Happy New Year

Let's go for an Awesome 2010

Ottawa On Ice

'Put it on Ice' has a new meaning in Ottawa these days

as you can see from the pics below
taken from my condo (click to enlarge)

Some of us remember the Ice Storm of 1998.
This is a grim reminder of the power of nature.

Merry Christmas 2009

Enjoy the magic of the Christmas lights, wherever you are.

Canadian Parliament Buildings and Peace Tower are alight in Ottawa.

Our Notre Dame Bascilica in all its splendor

Christmas Dinner with Friends

My Christmas Dinner with Friends is over for 2009.

Yes, it's early, but we had to jockey schedules, etc. to make this happen.
For a change this year we had a Rosemary Tree.
Very fragrant & very different!


Miss Tiggy Winkles checked it out.

Our candlelit centerpiece consisted of Holly directly
from British Columbia surrounded
by Sumi (Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics Mascot)
and Gingerbread People.

Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon, pictured below, turned out
splendid and was the 'hit of the dinner'.

The Tomato Aspic garnished with green olives
was perfect, as you can see.

Of course, we had to wash this all down
with some seasonal liquid refreshments!

One of the desserts, as if we needed any, was Baclava.

Baclava on Pepermint Ice cream

Hungry, anyone?
Having left-overs to-night to re-enjoy & savour the tastes.

Miss Tiggy Winkles had the 'right idea' after the big meal.
'Nite all

Preparing My Early Christmas Dinner

Seen the movie Julie and Julia? I really enjoyed Julia Child as she's played by Meryl Streep.
Since it's the Christmas Season, I'm thinking about cooking and eating delicious gourmet food and Mastering the Art of French Cooking, linked below, just in case you need a copy.

To-day, I'm making wonderful Boeuf Bourguignon? Just like they ate in the movie?
Am also making Tomato Aspic..yummy!
Bon appetit!

Olympic Torch-flame Relay Arrives in Ottawa

Olympic-torch Flame

This has been a very exciting weekend in Ottawa, Canada. The Olympic Torch-flame headed for the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games arrived in our nation's Capital. What excitement on the streets as numerous runners bravely carried the Olympic Torch-flame throughout our community. What a surprise when I learned that the Olympic Torch-flame was passing right by my home!

Choristers on Canadian Parliament Hill

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Olympic Torch bearer

Fireworks & Celebrations on Parliament Hill

Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays to all.
Recently I had a chance to visit Amblecote Estate Ltd,
a Holly farm, in Duncan, British Columbia, on Vancouver Island.
Holly is probably the oldest Christmas symbol
It has been used to decorate for nearly 2,000 years
Enjoy the pics of holly and berries below (click to enlarge)

This fresh Christmas holly will be in
my centrepiece during the festive season.

Thanksgiving in Canada-Fall Rhapsody

This is Thanksgiving Weekend in Canada. We celebrate and give thanks for all the goodness and blessings that we've received during the year.

Fall Rhapsody is celebrated in Gatineau Park. The magical fall colours are always at their best during this weekend as thousands visit the Park to admire the splendour. Below are some examples of this beauty.(Double click to enlarge) I hope that you enjoy these pics and I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!

NACO 40th Anniversary

Canada's National Arts Centre Orchestra (NACO) is celebrating 40 years of music making! Where has all the time gone? I wasn't in attendance on Opening Night 40 years ago, but I was there last night for a great concert that celebrated this special occasion. And what a night it was!

Music from the 18th, 19th and 20th century was performed. Bach's Violin Concerto in A opened the program featuring violinist Pinchas Zukerman. The NAC's only composer-in-residence, Linda Bouchard's Songs for an Acrobat was included in the program. Baritone Russel Braun executed a pleasing rendition of the eight poems of love, loss and transformation. Of particular interest was CBCs Richard Dick's interview of both Bouchard and Braun during the Intermission. Mahler's grand Symphony No. 1 in D major with its challenging score for all NACO musicians and others - large percussion section and six horns - concluded the evening.

Pictured below is the majestic National Arts Centre opened in Ottawa in 1969.


Through the NAC Musicbox below, you can listen to the NACO performing 150 recordings. Go to their website www.nac-cna.ca to discover this amazing gift of music. After you listen to a few selections, I'm sure that you will decide to attend some of their live concerts at the NAC..maybe you'll become a season subscriber to one or more of their concert series! They hope so!

All the Sumacs on the Hill

When I was growing up in Ontario, we memorized poetry! Imagine that! The line about 'all the sumacs on the hills have turned their green to red' has stuck in my memory all these years.

Here's the complete poem below. It's in the public domaine.

William Wilfred Campbell's (1858?-1918) Indian Summer

Along the line of smoky hills

The crimson forest stands,

And all the day the blue-jay calls

Throughout the autumn lands.

Now by the brook the maple leans

With all his glory spread,
And all the sumacs on the hills

Have turned their green to red.

Now by great marshes wrapt in mist,

Or past some river's mouth,

Throughout the long, still autumn day

Wild birds are flying south.

This poetry particularly resonates with me during the fall as
I admire the colourful landscapes all around me.

The pictures below, taken on my walks, capture the 'turning' of the
beautiful sumacs on the hills from green to red.
I hope you enjoy them. (double click to enlarge)

A carpet of red maple and sumac leaves covers the pathway above on this 'long still autumn day'.

Inuksuit at Remic Rapids

One one of my recent walks along the Ottawa River, I discovered an amazing creation-a collection of inuksuk!

According to Wikipedia, an inuksuk is a man-made stone landmark used by people of the Arctic region of North America, This region, above the Arctic Circle, is dominated by the tundra biome, containing areas with few natural landmarks.

The inuksuk may have been used for navigation, as a point of reference, a marker for hunting grounds, or as a food cache. The Inupiat in northern Alaska used inuksuit to assist in the herding of caribou into contained areas for slaughter. Inuksuit (plural) vary in shape and size, with deep roots in the Inuit culture.

For the past several years, the inuksuit located at Remic Rapids on the Ottawa River pictured above have been created by stone sculptor, John Felice Ceprano, pictured below. Sculptures are constructed entirely by hand. The 'art of balance' and basic masonry skills maintain the structural integrity.

Inukuit are an amazing summer tourist attraction.

Unfortunately, fierce waves and ice flows

carry away these beautiful creations

as winter descends upon the Ottawa region.

Grey Heron Fishing on the Ottawa

There's definitely lots of nature to observe this fall season. Foliage is spectacular at Mud Lake.

It's important to have your camera at-the-ready to capture wildlife in action.
To-day a lovely grey heron (below) came into focus as I walked along the Ottawa River.

According to Wikipedia:
"The Grey Heron is a large bird, standing 90-100 cm tall, with a 175-195 cm wingspan and a weight of 1-2 kg. Its plumage is largely grey above, and off-white below. Adults have a white head with a broad black supercilium and slender crest, while immatures have a dull grey head. It has a powerful, pinkish-yellow bill, which is brighter in breeding adults. It has a slow flight, with its long neck retracted (S-shaped). This is characteristic of herons and bitterns, and distinguishes them from storks, cranes and spoonbills, which extend their necks".

Fall Flora 2009

The flowers of September are really art in motion. I captured the shots below while strolling through my neighbourhood admiring gardens. Late summer with cooler days is often the most colourful time of the year. Vibrant hot colours are abundant in my community and bees are hard at work storing up nectar for the long winter that's coming all too soon.

Enjoy the beauty of nature and take time to 'smell the roses"!
(Double click on the pics to enlarge the image)

Canada Water Fowl

Every day when I walk along the Ottawa River,

I watch the majestic Canada Geese.
Geese are feeding and preparing for their long migration southward.
Heads are diving in the shallow water as they eat vegetation.
Today I shot the Canada Geese Short below.
You'll need QuickTime Player for viewing this short nature video.
Hope you enjoy the active Canada Geese!

In addition to Canada Geese, there are numerous other fowl to be found along the Ottawa River. In the short video below, you can observe pigeons, Canada Geese, and varieties of ducks living together in an almost harmonious way along the Ottawa River. Enjoy!

Friday Night at the Races

Ever been to Rideau Carleton Raceway (RCR)? If so, you'll know what I mean when I say we had FUN.


It was great to reconnect with friends and savour the 100-item buffet as we studied The Bettors' Edge and other material at our trackside window table.

My friend had arranged for us to take an exciting ride in the new RCR Stretch Limo - the Pace Car - where you get a very different perspective of the race! Post times for the Live Harness Racing begin at 6:30PM Thursday, Friday, and Sunday.

I must confess that it took us well into the evening program before we picked any winners! With names like Sweet N Fruity, Rumors and All Reved up, we must have been distracted. It wasn't until we bet on Classic Discreet in the 6th that we finally WON....high 5s all round the table. Inexperienced as I am, I fully expected that the WIN would at least pay for dinner...but unfortunately, it didn't. We took what we got and won again with Sports Passion and Trinity Elaine, Chip Dot Com, and Senor Earl. Don't you just love those names!

Whenever you get tired of eating and betting on the races you can always check out the 1250 Slot Machines...play some, not all 1250 unless your luck is much better than mine.

All in all, it was a fun evening experiencing the excitement trackside!

Swag Bucks 4 U

Swag Bucks - sign up & earn while you search the web....get stuff the easy way. You're searching the web anyway, so why not collect Swag Bugs and get something for yourself.

Your Swag Bucks will turn into great prizes as mine are now doing. Click below for more info & enjoy Swag Bucks!

http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/TigTango

Thursday Night at the Opera

Mozart's The Magic Flute is a great Opera currently playing at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. If you get a chance, go see this exciting Opera featuring Opera Lyra Ottawa in its 25th season.

Ottawa soprano Shannon Mercer as Pamina and Pembroke baritone Joshua Hopkins as Papageno (below) are just two of the stars in this exciting production.

If you can't get to the National Arts Centre...experience this fine Opera somewhere else in the world. Below is a helpful link. Check it out to see where Mozart's The Magic Flute OR other great shows are playing.

At the Movies-Julie & Julia

Hello to all All set to transition to Fall....what a wonderful season...will post some great pics one of these days.

Seen Julie & Julia? It's a MUST SEE movie. Please don't miss it. Enjoy Julia Child as she's played by Meryl Streep. Have a few great laughs. Try out your own Julia Child voice! When you get home, you'll either want to blog like Julie OR better still cook like Julia and Julie!

Think about cooking and eating delicious gourmet food. Smell the aroma of gourmet French cuisine. You'll likely look around for your copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, somewhere on those (dusty?) bookshelves....but it's nowhere to be found.

YOU need that recipe for wonderful Boeuf Bourguignon? Just like they ate in the movie?
Click below to get your copy asap Don't miss out on the Great Price Bon appetit!