art in the park

My favourite thing on Sunday was Art in the Park (which has been renamed the New Art Festival but I still prefer the old name). In fact, the Great Glebe Garage Sale and Art in the Park are my two favourite Ottawa weekend events. This year I discovered a new (to me) ceramic artist, Lesley McInally, whose work is beautifully and interestingly textured and evocative. I bought four(!) things from her--they were small--brought them home and liked them so much that I rode my bike back and bought one more. And I like them more and more each day. I'll try to take a picture one of these days and put it up here. And several years ago I "discovered" Meaghan Haughian at Art in the Park. One of her paintings is on the wall beside me now and I still love her work.

chimes

Last Thursday my favourite thing was watching Ben play chimes at a school concert. He was so concentrated and intent on the music. He now wants chimes for his birthday.

I don't think anyone mentioned playing music on the favourite things list but that might be because people were trying to suggest things I might like and everyone knows that I am not at all musical (I can't even clap on beat). But I do love listening to the kids!

tour la nuit & dusk

Tonight we went on the night bike tour organized by the city. It was amazing to have the roads closed and to see so many bikes out together (and so many inventive versions of bicycles) but I was most struck by that full-bodied scent that comes as dusk falls, the earth and grass and leaves and water all at once seemingly releasing their scents. The air was suddenly and warmly musky and alive with lush fragrance. This effect was intensified by all of the flowering trees in Ottawa: we passed through patches of lilacs and wild roses and various unidentified but powerful smelling blossoms. And so there was the smell of dusk interspersed with pockets of flowers. And then there was also the sliver of the moon and the deep blues and greens of the fields and trees in the Experimental Farm. But most of all: the almost intoxicating scent of dusk. I had forgotten how sudden and strong it is.

bird's nests and bedroom paint

This year we have a bird's nest tucked in the eaves of our front porch, a bird's nest in the fir tree outside our living room window, and a bird's nest on our bedroom window ledge. I love bird's nests and was happy to have so many so close by. But this afternoon the nest on the window ledge was blown apart in the high winds (that also sent all the papers flying in my study and the curtains blowing to the ceiling) and a baby bird fell to the ground. Our neighbour found it between our houses and made a makeshift nest to hang from a birdfeeder in our yard. The parents--blackbirds--were crying out like crazy, very agitated. I hope they'll find their baby and feed her/him. I wasn't with my neighbour when she found the bird but when I looked at it in its new "nest" it looked very forlorn and just-hatched. We'll see. The baby bird falling from the ledge was definitely not a favourite thing, of course, but it did remind me of how much I appreciate the nests, the sound of the hungry chicks, and the graceful elegance of birds (not counting pigeons) in general.

Since I've written about birds before I've used up bird references from the five-favourite-things list but bird's nests remind me of robin eggs which are blue and so here is Ari and Alisa's favourite bedroom paint colour: "Benjamin Moore Gossamer Blue."