Bits and bobs

Random thoughts about random things by a random person

Tag Archives: nature


by 4 Comments

A mid-city treasure

I’ve lived in Ottawa for six and a half years now. Six and a half years and I had never been to this park before a couple of weeks ago. What’s worse is I have driven past it on my way home from work every day for the past three months. It’s not even out of the way. The entry to the park is literally on my regular commute home. Yup. True story.

I was just in too much of a hurry to get home at the end of the day so the closest I got was saying, “You know, Lucy… you really should check that place out. It’s beautiful!”

Well, at the beginning of June I found out that I would soon be changing work locations so I knew the clock was ticking and I needed to do it soon.

I know…I know… That doesn’t really make complete sense because I could go there anytime – it’s not like there’s some crazy municipal by law that only allows people to go there at the end of the work day. But here’s something important to know about me: I’m forgetful. “Out of sight, out of mind?” That’s me. Every day I would say I need to go there and by the time I got home 40 minutes later, I would forget about it till the next day on the way home.

But because I knew it would soon no longer be part of my regular commute, I made an extra-special effort to remember and actually made a plan to go on Friday, June 15. Yay me!! What’s even cooler than remembering to make the plan is that I remembered to follow it! Can I get a Woot! Woot!!

And, no surprise, I am so very glad I did. Not only is it visually beautiful, there is also the  roar of the rushing water of the falls. It was a bit too hot for me, so I didn’t stay for long, but I can totally envision me spending some chunks of time there in the fall, with a book, surrounded by the trees in all their autumnal splendor!

As you may have noticed in other posts, I am not a professional photographer nor do I play one on TV. As such, these pictures don’t really come close to showing you the real beauty of this park. However, they’re good enough that I think you’ll get the picture. (Bah ha ha haaaaaa – see what I did there???)

Hmmm…right about now you might be wishing I had taken a longer hiatus between posts… 😉

OK…No more corniness, I promise… here are the pictures and remember, “Take time to stop and listen to the waterfalls.”

Hog's Back Falls, Rideau River, Ottawa ON

My commute home has me on that bridge. The other side is Mooney’s Bay, a more placid part of the river. It’s definitely a part of the commute where I don’t mind getting stuck in traffic!

Hog's Back Falls, Rideau River, Ottawa ON

A bit of a different angle, taken a bit further down the path in the park.

Hog's Back Falls, Rideau River, Ottawa ON

Moving further along the falls… It’s not just the water that’s beautiful…check out all the different layers in that rock!

Past Hog's Back Falls, Rideau River, Ottawa ON

And now, past the falls, things have calmed down in this lovely pool!

Rideau River in Hog's Back Park, Ottawa, ON

To really prove this is in the middle of the city – some apartment buildings nearby.


by 1 Comment

What a day!!

This post is transcribed from what I wrote this earlier this afternoon in my notebook that I keep in my car.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Idyllic setting

A small patch of shade makes it all perfect!

This is where I am writing at the moment – the Jock River Landing. Other than the near-constant drone of traffic on both sides of the river, it is a pretty idyllic spot. Even better, it is only about a five-minute drive from home!

It’s an absolutely stellar day. Not a cloud in the sky, the temperature is only about 25*C and the humidity has seriously dropped off from where it’s been the past few days. There is enough of a breeze to keep the flying, biting critters at bay and to provide some musical backdrop as it rustles through the trees.

It is, in short, a perfect day for me. I’ve even found a lovely little spot in the shade. It’s literally the only shaded spot here that is big and flat enough to fit the chair that isn’t full of tall grass or bushes – it was meant to be!

Since this is, in the very literal sense, a landing, a paddle-boarder (is that what they are called?) is heading in from the Rideau. It would be rude to take a photo from this proximity, so you’ll have to imagine it yourself. I’m sure he’s had a wonderful time out on the river. A few boats – motorized and other – also zoom or float by occasionally.

I should also explain that this spot is where the Jock River meets the Rideau River. The Rideau is the one that I’m looking across in the main image above. This little cove (see below) is the mouth of the Jock, which comes from behind me to the right.

The Jock River comes from the right and empties into the Rideau River, which continues south around the point just left of centre in the photo.

Birds of various sorts are chirping and you certainly don’t need to be an ornithologist to enjoy their chattering songs.

A massive bumble bee just zig-zagged past me. There’s only grass that I can see, though. Not sure that’s any help to him. There are a couple of empty dandelion heads around, with their seeds almost all blown away, and some tall, scraggly white flowers at the left edge of the mouth, but otherwise I don’t see any signs of flowers. However, who am I to say what a bee finds appealing or not? 🙂

A father and his two young sons just showed up to go fishing. The kids are pretty happy about the prospect. Who can blame them!! I haven’t seen hide nor hair of any fish, though, so I don’t know how successful they’ll be, but when it comes to spending time with your kids and your dad, that’s not really the point, is it?

Well, enough writing! Now to put this away and just enjoy!!