Winter has settled in the capital, and lately, we have been able to enjoy Canada’s trademark weather: pure blue sky with a high of –20C. But don’t think the weather is stopping us from going out. We actually have quite a lot of fun outdoor, even though as the sign says, sliding down the hill is not allowed! Who cares?
Talking about signs, don’t you find these ones a bit… er… cryptic? I found them downtown Ottawa. I get the meaning, but it always makes me laugh. I mean, what am I supposed to do to prevent the ice to fall on me? Not walk in the street?
Don’t you like these roads and sidewalks? Snow can turn into modern art… before it turns into the dreaded slush.
And look at these icicles! Icicles are spikes of ice formed when dripping water freezes. It is usually caused by snow melting (typically on roofs) and refreezing because outside is very cold. You don’t want to stand below… trust me!
Landscapes look very dry and desert… yet beautiful. Blue sky actually means extremely cold temperature here, I could barely stand outside as I was taking the pictures.
In the park, benches and picnic tables are buried under inches of snow.
We were driving by the Canal the other day, in a really bad blizzard, when I spotted two people. Jogging. In the snow and the cold. Okay… not for me!
Hope you guys enjoy these little snapshots of Canada!
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I just love your pictures:) Ummm, is that you with a cigarette in your hand in your picture in the sidebar??
Winter is fun time and it is beautiful.
You are so lucky to have so much snow!
Happy New Year!
Cool (cold) pics! Happy New Year!
That’s one of the things that I find amusing about Canada. The weather is colder but people play outside. You hardly ever see that here in the Kansas City area.
There is a beauty in the stark landscapes during winter that (to me) seem as pretty as those in autumn. I used to love driving in the USA when it would begin to snow (during the nights). The sight of bright snow-clad landscapes and cottony snow drifting on the roads were a sight to behold especially on moonlit nights.
My hometown is covered in snow … and I haven’t a flake. 🙁
OMG Zhu, it looks VERY COLD to me where you are now! 😀
wow those icicles would not be fun to have fall on you!
as for where i am located, i live in florida!
I have never been sledding before. 😯 I think I have been deprived. Actually, I haven’t participated in ANY winter “sports”…never sledded, never skied, never snowboarded…etc.
Perhaps if I gave them a try, I wouldn’t hate snow so much.
I say let God take my sight when I can no longer see the beauty in the world around me.
Hey,
Did you start skating in Dow’s Lake and the Rideau Canal. I used to do it every weekend in Jan and Feb. Skate and then have hot chocolate and marshmallows. And not to forget the winter festival on the lake.
Awesome pictures Zhu. Love ’em! Though living through that for months together may not be that attractive, to me, but there’s something to be said of ice, snow, and the cold. The magic of it..
Nice pics. Nice cold pics;) You know it snowed here in Tennessee on Tuesday… about 12 flakes fell from the sky and then immediately disappeared!
Lori: yep, it’s me!
Alex: happy new year! Yes, lucky, but cold though!
Diesel: happy new year fun — antisocial — guy!
Spyder: people are very resistant to cold, that’s the least I can say!
Shantanu: you described it very well, it’s exactly this kind of winter magic that I like!
Ghosty: I’d ship you some if Canada Post didn’t mind! 😆
Pelf: it is, trust me!
Jay Cam: oh, so you must meet a lot of Canadians! 😆
Silverneurotic: I don’t do winter sports either, except for a bit of skating and a lot of walking…
Todd: nicely said!
Rads: it’s okay actually. I mean, we complain about the weather a lot, but the scenery is quite nice 😉
The Pilgrim: I don’t think the Canal is opened yet… it hasn’t been that cold so far excepted for the last couple of days. Can’t wait though, to have a beaver tail on the Canal… yummy!
so cool! i wonder if anyone has his or her head hit by those icicles or not when these menacing-lookin thing suddenly decide to drop! OUCH!
and the views where all trees are bald are just lovely… 😉
Beautiful little snapshots your Zhuness!!! In Greece it does snow but it is more of a local phenomenon which I hadnt had the pleasure of witnessing this year (bummer!). So yeah, imported snow from your blog will have to do… oh well at least we have a killer summer(in more way than one, LOL) in 6 months time:)
Take care and I hope you have survived the ‘familiars attack wave’ (some people call it ‘a visit’, HA! what do they know, LOL) in one piece.
Have a happy new year and above all else health for you and your loved ones!
Art: it’s the same in France… I don’t know for Tennessee, but in France everybody gets so excited about a few flurries!
Deadpoolite: hey, it’s been a while, I missed you here! We survived, indeed 😆 I though Greek were family-oriented… come on! The summer is a bit more than 6 months ahead for us I’m afraid. Oh, what does hot means already? 2C?
Kyh: I definitely wouldn’t be under icicles too long! Although they are great for (ice) stick fighting 😆
Awesome and fantastic picture. I can imagine the coldness 🙂
Every time I see those icicles, I have this weird fear that it would fall on my head and my head would split in half. I guess I watched too many horror movies to enjoy seeing them on the roofs of houses. 😈
Hi Zhu,
I loved these winter snapshots! Who on earth jogs in the middle of snow? What have they been smoking lol? That is so not for me…*nodding*!
-20º…that is cold! I had forgotten how cold it could be in Canada *nodding*! In Portugal we start complaining the minute it reaches 12º lol…
Girl, I wish you luck through winter; but think positive: March is almost there lol 🙂
Have a great weekend!
Cheers
Lovely pics, thank you for sharing. I love this blue sky!
Hey Zhu,
One of my favy things to do with friends, many moons ago, was to skate down the canal with skins of mulled wine, stopping for a big (french) lunch halfway!
A Bientot!
BB
Fantastic winter pictures, I must say! Cheers!
Hi Zhu and Happy New Year to you!
Inspired of your snow report, I’ve tagged you 😀
Wonderful winter photos. Thanks for sharing winter wonder land
Isicles are often beautiful when the Sun shines on them they looks like diamonds. But, watch up on the Sidewalks. An Icicle falling from a roof easily kills you. But the warning does not help blind people. They stumble in the signs.
Hi Zhu,
I am contemplating immigrating to Canada or Australia.
I really like the North American lifestyle .. But it seems like winters in Canada are not exactly easy to handle ..
Since you have lived in both, which one do you recommend ?
Should I just head to Sunny Australia ??
Hola, hermosas fotos, yo recien llego a Canada, vengo de Mexico, ojala el invierno sea interesante y no me mate de fri como se ve en las fotos.
Saludos.