New car, and some trees

To replace the 'Volt' we were driving before, we took the plunge and bought a Chevy 'Bolt' this week, finally going all-electric. This one plugs in at the same charger in our garage but the charge promises to take us 400 km (in good weather conditions) rather than 70 km or thereabouts, our previous limit (after which the Volt began to drain its petrol tank). We are unlikely to attempt a long journey without recharging, but we shall soon see how it does on short stretches. 

We both had a go at driving the new car this evening and enjoyed the better visibility from its front seats and through the rear view mirror. The manual has some 300 pages of explanations and instructions, so we haven't yet got the hang of all of the new features, probably never shall. The software in the Bolt's "Infotainment" operating system was apparently created by Chris' company, QNX (maybe some of it by Chris himself) ... a considerable time ago and we seem to have bought a package that includes access to SiriusXM channels, hardly any of which offer the sort of music we want to listen to while driving although we can hear the BBC World Service news broadcasts. Smart phones and iPods are compatible with this system but not CDs.

Anyhow the ride took us along the eastern parkway to a spot where we could get out and wander down to the river which looked beautiful this evening, with masses of wild flowers beside the trail. I saw an oriole hopping around, orange and black, a lovely bird. For me that was as much of a thrill as the car. Another sight to be recorded today is the catalpa tree that's in full bloom by the Minto Bridges, one of Ottawa's "Remarkable Trees" with a plaque to say so. 

If you ask me, all trees are remarkable. I picked up three baby blue spruces at one of Ecology Ottawa's free giveaway events last weekend; their intention is to distribute 15,000 trees to local people this summer. If one of my spruces, currently about 10 cm high, is fortunate enough to grow to maturity, it could be 40 metres high. That's a tall tree.

At last our regional COVID-19 lock-down restrictions are beginning to come to an end. We'll be allowed into Quebec for inessential purposes (such as a stroll around Wakefield) by the end of this week for the first time in months, what excitement! So we're beginning to dare to dream of outings again. Chris and I are due to get our second shots of the COVID vaccination in three weeks from now.