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!

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

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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.