Wednesday: Blue Noses

So, if truth be told, K. and I have been commenting recently that we are glad our time in Canada wasn’t defined by Ottawa.  It’s bitterly cold in the winter, incredibly humid and hot now (which I gather is standard) and we are beset by flies, having survived the mosquitoes.  The flies are incredibly resilient - we swat, but they rise again.  We call them Frankenflies.  Well, there must be a reason this is the site of the capital.

This bit of public art is called ‘The Shepherds’.  In case its meaning is not clear, I’ll elaborate.  Ahem - the long staff that connects the noses brings to mind the shepherd’s staff as well as Pinocchio’s famous growing nose, suggesting an underlying discord between the shepherd’s lies and their role as protector.  It speaks to those who take power and those who are led (and, yes, I totally got that off a sign nearby……).