Very loud and incredibly close ... and lots of fun.

I think I'm aging in reverse.

I wasn't your typical teenager.  Didn't stay out late, rarely dated and didn't listen to loud music.  Nor was I adventurous in nature.  Now, here I am  in my 60's, with friends almost half my age, who share with me a world I timidly avoided first time 'round.  

Friend Mickie, and her band.  "Fever Pitch", were singing today, at a bar in Timberlea with several other bands.  Did I want to go with her and her partner Amy ?   DID I ???   Heck yeah.

We got there at 3 pm. Not being sure when her band was on deck, we went early.  We could hear the pounding music before we got through the doors. The place was packed.   Amazingly, Mickie found a table for us a right up front.

 Yes, UP FRONT.   

It WAS loud, but the bands were good and everyone was having fun.  Conversation, was impossible.  I tried  to ask Amy a question about Mickie's band, but her lip-reading skills were lacking.  Finally she handed me her phone, so I could type out my question.  Sadly my typing skills were lacking.

How many in Mickie's band ?

Surprisingly, most of the bands, and the audience members for that matter, were made up of "baby boomers".  I even had to explain a dated reference to "K-Tel" records, to a baffled Amy.

One band was reuniting, after 42 years !   Their hey-day had been back in 1970.  That was approximately when I should have been seeing them the first time 'round.

It was almost 7 o'clock by the time Mickie and her band took to the stage.  

Mickie totally rocks.  She's an amazing singer, and the crowd was up and dancing and rocking with her.

She says if I'm real good, I can be her "roadie" ...

Shhhhh. Don't tell Sandy, it's a surprise !

 
Silly friend, Sandy, is coming to visit me again.  This will be the second time she has visited me in February.  Who comes for a visit during the coldest, snowiest, month of the year ?  A best, bud -- that's who.  My post about about her previous visit, is here.

Prior to that visit, I'd been bragging to Sandy about how little snow we had here on the coast, and how it rarely stayed on the ground for long.  Sadly it snowed like gang-busters the day prior to her arrival, and stayed on the ground until she left.

And yet she's coming back !

I've been making lists for a while of places I want to go exploring with her.  #1 on the list, is an abandoned, half built, deluxe resort on the Aspotogan Peninsula.    This link,  The Aspotogan Sea Spa  will take you to a photo gallery of the resort.

Begun in 1993, one year shy of 20 years ago, the 131 room resort has stood 60% finished, since the German investors who were building it, ran out of funds in 1996. All guest rooms provide ocean views.  There's a spa, restaurant, bar and conference facilities, all unfinished.  The facility was assessed in 2007, prior to be putting back on the market, and declared to be in "overall good condition".  It hasn't sold in the intervening years.

I'm hoping to get on-site and do some exploring.  Don't imagine we can get inside, but I'd settle for being outside and peering in.  You're going to have to wait until the end of February, to see how successful we are.

But that's not "the" surprise.

No, no, no.

Promise you won't tell her.

OK.

I got tickets to the live taping of "This Hour Has 22 Minutes" !  

 Sandy loves this show.

It doesn't hurt that I do too !

It's a satirical CBC news programme filmed before a small audience in Halifax each Monday evening, for airing the next night.  I've been fortunate enough to attend tapings before, and posted about my December 2010 visit here.

OK.

Remember.

Mum's the word.

Slip sliding away ...

I love Fridays.  Fridays find me in Halifax for the "Lunch Bunch Choir".  A drop-in choir of people who just love to sing.

After an invigorating singing session, followed by a coffee with friends, I returned to my car to find that it was snowing fairly heavily.  The snow was sticking to everything.

The view from inside my car.

Because the temperature was just at the freezing point,  the falling snow compacted on roadways, and compacted snow became ice.

I slowly puttered about town on a few errands.

All the while, the weather worsened, and the roads became more treacherous.  Traffic was at a crawl, wherever I went.  It was easy to take these pictures, as most of the time I was at a dead stop.

Look closely at the road in front of my car.
That is ice.

I had promised to pick up my daughter, at 5 o'clock at her work in Bedford.  I left downtown at 4 p.m., giving myself an hour to make a trip that usually takes 10 minutes.  I soon found the traffic was stop and go.
Actually, it was more like stop and stop traffic.  We would sit for 2-3 minutes, then move two car lengths, then sit for 2-3 minutes.

The following photos were taken while I was travelling at around 5 kph. Much of the time, my speedometer didn't even register that the car was moving!

Isn't the shiny, black ice pretty ?

In the end it took me almost two freakin' hours to cover around  12 km. !

I kid you not !

Once I reach Bedford, we had to turn around and head 25 km. back home, to Eastern Passage.

That half hour drive took well over an hour.

All told, I had spent OVER three hours, travelling about 35 km !

Pretty much the worst drive of my life.

Glad to be home, in my jim jams, and ready for bed.

'night.

Safe travels.

Dear Scott, Hellllp !!

Scott Thomas of "Views Infinitum", has a contest regarding The Rule of Thirds, in photography.  You'd  better go check his Blog for an explanation. Otherwise my scintillating post, won't make much sense.

It's OK.  I'll wait while you're gone.  Off you go.

Back already ?  

Later you might want to check out a couple of other Blogger's entries done by Truel and  Karma.  Don't look at theirs before mine, it's too depressing.

When I was young, my dad took taught me how to "see" and compose photographs using an old Zenit SLR.  Long  before the time of digital images, when all photos were printed, he taught me to throw out the bad ones. He told me that if you got two or three good shots off a roll of 36 you were doing well.  Now we get to delete photos right on the camera or on the computer and "iffy" shots can be changed by cropping or changing the brightness.  I am sure with fancier programmes, much more is possible.  These changes greatly increase our chances of producing good photographs.

I understand what Scott is saying about the "rule of thirds".  Just not sure if I grasp it well enough to correctly apply it.  I crop images just by "feel" and am not always sure why I'm doing what I'm doing.

I chose three images and cropped them to try to make them better.  You know you need help when you prefer the "before" shot.

Comments, suggestions, feedback,  gratefully accepted.

#1  BEFORE

#1 AFTER

I darkened the "after" and vaguely see it as being in three sections.  But now I look at them, I think I may prefer the "before".  Oh, oh.

#2  BEFORE

I do like the above shot.  It seems a bit off-kilter, I wonder if more of the right side should be cropped off.  Let's give it a shot ...

#2 AFTER

Damn.  I'm still not sure.  Once cropped, the circle part got bigger, and I'm not sure if I like that. What do you think ?

#3 BEFORE

#3 AFTER

Sorry I cropped #3.  Don't think I like it as much now.

Waddayathink?

That was yesterday. This is today.

The snow storm that blasted in last night, creating perilous driving conditions, was tamed overnight by rising temperatures.  Today we woke to clear roads, a mild day, and a blanket of fog.

It was foggy on the streets.

It was foggy at Fisherman's Cove.

It was foggy on the playing field, where Wendy and Trey chased the ball.

It was foggy by the ocean, where the low sky trapped the sound of the pounding surf, making it sound like Niagara Falls.

And of course, it was foggy in the woods.

I guess the lesson here is, if you don't like the weather, just wait five minutes.

Two possible titles for this post ...

Your choices are:  "Holy Crap!"  and "Be careful out there".


I went shopping today on nice clear, snow-free roads.

When I came out with my shopping cart full of groceries, the world had changed vastly.

And boy was it nasty, greasy driving !

Better to go home and just stay inside.

Awww c'mon. Who can't find a mountain ?

For some time I'd been wanting to visit Blue Mountain.  It's a hill, in a wilderness park within the border of Halifax Regional Municipality, that when climbed, affords a lovely view of the area.  Last Sunday, the planets aligned, the temperatures cooperated and I had a pretty good idea where it was, so I went.

Wendy and I set out early Sunday morning for an allegedly "easy" hike.  Though it was a sunny, mild day, some paths remained ice covered.

The instructions I'd found directed me to keep bearing right to find the trail.  However, I couldn't resist following a small unmarked side trail to see where it went.  It lead to a small land-locked lake, with a lovely natural open spot that invited me to come back in the summer and linger longer.  I vowed I would.

After a couple of kilometers of walking I spied a wet, barely legible cardboard sign, limply hanging from a tree.  I walked over and smoothed it out so I could read it.

Coyote Traps - HRM Bylaw # ? - Dogs on leash !

Slightly alarmed by the warning, I immediately called Wendy to me, and snapped on her leash.  We walked barely 20 or 30 feet down the road and  found ...

coyote scat.  Fresh coyote scat.

Continuing on, we arrived at a fast-moving, frigid, stream.  I had read that I'd have to cross a stream to get up the hill, but was surprised that there was no bridge across it.

Not to be deterred, I made my own bridge.

Not pretty, but it did the trick.

Once across, I was met by a clear-cut hill.  I wish you'd been with me.  You would have put two and two together and figured out that I wasn't on the right trail.   What wilderness area has cardboard signs, warning of coyote traps ?  What wilderness area would be clear-cut ?  But you weren't there, and I foolishly, plodded on.  I convinced myself that I was following a trail.  Instead, I was walking in the track of some sort of machinery.  With Wendy's help we slogged to the top of that hill.  At that point, tired and frustrated upon being met with a wall of trees and no trail in sight, I realized the sad truth.  I was going to have to go back to to looked for the correct trail.

You will notice that I never say I'm lost.  I just consider myself to be, mildly mislaid.  Not sure where I am, but I know how to get back, and hence, I'm not lost, I'm just not going in the correct direction.

Oh good grief.  I now had to pick my way back down the messy clear-cut hill, over the damn stream (without falling in) and along a couple of kilometers of trail.  And that's where I saw these trees with little ribbons in them.  My problem had been in following the directions to keep bearing right.  The path was to the left.

And there was a bridge over the stream.

This marker, which says "1991" on one side.  Couldn't quite figure out what the other side said.

In the middle of winter, the lush mossy wood was a marvellous sight.

After a steady uphill climb, we finally reached the top.

Yep.

It was worth it.

Don't you agree ?

Some day my (Nigerian) prince will come ...

      
I have an odd sense of humour, so it should be no surprise to you, that I was actually delighted when I recently received an email from  Dr. Harry O. Clark, UN secretary.  He was writing to inform me that the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs  wants to give me  $315,810.00 US  !

Holy cats !  How lucky can a girl get ?

"Good Day,

I am directed to inform you that your payment verification and confirmations are correct, therefore  we are happy to inform you that arrangements have been concluded to effect your payment as soon as possible. Due to your long  over-due  payment which you have been finding it difficult to receive via a Certified  Bank Draft issued by the UN Promo, we have arranged your payment through  Oceanic  Bank ATM Card Payment Center, this is an instruction passed by the United  Nations in respect to all over delayed payment and debt re-scheduling.
 
 Our affiliated Bank will send you an International Swift ATM Card that  has been approved in your favor with valued sum of $315,810.00 USD  (Three Hundred and Fifteen Thousand, Eight Hundred and Ten USD Only),  which you are to use in accessing your fund in any ATM Stand/location  worldwide  and remember that the maximum withdrawal daily limit is Five Thousand United  States Dollars (US$5,000.00).We have concluded arrangement with our  affiliated Bank"


Delighted by this unexpected windfall, I eagerly sent them the information they requested: 


1.Full Names.   2.Phone Number.   3.Valid Delivery Address.     4.Other Email.   5.Occupation.   6.Country.   7.Sex.   8.Age.

The next note was from the Oceanic Bank of Nigeria (Nigeria of all places !)  regarding the arrangements for the transfer of my funds.

 






OPTION 1 AMS COURIER DELIVERY

1st CLASS AMS DELIVERY- -24 HOURS DELIVERY
Mailing $100. 00 00 + Tax $ 70. 00 00 + Doc Proccessing fee $ 100.00 00
TOTAL $270. 00 00

2nd CLASS AMS DELIVERY-- 48 HOURS DELIVERY

Mailing  $100.  00 00 +Tax  $ 70. 00 00 + Doc Proccessing fee  $ 20. 00 00
TOTAL  $ 190.00 00

All they wanted was my banking information. 

BINGO !  

I was wondering how long it would take them to ask me for that.

I kept the conversation going with them as long as I could.  Scammers take up so much of our time, I derive great joy from returning the favour.  I sent them several emails asking silly questions about "my" money.  In my last email to them, I advised them that that I was going to my bank in the morning to arrange for the money to be immediately transferred to them. 

Sadly, I haven't heard from them since.  I hope it wasn't something I said.


But wait !  Oh joy ! Oh bliss !  Look what arrived in my in-box today.


Dear Friend,

 

My name is Mr Ibrahim Toure, i am the manager Audit and Account department of Bank (BOA) in Burkina Faso, West Africa. Please i kindly request your hand for assistance, i have a business proposal in the tune of ($13.600.000.00 (Thirteen Million Six Hundred Thousand United States Dollar only) to transfer into your bank account.

After the successful transfer we shall share the fund in ratio of 40% for you and 60% for me, sincerely if you are interested we can commence all arrangements for investment purpose, and i will give you more information on how we will handle this project.

Please treat this business contact with utmost Confidentiality and send me the following information's below for easy communication to enable us commence immediately:
(1) Full names......................................
(2) Private phone number....................
(3) Current residential address.............

(4) Country…………………………
(5) Occupation.................... ................
(6) Age and Sex...................................

Please reply to this private e-mail address: ibrahimtoure2012@gmail.com

I  responded ...

Dear Mr. Toure,  What a kind offer.  Sadly, I must turn you down as I am about to receive a large sum of money from the Humanitarian Division of the United Nations and I don't want to be greedy.

Don't worry, all the information I shared was fictitious.

WHO is really in charge ?

   
     
Who is really in charge.

A very short picture story, with few words.

Look reader.  Look. Look.  Oh see Trey.  See Trey not quite on his bed. 

Why, Trey, why ?

 Trey, why are you not all the way on your bed ?

Tell me Trey. Why are you not all the way on your bed ?

Oh.