Liftoff

On a late fall day, a few hours before a snowstorm struck, this heron suddenly lifted from a ditch and soared, in its own special way, across the road, above the traffic and into the skies. OK, it was not as graceful as a Canada goose, but this bird has obvious limitations.

Lasting Salute

Everyone in the small community of Harrington, Québec turned out for a dedication of a plaque in the memory of two World War II veterans who never made it back home from the battlefields of Europe. It is a simple and fitting tribute.

During the ceremony, one of the veteran's brothers remembered the horrible pain the whole family felt when that sickening news first arrived. Harry was dead.

Many of those in the crowd were childhood friends of the two boys who were killed in Italy and Holland.

Fiddles, bagpipes and the occasional sniffle filled the crisp air.

At last

After working on this book for more than a year we finally launch it November 15.

Check out http://www.absurditescanadiennes.com/.

The Gap

I was shooting a Remembrance Day ceremony in the small town of L'Orignal, Ontario when suddenly a group of girls moved into the frame and sat on this gun while legionnaires observed a moment of silence. Innocence or bravado? There is a huge gap obviously between the generations. One of them, thankfully, is the absence of conflict. Few young Canadians can even fathom what this gun would have been used for, however, in other parts of the world violence and death are the harsh realities of everyday life.

I always tried to attend a Remembrance Day ceremony because as a reporter, who constantly reports on the free exchange of ideas and opinions, I am always reminded of the rights and freedoms that we take for granted. I started working as a reporter when I was 18, the same age many of those boys, whose names are etched on monuments, were when they bravely marched off to fight the good fight. In the same small communities of L'Orignal and Longueuil, 11 boys died in WW I and WWII.

Lest we forget.

A sign of things to come

A frosty blanket on the grass greets us every morning at this time of the year, reminding us that soon this cover will be thicker and more durable. But hey, it is pretty in its own special way.

Les couleurs

The Laurentians always provide a splendid display in fall. Hard to believe that the blazing landscape will soon be muted by the drab of November, and all too soon, a wintry blanket.

The Paris of North America

Ronna and I spent a glorious evening in Montreal a few weeks ago. It provided, among other things, a chance to gaze out at a busy yet pretty city.

Sign of the season

These geese sure seemed to know a safe landing spot when they see one.

Canoe in the mist

We were thrilled to see that after Ronna had submitted this shot of a Muskoka lake in the fall, it was chosen for a huge spread in the Ottawa Citizen! And, best of all, Mother Nature does all the work!

Do you feel a song coming on?

This is just another typical day in East Hawkesbury, where a person can think he or she can actually see the big city to the east.

War And Remembrance

A war veteran stands to attention during the playing of the Last Post at a ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of the Hawkesbury, Ontario branch of the Canadian Legion Saturday, September 15. One wonders what memories are conjured up by the playing of the lament.

A ribbon of starkness over me

So, is this the final word in the decal debate or does it merely bumpered it up to another level?

3 up the creek

Ronna, Nancy and John are focusing on this creek somewhere in California.

Nancy, John, Ronna and I were enjoying the oceanview in Crescent City, CA, when our lenses found this message, a cry for help from somebody beseeching everyone to bring a beautiful girl back home. The small message begged for attention, and obviousy it worked.

Progress?

The Québec government is slowly but surely extending Autoroute 50 through the countryside between Lachute and Gatineau, located just across the Ottawa River from Ottawa. The multi-million-dollar undertaking will relieve congestion on existing narrow and dangerous roads and is touted as an avenue for economic development. The price tag, however, is huge as flora and fauna will fall in the path of progress. The scar on the mountainside can be seen from several kilometres away.