Montgolfières/Hot Air Balloons

This event is held every year in Gatineau over the Labour Day weekend.  They need 1,850 volunteers, so I was happy to put up my hand ...

 

 

The balloons are only inflated when the conditions are perfect - and then only early in the morning or in the evening.  Over the course of the weekend, they went up twice - but I had just finished a shift on Sunday 1st Sep and took these pictures.

Skies

Everyone who now knows me in Canada is tired of hearing me waxing lyrical about the beautiful skies (er, and cloud formations).  When you're out and about, it is common to see the whole horizon, virtually uninterrupted.  I try to explain that it's not the same in the UK.

Indonesia tourists

As there are some Matt pics, I can't leave Isla out.  Here are some of her in the last month.


Sitting in the sea in the Gili Islands on her 22nd birthday




Isla and Jade have just hiked up Mt Rinjani (an active volcano) on the Island of Lombok

Ottawa tourists

It was great to see Matt and Dan on their way though from Nova Scotia to Manitoba.

 

'Maman' outside the National Gallery

Ottawa Parliament in the background



Just before our cycle along the Rideau Canal

Matt and Ma in the Ottawa Jail Hostel

A pause for a brew (not the tea kind)

Beaver Tails/Queues de Castor

Have a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BeaverTails *
Little did the visitors (or their guide) know the importance of this stand in the ByWard Market.  [Maple butter topping, if you want the details]

* please don't yell if the link doesn't work (I did look up Bloggers help, she cried)

Views of Ottawa ...

Ceiling in the Canadian Museum of Civilisation



Canada School of Public Service

Let's Twist ....

Because summer is so short, much is made of the warm weather.  People take to their skates, bikes and boats, and if you're not into participating in energetic activity, there are many local Festivals for the more passive - who still want to have an outing.   Music, cultural, educational, artistic - and combinations of all the above.  So late-August found me at the Twist Festival, a two-day event in St Andre Avellin (an hour's drive outside Ottawa) to celebrate all things fibre.  Over the course of the weekend, there was a documentary film 'Be Linen', a conference on the story of yarn (in English only) with two speakers, and a textile art exhibition.  Activities for children included skipping rope, finger-knitting, and doll-making workshops, for adults there were crochet and knitting workshops, there were demonstrations of spinning and weaving, and not least, nearly 70 vendors including All we Knit is Love (ouch), Association des Eleveurs de Chevres Angora pur-sang du Quebec (let them not be mis-sang) - The Black Lamb etc.

It was a fun outing; suggested by my friend Cati who is a lovely knitter.  She has a large enough collection of wool and yarns to start a small shop (or two).