Our Place, This Time

After weeks and weeks of cold weather and too much unending rain, we're finally in a spate of fine weather. Still cold, since it's late November, but milder than it might be at this time of year, and clear skies warming our atmosphere. It's good to wake again to sun streaming through the house, to the warmth of the afternoon sun gleaming through our back windows, mellowing the house, making us comfortable, perking us up.

Our ravine walk is a trifle longer than usual of late. Since part of the creek bank collapsed, taking with it some of the trail we normally traverse at the start of our daily hike, we must take alternate routes, thus lengthening our walk. We don't mind, especially not when it's so lovely out, despite the partially-frozen pathways turning to muck as they defrost. We saw so many squirrels - red, grey, black - out yesterday, scrambling about we'd decided to bring unshelled peanuts along this day.

And then judiciously distributed them, under large trees here and there, alongside the places where we so often see those tiny red pugnacious squirrels tongue-lashing our intrusion into their private spaces. All the black squirrels racing about singly and in pairs, forgetting for a brief time what frigid-weather difficulties lie ahead for them, disporting themselves in this brief reprieve, will have an additional treat.

Later, we drive up the Eastern Parkway, pass all those lovely specimen trees, the bicyclists out in force, the walkers and their leashed dogs, the Ottawa River alongside. It's always a lively scene here, a coming-together outdoor space for people to revel in nature and enjoy clement weather. Finally, we pass the old City Hall, Foreign Affairs, the Governor-General's grounds, the residence of the Prime Minister.

Then we're passing "Maman", the huge sculpted spider with its marble "eggs" standing before the National Gallery; to the left the Peacekeeping Monument, onward to Parliament Hill, where special-destination buses disgorge tourists and sight-seers, masses of people converging before the Parliament Buildings, the Parliamentary Library, the West and East Blocks, the centennial flame.

Our destination takes us forward and onto the Western Parkway, where we see hundreds of Canada geese assembled on grassy knolls and pastures alongside the Ottawa River, and gulls bobbing in the vast waters of the river itself. Past the bridges linking Ontario and Quebec, past the storied, now relatively-tamed rapids churning up whitewater. Pedestrians, bicyclists out enjoying the priceless ambiance.

We reach the little shop whose selection of coloured glass and stable prices bring us back time and again. Each time, that is, that another stained-glass window or series of windows, or door inserts, has been planned, designed and its full-size cartoon at the ready stage. The selection takes time, there is so much to look at, the opaque, transparent, streaked, pebbled or smooth glass holding out its promise of aesthetic fulfilment.

Then the long drive back again to where we began. As we drive past the newly-opened War Museum we trust its interior is more architecturally pleasant than the exterior. We haven't been longer than an hour, but by then it is of course, an hour later; some of the crowds have thinned out, but more come to take their place; people wander from Parliament Hill to the Museum of Photography, the Chateau Laurier, down to Byward Market for a stroll among designer shops, outdoor market stalls selling maple syrup, root vegetables, Christmas wreaths and boughs.

We pass the Mint, the old War Museum, now to be converted by a world-famed Muslim philanthropist, a champion of Muslim architecture, a believer in world harmony, to a centre for universal understanding - to promote good will among peoples. Across from it, the embassy of Kuwait, a low-slung white building reminiscent of its missions's desert heritage; quite beautiful. Then a much larger set of buildings, that of the Saudi Arabian embassy, taking up prime real estate in this nation's capital.

Beautifully designed, its Middle-East architectural influence even more pronounced than that of the Kuwait mission, its grounds immaculately manicured and planted. To reflect the immaculate conception of Islamic doctrine? A matter of interpretation to be sure. And to be quite sure, the desert kingdom of Saudi Arabia has spent countless millions of its oil dollars on funding madrassas, mosques all over the world, including many in Canada.

It has sent its emissaries, imams whose strict fundamentalist interpretation of divine Koranic scriptures informs the everyday lives of its faithful adherents. Laudable on the surface, who can find fault with that? Oh well, perhaps another somewhat deeper look may provide a few clues as to the genesis of the problems facing society today. Wahhabist Islam has proven to be fundamental to the ideas and ideals of Islamic jihadists.

On we drive, past Rockcliffe Park where so many other of the world's countries have their embassies, where wealthy Canadians live in their mansions, where private schools that produce a clarified education for the young of the socially and materially privileged among us exist; once a private little enclave set apart from the rest of the city, but now incorporated into the greater city.

It's a long drive, a pleasant and relaxing drive. No one is in any great hurry, not the bicyclists, nor the walkers, nor yet the drivers. Past the Aeronautical Museum, the airport for small aircraft, the new addition to the museum. A few small aircraft take off into the still, bright sunshine. No sign of deer or racoons, or even groundhogs, but there are a few of the graceful shining black-muscled horses belonging to the RCMP in their paddocks.

What's this? Already!? We pass bright orange wood barricades. We'd forgotten. It seems so soon. But yes, it appears that the Santa Claus Parade will be taking place this very evening. It's now called the Parade of Lights. How quaint. We pass tractor-pulled floats decorated for the season with dark green evergreen branches, bright ribbons, large block signage.

There is an atmosphere of waiting there. There are small groups here and there of grey-jacketed men, volunteers for the parade representing the city's fire departments. This is their parade. Onlookers -and there will be tens of thousands of cheering, happy onlookers, young and old alike - are encouraged to bring along new or reconditioned toys.

For the Salvation Army annual Christmas toy drive, to give to needy children.