2021-12: A Quiet Christmas
For many people, the second Covid-19 Christmas felt like a repeat of the first, as if we were all stuck on a broken wheel.
December of 2021 was a fairly unassuming month. The weather was largely overcast, with more rain than snow. Christmas was green, and mostly celebrated by huddled bubbles hoping to escape the pandemic's most virulent wave yet: The Omicron Variant.
Olympus E-PL9: f6.3, 1/125 sec, ISO 800
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
At some point in the past, someone placed this lock on a chain link at Chain Lake. We can only speculate as to why. Personally, I like to think that it was a romantic couple professing their love via that mid-2010s tradition of placing a padlock to symbolize their unbreakable bond, and throwing away the key. That said, I am displeased to think that they may have thrown the key into the lake on the other side of the fence. It's enclosed to prevent pollution, since it's the backup water supply for the city.
Olympus E-PL9: f8, 1/640 sec, ISO 800
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
Closer to downtown, here's a shot of the Medjuck Architecture Building at Dalhousie University. It was built in 1908. It fronts onto Spring Garden Road, which was used by one of the city's streetcars. Alas, the streetcars are long gone, and a recent renovation of the street removed the last vestiges of the system.
Olympus E-PL9: f3.2, 1/200 sec, ISO 800
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
The Medjuck Building was constructed in 1908. It's neighbour is the Central Library, which opened over a hundred years later, in 2014. Stylistically, the two are rather different. Despite that, they both look extra scenic with some cosmetic snowflakes.
Olympus E-PL9: f3.2, 1/200 sec, ISO 800
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
The streetscaping project on Spring Garden Road has been underway for over half a year, and isn't expected to finish until early in 2022. As one of the most-used sidewalks in the city, the extra width will be very welcome by the pedestrians! Even though the streetcars may be gone, the road remains a backbone of the bus system. In the Summer of 2022 a one-year pilot programme will start, restricting the road to busses-only during the daytime. It's really nice to see the city giving some consideration to transit users.
Olympus E-PL9: f4.5, 1/100 sec, ISO 800
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
Thanks to the pandemic, my Christmas was spent without my siblings and their families. Thanks to more available testing, however, I was able to go see my parents and spend the holiday with them. As is our tradition, there was a lot of excellent food. Mom made a big turkey meal and a trifle! An octagon of chocolates also saw regular raiding throughout the Christmas period.
Olympus E-PL9: f3.8, 1/40 sec, ISO 800
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
Olympus E-PL9: f3.5, 1/50 sec, ISO 800
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
Olympus E-PL9: f5.1, 1/50 sec, ISO 6400
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
For a solid three-month period between late September and late December I achieved my daily step goal, getting 12,000 steps each day, without fail. I relaxed a bit once the holidays began, but still got out for a stroll near my parents' house. While there was very little snow to be found, I wouldn't call it a green Christmas so much as a grey one. The overcast weather was an apt fit for the subdued celebrations. "We'll get together next year!" was often said during Christmas 2020, and the words came back again for 2021. Here's hoping that this time they are right!
Olympus E-PL9: f5.6, 1/400 sec, ISO 250
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
