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Pictures Places Tourism

Experiencing June

I wrote about nostalgia for May. But today, on a rainy Sunday, I’ll show some of the sights from the botanical garden in June.

We’ll start by the cafe, where new hanging baskets are fiery bright.… [Read More]

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Pictures Places

Remembering May

We’ve been here just over a month. Can I possibly be getting nostalgic already?

Well, May 10th was a lovely spring day; the sky was blue, the clouds were white, and the trees were green.… [Read More]

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Experiences Pictures Places Tourism

The Ascent of Mt. Spruce

Last weekend, we went for a jaunt to l’Estrie, the Eastern Townships of Quebec. This region stretches from the St. Lawrence lowlands down to the Vermont border, and includes some of the northernmost extents of the Appalachian uplands before they swerve off to Newfoundland.… [Read More]

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Food Places Uncategorized

The New Neighborhood

On the first of May, some people go a-Maying, some celebrate Beltane, some celebrate the Labor movement, and some riot outside of multinational corporate offices. Manon and I have our own ritual where we arrive in a new neighborhood for the Summer.… [Read More]

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Places Très Intéressant Uncategorized

More Tree Installation

Remember way back in May, when we encountered the “trees to be planted here” signs up in Saint-Léonard? No? You know, this here?

Well, anyway, we were back up in that area yesterday, and, sure enough, some trees have been planted.… [Read More]

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Pictures Places

Parc Maisonneuve Revisited

It’s been smoky and hot here in Montreal, and there hasn’t been any significant rain since July 17th. After last year having a very wet summer, this summer is shaping up to be very dry.… [Read More]

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Only in Montréal Places Très Intéressant

Arboriculture

I haven’t written much about Parc Maisonneuve, the giant park that neighbors the botanical gardens and is a short walk from our apartment.

Aerial view via Google Earth… for scale, those two intersections at the top left and top right are 1km apart (0.62 miles)

It’s a funny old place.… [Read More]

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History, Culture, and Politics Only in Canada Places

Rock On, Canada


Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt, photo By NASA – NASA Astrobiology Institute Library of Resources: Sulfur biogeochemistry of the Early Earth at the Wayback Machine, Public Domain, Link

Rocks found in Quebec are possibly the oldest on earth, formed around 4.16 billion years ago during the first days of Earth’s geologic formation (you know, back when the planet was all volcano-y and melty and stuff).… [Read More]

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Only in Montréal Pictures Places Très Intéressant

Parc de la Louisiane

Three years ago, I wrote about parks in Montreal. Not only are there a lot of parks here, but they vary considerably in size, resources, and other qualities.

Within a kilometer or two of where we’re living in the Rosemont arrondissement, there are several tiny parks (Parc Raymond Lévesque, an unnamed park on Rue de Tonty, and Parc de la Cité Jardin) , three or four big parks (Parc Joseph Paré, Parc Sainte-Bernadette, Parc Étienne-Desmarteau, and Parc de la Louisiane), and one massive park (Parc Maisonneuve).… [Read More]

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Pictures Places

A Laurentian Jaunt, Part. 3

Nature

It was cold and rainy when we were at Mount Tremblant. Well, “cold” — it ranged between 8C and 15C (46ºF to 60ºF). As mentioned in Part 1, this was actually a good thing, as it kept away the mosquitos.… [Read More]