“Uh uh,” I said. “Not going downtown.”

“I’ll drive you. You always go downtown on Saturdays!”

“The way I see it now, is I’m going speed to Rideau Centre—the business district is dead on weekends anyway—; walk around in the mall for thirty minutes; not buy anything because one, I don’t need anything, two, I’m too lazy to strip in a fitting room and try clothes on; then I’m going to wait at the bus stop for thirty minutes; take the 14 and be home forty-five minutes later. And I would have accomplished nothing.”

“Oh. But you always…”

“… go downtown on Saturdays. Yeah, sorry. I’m just in a bad mood. But really, it’s not that fun to go downtown when the weather is crappy.”

It had been extremely cold on Friday (think -25 °C plus windchill), and when I saw snowflakes on Saturday morning, I was almost happy. “Not as cold?” I asked Feng, hopeful. He shrugged. “Cold. Snow. Roads are bad, I think.” “Oh.” Usually, it doesn’t snow when it’s very cold. I guess that day was an exception.

Mark was with my in-laws, and I had some free time. In the afternoon, once the chores done—laundry, vacuuming, dishes, another load of laundry, my life is fascinating, I know—I decided to take a break and head out. I needed an incentive, though, and I already had my daily dose of Starbucks.

Taking pictures. Even though I feel I’m taking the same pictures over and over again when I’m home.

The light was almost surreal, with the sun shining through a thick layer of grey clouds. It would snow again, for sure, but meanwhile, it was almost hazy—would have been, if it wasn’t -20 °C.

I stepped out and followed my usual route. First, through our residential neighbour, quiet snowy streets and not a soul outside, people presumably relaxing at home in their beloved “finished basement.” Then through the forest, a pathway is used by people walking their dogs and residents of the nearby apartment buildings/social housing. Finally, I arrived on Merivale Road, one of West Ottawa’s main arterial roads. It’s not a pretty area, just a busy double-lane road with decent sidewalks on both sides and a mix of small businesses and franchise stores and restaurants. I don’t like it but I appreciate it because at least, I can walk to a commercial shopping district. In some suburbs, there is nothing to walk to, not even a gas station.

The roads hadn’t been shovelled yet and it felt like Siberia with the wind.

Eh, maybe people in Siberia say “it feels like Canada” when it’s cold over there…

In the Neighbourhood
In the Neighbourhood
In the Neighbourhood
In the Neighbourhood
In the Neighbourhood
In the Neighbourhood
Friendly Dog
Friendly Dog
The Forest
The Forest
The Forest
The Forest
The Forest
The Forest
The Forest
The Forest
The Forest
The Forest
Real Estate Ad on Snowbank
Real Estate Ad on Snowbank
Ottawa Has a Sense of Humour
Ottawa Has a Sense of Humour
Shoveling Snow
Shoveling Snow
It Shows When You Park Overnight
It Shows When You Park Overnight
Hauling the Groceries Back Home
Hauling the Groceries Back Home
Crossroads
Crossroads
Crossing
Crossing
Merivale Road
Merivale Road
Lot of Snow
Lot of Snow

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10 Comments

  1. Holly February 17, 2015 at 4:00 pm

    I love that I know where you are talking about when you say the Rideau centre now!! It is the same here – just miserable. I am back to checking the 14 day forecast hopefully again.

    Reply
    1. Zhu February 17, 2015 at 4:03 pm

      Every day it gets colder it seems!

      Did you enjoy Ottawa? How was the Château Laurier?

      Reply
  2. Isa February 18, 2015 at 4:28 am

    I can feel the cold from your pictures!
    I will never be a suburbian person. It’s even my main goal in life: I want to be able to walk downtown, and to never drive, even if it means never living in a house but in a tiny apartment. That, or the true countryside, in the middle of nowhere 😀
    I love the dog pictures! I’ve read you don’t want pets but I guess they’re a good way to have an incentive to go out! (when it’s cold, when it snows, when it’s cold and snowing… :p)

    Reply
    1. Zhu February 18, 2015 at 3:16 pm

      Meh, who needs a pet when you have a kid?? Mark is a great incentive to go out. Like, for instance, sometime I step out just because I’m tired of his whining 😆

      Reply
      1. Isa February 19, 2015 at 3:20 am

        Ahahahaha! You made me giggle too hard.

        Reply
        1. Zhu February 19, 2015 at 9:04 pm

          😉

          Reply
  3. I Say Oui February 18, 2015 at 1:14 pm

    That snowy dog is precious.

    Reply
    1. Zhu February 18, 2015 at 3:16 pm

      I’m not a dog person but yes, he was so friendly and cute… had to snap this shot!

      Reply
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