New Fallen Snow

There is nothing quite like walking on a winter evening with a gentle snow falling.
Lamplight makes everything sparkle.
The snow dampens sound.
Everything is pristine.

A Summer Evening Stroll

Photos: June 19, 2016

The air lost a bit of its heavy heat and we ventured out to move a bit. Neither of us are hot weather people and we tend to hibernate during the heat of the day.  The evening air suits us more. The rising moon cast its gentle light.



I always stop to admire new blooms. While I don't love the heat, I do enjoy its offspring - the abundant flowers.

This dog was being treated to a ride in its new doggie seat. We learned that it was 14 and being treated for cancer. No longer frisky itself, I imagine it enjoyed feeling the breeze as its owner pedalled along.



Higher the moon rose on the last spring night. And then the solstice.

At the Quartier des Spectacles

Photos: May 26, 2015

I walked through the Quartier des Spectacles on my way to the metro after a concert of Les Boréades (not the sort usually held in this outdoor space). I love to see the side of this building - each "window" featuring a well-known musician. This is the area where the outdoor concerts are held for the Montreal Jazz Festival and many of these artists have performed in Montreal.




It was a hot night. The rows of red are fountains. Both on my way to and from the concert I saw children playing in the water - fun to see their joy.




We are fortunate in Montreal to have such a vibrant downtown, places where people can gather and enjoy the warm evenings and take pleasure in the visual delights. When festivals are on, and there are many in Montreal, this area is really hopping with crowds and music! and the fountains retreat....

Walking on a Snowy Evening

A hush fell on the city as a gentle snow masked sounds. Bright white muffs embraced the branches while snow flakes danced in the air.



We walked through snowy magic. The trees wore their winter finery.



Bushes were decorated with snowy pompoms.




The city was transformed.

Walking into the next year

 Photos: December 31, 2012

After a meal at a restaurant we walked back to our new home. It was much milder than the last couple of nights, so it was easier to take the gloves off to hold my camera. New Year's Eve - a time for reflection - looking back to look forward. Set new goals. I like to think of goals rather than resolutions. A resolution broken feels like a failure. Goals are different. They are meant to be set, revisited and revised. They feel more fluid than a resolution. A goal should come with strategies - how will I try to attain that goal? And when one strategy doesn't work, try another.



New Year's Eve - we walk over the border into the next year - into new possibilities. I wish all my blogging friends good health, happiness and time for reflection. It is up to each of us to make the moments special and to chart our own courses.

Evening Glow

Evening Glow, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

I love the changes that happen when the sun is low in the sky. Colours change and trees turn golden. It never ceases to take my breath away.

Just outside my window, the setting sun painted its fiery colours on the trees. A warm bit of magic to bring in the holidays.

Wishing my online friends a Happy Easter, Happy Passover and happy anything else you happen to celebrate around this time of year.

Street Scene

Street Scene, originally uploaded by susanvg.

Pavement, slick from the gentle snow, shines with the night time lights. It's hard to think what cities were like before cars, before electricity. No office towers - without the invention of elevators. Now almost every window glows in the evening. City lights...

Silent Night

Silent Night, originally uploaded by susanvg.

After I wonderful dinner out, we strolled onto Place Jacques Cartier. In summer this is a popular tourist spot, with the bustle of people, the hustle of buskers and a lively atmosphere. This evening it was quiet, with barely a soul, walking briskly in the chilly evening temperatures. The square is full of holiday lights, some of which can be seen here, reflected in the windows. Music wafted up from the skating rink at Bonsecours Basin. I like the serenity on a winter's eve.

Evening Flight

Evening Flight, originally uploaded by susanvg.

I looked up and saw the golden evening light. The clouds glowed. As I always have my camera with me, I snapped a photograph. Later when I looked at it on the LCD screen, I wondered about the black dots on the photograph. It was only when I zoomed in that I realized that these birds flew over just as I snapped the picture. Serendipity - it made for a much more interesting image.

Sometimes we are so intent on seeing one thing that we miss what's really there. We see what we want to see. But this photo allowed me to look anew.

Jan 22/10: Byward Market

Jan 22/10: Byward Market, originally uploaded by susanvg.

An evening in Ottawa with dinner in the market area. In summer this building would be surrounded by stalls with fresh produce. In winter activity is only inside. There are no people lingering over meals on terraces, just fast-paced walkers heading for a destination. The talk, the socializing, takes place in the myriad of restaurants on the surrounding streets.

Day 277: Shadows

Day 277: Shadows, originally uploaded by susanvg.

Shadowy stairs climbing up to a shadowy world. The shorter days bring us into darkness so much earlier. Each day we lose a few minutes of light. Street lights cast their glow creating doubles, while inside the television glows with the signal from alternate lives. I prefer to walk in the shadowy world where the fresh rain washed streets have a clean smell. I head down the street to a brightly lit church where a beautiful concert is my escape. Ah Bach who speaks to us from the shadows of the past with incredible clarity.