Our visit to the Museum of Civilization

Last week we visited the Museum of Civilization in Ottawa in Gatineau. It is the most visited museum in Canada and with good reason.


From the initial organic design of the building by renown architect Douglas Cardinal it was a place to behold.

Inside the museum dedicated to human history captured amazing scenes from Canada's early history, including an entire hall dedicated to indigenous art that showed some beautiful recreations of  totems from Pacific North West tribes

Here are our images of that time.

These next images were of a room that replicated sunrise to sunset right down to all the varieties of colors of lights in the sky in old early settlement cabin. A day that you could see take shape in front of you in a matter of minutes, so ingenious.

The Canadian Tulip Festival

Last Sunday we made the 2 hour drive to Ottawa to our nation's capitol to see the Canadian Tulip festival, the world's largest Tulip festival.

Unfortunately the festival which lasts almost 3 weeks was in its waning stages so it was not all that we imagined it would be. However, the day was beautiful and we also took the opportunity to visit the Museum of Civilization, an amazing display I must say.

Although we missed the height of the festival we did some lovely displays of flowers. The story behind the festival is something remarkable too. It commemorates a remarkable act of friendship with the Dutch royal family. During the last years of World War II Canada had given shelter to Princess Julianna and her daughters. The princess pregnant at the time gave birth to her daughter, the princess Margaret during her time in Canada. This presented a dilemma since royal family members must be born in their homeland to preserve their royal status. Canada declared the hospital a temporary part of international territory thus allowing the newborn princess to skirt the rule. In appreciation for this act of generosity the Dutch government sent a gift of 100, 000 tulip bulbs. The Canadian Tulip Festival was born out of that pact, debuting in 1953 and continuing in full strength to this day.  

Little things in the garden

 

Today I bought some plants for my garden and spent most of the afternoon planting them.

A few little things were out accompanying me. The Emerald beetle above, so beautiful.

 

                  Much maligned Mr Fly enjoying the flowers.Why not. It's a free country.

  Then finally Mr Bumblebee busy doing his good work.

Working all afternoon and what do you think was my reward. An aching back eased by a tylenol and, of course, a job well done. I think my little friends might agree.

Photographs by Ewa Warchal

The line between lust and love is sometimes a difficult path to negotiate in a young man's life.

These are among a collection of wonderful photographs that my friend Ewa Warchal has been so kind as to share me me. I share them with you but I kindly ask you not to copy them as that was her request to me.

A return to action

So long away from the vigil. The weather is finally settling into seasonal form. For a while it seemed that there was confusion in the air, the seasons unsure if they should proceed or regress. I'll let the photographs do the talking.

As the date shows above the 19th of April was sunny. I was out sunbathing luxuriating in the break of the cold weather.

The flowers in my garden so shy for so long bloomed in the fine weather.

Flowers of different shades emerged, white, yellow and violet but then it all changed like... well like the weather in spring I suppose.

A little over a week later and we were hit by a snow storm. My flowers, my lovely flowers I thought.

We were blanketed in snow again. How long would it last?

Fortunately it was just overnight. Now the warmer weather has returned, in earnest I would say. My flowers are back and so am I to my blogging duties after a lengthy delay

Coloring my Easter Eggs

I prepared the traditional Easter eggs for holiday as always. It's engaging work that involves preparing a dye to color the eggs. I use onion peels to which I add hot water. Into the colored solution I add the eggs and leave them immersed for about 10 minutes. Then Voilla they are ready. It's tradition to make designs on them. They will come in use on Sunday when we all make our way to church for the Easter blessing.

Signs of Spring

I stepped outside today to an overcast day but there was a glimmer of unexpected light. For the first time this year I saw three flowers begin to emerge to bloom in my garden. Spring is in the air.

Black cats and unseasonal weather

There was an unseasonal snowfall in Poland recently and this picture appeared in the news cycle. A black cat crossing your path is considered unlucky in Poland as it is in the United States. I learned that it's considered lucky in the U.K and parts of Asia. To each his own I suppose, but has anyone ever stopped to consider the cat's position in all of this.

 Take a moment to think how it feels for this fellow caught out in the snow. I bet he thinks he's unlucky.

Kotek takes his beverages the old fashioned way.

Kotek our beloved cat is a fussy thing. He has to quench his thirst the high maintenance way, from the steel kettle I use to water the plants. It's a pawful at a time but he much prefers to his bowl - too domesticated for him I gather.

Flowers for Women's day

 Another International women's day came and went this year. Every year on March 8th there is this special celebration for women. In Poland when I was a young girl it was a yearly event. It's a tradition that dates back to 1909. I recall the parade of drunken men walking down the street their flowers held aloft " celebrating" women's day. It was in those days for the men of the community another excuse to get drunk. These days it's loaded with extra meaning. I overheard on the radio here in Quebec that for the first time in North America women comprised more than 50 percent of the workforce. I don't know how accurate that figure is but it certainly speaks to the changes that have taken place since I was a young girl.

Pokraka the Hermit Crab

Pokraka is the name of son's Hermit Crab. Pokraka translated in the English to "clumsy".

Pokraka is not really that clumsy by the standad of Hermit Crabs. But he is rather ugly. His eyes sit on the end of stalks and he has feelers like an large insect . I keep my distance for now.

A snowman to signify the last winter snowfall

In the last days of winter we had a snowfall here in Pincourt. It was a last opportunity to build a snowman. I recall when Natalia was in Poland. She had been so ill but we had nevertheless succeeded in building a snowman. It was knocked down soon after. Our snowman in Quebec was left unharmed save for the rising temperatures and so eventually  we had to bid him adieu.

   

Peace Lilly in black and white

My Peace Lilly came out in different shades. The flowers opened and one can see the light and dark playing off the reflections of the petals.

It looks as if my Epiphyllum is somewhere in the Amazon. The reality is far more prosaic. Outside the temperatures still sit in the sub zero range as a deep snow banks line the streets. My Epiphyllum is safely esconced in my living room showing the residue of water from a spray bottle.We are still in our winter hibernation mode and await the coming of the sun.

My Shy Muses

     I was in an obsessive mood when I worked on this painting. I started work on a Friday afternoon and I did not stop till it was almost complete. I drew out the design on each of the individual pieces. I had the big picture in mind. Then I started to paint like a fiend. Twelve hours later I hung up each part. They adorn my bedroom wall. Every day I see my shy muses now.

Cherry red doc Martens forever

In the not so distant past the Doc Marten boot had been type cast as the preferred footwear for the alternative set, new order musicians skin heads and such but long before this radical link docs were a big hit among house wives. This was in the early days when Dr's Klaus Marten and Herbert Funk were just starting out.

Style and shoes

Yes, I love shoes. They are my style signature. The other elements matter but elegant shoes catch my glance no matter where I am. Will explain over time.

Design ideas

I like most people am a tumble of contradictions. I suppose I am modern in my outlook but my taste in home decor tends to run toward the traditional. I love the look of wood. Perhaps this has much to do with my upbringing in Poland. In other things I am more modernist.

 I will explore these contradictions over time. The act of exploration and writing is often as much a revelation for the writer as it is for the reader.