Attaching the electrodes of knowledge to the nipples of ignorance.

This cat was giving me a dirty look from the moment I saw it.

Canada Geese, doing the geese thing.

What is that white girder structure, anyway? A TV antenna? Does it get more channels?

Soon, these will be leaves!

Just up the road is where the Prime Minister lives. Practically my neighbor!

Rideau Falls.

A rainbow in the mist of the falls.

Same rainbow, different angle.

You don’t want to get your canoe stuck here.

Water falling over the… water fall.

It used to be Ottawa City hall, but not it is used by the Government of Canada.

The NRC building on Sussex is br

The Royal Canadian Mint.

The National Gallery – I love this building for the overall look.

The path heading down to the East side of the Rideau Canal locks.

The sun blocked out by a branch. And in the lower right on another branch, a crow.

Parliament Hill from below.

The Museum of Civilization and the Alexandra bridge.

The Rideau Canal locks, with the Fair Jeanne in one of the locks, where it winters.

Watch that last step, it is a wet one! As you can see, the water levels are higher here. They were high on the Rideau River earlier that week but have come down since.

Spring is here!

Stairs going up the side of Parliament Hill.

Looking down from almost the top of the 250 stairs (yes, I counted them).

Looking West on the Ottawa River.

Many police officers have fallen in service…

The Peace Tower is really quite tall.

The west block.. Being fixed up.

The InfoCentre (a good location to get information about the Capital if you are visiting) and behind it, the Royal Bank centre, also known as the Thomas D’Arcy McGee building, because he was assassinated on Sparks Street.

The Bank of Montreal building on Wellington. I don’t actually like this building – it is somewhat bland in appearance.

This black squirrel just kept going up and up and up..

A view West down Rideau Street.

Looking West down Sparks Street.

A building on the corner of Queen and Bank streets.

New and old.

Shadow and light.

Tall.

Glass *can* look nice.

Part of the World Exchange Centre.

The Lord Elgin Hotel, on Elgin Street.

This Chevy Aveo blew through the red light right past the police car. Obviously, she is about to get a ticket. Slow down, people, slow down!

Da plane! Da plane!

Ottawa City hall.

The Canadian Department of National Defense as seen from the South side of the Laurier Street bridge. I have always found the shape of this building particularly appealing because it reminds me of the ying and yang symbol.

A view South from the Laurier Street Bridge, showing the Colonel By

The underside of the Laurier Street Bridge, including the two new arches that were added on this (the South) side of the bridge in the past few years to widen the bridge.

This photo got me into a bit of trouble. I took it because I thought that the angle made the building look quite different that it wants to. Moments later, a soldier came over and asked my why I was taking a picture. Because it was an angle that made the building look interesting. I was told that I wasn’t allowed to. I asked why (as I often do) and I was told “security concerns”. I commented that the building is in the middle of Ottawa and appears on postcards. Still, he maintained that I wasn’t allowed to. Of course, this makes no sense what so ever. If I wanted to take pictures of this building without anyone really knowing, I could walk over to the other side of the Rideau Canal (where I just was) and take it from there, or anywhere else that you can see the building from (just about everywhere). Hell, you can find it on Google Maps, and if you look close, you can find the no longer maintained helicopter pad on the roof of the Rideau Centre. The following Monday, I called the DoD’s main question line and asked them if there was any law forbidding people from taking the building’s photo. The gentleman at the other end told me that no, there wasn’t but we shouldn’t because of (you guessed it) “security concerns”. If security is such a real issue, move the DoND out of downtown Ottawa – maybe move it out to the suburbs like Orleans, Kanata or even farther away. If the building is geographically isolated, then it should be fairly easy to maintain security.

The Chateau Laurier and the new 700 Sussex ubber-expensive condo building, which is mostly complete construction.

The old train station, now the Conference Centre.

The Peace Tower and the Chateau Laurier.

The Ottawa School of Art and a newish condo building.

I don’t know if this building has a name – but it is quite old – 1850′s. This building was a hotel before it became the head office of the the Geological Survey of Canada which is now Natural Resources Canada.

Old, new, newish, old. In that order.

Ah, *real* stonework.

I love this door. The building is/was sinking, so it was no longer really level, so they had to install a second door so that it would open properly. And, I can see myself!

I like these lights found on William Street in the Market.

I like the way the sky, the trim and the brick contrast each other.

The Caulin Block, 1910, on Dalhousie street.

I really dislike this building – The St George (a creative name for a building on George Street), It is just too.. Blue. And, it is ugly.

Graffiti in a narrow alley off Rideau Street.

Ever notice how you will *never* see one of these cranes being put up? They just appear, fully assembled? There is a conspiracy in this, I’m quite sure.

The Champagne Bath building, built in 1922. I should swim there more. Heck, I should swim period.

Soon, this tree will be beautiful.

A church on the corner of Clarence and King Edward (Baptist, methinks).

Boing, obviously pleased to see me.

Seeing the sun interact with trees always catches my eye.

A crow… But not *that* crow.

This is a bit gruesome in appearance, but it was part of the walkabout. I walked past two women who I initially thought were playing with a rust-coloured Irish Setter until I came upon this blood on the sidewalk. As I turned around to ask what was up, one of the women asked if I had a cell phone to call a cab. I (fortunately) had mine on me, *and* it was even charged. I didn’t know the number of any cab companies, so I handed my phone to her because she knew one. I went over to the owner who explained the Shadow had cut his foot on something in a bush. Shadow had a handkerchief around the damaged foot, which was itself pretty bloody. Fortunately, I keep about 60 CM of string in my wallet, which I pulled out, explained what I was going to do and tied it just above Shadow’s foot where the bleeding was (a tourniquet). Moments later, the cab showed up and we moved him up to the taxi. She (the owner, whose name I have misplaced in the messy collection of synapses I call my brain) got in after the driver put down some cardboard in the car, and then I helped lift Shadow into the backseat. I got my cell phone back, spoke with the other woman and went on my way. The next day, I called a few of the closest vets I could think of to see if Shadow had come in, but no one had any information, so I will just have to keep my eye out for him and his owner when I’m out for walks in the future. I sure hope he is okay. [EDIT] May 6, 2005 – I saw Shadow and his owner today, and he is fine – it has been a long road to recovery, as he nearly bled out, but he looked like a happy puppy! A happy ending! I *love* happy endings!