Monday's here—mild start, plenty of daylight to use.

It's Monday morning, 17 degrees and mostly cloudy—jacket weather if you're heading out early, but nothing's going to slow the commute down. The UV's sitting at 8, which is high, so if you're spending the day outside, sunscreen's worth the two seconds. You've got nearly 15 hours of daylight today, sunset at 8:37 p.m., so the evening's genuinely yours—don't feel rushed to get home at 5.

The Ottawa River pathway behind Parliament Hill is back open after being closed for four years. If you bike or walk that route, or you've been meaning to explore it, now's the time—it's one of those stretches that changes how you move through the capital.

While we're at it, the region's been quietly becoming a leader in swimmable cities. There are multiple new swimming spots around Ottawa-Gatineau now if you want to actually get in the water instead of just looking at it. Worth knowing if you've got an afternoon or evening free later this week.

For lunch, Spicy Man on Merivale does authentic Chinese with heat levels that meet you where you are—not just fire for fire's sake. If you're thinking dinner, there's been a run of new restaurants opening this summer. Lansdowne's got more than the farmers' market reputation suggests too; people are finding real surprises there beyond the usual overpriced produce.

Tonight's quiet—Monday evenings tend to be. If you want to get out, Mamma Mia! is at the NAC, but honestly, a burger and something to stream is just as good a call. You've earned an early night.

One more thing: the Ottawa Humane Society's looking for pet food donations for their emergency bank. If you've got the space and the habit, worth dropping something off this week.

Talk soon.