This is not a tulip…and not even a photo of a tulip that grew in 2020. This is from my first time going to Ottawa’s Tulip Festival in 2012. I had just gotten my first macro lens, the Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8, and was excited to put it through its paces on some flowers. This was not only my first macro lens, but the first “fast” prime with a decent focusing motor. As we all know, gear does not make the photographer, and I did not come back from that day with several worthwhile photos, but this is one of the few, and I like it to this day.

Under the circumstances, this is the only way in which I will be admiring any kind of tulips this year. Crossings between Ottawa and Hull Island remain restricted, and with this the only possibility I might have had to go to one of the locations of the festival.

And, frankly, even if the bridges were open, I doubt that I would have gone in any case. As much as I wish for a return to normalcy (don’t we all?), and even I would because I want us to go back to normal, I still believe that staying home is the best way the most of us have to contribute to seeking an end to this crisis.

It is that much of a shame as this year ended up being one of the very few in which the weather did not turn entirely grey and rainy on Victoria Day weekend. So much for a great 2020!