Barred Owl

Looked out the kitchen window the other day and saw this barred owl on one of our birdhouses. It was probably scanning the field for mice. I mentioned to Briar that, this time of year, we probably had mice living in the birdhouse. She responded that they were probably quietly singing the ABC song (which is what she did while a bear tore our utility trailer apart in the middle of the night on a camping trip when she was young)

Tapped on the glass and got it to turn to the camera

-JC-

Trip to Quebec

Kristen's birthday was November 9 so I decided to book us into the Fairmont le Chateau Frontenac in Old Quebec for a couple of nights. It was a long drive so I booked us into a motel in Lyndonville, VT on the way up (kind of a sad little town).

The hotel is in the walled portion of Quebec City and sits on the site of the fort that once defended Quebec from British and American invaders.

The fort/hotel sits on top of the bluffs. This funicular takes you down to the old town near the edge of the St. Lawrence. It's also possible to take the stairs.

That's the hotel from down below.

Again.

There's Kristen with the hotel in the background This boardwalk runs along the top of the bluff from wall to wall. The fresh lumber construction is a toboggan run that will start from the battery at one end of the wall and run for a couple of hundred yards.

We stayed on the 4th floor and looked out on this park and at the St. Lawrence.

The front of the hotel. The archway down along the right side leads through the entry courtyard to the exit archway in the previous picture.

The entry courtyard.

 

Looking across the entry courtyard.

St. Lawrence River / Gulf of St. Lawrence. We were surprised to learn that the St. Lawrence Seaway is tidal all the way to Trois-Rivieres (halfway to Montreal).

We enjoyed watching the car ferries from our window. They were going directly across the river but had to point upstream and fight the current all the way.

On our departure morning, we woke up to Quebec's first snow of the season. It wasn't heavy but it stayed with us most of the way to Montreal where we spent one night before heading home.

-JC-