Canada Day

Traditionally I spend Canada Day in the Ottawa area. We drive off to some beautiful spot and then head back in to town for a BBQ and walk downtown to watch the spectacular fireworks. We always stand near the National Gallery of Canada. This year was no different except that the weather was GORGEOUS!!! We've had a rainy Canada Day for the last few years and it was a very pleasant surprise to see that THAT traditional was not going to mar our day. This year we went to Pink lake in the Gatineau Hills. We used to be able to swim there but it's been turned in to a protected place. It's wonderful to see the huge variations in plant life..and animal life. This birch tree below appears to have a large muppet-like mouth and many sewn up scars a la Frankenstein!
We saw a ton of tadpoles..this one below has wee little legs already.
We headed east to a hillside above the quaint town of Wakefield Quebec. Here is where Canada's 14th Prime Minister is laid to rest. We found a woman who comes every year to place a Canadian Flag at his grave. Very appropriate as his five-year legacy is very impressive: a new flag, the Canada Pension Plan, universal medicare, a new immigration act, a fund for rural economic development, and the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism which led to the foundation of a bilingual civil service.

Happy Canada Day...and Happy 4th of July to those south of the border!

cheers,

Wendo