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind Training Centre in Manotick on the outskirts of Ottawa.














We often drive by the facility, but were looking forward to having a look inside, and maybe even seeing some of the dogs in action.

We visited the kennel that houses dogs being trained.














There were cute pictures of pups on the wall...














I peeked into the rooms where dogs are groomed...














... and where they go for medical check-ups.

They looked like big puppies as they played together.

(They are big puppies! They begin their training when they are less than 2 years old.)














Later we watched several dogs - at various stages of their training - manoeuvre an obstacle course.














It was all very interesting! I'm glad I finally was able to see what happens here.

What's In Bloom In Early June?

The early spring perennials have disappeared and now the large irises are bursting into flower.


















I have a lot of deep purple ones...

 












... as well as one or two yellow.

The small purple ones are just beginning to bloom.


















I wish I had time to sit and draw them, but I don't. The dandelions have been keeping me busy. Now their growing season is almost over - until the fall. But with all the rain we've had, there has been a lot of growth - of weeds as well as plants - so I have weeding, thinning and planting to do. The garden keeps me busy!














I'm glad the forget-me-nots, the white anemones and the purple lamium are still adding color to my front garden bed. I'll have to divide them and move them to other parts of the yard so that I'll have color there too.

Waiting

Terry prides himself in his ability to wait patently - whereas I have no patience to wait at all! I keep a stack of magazines in the car - and a notebook in my purse - in case I have to sit and wait.

But Richard Foster, in a book on prayer, challenges me to think of waiting as prayer!

"We discover God in our waiting: waiting in checkout lines, waiting for the telephone to ring, waiting for graduation, waiting for a promotion, waiting to retire, waiting to die. The waiting itself becomes a prayer if we give our waiting to God. In waiting we begin to get in touch with the rhythms of life - stillness and action, listening and decision. They are the rhythms of God."*

I haven't found that sense of peace while waiting - but I'm willing to give it a try!

*(Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home, p. 174)

Back To Painting?

I haven't been doing any art work recently... apart from gardening, my summer "art"!

But when a former colleague - who hosts a small painting group once a week in her dining room - invited me to attend, I packed up an unfinished painting and headed off.














What a wonderful idea! It didn't take long for renewed inspiration to kick in!