Happy birthday Caitlin!

As I've said, my daughter, my eldest, turned 40 last month. She had two weekends of surprise parties organized by her hubby. Finally I had my turn. I drove the girls home to Ottawa, and waited for Momma to come home from work. Then Papa came home from work. We were off to the city.



They bought a second hand electric car. It is amazing!


If she drives properly, minimizing her energy output, she earns a tree on the dashboard!


The Green Party is handing these out for the gas pumps. It's a long story, but our Premier is fighting with our Prime Minister regarding the federal carbon tax. Ford has forced gas stations to put stickers on the pumps. The stickers aren't sticking, as he used one of his buddy's company to produce the stickers, and they suck!

The Green Party is handing these out for the gas pumps.

This is a familiar sight. I used to drive into the city every Wednesday night in the 80s and 90s for choir practice. I sang with the Ottawa Choral Society. I used to live in Nepean, and drove into Ottawa for rehearsals. We would often sing at the NAC.


We left the Queensway, to turn up Metcalfe.


Elgin St. is under major reconstruction.


The new bike lanes are tricky. When you turn right, the green shows where a bike could be. You have to check the lane so as not to hit a cyclist.


These are cars with car sharing. Communauto where you can use it, round trip or one-way trip carsharing. There was a plug-in for Caitlin's electric car, but she was good with battery power.


The plan was to have dinner at the pub, where we'd eaten before. It was fully booked. As a surprise, Caitlin made reservations at Beckta! It's very high-end.


It's a great building in a building.


What a surprise to see Andrew King's artwork here, for sale.


The server heard me wish Caitlin happy birthday, and the chef brought a lovely plate for her dessert!


I haven't been to downtown Ottawa since they put in the new bike lanes. They have taken a bit of work to educate drivers and cyclists.


The sun was going down. We ambled into the park.


Caitlin, a hydrogeologist, tells me that this is a well for sampling groundwater!


We made it to the newly renovated National Arts Centre. I love Oscar Peterson's statue!


A lovely spot for a talk or a chamber concert.


It was an excellent show. We both really enjoyed it. A cast of only 12, they filled multiple roles, sang beautifully. The script reflected well on the pain and the heartache, as well as the joy, as the residents of Gander welcomed strangers to their wee town.