Reflecting on life ...

The Tangled Garden.

Have you ever driven by tourist attraction, once, twice, three times, passing it by without a thought,  then suddenly stopped there on a whim ?  Were you glad you did ?

Today Janet and I headed to the  Bay of Fundy to explore the area around Wolfville, home of Acadia University.

After swinging off highway 101 at exit 10, we impulsively pulled into the parking lot at The Tangled Garden.

Never been there -- no idea what to expect.

Prior to entering the garden, we went into the store to pay the ridiculously reasonable, three dollar entry fee.

I could fill this post simply with images from that store, of drying herbs and flowers,

and glowing jars of pickled herbs. and exotic cordials.

I was quite taken by the light shining through the bottles and jars.

It was a feast for the eyes, and I should have guessed that it was a mere foretaste of the garden we were about to tour.

Care to buy a wax-topped bottle of liqueur ?

But the garden beckoned ... starting with the wisteria covered arbor,

then on to the potting shed.    

I loved the idea of the arbor-covered, rectangular pond, complete with a contemplative seating area.  

Incredible pieces of sculpture were scattered throughout the gardens.

The frilly poppies danced in the breeze on curved stems.

If you ever find yourself in the area,

make sure you put stop at The Tangled Garden at the top of your "must see" list.

And while your there, try a sample of their lemon-thyme or rose petal, ice cream.

And tell them Sybil sent you.

At the beach ...

Went to Cow Bay Beach today with my sister-in-law, Janet, who is visiting from Ontario.

Janet's plane had landed, and the rainy skies had promptly cleared.

A few short hours later we were strolling along the rocky beach at Cow Bay, watching the surfers who were trying to catch the fleeting waves,

and the mist that was rolling in on the far end of the beach.

The winds dropped.  The sun warmed the rocks.  We poked along picking up and comparing smooth rocks and unusual shells.

I found the broken bottom of a bottle, amongst the round beach rocks, and

couldn't resist holding it up in front of my camera's lens.

These images are the result.

Waddayathink ?

Hanging around ...

Yesterday, part of the day was spent hanging around in the yard.

I hung around, digging in the dirt.

Trey hung around on his spring-loaded rope.  Sometimes he whined, or softly growled, his muscles rippling down his body as he rhythmically tugged and tugged on the rope.

Occasionally Buffy joined in the fun, and the two of them circled around, each trying to get a better grip on the rope, and yank it out of the other's mouth.

I puttered about, digging in the dirt, moving plants, putting in new stuff or just sitting on the " bridge" watching the frogs.

Somehow six frogs discovered the pond last year, found it to their liking, and stayed.  All six of them went into hibernation, and much to my relief, all six of them came back out of hibernation in the spring.

Pond, flowers and waving laundry are reflected in my gazing globe.

Get me to the rocks on time ...

Last Saturday, my dear friends, Amy and Mickie,  finally did the deed -- they got hitched.

Better still, they chose to be married on the rocks at Hartlen Point.

It was a lovely, intimate affair, as I was one of only four guests, not counting the photographers.

As they exchanged promises, a knot was tied in a sash, linking their hands, for each promise made.

Their profound love for each other was a beautiful thing to see, as they celebrated their union.

OMG they looked beautiful !

After the ceremony, we headed to nearby Fisherman`s Cove to take more photos.

The forecast had been uncertain all week.  We were prepared for rain, with a collection of rainbow umbrellas.  They proved to be a marvellous prop.

After a wonderful lunch at Emma`s, in the Passage, we took a boat to McNab`s Island.  There, we explored the ruins of one of the two forts on the island.

Did I mentioned that Remi, the dog, was the ring bearer at the  wedding ?

Walking down the island, we made our way to the grounds of the abandoned "Teahouse", for a "dessert picnic".

Amy and Mickie had made lovely, chocolate, tofu cake and brought a tiny stove to heat water for tea and coffee.

I am so grateful to Amy and Mickie for letting me share this very special occasion with them.

Without a doubt it was one of the best days of my life !

And I think Trey would say the same.

... and they lived happily ever after.

I got mooned ...

Here in Nova Scotia, while air is warming up, the Atlantic Ocean remains very cold.  You don't even feel tempted to sit on a dock, and dangle your delicate toesies in the water just yet.

For that reason, I was pretty surprised at what I saw in the water beside the boardwalk in Halifax harbour.

There, in the sparkling water, something round, floating gently beneath the surface.  In fact there were several somethings.  

Moon Jellyfish, according to my marine life guide, are common in our area, from midsummer through fall.  I am not sure how unusual it is for them to be sighted here in mid-spring.

Feeding on plankton, small fish and crustaceans, they in turn are a common food species for leatherback sea turtles and various fish species.   

Unlike some of their cousins, their short tentacles only issue a mild sting.

Gently they undulate along.  

The photo below, includes a smaller jellyfish called a Sea Gooseberry, that comes from the Comb Jelly family.   Interestingly, my marinelife book says that they are common near the surface in late summer and autumn.  Summer ? Huh ?

If you click on the photo you can see better the Sea Gooseberry's two long tentacles.

My good chum Amy-Lynn of Flandrum Hill fame, blogged about her encounter with jellyfish back in 2010.  That post can be found here.

I need to spend more time just sitting my the water, and looking.

Just looking.