(Day 227) Rained out - but not all is lost

It's been a while since we've gone on a picnic so we decided to go after church today. The sky looked overcast and we'd had a brief sprinkle in the morning, but things didn't look too bad. We packed a lunch and the dog and set off. We had picked out a spot along the Rideau system that we had briefly visited a number of years ago. Along the way I noted an interesting bridge in Lyndhurst and made a mental note that I should come back some time to make some photos around the area.

All was going well - we reached our destination, grabbed our things and the dog and found a lovely spot by the water, under some trees. We enjoyed our lunch, but as we were sheltered by the trees we hadn't noticed that a light rain had started. But it stopped again by the time we were finished lunch. Off we went to watch the lockmaster at work guiding a couple of boats into the locks. Once the operation was well under way we decided to walk over a wooden bridge towards some boats moored on the far side of the river. A soft rain started again so we ducked under a large tree to stay dry - poor choice. This time the rain didn't let up but intensified - within minutes it was dripping off the leaves onto us. We ran to the nearby restaurant and got under a broad overhang.

Well, we waited for a break in the downpour and at a quick pace made our way back to the car some half mile away. The sky didn't look like it would relent, so reluctantly we elected to head back home. And wouldn't luck have it that as we neared the stone bridge again the rain slackened off to a light drizzle. Just enough time to dash out and make a few photos of the oldest stone bridge in the province, dating back to 1856-57.

(18-55mm  f6.3  1/80 sec  ISO200)

(18-55mm  f6.3  1/25 sec  ISO200)

Oops, for the second week, I forgot to add my Sunset Sunday contribution. So I've edited this (already-published) post to add one that was shot a few days ago in Merrickville:

(18-55mm  f11  1/100 sec  ISO200)

(Day 226) If you're cold ...

I sometimes do a little research on subjects that I post here. Most times I'm surprised at the tidbits of information I discover. We have a substantial patch of milkweed growing just to the west of the house - it wasn't there when we moved here about 7 years ago. You probably wouldn't want this on a city lot, but on 77 acres I can leave it as a point of interest. If you've never smelled the fragrance of milkweed in bloom then you need to experience it next spring.

Apparently milkweed is a source of food for monarch butterfly larvae. But what surprised me was that the hairs on which the seeds are distributed by the wind are excellent for use as a hypoallergenic (non allergy producing) insulator, even better than down feathers. In fact over 5,000 tons were collected and used in WWII for this purpose - that's a LOT of milkweed seed pods if you've ever seen them!

(by the way, my blog header shows hairs and seeds from a ripened pod about to be launched on their mission)

(70-200mm  f8  1/125 sec  ISO200)

an early-opened pod with a bug trapped inside:

(70-200mm  f8  1/40 sec  ISO200)
 most of ours are like these - not ripe yet:

(70-200mm  f5  1/50 sec  ISO200)
a seed attached to the hairs - ready for flight:

(Day 225) An evening stroll

It was one of those beautiful summer evenings that you often envision when you're huddled near the wood stove in the deep of winter. There were almost no clouds in the sky, the sun shone warmly, and the air was very calm. We'd had an early dinner in Merrickville, and it was the perfect time for an evening stroll along the Rideau Canal that runs through the middle of the village. The last boaters were just making their way through the locks. Here are a few glimpses along the canal.

(18-55mm  f11  1/5 sec  ISO100)

(18-55mm  f11  1/10 sec  ISO200)

(18-55mm  f11  1/8 sec  ISO200)

(Day 224) No touch ... just look

A few weeks ago I posted a couple of shots of a rather prickly plant we have in the backyard. In some places it grows in profusion, but I've only found one in our yard - it's now at a height of about 5', since it's the only specimen, so I haven't treated it as a weed. I had promised to post a shot when it bloomed - that day arrived today.

(60mm  f14  1/15 sec  ISO200)

(60mm  f5  1/40 sec  ISO200)

(Day 223) The settee's demise

We had a white wicker set that we were quite fond of, and it traveled with us across Canada when we moved from Alberta. It sat on our front porch here and saw a lot of use. However, it started to deteriorate and despite efforts to repair the arms and other parts, it was replaced and made its way to furniture purgatory - the place a ways behind the house where old furniture seems to gather awaiting the inevitable toss into a bonfire.

I happened by it today whilst cutting the several acres of lawn that needed attention after two weeks of neglect. I noticed that nature itself had decided to hasten the demise of the settee - plants had punched holes through the wicker which now served as a brace against the wind. I'm not sure whether there will be anything left for the fire soon.

(60mm  f7.1  1/100 sec  ISO200)