Sunday, February 20, 2011

Day 50 - Winter in Quebec

Today's assignment is to make a photograph of something that captures a small bit of the flavor of where you live or your culture. Quebec City is FULL of culture. I could have chosen from a number of things but decided to go with two less known/traditional pieces. I took this picture while walking the dogs at the farm today. Just outside the fence there is a snowmobile trail with road signs and all. Due to our rather long winters, snowmobiling is a very popular activity here. I chose this picture because the vehicle is an interesting variation from the traditional snowmobile.
You'll notice that I chose to frame this picture. The frame is a piece of a picture I took of a railing. In Quebec a number of older homes have this railing around balconies, stairs and decks. If you look carefully you'll see that the parts that are cut out look like skate blades. During World War 2, metal was in great demand. Rather than throw the remnants in the garbage, the metal bands were saved and used rather creatively. These are becoming rarer as more people are opting for newer, low maintenance materials. They are a neat reminder of the resourcefulness of our ancestors.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

It sure does look cold! I love the colored signs and posts, it gives some nice contrast. What a cool idea for a frame, I especially love that and how it gives us an additional flavor of your area!

Monica said...

Great image and great frame! I enjoyed hearing the story behind the frame; small bits of history like that fascinate me.

Julie McLeod said...

The frame is really special and suits your Quebec culture shot quite well. I'm fascinated by the use of the scrapmetal from the blade making process being used for railings. Have you shown that to your students? A good lesson in one of the three Rs there.

I love how people living in these cold climates make the best of it.

Misty said...

Love your take on your culture.

Kristy Johnson said...

Snowmobiling is quite popular here too, but I've never seen vehicles like this on the trail! Neat! Interesting story about the skate blades too!

susanvg said...

Looks more like an ATV than a snowmobile. Nicely framed - nice juxtaposition of the old and new.