It's officially summer! We have the surprise of our lives to find that Ottawa summer is hot and humid. Unfortunately, most apartment units don't have air conditioning so we got ourselves an electric fan to survive the muggy, sticky feeling. Haha! As if I've forgotten how the weather was like where I was born: Cebu, Philippines.
It's not always hot and heavy though. There are cool days too; perfect for working out or going for early evening walks.
The days are long. The sun sets at 9 o'clock in the evening (which is awesome) and rises at 5 o'clock in the morning but the atmosphere starts to light up at 4; bad news for insomniacs like me.
Dandelion fuzz lay idle on the ground but not too long. They are constantly stirred by the wind, lifting up the seed-bearing parachutes called pappus to the air. Remember Olaf's 'In Summer' song from Frozen?
In the music video, he was blowing dandelion fuzz which looks inviting for the uninitiated. Multiply that a hundred times and it feels like living inside a shaken snowglobe world. Haha!
I don't mind the floating pollen though; when winter comes it's almost impossible to go for runs so you've got to take advantage of the warm beautiful weather the year gives.
Last week, we change the venue of our nightly walks to Dow's Lake for our little boy's third birthday.
On the trail next to the lake, lots of people were jogging or strolling. Every minute a bike or two passes us by. The benches are filled. Picnic mats covered the verdant lawn. Mallards bathing in the sun.
My son passed the green balloon he was holding to me. At first, It was confused about what he wanted me to do; it missed my grasp and obstructed a bicyclist path. Gosh!
The woman on the bike tried to dodge the balloon; she wobbled here and there. I quickly grab it out of the way for her. Thankfully, the inflatable bag filled with my husband's breath (haha) didn't fly to the lake. Phew!
Anyway, here are the fun activities you can do at Dow's Lake in Summer:
- Picnic
- Fishing
- Jogging or Strolling
- Cycling
- Water activities like pedal boat rides, kayaking, stand up paddleboards, and canoeing.
I would have loved to try the pedal boat ride or the canoe but I don't think our little boy would be thrilled with the idea. For equipment rental rates, visit Dow's Lake Pavilion website here.
On the way back to the car, we crossed the street to the opposite side. There the trail is less frequented. I'm not sure why but it reminds me of Singapore's parks (photo above).
A bush of pretty gardenia peonies caught my eye. I didn't know what it was at first; they look like oversized roses to me. Below is the photo I snapped. Gorgeous right?
For parking, we paid $7 CAD.
What water activity do you think you'll do when you visit Dow's lake in Ottawa, Ontario?
