This post brought to you by April showers

Amidst the chaos and destruction wrought by various natural disasters in recent days, it can be hard to remember that sometimes, a little inclement weather can be beautiful. On Monday, after a long day of thunderstorms, I was walking through the grounds of the Ottawa city hall. The rain had torn the flowers off the crabapple trees, and the walkway was strewn with pink petals (click photos to enlarge):

To be sure, though, some of the sights on the grounds were less natural in origin:

First the hills, now the trees - what's next?

Call me paranoid, but some days I have the feeling that I'm being watched.