Tag Archives: Ottawa

I Missed It

Friday night a tornado ripped through Ottawa, a very rare occurrence. I’m in Germany. The first I heard of it was when I woke up Saturday morning to read that 150,000 people were without power. Homes were destroyed, people injured and it was being described as the worst natural disaster since the 1998 ice storm […]

Back to Mer Bleue

Spent some time yesterday on a family outing in Ottawa’s urban forest, walking the trails in the Mer Bleue area. I had my phone with me, but didn’t take any pictures, figuring I have been here so many times before there was no reason to add to the photo collection. Instead I am re-posting something […]

North versus South

I have my preferences, but I generally don’t join in the chants, the most polite of which is “South side sucks.”  There has been rivalry between the fans sitting in the opposite side of the stadium for decades. When it started the field was known as Lansdowne Park. Then it became Frank Clair Stadium and […]

The Gate

I had to be in downtown Ottawa yesterday to see my doctor. No, nothing wrong, it was my annual physical and I apparently am set for another year between medical appointments. Since I was downtown I took the opportunity to run a couple of other errands, one of which took me to Chinatown. As I […]

Poor Conditions

First walk in Ottawa’s urban forest this year. I guess no-one from the National Capital Commission changes notices as the seasons change. The tobogganing hill is closed occasionally in the winter after  freezing rain – it gets too slick to be safe. I presume that is the “poor conditions” referred to on the sign. It […]

Marching For Life

It was about halfway through the day Thursday that I remembered it was the day of the annual March For Life on Parliament Hill. Not being in Ottawa this year it had totally slipped my mind, despite it being the biggest gathering of demonstrators all year. I won’t get into Canada’s lack or abortion laws, […]

Blue Light Special – I

  The posters had been up around town for a couple of weeks advertising “Blaulicht Tag” which even I know means Blue Light Day. This isn’t K-Mart; Sulzburg was getting a new fire truck and it was cause for celebration. It was only after the fact my wife told me that the new truck wasn’t […]

Remembering Billy Graham

One of the most influential people of the 20th century, a man whose impact will continue to be felt for decades, died Wednesday. Billy Graham was 99. He was the best-known Christian evangelist of his time, a man who spoke before millions of people during his career and was an advisor to presidents and kings. […]

A Winter’s Tale

I remember a January morning, almost thirty years ago, when I discovered the true nature of winter. We were living in Liberia, and the harmattan winds were blowing from the Sahara. It was a welcome relief from the heat and humidity. Overnight low was about 20 degrees Celsius. That 68 Fahrenheit for you Americans. It […]

Grey Cup 2017

It is that day again. The Grey Cup game is tonight. I was supposed to be there, but by the time tickets went on sale I knew I would be in Germany. I might have opted for watching on television instead anyway. I went to the game in 2004, the last time it was in […]