Rewind: January 14-18, 2013

If last week's thaw and record-high temperatures made Ottawans believe that winter was almost over, this week's frigid temperatures and opening of the Rideau Canal to skaters has quickly dispelled that belief.

Only in Ottawa can we go from an unnatural 11°C to –30°C in a relatively short period. Don't we live in an incredible, insane city?

Still, I'm looking forward to Winterlude, which opens in two weeks. Who knows what weather we'll experience by then?

So take a few minutes from the weather and catch up on this week of The Brown Knowser.

• Beer O'Clock: Studying Scottish History—for my first beer review of 2013, I catch up on a seasonal gift pack from Scotland.
• Open Letter to Sarah Slean—really, I'm not a stalker. My tongue was planted firmly in my cheek when I wrote this post. But you be the judge of whether I sound like a creepy fan or not.
• Wordless Wednesday: In A Fog—I got soaked to the bone taking these photos. You're welcome.
• Not A Ringing Endorsement—LinkedIn has found an easy way to help me decide which of my connections to sever.
• Photo Friday: Lees Station—nine photos, two images.

Enjoy your weekend!