Back to the Hills

Suddenly, its cool and while the leaves are just changing colour, it clear that winter is not far off.  For me that means skiing and skating, so its time to do some long walks and get my legs ready.

This is my favourite shelter in Gatineau Park, Shilly Shally.  It was nice enough to sit outside and do a quick scribble while having a cup of tea from my thermos, but too cool to sit and paint.

Chilly Chalet

 I arrived at Shilly Shally last Sunday morning and it was as hot as a sauna - I had to dampen the stove and prop open the door to let the tiny cabin cool.  This reminded me of the story about the origin of it's name.

Until 20 or 30 years ago this cabin was rented out. I recall a lovely older couple with European accents who spent weekends there and stocked the birdfeeder, when I first visited the park in the 1970's.  In the 1940's Sheila Thomson's father rented the cabin for the use of Sheila and a group of girl friends.  It was not in the state of repair that it is today and the girls were not very adept at getting it's old wood stove working.  Their nickname for the cabin became the 'Chilly Chalet'....which morphed into another colloquialism 'Shilly Shally'.  My sketch of the outside.

<a href="">My sketch of the outside. </a>

There is a clip of Sheilla recalling the Chilly Chalet in the Gatineau Guide website.
http://guidegatineau.ca/blog/418/why-is-shilly-shally-called-shilly-shally/

Shilly Shally Cabin

Today was a real Ottawa winter day...minus 20 C, deep blue sky and sunny.  The snow was squeeky and I needed mittens over my gloves.  I wasn't the first past Shilly Shally cabin, but I did get to light the fire.

This is easily the smallest cabin in the park, but the best for birds.  I saw a downey woodpecker on the way in and there were two flickers at the feeder. The trail in tunnels through a hemlock grove which is one of my favourite places on the planet.


A sketch of the inerior and the story of this cabin's name :   http://johnssketchjournal.blogspot.com/2012/02/chilly-chalet.html