This was it, the big walk in which we would reach the Ottawa end of the Rideau Trail. Miss 8 had chosen sparkling peach-grape juice and we had little plastic wine glasses for a big celebration when we reached the marker at the end.
First, though, we watched the ducks.
Mr. Mallard was not shy.
In fact, he and Mrs. Mallard walked closer and closer to us.
She was even more bold than he.
It was cold on the ice, though, and he had to sit on his feet to warm them up.
We were also cold, and it was very slippery. We gingerly shuffled over slippery patches, avoiding them wherever possible.
The water, too, looked very cold…
but the ducks didn’t seem to mind it.
We were almost downtown. You can see the Parliament Buildings in the background, and the Rideau Trail ends at Richmond Landing, an obscure little peninsula where the earliest settlers landed. I was so excited to be reaching this end of the Rideau Trail, almost a dozen years after I stood with a little 4-year old girl and 2-year old boy at the other end and said, “Someday I’d like to walk this trail.” So much has happened in those twelve years: three more children, two years of living abroad, “health and sickness, riches and poverty,” and here we were….
But. Unfortunately. Sigh. A construction fence blocked the end of the trail, and we could not get to the marker! In fact, we could not even see it.
It was a disappointment so unexpected as to be almost funny. So we laughed and then enjoyed the sparkling peach-grape juice, a wee distance from our goal. We’ll walk the last 100 meters or so some other time.
Thanks to Mr. 15 of Teen Geek for the photos.
Details: Walk #15 (Febrary 25) was from a little parking lot whose name I forget to the Portage Bridge on map #16 in the Rideau Trail Guidebook. It was chilly, and the ground was very icy and slippery. I think we walked about 4.5 km, bringing the total distance to about 61 km.
Mallard ducks are our sixth entry in the 100-Species Challenge.
Oh, that’s too bad, but at least you made it as far as was allowed and that counts. You are so good to be out walking in all kinds of weather. We have to reserve our camp sites 6 months in advance in order to get them. The parks are popular and always fill up. Labor Day weekend sold out in less than half a day. We missed getting our favorite spot because my husband waited an extra hour! It’s crazy. Of course, this is for the weekends. During the week is not so bad. We have to do all our camping on the weekends due to gainful employment. Which we are thankful for! 🙂
Love the duck pictures, especially how well you can see the markings on Mrs. Mallard’s feathers!