Valentine's Day, Schmalentine's Day.

OTTAWA, ONT., Feb. 14, 2012 (Xinhua) -- A flower store employee leaves for a delivery of roses on Valentine's Day, Feb. 14, 2012 in Ottawa, Canada. (Xinhua/David Kawai)Today I was tasked with getting pictures of Valentine's Day in Ottawa. So naturally, I started walking around. Made about a dozen pics. Flowers ended up being a central device of course, but as always, a few surprises.

So....., anyway, I walked up to Parliament Hill at one point, and ran into Jason Ransom. I stuck around while he shot a photo of Scouts Canada paddling a canoe across the East Lawn of Parliament Hill. They just happened to be on the grounds to promote their program on this day.

This looks to be the frame where he got THE shot. Bit of trickery really, and it worked. I was subsequently invited to tour the PMO. Cool place, and some nice (and extremely timely) pictures hanging in the halls.

Happy Valentine's day. Only one more hour of suffering left. Cheers!

...wore long underwear, walked across provincial lines, twice... this fine -15 Celsius afternoon

Sidenote, I prefer the snow-carvings to the ice-carvings. Both forms have some sick representation at Winterlude. Check it out while it's still on! The pic above is a Native Peoples traditional game/competition of sorts to see whose outside ear is the most structurally sound and/or pain tolerant. I say this playfully, and with the utmost respect. Believe it or not, the game after this had fingers pulling cheeks, and it was a bit more intense. It just doesn't make as good of a picture.

Keeping in mind: theme of Winterlude is "The War of 1812."
A telling look. He helped her down.
WIPEOUT.
Lastly, please... if this is a dare, then texting is the betterchallenge. Cheers!

My fingers stopped feeling this morning.

I shouldn't complain that the only indication I had that my camera was working was the sound of the shutter release. The winter has been mild for the most part; but, today, even with my gloves on, my finger tips needed a little bit of visual guidance to find the right buttons.

It's the waiting that freezes you. Here's a standard starting gate shot, for the team race. They host this every year at Buckingham Golf Course, in Buckingham, Quebec.

It's famous enough that some people come from far away to compete. For example, take the 81-year-old Heinz Trebitz from Vermont. He is my new hero until further notice. Look at all them badges from previous races:

It would have been nice to cover the early morning group—the die hards at around 5:30 a.m—who arrived by the hundreds and sported headlights for visual support during the early stages of the race. I didn't cover it because my editor told me to wait for the later races, and the daylight. And so, I probably missed THE shot on this one. Ah well, next year perhaps.

Now, do I shoot Winterlude today or tomorrow? Either way, I need to see some snow or sun first.

ka-boooom

The sun sets behind the West Block of Parliament Hill on Thursday, February 2, 2012. (David Kawai)

The Chief of the Press Gallery.

Terry Guillon, Chief of the Press Gallery, puts some distance between himself and Canada's Governor General David Johnston, wife Sharon Johnston, National Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs John Duncan and Prime Minister Stephen Harper, before a photo-op at the start of the Crown-First Nations Gathering in Ottawa. He made it...happen.