The Hogs Back

If you're up for a little interesting history on this name, check out this story. Otherwise just sit back as I take you on a quick pictorial tour of this place:

this is part of the lake formed by the dam which is under the bridge in the distance

a lilac-lined lane lies above the east side of the gorge

a view along the bridge seen in the top photo (that's Ottawa in the background)

a view of the rapids from the bridge - this was one of the obstacles that had to be overcome in the 1820s to make the Rideau River navigable

a closer view

a small sidestream below the gorge

a view downstream from atop the west side of the gorge

A Rideau sunset

On my recent visit to the nearby Rideau Canal, Sasha and I spent some time near the lower end of the locks - I'll post a few shots made there in the near future. Time was moving on and I didn't want to miss the golden hour. Sasha unfortunately isn't as spry as she once was (who among us is) and I wanted to be in place to capture the sunset. So she had to forgo her stop-and-sniff-every-ten-feet routine as we marched (relatively) briskly westward above the locks to a headland jutting out into the lake formed by the dam.

Usually at this time of evening, the mosquitoes lurk in the bushes waiting to extract their pint of blood (well up here they extract by the litre), however, they were dissuaded by the fairly stiff breeze. Yes, I was counting my blessings. Nor was I disappointed by the golden hour.

[Scott is the founder of the Sunset Sunday theme - check out his blog for more awesome sunsets]

(btw - it is Sunday already; I think this is the earliest I've ever posted a Sunset Sunday shot)

A small piece of history

A place on the Rideau Canal was my destination this past weekend. I've been here before but there's a real quiet at this time of year before the canal opens and the boating season gets underway. The canal was built in the early 1830's and a lot of the lock mechanisms are original.

"The timber swing bridge crossing Upper Nicholsons lock is one of four such heritage bridges remaining along the canal. In the 1850s a petition was signed by the local residents requesting a drawbridge at the site. If a bridge was built over the lock, the petitioners promised to build one over the river. The government refused but in 1863 the municipalities of Wolford and Merrickville offered to build the bridge at their own expense. The government readily gave them permission. The Andrews brothers built a swing bridge over the upper lock the following year. They also built a fixed bridge across the river to complete the crossing. Since then the bridge has been replaced numerous times, the most recent being in 1971." (from Parks Canada website)

Note: we will be out of town for a wedding and hope to be back late Sunday. I suspect my access to the internet may be sporadic so I may not be able to post, respond, or visit until we return. Have a great week all, and thank you for your visits and comments !

(10-22mm  f11  1/50 sec  ISO100)

Reflections in fading light

I'm not sure what it is about reflections that captivates some (most ?) photographers. Perhaps it's the symmetry when that's what is captured, at other times it could be what the reflected light does to the colours, and at yet other times it could be the wonderful distortions made to the reflected image. In this case I found a perfectly still, mirror-like reflecting surface in the fading light of evening  - not even the slightest breeze was present. The scene also reflected the perfect peace and calm of the moment - as though the busyness of life, and even time itself, was suspended.

(18-55mm  f11  1.6 sec  ISO200)

(Day 358) A new day

On the day of Christmas Eve we had an opportunity to take a quiet walk. We were surrounded by snow and ice and water, and thirty yards away hundreds and hundreds of Canada geese congregated near areas of open water. There was no one else within sight or within earshot. There was no strife in our little local patch of the creation. It felt like a brand new day. Maybe this is what things looked like when God first looked out on his creation and said that it was good.

And the coming of Jesus, which we celebrate tomorrow, signified the beginning of the restoration of his creation and all that is in it. May you experience a brand new day in your life as you celebrate Christmas.

(10-22mm  f13.0  1/320 sec  ISO320)

(Day 281 ) One-at-a-time bridge

On my travels around the countryside over the past week or so I criss-crossed the Rideau River a few times and I visited some out of the way places. Some of the roads didn't look like they had changed much from the pioneer days. Today I went back to a place that once was a thriving community built around a mill on the river, as so many communities were - Andrewsville, self-named by the Andrews brothers in the 19th century.

When the canal was pushed through in 1832, the road and bridge needed to accommodate only horse and wagon. I'm sure if the community had continued to grow, both the road and bridge would have been widened to handle more and larger traffic. When the railway bypassed Andrewsville, sealing its fate, the narrow road and single lane bridge continued to handle the traffic, which to this day remains light.

(10-22mm  f20  1/50 sec  ISO200)

(Day 277) River in fall

I drove to Merrickville this afternoon to see what fall along the Rideau River looked like. Of course it wasn't a direct drive there, since there was beautiful fall foliage along the way also, needing to be captured before it lost its richness. Sasha and I looked down on the river from the bridge, and it bore little resemblance to the river I posted back in early spring. We walked along the canal till we found a path through the undergrowth that led to the river.

Where in the spring we would have been swept away, there were now bare rocky ledges with only a small stream cascading over them. Fall seemed to be coming more slowly along the river than further away from it where most trees had already turned a fiery red/orange and had lost a lot of foliage. Here there were still a lot of green leaves, so I shall have to make a return visit soon.

(18-55mm  f22  1/8 sec  ISO200)

(Day 241) Taking full advantage

Years ago, when we lived near Calgary, we'd often go for Sunday afternoon drives out to the mountains to marvel at the wonderful creation. One of the notable things about living in that part of Alberta was the large number of days with sunshine and no clouds (just like the refrain in "Home, Home On the Range"). In fact, we now call a day like that an 'Alberta Day'. We had gotten out of our Sunday afternoon drive habit over the past few years, although we had done some 'exploratory' touring around when we first moved to this area.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about how we tried to go for a Sunday afternoon picnic and got rained out. Well, today the weather forecasters got it right, and after church we packed up and set off for another spot along the Rideau. We took full advantage of an incredible Alberta Day. Here's what it looked like.

(10-22mm  f11  1/160 sec  ISO200)

part of the mechanism to open a lock; action at the locks always attracts onlookers

(10-22mm  f11  1/250 sec  ISO200)

the 'flotilla' leaving the lock

(10-22mm  f11  1/320 sec  ISO200)

just below another lock, ships can tie up; I think most were out on the water

After forgetting for the past 2 weeks, I remembered that today we celebrate Sunset Sunday by posting a sunset shot. In case you're not familiar with this great idea yet, visit the originator, Scott. He always has stunning sunset shots, as well as countless other beauties, and provides lots of practical tips - even on html! Here's my contribution, taken from our back yard on Aug. 17:

(18-55mm  f5.6  1/100 sec  ISO400)

(Day 237) The tranquil Rideau

I was drawn today to another part of the Rideau system, back to a place where one of my daughters and I had gone fishing a couple of years ago. There's a dam here, used to control spring floods, and a lock for recreational boaters, which is used to bypass the 2.8m/9' height differential in the river. I had the area almost to myself, save for 2 local lads who were alternating between fishing and jumping 5m/15' off a small bridge into the cool waters below.

Note: all photos were shot at f11, ISO200 at varying shutter speeds with a 10-22mm or 70-200mm lens.

above the dam; the canal and lock are further to the lower right (not in photo)

buoys act as a warning to boaters of the dam ahead

 this scow is used for maintenance on the waterway e.g. to place buoys

a freshly-cut beam which is used in the dam to control water levels

the dam, used to control flooding on the Rideau

 

(Day 148) A look at the past

We are lucky to live within a 15-minute drive of 'Canada's most beautiful village' - Merrickville (no, I didn't make that up - it's official), situated on the Rideau River. I went there today to make a few photos of some of the relics of yesteryear's industry. The earliest setllement there dates back to 1791 (fairly 'modern' compared to Europe). With abundant power from the river, over 50 industries thrived in Merrickville in the 19th century. Today, the oldest foundry in Eastern Canada, dating back to 1840, still crafts metal products. Hope you don't mind a bit of history.

(18-55mm  f5.6  1/1250 sec  ISO200)

wall of the old mill; inscription reads 'S. H. Mirick  1848'

(18-55mm  f5.6  1/320 sec  ISO200)

'interior' of mill

(18-55mm  f8  1/160 sec  ISO200)

old turbine mfg'd by Northern Electric

(18-55mm  f8  1/100 sec  ISO100)


current resident

(18-55mm  f8  1/60 sec  ISO200)

old abandoned boiler

 (18-55mm  f18  1/6 sec  ISO100)

the Rideau water that drove industry

(Day 121) For the 178th time

The Rideau Canal will be opening shortly as it's done for the past 177 years, except no military vessels are expected to come through - it's been strictly for commerce and pleasure for most of its existence. Soon the upper sluices will be opened and the locks will be filled to allow pleasure boats to again take their passengers along the very scenic route. It's notable that all the locks along the 222 km. (125 mi.) are hand-operated.

We are fortunate to live so near to this UNESCO World Heritage site. (see also this post about the Rideau River).

(18-55mm  f8  1/100 sec  ISO100)

the machinery to operate the locks is all manual:

(18-55mm  f8  1/100 sec  ISO100)

the lower locks at Merrickville:

(Day 102) The day Thou gavest ...

It had all the appearances of one of those glorious summer days, slowly drifting through twilight into the calm darkness of night. Had it not been for the somewhat brisk temperature you could easily mistake these photos for capturing that scenario - the soft light of the setting sun creating a dreamy sepia, the last light reflecting off the trees, and the sun sinking down behind the horizon.

So far (never say never - who would have thought images would one day be captured without film ?), imaging technology doesn't capture temperature as our hands do. In order to have a true experience then, place your hands in a bucket of cold water as you view these shots.

(all shots taken with 18-55mm  @f11  at various shutter speeds  ISO200)

(Day 84) Overflowing with spring ...

... runoff, that is. I was going to a little village near here with the intention of shooting one of the historical sites there. As I walked towards the site I heard a roaring sound that got louder and louder. I hadn't heard that sound before since this place is usually quite tranquil. I was surprised at what I saw - the normally shallow creek that meanders below a small power dam on the Rideau River had turned into a raging torrent. I had forgotten that spring runoff occurs much earlier in Ontario than in Alberta (June), and even earlier this year due to the mild weather and early spring.

If you've got a kayak, and a death wish, hurry on down.

(70-200mm  f16  1/250 sec  ISO400)

(70-200mm  f16  1/400 sec  ISO400)

(70-200mm  f16  1/500 sec  ISO400)

(Day 81) All quiet on the waterfront

Small communities in Ontario, and perhaps across Canada, are having difficulty staying vibrant. Jobs and career opportunities are dwindling as manufacturers move to lower cost centres. Quite often young people don't return once they complete post-secondary education. Pictured below is the Rideau River waterfront of Smiths Falls, a town of 9,000 which recently lost a chocolate manufacturer that provided over 1,000 jobs at one time, and a health care facility which provided over 800 jobs. It's a pity, and a loss for the country, because a small town has a unique way of life and a sense of community that can't be replicated in a big city.

(70-200mm  f5  6 sec  ISO800)

(Day 66) The heavens declare thy glory!

I never tire of the glory of the skies at sunset - I hope you don't either. Each is unique. Who else could paint such a comparable scene each evening ?

(18-55mm  f8  1/250 sec  ISO200)

(70-200mm  f8  1/80 sec  ISO200)

(Day 14) UNESCO Heritage Site

The light looked like it was going to be interesting early this afternoon - sun peeking through clouds occasionally, providing some nice diffused light. By the time I drove to where I wanted to take some photos, however, the sky had again turned a dull gray. Undeterred, and determined to do some outdoor shooting today, I took the equipment out. The wind had also picked up and given the cold, the camera battery looked like it would give up before me.

To my subject - I took some photos along the Rideau River and selected the one below. The locks on the Rideau Canal, which are used to bypass obstacles like this, are all drained for the winter, but will be busy with tourist boats come late spring. I'm sure I'll visit here again later during the project.