Monday, July 10, 2017

MosiaCanada 150

Yesterday I went down to an event being held in Jacques Cartier Park in Gatineau, Quebec.  Unfortunately this event was not dog-friendly so Beckett and Keltic had to stay home.  The event was MosiaCanada 150 and is a display of sculptures all covered with plant material.



I almost didn't go. I set my GPS for Jacques Cartier park and it got me there after a fashion even though it tried to turn me left twice where there was no left turn allowed. We get to the park and the police were there with the roads blocked off because of the crowds of people. I was in the wrong lane and ended up back on another bridge back to the Ottawa side of the river. At this point I thought I might as well go home and try another day but while trying to get out of the downtown core I decided to park in a parking garage and walk back to MosiaCanada.

Walking back across the Alexandria Bridge I could see dark clouds to the west and again I nearly turned back but decided to keep going and hoped if there was rain it wouldn't be too bad. We've had a really wet spring and summer so far this year.

I got to Jacques Cartier Park and there was a long line up to get in.  It seemed to be moving quickly so I got in line. I figured if it took too long I could just leave. It did move quickly and it was just for a security check of everyone's backpacks or bags; just a sign of the times we live in. Once inside, although there were lots of people, it didn't seem that crowded.

The sculptures were set out in two connecting loops. Each of the sculptures was sponsored by a province, city or other group. I went around twice, the first time around I went quickly as it was still threatening rain. And it did rain, so I took cover, as did many other people, under the grand piano. I think it was the only sculpture I didn't get a picture of.  We got kicked out from under the piano but not until the rain had mostly stopped.  By then it was clearing so I went around again this time reading more about many of the sculptures.

Mother Earth
Another view of Mother Earth


Blessing of the Good Omen Dragons

Joyful Celebration of the Nine Lions


Red Foxes sponsored by Charlottetown PEI
Puffins sponsored by Nfld and Labrador

Wisakedjak and the Creation of the World - see the turtle?
Another view of Wisakedjak
Muskox sponsored by the North West Territories

Don't they look real?




In Flanders Fields, the Poppy

Odyssey and Hope
After the second time around, it was getting rather late and I still had the walk back so I headed back across the bridge to Ottawa.

Alexandria Bridge

Parliament Hill
By now it had cleared up nicely and it was actually rather warm out.  I got home later in the afternoon than I had planned and my Achilles was a little sore so I didn't get the lawn mowed. MosiaCanada is running until October so if you're thinking about a visit to our capital, it's certainly a sight you have to see. It's free; just be prepared for some walking to get there if you go on a weekend.

If you want to see all of the pictures I took at MosiaCanada,  check them out on my FaceBook page.

Saturday, July 1, 2017

Happy Canada Day!!

It's our sesquicentennial, our country is 150 years old!



Beckett and Keltic went to Parliament Hill to celebrate. They are wearing Canada 150 bandanas but they are really hard to see.



We got a better shot with our Canada 150 tulips.