Eastern Passage Passage

There, and back again.

2012-02-11T15:37:00.002-04:00

Did you miss me ?

I've been away, visiting family in Ottawa.

Here is the cute little plane that took me there.

It was so little you had to duck your head to get in.

Take-off was delayed, until after we got de-iced.

And then we were off, quickly rising into the air. In no time, we were above the clouds, in bright sunshine.

šš ššš

I used to be very frightened of flying. I was downright embarrassing. I'd sob and clutch the arms on my chair with white knuckles. But even the most fearful among us cannot sustain a crying-jag for the full duration of a flight. In my misery I'd stare out the window, contemplating the ridiculousness of hurtling through air while trapped in a heavy metal container. Somewhere along the way, I began to marvel at the view. I'd point my camera out the window, and forget to be scared. The fearfulness got tediousness, while my thrill at the wonder of FREAKIN' FLYING grew and grew.

What you see from a plane is pure MAGIC !

In winter it seems even more so.

These photos were taken as we were descending into the Ottawa airport.

I was sorry that the flight was almost over.

But family and friends were waiting.

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

2012-01-29T00:22:00.000-04:00

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 !

2012-01-22T14:17:00.000-04:00

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 ...

2012-01-20T23:22:00.000-04:00

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 !!

2012-01-17T21:43:00.000-04:00

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.

2012-01-13T19:16:00.000-04:00

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 ...

2012-01-12T22:12:00.000-04:00

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 ?

2012-01-11T22:44:00.000-04:00

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 ...

2012-01-08T19:54:00.000-04:00

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 ?

2012-01-05T16:06:00.002-04:00

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.

Who's in charge here ?

2012-01-04T23:45:00.002-04:00

Things have changed a lot in our house. Did you notice?

I used to post lots of photos of beds and couches covered in pets.

Seen any lately ?

In a house with four dogs, things can get out of hand pretty fast. One dog barks -- they all bark. One gets excited -- they all get excited. You get the picture.

Over the past few months a lot of overdue, doggy-type changes have happened. No longer are guests mobbed by excited, bouncing dogs. Good behaviour is expected.

No dogs on furniture. That one was harder on me, than the dogs who quickly adjusted to their lovely new beds.

Trey with his "sucky" pillow.

Excited, jumping greetings, are not acknowledged. We follow Cesar Milan's mantra, "no look, no touch, no talk", until the dogs have calmed down.

Dog owners love their pets. But like me, they often have it backwards. Hugs, love, affection and kisses are NOT what a dog needs most.

#1 in importance is exercise.

#2 is discipline.

Don't worry, I'm not going to show you photos of me beating the dogs. That's not discipline. It's about becoming the "alpha", top dog, and is reinforced every day. They must wait for permission to eat. They let me take bones and food from them. They sit and "wait", when told. Before going out for a walk, they wait at the top of the stairs, then on the stairs and then on the deck.

#3 is Affection. Rather than give affection randomly, I give it in response to good behaviour.

The other big change has been the switching around of the pack. Kaitlyn now takes care of the "pups", Buffy and Sooki, and I have Wendy and Trey. She often takes the pups to work where she grooms, as they have a doggie day care. I take the "oldsters" with me around town. Hence all the photos of them at Admiral Cove park.

The new system is working really well. The house is a calmer and quieter place. Nice.

Don't worry about me having to sleep on that big bed all alone.

Cats are not so easily trained ...

Some people just never learn.

2012-01-04T00:39:00.001-04:00

After driving Kait to work on the Bedford Highway, I headed to Admiral Cove with a pair of very excited dogs.

The forecast was for a high of one or two degrees, with sunny and cloudy periods. I wore my purple, puffy coat, lined boots and warm mitts. Since it was above freezing, and there was no snow on the ground, walking was relatively easy.

Of course we had the ball with us, which I threw into underbrush to keep them entertained.

When I got warm from walking, I unzipped my coat and took off my mitts.

If you live in a hot climate, you may be surprised at how warm, a cold day can feel, when you're working up a sweat.

On such a lovely day, it's easy to lose track of time -- and apparently of place. With all those trees, it's hard to throw a ball without it hitting one and having it bounce off in a different direction. Sometimes the dogs failed to see where it had gone.

When that happened, we'd stop and spend ages scouring the woods looking for it. Those searches took us far off the beaten track, and re-finding the track wasn't always easy, or successful. When I ended up on a trail that didn't look familiar, I decided to head cross-country, to find my way back to the car. The morning sun was shining low over the Bedford Basin, in the general direction of Eastern Passage, so I headed in the opposite direction to find my way out of the park.

Wendy helped me as I scrambled up the hill. She does this by letting me hang onto her collar as she slowly pulls me up. She understands what I need of her, and is patient with me. Though I must confess, when we get to the top, she's clearly happy, when I relieve her of duty.

My relief upon reaching the top of the cliff, was short-lived -- it was the wrong cliff ! I'd headed in the correct direction, but in missing the right trail, had royally overshot my goal.

If you know where you are, and you know where you want to go, are you technically lost ?

See that island in the distance at the end of that peninsula ?
That's pretty much where I needed to be. Sigh ...

I ended up walking back to the car on the local roads, as I felt that would be speedier. The half-hour walk, was briefly interrupted when Trey stepped in front of me and I tumbled over him and fell flat on the road !

Like I said, some people never learn.

A bad case of "bed head"

2011-12-29T20:58:00.000-04:00

Trey is a handsome lad.

Whether he's waiting for me to throw the ball,

having a nap,

or working out on the treadmill.

He's a handsome dude.

He is a handsome dude with an awful secret.

He occasionally gets a doggy version of "bed head". In his case we call it, "chair hair" !

Please don't tell him I showed you. He'd be most upset.

We're off

2011-12-23T22:06:00.000-04:00

Are you wearing your water-proof boots ? If not, I have an extra pair I can lend you. Glad you've got that good coat, hat and mitts.

No, I don't think we should pick up the hot chocolate first. Let's save that for afterwards.

What keen eyes you have, to notice that path leading off into the woods. All the times I've been to Hartlen Point, and I've never seen that trail.

How marvellous to be walking somewhere new, through the softly falling snow.

It's a bit sloppy underfoot, hence the need for waterproof footwear.

The woods are opening up ahead. Wendy and Trey wait patiently for us to catch up.

Oh my ! The path has lead us on the Hartlen Point Forces Golf Course. I've only ever seen this course from a distance. This is going to be fun.

You're right, it is snowing harder. It's sticking to the trees, and our eye lashes and hair. Better put your hat on, or your head will get soaked.

Which way now ? OK. It sounds like the shore is this way, you can hear the distant waves.

Oh that was lovely. Great suggestion.

WOW ! See that !

A great big hare shot out of the underbrush, with Wendy and Trey hot on his tail. Bet he loses them in those woods.

Where'd he go ?

Time to head back and get that hot chocolate. My coat is soaked. Hope you're not too wet.

That was fun. What are you doing tomorrow ?

A door into summer.

2011-12-18T13:10:00.000-04:00

Hey Julie, let's you and me go for a walk. Hope you don't mind, I've invited my other readers along, as well as your sister and mom.

I thought that since you're not feeling up-to-snuff at the moment, and I have a stinking cold, we'd go for a walk into summer.

I just can't be doing with the winter coat, lined boots, hats, mitts and scarves and today's -5C temperature.

Let's just step out the door into summer. No boots, no coat, maybe a hat to ward off the mid-day sun.

Do you mind if we set off a bit early, while the dew is still hanging on the spider webs ?

Then we'll head to the park.

A warm summer breeze, ruffles the flower's petals. Their lush scents fills the air. Careful ! Don't stick your nose in THAT one.

Some rambling paths take us through fog-shrouded, rich, green trees, and past marvellous mounds of rhododendron.

Some of the places we go are tidy, with manicured paths.

Others are wild, with unexpected surprises.

Let's walk for a bit by the old canal.

Are you tired ? We can sit for a bit with Buffy, and look down at the farms and the distant bay. See how her nose twitches with all the different scents the gentle breeze brings.

Since it's gotten quite warm, I thought we should finish up by having a walk on the beach.

Feel free to take your shoes off.

Let's do this again, real soon.

Flotsam, jetsam, and lobster traps

2011-12-14T22:24:00.000-04:00

Friend Mickie's birthday is coming up, so I went looking for just the right gift.

(Mickie, if you're reading this, you should probably stop reading now.)

OK.

Has she gone ?

As I said, I went looking for just the right gift, which, traditionally in our circle, is a rock. Not just any rock, a really pretty rock. So back to Hartlen Point I went. There are plenty of pretty rocks at Hartlen Point.

Trouble was I didn't find Mickie's rock, I got distracted by other things. Like ...

lobster traps complete with concrete weights pushed far up the beach,

or buried under tons of rock,

puzzling pieces of rusted machinery,

dogs with balls,

levitating ships,

an out-of-reach ball and a hidden geo cache, (see it in the tree).

In the end, I didn't find a nice rock for Mickie's Birthday.

Guess I'm going to have to go back to Harlen Point again.

Oh darn !

That's sarcasm.

Return to Hartlen Point

2011-12-13T22:08:00.000-04:00

One of my favourite local places to go walking, is Hartlen Point. A large unused, Department of National Defence property, it offers lovely cliff-top views of the Atlantic Ocean.

Don't let those "No Trespassing" signs put you off. They certainly don't stop all the other folk for whom Hartlen Point is a regular destination.

On a recent walk there, when not hurling the ball for Trey to fetch, I roved the rocky beach, looking for odd bits of flotsam

"Throw it. Throw it, you silly human !"

I found all sorts of neat things, oddly shaped pieces of metal, that nicely framed the view,

welded pieces of wire that looked like the outline of a house,

and this serpentine piece of metal and its snaky shadow.

It was a lovely day, but very cold. I had to take my warm mitts off, to use my camera.

Now, if I could just remember where I put them.

Can you see them ?

There are so many interesting things to see.

Let's go walking here again soon.

"Pleeeeeeze"

I'm sleepy ....

2011-12-11T21:55:00.000-04:00

I'm tired.

Went for a long walk today and don't really have the energy to find the right words for a blog post.

All I can think about is lying down, with my head on my cool pillow.

I want to sleep. Or at least lie down.

You know the feeling, when you're falling asleep, and you're enjoying the feeling, even as you're experiencing it ?

I'm ready to let that lovely drowsy feeling envelop me.

.G'night.

Back to Admiral Cove.

2011-12-03T23:51:00.000-04:00

Though today was much colder, I took Wendy to continue my explorations of Admiral Cove Park.

I had read somewhere about carvings on rocks along the shore of Bedford Basin, that could only be accessed via the park.

As yesterday's post explained, it's a lovely, heavily-forested, park, sadly lacking clearly-marked trails.

The paths Wendy and I did follow, meandered all over the place. I suspect they were created by deer, whose goal was not to provide me with a direct route to the shore. But they did take me through some lovely scenery.

Eventually in frustration, I left the path and scrambled through a boggy area, and found my way to the shore.

There, I was presented a view looking down the basin toward the City of Halifax.

On the beach, I came across a gentleman who was collecting sea glass and evergreen branches to decorate a holiday wreath he was making. He said I was the first person he'd met on the beach in five years of hiking there. I asked him if he'd seen carvings on rocks.

He had.

He led the way down the beach, to where some of the rock etchings were. Better still, he showed me a more direct path to the shore and then told me about another way to access the park.

After we said our "Good bye's", I sought out that second park entrance and Wendy and I continued our explorations.

The sign at the top of today's post, is from the second park entrance. That entrance led to a lovely cliffs. With impressive views and perilous drops.

There is one very small problem with this lovely piece of paradise.

To learn what it is, click on the park sign and read the notice on the lower right.

Go ahead. Go look at it now.

I'll wait.

The good news is there there were NO ticks on the dog.

The bad news ?

There were four on ME !

another day, another park

2011-12-02T22:40:00.000-04:00

Halifax is blessed with many wonderful parks, each one, different from the rest. We have everything from manicured with perennial beds, to pastoral, with meandering paths through rolling meadows to forested with mulched, dog-friendly trails.

I had added Admiral's Cove Park to my must-visit list, after I came across a reference to some carvings on rocks, near the park's shore. Located near the top of the Bedford Basin (the upper harbour above both bridges in Halifax), this hidden gem, nestled near the end of a dead-end road.

Unlike most parks I've visited, this one was hard to find, and once found, lacked a parking lot. I simply tucked my car as far to the side of the road as I could.

This is the view that met me, when I stepped from my car into the woods.

There was no signed, or marked trail.

"Is that a trail?", I thought to myself as I peered at an opening in the boggy wood.

Trey felt that it was, so we followed it. I was very glad I was wearing my new lined, waterproof boots.

Though I could see the harbour, far below, the trail, only led upwards.

I loved the feeling of the warm sunshine my back, on this uncommonly mild, late November day.

As I wandered along, Trey would bring me his ball and I'd chuck it for him. He's great fun to have along on a walk.

Since I needed to pick Kait up from work, I didn't have time to walk very far into the park, but what I'd seen, left me wanting more.

So I'm going back tomorrow.

Getting crafty.

2011-11-29T23:14:00.000-04:00

I'd asked three friends to come over for some crafty fun on Sunday evening We'd chatted a month previous, about the idea of getting together, and making greeting cards. It was an airy-fairy sort of plan that amazingly enough sprouted wings and became reality.

The plan was that each person would bring some supplies and we'd make cards. After that, it got pretty vague. It's not like I'd ever hosted a let's-do-crafts party before in my life.

We'd need glue, sparkles, paper, pencils, scissors, paints, paint brushes, markers and of course, a potato.

I provided the potato. It was the least I could do.

We ended up with many kinds of glittery sparkly things, glue sticks, pine needles, a nifty device that magically cut perfect circles of varying sizes, and of course the potato.

Making potato prints.

We scarfed back munchies while we toiled away, giggling insecurely as we did stuff we hadn't done since childhood..

We drank copious quantities of tea -- peppermint and orange pekoe. Amy-Lynn brought some delicious, traditional German Christmas cake. Amy and Mickie brought some wonderful gluten free, fart-free (the bag said so), bean chips, and my favourite edamame hummus, while I had cleverly cut up veggies and arranged them artistically on a plate.

It was delightfully liberating, cutting, spreading, swiping, dabbing, sprinkling. Drawing designs on a piece of paper, and then sliding silver sparkles or pine needles down the page, was something I hadn't done in a very long time.

The results were varied and delightful.

I'm not ready for snow ! (A whiny, stream-of-consciousness post.)

2011-11-27T09:39:00.000-04:00

It snowed last week. Tuesday, I think it was. Wet, thick, sticky, heavy snow.

It stuck to the power lines, the trees, the satellite dish (rats! *), the car....

Wendy, Buffy and I, slogged up the road, to check out the park at the end of the street. The dogs walked in the less-snowy track left by a truck, that had recently slewed its way up the street.

The park did look very pretty.

As it was late in the day, around 4:30, the light was fading. Arrrgggghhhhh. I hate that ! 4:30 and getting dark. Pulllleeeeeze. I can deal with the cold, but does the sun have to set so blankity-blank early ? Rhetorical question folks. Anyhoo, my camera flashed as I took pictures, and I rather fancied the effect. Yeah, it was dark enough for the camera to freakin' flash.

Clearly I have some winter-darkness issues I need to work through.

Get a grip on yourself Sybil. It wasn't that bad. The temperature was just on freezing, or perhaps a degree above. Hence the stickiness of the snow.

My garden arbour looked pretty.

My car didn't.

Kait and I decided not to shovel our driveway. The forecast called for it to turn to rain overnight.

"It'll all be gone in the morning", I said.

It wasn't.

It was three days before the damn stuff melted away.

I'm just not ready for winter ... yet.

* Satellite dish covered in snow = no TV tonight.

An honest to gosh mystery.

2011-11-22T01:22:00.000-04:00

Saturday I couldn't wait to drive Kait to work. Once I'd dropped her off, I was going to set off on an adventure. I love adventures !

I'd just learned about mysterious stone walls in the Bayers Lake area. After a lifetime of never having heard about the Bayers Lake Mystery Walls, I heard about them twice in a 24-hour period. That seemed like a sign that I was meant to go find them. And that's exactly what I set out to do.

I thought the location might be remote.

Remote ? Hardly ! The site is reached by parking on a cul-de-sac in a massive industrial park.

I thought the walls might be inaccessible and difficult to find.

Instead, after walking about 200 metres down a gravel road, this easy-to-see path, led me into the woods,.

up a pretty path. Quite suddenly we found ourselves standing by one of the Bayers Lake Mysteries -- the ruins of a five-sided building !

I'd brought Trey along for company and safety, as I thought going into the woods on my own might be too much of an adventure !

Many paths criss-crossed the forest floor, and Trey and I explored them all. It wasn't long before we found a path that led to the Mystery Walls.

Do you see them down there ? Click the photo for a better view.

What on earth are they doing here ? These aren't walls that were built to keep livestock in.

They extend along the edge a rock outcropping for 200 metres and stand over two metres high in places. Surely they are not a fortification. Approach from the rear is easy and besides, what attacker would be put off by a wall that's barely head height ?

What the heck were these walls built for ? And who built them ?

Though the area has been designated a Nova Scotia "Special Place", and is protected from development for now, little archaeological work has been done on the Mystery Walls. Estimates put their age at 200 years. Some, rather romantic theories, suggest they pre-date Columbus's discovery of America.

While Bayers Lake is now easily reachable by vehicle, in early days, the site would have been very remote as it's over 25 km from peninsular Halifax. The walls weren't close to ANYTHING that would provide a reason for their existence.

And yet there they are.
And that's not all that's there.
There are steps.

There are steps that lead to the top of an outcrop of rock, and at its base is what appears to be a fire pit.

And nearby is a carving on a rock ...

I would have walked right past it, if I hadn't seen it illustrated in a book, and been on the look out for it. One more mystery to add to the collection.

So there you have it. My Bayers Lake Mystery Walls adventure.

I'm happy to report that I have learned of a site in the Bedford area that has petroglyphs.
I think I feel another adventure coming on.

Hemlock Ravine Park

2011-11-16T21:38:00.000-04:00

Monday was Wendy's turn to have some one-on-one time with me.

Kait was working at the groomers on the Bedford Basin. The "basin" is our natural ice-free harbour, lying north of both Halifax bridges. After dropping Kait off at work, I took Wendy to explore nearby, Hemlock Ravine Park.

Though it was an overcast day, it was very mild for mid-November. I unzipped both my sweat top and my jacket, letting them flap open as I walked along.

The park is very lush. Moss and ferns, still glow green on steep and sometimes rocky hillsides.

In the on-leash sections, I drilled Wendy on her "heeling". I reminded her that I wanted her to walk behind me, as that way she'd know when I was stopping to take pictures.

Having your dog walk behind you, shows the dog that you are in charge and she can trust you to keep her safe, thus lessening anxiety or aggression toward other people or pets.

Governor's Trail loop is the only off-leash trail, and there, Wendy gaily loped ahead of me -- but never too far ahead. She's a good "steady" dog, and very eager to please.

Sometimes when I'm heading down a slippery slope I worry about my footing. I call Wendy to me and she lets me hold her collar to steady myself. She then will hold still until I tell her to take a step, then another, then another, until I'm safely on not-so-slippery ground.

It was a lovely, peaceful walk.

I breathe deeply as I walk, enjoying the scent of the newly fallen leaves, which carpet the forest floor.

I stop often, to look at lichens, fungii and whatever other small wonders of nature, catch my eye.

There is a peaceful magic in the woods.

And for a very brief time, all is right with the world.

Out and about in Halifax.

2011-11-13T22:55:00.000-04:00

Oh my, today was a lovely day. Even nicer, considering it's mid-November.

I have a book about historical buildings in Halifax as of Centennial year -- 1967. By the time of its reprinting in 1971, four of those buildings no longer existed.

After driving Kait to work at the groomers, Trey and I set off to explore downtown Halifax, and maybe find some of those buildings.

This marvellous-looking home, across the street from the Public Gardens and the Citadel,,
wasn't in the darn book ! Sure looks mega-historical to me !

Located in Royal Artillery Park, the residence of the General Officer Commanding ( below), was constructed in 1805.

The building had undergone many changes since it's 1967 photo.

Trey and I spent three, carefree hours roaming the city streets in the autumn sun.

We ended up on Spring Garden Road, which is always a bustling, downtown street, but was even more so today. Trey was very good on-leash, and walked close to my side as we wove our way through the crowds.

Trey was more problematic, when we cut across the grassy slopes around Citadel hill. He seemed to think that because we were in an open, field-like area, that he should be let off his leash for a run. After I explained to him that he'd jumped to the wrong conclusion, he agreed to walk nicely beside me.

He's a good dog, and we had a lovely time together.

Can't wait to do it again.

In Flanders Fields ...

2011-11-11T11:00:00.002-04:00

November 11 at 11 a.m. we gather at Cenotaphs across Canada or simply pause wherever we are, to remember those who gave their lives in times of war. We wear poppies over our hearts, to honour their sacrifice.

IN FLANDERS FIELDS

By Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place: and in the sky
The larks still bravely singing fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead: Short days ago,
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved: and now we lie
In Flanders fields!

Take up our quarrel with the foe
To you, from failing hands, we throw
The torch: be yours to hold it high
If ye break faith with us who die,
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields

A Tamarak by any other name.

2011-11-10T23:07:00.000-04:00

Kathy beat me to it.

The very day that I stopped on a local highway to take pictures of some late fall colour, Kathy beat me to it.

She put up a wonderful, informative post, about larch trees on her Lake Superior Spirit blog.

While I was out taking pictures for a post about tamaracks, Kathy was already sharing the beauty of larches.

Whatever you call them, they are my favourite tree

An evergreen-looking tree, that isn't.

A coniferous tree, that isn't.

A tree whose needles are really leaves.

A tree that gives us one last glorious blast of fall colour.

Scott's photo challenge.

2011-11-02T22:22:00.001-03:00

Last month I took part in a fellow blogger's idioms in nature photo-challenge. I found the experience fun and, well, challenging. I'm hooked.

Scott Thomas over at View Infinitum has presented us with the latest challenge, asking that we post at least three of our best photographs from the past year.

Hmmmmm. Let's see. There are 3,634 photos in my picture folder. Now to eliminate any images older than a year.

Out of the remaining 2,000 odd pictures I've chosen my five "best" photographs . It's one thing to not delete a photograph, or to even like a photograph, but to hold an image up and say, "This is my best", is not as easy as I thought it would be.

The dogs run toward me, on the sandy, wind-blown, beach.

I don't know how good this photo is, but I like the fact that the
reflected sky doesn't match the sky in the other direction.

At the beach, I became fascinated with the patterns the tide had made
in the sand. There is a strange illusion of speed, although nothing in
the photo is moving.

Not sure about this picture. It's a curved lead-paned
window from historic Port Royal.

Waiting for the subway at the George Street, subway station in Toronto,
I tried to capture the motion of a passing train.

The more I look at them the less sure I am about their "bestness".

Time to hit "publish post" and stop second-guessing my choices.

It's raining, it's pouring ...

2011-10-30T18:16:00.000-03:00

It's not just the rain that's bothersome today. It's the hurling wind, that blows ducks sideways in the sky, that shakes my car as I drive over the MacDonald Bridge and that pushes the tidal waters too far up the shore.

Punch buggy -- no punch back !

It's the sort of day, where you still get soaked under the "protective" overhang, hunched over, nozzle in hand, gassing up the car.

It's the sort of day, where boats float at record high levels, tugging at their moorings.

It's the sort of day, that when you head to a local spot, to marvel at the surging surf, you find it already occupied by a Global TV van, and a sodden videographer. Clearly he's getting the shots he was looking for, as wind-driven detritus is hurled past him and crashing surf plasters his rain gear with shredded pieces of seaweed.

It's the sort of day to stay inside.

Nature Idioms ....

2011-10-26T11:48:00.001-03:00

The Blog-o-sphere is a fascinating place.

Recently, my chum Amy-Lynn, posted a response on her blog, Flandrum Hill , to a photo challenge at Karma's When I Feel Like It Blog. The challenge was to post three to six photos illustrating an idiom in nature. As Amy-Lynn explains, "idioms are words and phrases that hold a special meaning in a given language".

I must confess that I didn't go out and take photos specifically in response to the challenge, but rather, browsed through my existing photos looking for appropriate shots. Perhaps by doing that, I'm breaking the rules. I'm such a rebel ! ;-)

Interestingly, all the shots and idioms I chose, relate to water.

Any port in a storm

Birds of a feather, flock together.

A rising tide lifts all boats.

Clear as mud.

Not the only pebble on the beach

A drop in the ocean.

What a fun challenge ! Thanks Karma.

Snippets from Darrell's visit.

2011-10-25T21:32:00.000-03:00

This is my third, and final, post about Darrell's visit.
What am I to do with the 200 photos that remain ?
I'm pretty sure I've shown you the view from Blomidon Lookoff before, but just in case ...

Darrell at the scenic Blomidon look off.

I think back in Ontario, we called scenic views, "look outs" and not "look offs". What are they called in your area ? Whatever they're called, Blomidon, which is a pleasant one-hour drive from Halifax, merits adding to your "must see" list. You are keeping a list, aren't you ? Try to arrive when the tide is out, if you can. The tidal basin is much more impressive when the mud flats are exposed.. Clearly, those are not mud flats in the above photo. The tide was in, and it was hazy, so I pointed the camera the other direction.

In Digby, we stayed at "Holdsworth House", a circa 1784 historical home, which is now a B&B. They owners have restored and furnished the home in period furniture.

The historical kitchen in the Holdsworth House
Bed & Breakfast in Digby, complete with dog curled in
front of the hearth..

Church and maple tree in Digby.

A nearby cemetery.

We did a fair bit of driving, but never felt rushed. If something caught our eye, we'd stop to check it out.

We discovered this scenic spot at an unmarked lay-by.

Same spot.

Are you like me, when you travel ? Do you snap photos, only to realize later, that you don't remember where they were taken ?

You'll have to ask Darrell where this lighthouse is, as I've forgotten.

The sound of rushing water drew us once more to a stop.

The water before us, was like silk as it cascaded over the lip of the low dam. That smoothness, belied the treacherous water below.

Prior to his return to Ontario, I wanted Darrell to meet my friends. It's a testament to the kind of guy Darrell is, that HE prepared the meal that was s'pozed to be in his honour ! I'm not a great cook and he was teaching me how to properly make a stir fry. The key was to have ALL the vegetables cut in advance and to cook on a very high heat.

We had a wonderful visit together.

I miss him already.

Darrell's visit - Part Deux

2011-10-22T12:32:00.001-03:00

I'm still processing all the things Darrell and I did last week.

We crammed so much into a short period of time, I look at the images and wonder, "Was that taken in Digby or Liverpool?", "Which beach is that?" or "Where was that lovely historical house?".

However, there is no mixing up one scenic spot we visited -- Kejimkujik Seaside Park. Within the park, there is a 2-3 km. hike on a fairly level, gravel trail to reach the sea shore. Realizing we'd have to walk the same distance back, we hoped it would be worth the hike. In places, we had to negotiate soggy sections, not always successfully. And then there was this...

It's a BIG pile of scat, or poop as you may call it. It's a bit messed up, as I'd poked at it with my hiking stick to see what it was made of. As you can see, it's mostly berries. A knowledgeable hiker informed us that it had been recently deposited there by a bear, and then cheerily added, "There's lots of them here.".

Darrell and I continued walking, only now our heads swiveled back and forth as we relentlessly scanned our surroundings for charging bears !

Now, added to our curiosity about whether the long walk would be worth it, was whether risking our lives was.

Click the image to get a better sense of the grandeur of this place.

The answer was a resounding "Yes!".

Note the fearsome hiking stick which I'm sure would have kept us
both safe from marauding bears. ;-)

The majestic beach stretched into the distance in a long, pale curve. Due to strong winds, the surf was high, but the day sunny, and very warm for mid-October.

The aerial shot on the sign below, gives you an idea of the length of the beach. There is a salt marsh, behind it, where endangered Piping Plovers nest from May to August. Happily, since it was October, we were free to walk wherever we wished.

Using a spy glass set up just for that purpose, I was able to see five seals basking in the sun on an off-shore rock. During less windy times, apparently they are often found on the beaches or on rocks closer to shore.

If you can't remember the name "Kejimkujik" (kej-i-mu-ku-jik), just call it "Keji" as many locals do.

Regardless of what you call it, just make sure to add it to your "must see" list, when you visit Nova Scotia.

Darrell comes for a visit ...

2011-10-20T23:00:00.001-03:00

My brother Darrell just flew back to his home in Ontario, after a wonderful, one-week visit here.

For part of that time, Darrell and I drove a big loop from Halifax to Digby via Wolfville, Annapolis Royal and Port Royal on the Bay of Fundy, then, over to Liverpool, and back up the Atlantic coast to Halifax.

We did lots of marvellous stuff together.

I'd never been to Annapolis Royal, and revelled in the opportunity to explore somewhere new.

In costume at Annapolis Royal.

Annapolis Royal is a lovely scenic town on the Bay of Fundy and is home to Fort Anne.

Fort Anne at Annapolis Royal.

The grounds are lovely.

Our timing was fortuitous, as the fort was due to close for the season the very next day, as were the nearby historical gardens and the fort at Port Royal.

Though it was far from peak blooming time, the historic Annapolis Royal gardens were well worth the visit.

I love the view through this arbor.

A replica of an Acadian home.

The view from the back window of the Acadian home,
with a tidal river in the background.

The replica fort at Port-Royal was a brief 15 minutes drive from Annapolis Royal. Staffed by guides in period costumes, it was a fascinating place to explore.

The interior courtyard of Port-Royal.

The main dining hall where Champlain's "Order of Good-Cheer" began.

In order to raise the spirits of the men during the long, frigid, winter of 1606/07 at Port Royal, Samuel de Champlain instituted, "L'Ordre Du Bon-Temps" (Order of Good-Cheer). Members of the elite of Port-Royal, took turns preparing a meal and suitable entertainment for the other 50 men (no women) and any visiting Indians. Apparently as a moral-booster, it worked !

Darrell

to be continued ...

A Thanksgiving walk ...

2011-10-10T20:44:00.000-03:00

It's Thanksgiving weekend in Canada and the weather in Eastern Canada is marvellous. It's positively hot today in Nova Scotia.

Trey and I went for a lovely walk along the rocky Cow Bay beach.

Trey would fetch the ball, while I walked along obsessively taking pictures.

Across the the salt marsh, behind the beach, an eagle soared over tree tops, trying to ignore the harassment of four smaller birds.

The wind was strong and warm, stealing my hat from my head, and forcing me to chase it down the rocky beach.

We walked to where a small tidal river changed its direction four times a day.

Right now it was going out.

It was here that we lost our wonderful ball. Foolishly, I chucked it into the outgoing flow of the tidal river. Even though the water was shallow, the wavelets hid the ball from Trey's searching gaze. While he looked one way, the ball quickly bobbed the other way, out to sea.

Walking back, you are confronted by two "Franken-homes" that bracket the parking lot and the Cow Bay Moose.

Nevertheless, it was a lovely walk, for which I am thankful.

Shadows on the boardwalk.

2011-10-07T21:49:00.000-03:00

Took Trey and Sooki for several of circuits of McCormack's Boardwalk late this afternoon.

It was chilly but sunny. A stiff breeze made it feel even colder. I wore a sweat top and a jacket with the neck tightly zipped and the hood up.

Lawlor's Island across the narrow channel where the boardwalk
loops back.

The long grass was shiny and golden as it bent in the setting sun.

Looking up the harbour, past Fisherman's Cove to the
City in the distance.

On the last circuit, I noticed the scent of the air. I wondered why I hadn't noticed it before. I breathed deep, held it, breathed out. The aroma was one of salt and fish. I love that scent.

I drilled Sooki and Trey on their heeling, treats kept handy to distract them as they sit nicely, when other dogs or people walk by. I walked briskly, in order to get some decent exercise myself.

I always come home feeling invigorated and glad I made myself go out.

Back to Hartlen Point

2011-10-06T15:14:00.000-03:00

Yesterday was cool, wet and windy. The rain over the previous days had been hard and driving. During a sunny break, I took Buffy and Trey, for a ball run at Hartlen Point.

If I stand on tip toe, I can just see England. ;-)

The site, at the eastern gateway to Halifax harbour, provides a clear view of the sea in every direction. Around 1942 it was the location of a watch station, tasked with finding U-boat targets. Interestingly, it was staffed, not by military, but by Department of Transport personnel. I posted about a previous visit here.

I chucked the balls off the cliff. The dogs took off in hot pursuit. From my perch I could see both balls amongst the beach rocks below. The dogs searched in ever-widening circles. I was very frustrated to see Trey find Buffy's ball, and continue on without it ! He didn't want THAT ball. He was looking for HIS ball !

I walked to a spot where I could get down to the beach, as unlike the dogs, I'm not good at scrambling down mucky cliffs.

After retrieving Buffy's ball, I began chucking both balls UP the cliff.

Trey looks down at me, after not being able to find the ball .

As a result of the big rains, there were several spots where water was coursing down, undermining the cliff's edge, causing slabs of grass to slide down.

The rains also provided Buffy and Trey with big puddles to run through, chasing the remaining ball

It's wonderful to have such stunning scenery just 4 km. from my home.

Have I mentioned before how very lucky I feel to live here ?

Random pics about town ...

2011-10-05T22:06:00.000-03:00

The busy intersection at Quinpool and Robie.

A "ghost bike" -- a reminder that a cyclist died here.

My, that's quite the back fence !

Did someone dial "911" ?

Good dog.

2011-10-03T23:11:00.001-03:00

Kait works as a groomer in Halifax.

She grooms all sorts and sizes of dogs, from small,

to really big.

She often takes Buffy and Sooki to work with her. They mingle, play and just generally hang out with the various dogs that come through the door.

Buffy

Sooki

A fluffy, little Bichon, gazing out at the street beside two pit bull terriers.

Certainly not something you would see in Ontario, where these dogs are treated as pariahs

Pity.

More on the garden.

2011-09-28T22:13:00.000-03:00

My small garden has changed a lot in the less-than-two-years that I've lived here.

It was a fully grassed yard when I moved in. The neighbour's yards were cleverly set up, to drain into mine and the dogs quickly destroyed the grass with their pee, and their tearing about on the always-wet, lawn.

A truckload of topsoil helped me raise the ground level in pivotal locations to alter the poor drainage pattern. Digging the hole for the pond gave me more soil, which led to the creation of my raised vegetable garden under the edge of the deck.

The above two shots are before and after shots, looking up the yard.

In planning the layout, I noted the dog's running routes, and then added stepping stones to lessen the damage. I added a rock garden, and curved a path to direct them away from an area they were tearing up.

The look of an "over grown" garden appeals to me. Perhaps some dormant memories of an early childhood spent in England, are waking, as I work on my garden.

The side garden, hostas on left, roses on right.

Little "rooms" are forming: the "woodland garden", the "shed garden", the "pond garden", and the "upper garden" each with its own personality.

In setting things up, I considered dog play. I bounce the ball off the shed roof and it bounces into the "evergreen garden", where Trey is allowed to retrieve it. But, if it bounces into the pond garden, then Trey must sit and wait for me to retrieve it for him. When it does splash into the pond, it quite startles the frogs that now live there.

One of the six frogs that now inhabit our pond.

I love spending days messing about in my garden, but I'm not a great planner. I've made paths, changed them, re-set stones, changed borders and even changed path's directions I've collected heavy rocks, made a dry river bed, then unmade it a month later. I've put flowers in one place one day, and moved them the next day.

Can't wait to get back out into the garden tomorrow.

A damp walk on the boardwalk

2011-09-24T21:13:00.001-03:00

Wendy and I went for a walk around the boardwalk in today's incessant rain.

We weren't the only bedraggled critters out in the rain.

The caterpillars, which have been invading the boardwalk in great numbers,

don't have warm homes like us, in which to seek shelter.

They go about their normal business, just in a slightly, damper state than usual.

Resilient little critters.

To have a closer look, click on an image, and click again.

Pink on the line...

2011-09-22T21:45:00.000-03:00

I noticed something lovely when I hung my pink sheets

on the line yesterday.

Shadows.

Lovely shadows of my flowers.

Today.

2011-09-16T22:52:00.000-03:00

Drove Kait to work in Halifax for 8 a.m., then took Buffy and Sooki to Point Pleasant Park for a walk. The weather was pretty uncertain. Windy, overcast, chilly and threatening rain.

Uncertain skies over the "Northwest Arm" at PPP today.

Watched as a cruise ship was carefully guided into the harbour.

The winds were very strong. One tug pushed from the rear, and a second from the far side, keeping the huge ship from being driven onto the shore of McNab's Island. The small boat on the left, is the "Pilot" boat. The pilot boat met this ship far out in the harbour, there the pilot transferred onto the incoming ship, to ensure its safe trip into the harbour.

We wandered into the park interior, where we found blackberries ripe for the picking. Happily, my pockets always contain plastic "poop" bags, so I put one into service as a berry bag. 'course, many blackberries never made it into the bag. :-)

I was glad, as time passed, to see that the weather was getting better. Though it was still cool, the sun was coming out more often, and the winds were dying down. After a couple of hours of walking, we drove uptown in the car. Near the Citadel, I stumbled across a temporary refugee camp, set up by the folk from MÉDECINS SANS FRONTIÈRES (MSF) (known in English as Doctors Without Borders).

I stopped to see what it was about. It was fascinating and deserves to be talked about in greater detail.

From there I trotted over to the CBC office, to pick up two free tickets for next Monday's taping of "This Hour Has 22 Minutes".

After taking the dogs to where Kait works as a groomer, I headed to Saint Matthew's Church, for the first "Lunch Bunch" choir session since last June. There, I was greeted once more, by the late Jack Layton's last message to us.

The choir is not a church choir, but a choir that happens to meet in a church. We sing all sorts of marvellous songs. Singing, brings me great joy, and I look forward to it, every week.

After choir, I visited a lovely used bookstore, and browsed my brains out, then had a coffee and a veggie samosa, while I read the paper.

Drove us all home, took Wendy for a run, had dinner, and worked on this Blog.

Today was a good day.

I feel so lucky.

Dogs + water = fun

2011-09-13T00:06:00.000-03:00

Saying that Wendy and Trey love water, may be a tad of an understatement.

They're insane for water.

I love seeing their joy as the chase sticks or balls into the ocean.

"Where'd it go ? Where'd it go ?"

"I dunno know. It was here a minute ago."

"GOT IT !"

All that glitters ...

2011-09-10T21:15:00.001-03:00

Yesterday, Amy-Lynn and I decided we'd explore Cow Bay around noon, as it was low tide. So it's sorta ironic that we spent much of our time together, pacing around a gravel parking lot within sound, but not within sight of the ocean.

Amy-Lynn scouring the lot.

We tried to leave, we really did. But the parking lot kept drawing us back. Once, we even got in the car, and I started to drive, but then Amy-Lynn called out "STOP ! There's one!" And out she hopped.

There's something wonderful about hanging out with a friend, doing something you both enjoy. Something that perhaps others might not understand.

Me, looking, looking, looking.

I often explain why I didn't finish a task by saying, "I saw something shiny", meaning I'm easily distracted. As Amy-Lynn and I trudged back and forth across the parking lot, we were looking for REAL shiny things.

And we found them.

Here's just part of our haul.

Pyrite.

We know it's not really gold, but Pyrite is so lovely and shiny.

Even better, I spent some quality time hanging out with a friend, and as we all know, a good friend is worth her weight in gold.

Hang on ! Hang on !

2011-09-04T22:53:00.001-03:00

I'd almost forgotten these images. They were taken on the day that Lynne and I drove to Digby to look for whales. Lynne was driving. and for once I was in the passenger seat. We were on the "circumferential" highway doing around 85 kph when I noticed a passenger on the outside of my window hanging on for dear life.

The wind was blowing his antennae backwards. We were amazed that he was able to hang on at that speed.

Our admiration turned to awe, when he started for move himself forward, sideways along the window !

After watching his efforts for several minutes, we decided to pull over, and put him into some grass by the road.

What an amazing little guy !

A Wanderer off course.

2011-09-03T23:31:00.001-03:00

McCormack's Boardwalk, next to Fisherman's Cove, is a popular spot for locals to go for a walk here in Eastern Passage. No two walks are the same as fog and tides roll in and out, and the seasons change. One thing is always the same -- it's a lovely walk.

But the other day, I saw something I'd never seen before. It was a boat.

A boat. Not that there aren't lots of boats in the Cove, but most of them aren't stranded on a sandbar.

"The Wanderer" had been stranded there through several tide cycles.

Not sure how it got there. I guess it would be an understatement to guess that someone miscalculated.

Boy, her keel was buried pretty deep in the sand.

The next day she was gone.

I love it when cool, surprising things happen.

A different shopping experience ...

2011-09-01T23:25:00.000-03:00

Friends Amy and Mickie, took me to COSTCO yesterday, (insert squeal with delight here). In case you don't know, COSTCO is a "box store" to end all "box stores".

If you want it -- they'll probably have it.

Looking for a TV ?

Looking for something soft and cozy to wrap yourself in, whilst reclining on the couch
watching mindless junk on that TV you just bought ?

No home is complete without a robotic vacuum.

How about a chair that bring out the inner stenographer in all of us ?

A bathtub ? Really ?

Or you can get a ridiculously powerful mirror that makes your pores look
like craters on the moon.

The variety is dazzling, groceries, clothes, medicine, electronics, toilets, linens, bedding, makeup, pet food, car tires -- heck there's even an optometrist on site who will sell you cheapo glasses.

But not everyone can shop at COSTCO. You've got to be a member, and my wonderful friends surprised me, by buying me my very own membership.

All that remained was for me to get the mandatory mug shot,

and learn the secret handshake.

Good night Irene ...

2011-08-29T23:31:00.000-03:00

After all the build up, Irene proved to be a non-event here on the eastern shore of Nova Scotia. Oh we had some big wind gusts, but almost no rain. Watching this evening's news, I was shocked at the flooding and wind damage that occurred in other areas. We really did get off easy.

Today I set off with Wendy and Buffy to admire the pounding post-storm surf.

And we weren't disappointed.

Wendy enjoys the surf while Buffy looks for a thrown rock.

As it was low tide the surf wasn't as high as I thought it would be. But the air, oh the air smelled so wonderful ! Fresh, and salty, and mildy fishy. I inhaled deeply. I love that scent !

After walking for a while we returned to the car to check out the beach at Cow Bay's, Silver Sands Beach where we found a single surfer.

Back into the car, and down the road we went. I pulled into the small parking lot, beside a tiny ocean front church, and knew I'd hit the jackpot when I saw the CBC van, and lots of cars, parked in the area.

There -- in the distance, do you see them ?

I wish I had better photos to show you, but some moisture got in my camera, and all the shots I took at this location, have a fuzzy spot just right of the centre of the image. So, I'll apologize now, and with that explanation I'll share with you the best of a bad batch of pictures.

SURFERS !

There were oodles of surfers. I counted 25 at least. The shoreline and the wind direction made this the place to be I was told.

I sat for ages, marvelling at how much surfing time was spent just paddling along, waiting and waiting for the right wave. The other thing that was amazed me, was their skill in avoiding each other. For each surfer riding a wave, there were three or four others paddling up that same wave in the opposite direction. The rider had to make sudden, skillful turns and the occasional, very entertaining wipe-out to avoid collisions. Once I saw a paddler dive under a wave, to avoid being hit.

Who knew that Nova Scotia was such a surfing mecca ?

A pre-storm walk in the Passage.

2011-08-29T00:22:00.000-03:00

We're due for a spot of weather overnight. Though hurricane Irene has been downgraded to a tropical storm, we have been warned that she will still be hitting us overnight with gale force winds and heavy rains.

Today, Trey, Buffy and I went for a pre-storm stroll down to McCormack's Boardwalk on the waterfront. I wanted I'd take some "before" shots and at the same time show you around the neighbourhood.

It's a one kilometer walk to the boardwalk, through a residential area of mostly semi detatched and single family homes.

At Cow Bay Road, we turn right,

and proceed past "Matt's Bottle Exchange", which is the local recycling depot.

Next, comes the gas station,

Regular gas is $1.26 a litre here. What does it cost where you are ?

which is conveniently located across from our local mini mall and grocery store.

The mall contains, my dentist office, a Subway sandwich shop, dollar store and a liquor store.

At Shore Road we turn left and continue on to the boardwalk. Passing a perilously parked boat, I imagine that it wouldn't take much rain to remove the little gravel which is barely supporting that tire. Given the forecast, I wonder if the boat will still be there tomorrow.

After passing by the end of "Fisherman's Cove" we arrive at the boardwalk.

Even though it's foggy and has been drizzling, a few other folk are walking the boardwalk loop when we arrive.

I figure that once around the one kilometer loop, is enough.

On the way home, I stop in at the local "Timmies" for a small coffee. Yes ! Eastern Passage has its own Tim Hortons coffee shop.

Can you see the dogs waiting for me ?

I wonder if the walk will look the same tomorrow ?

I hope so.

Perhaps they should call it something other than "Whale Watching" ...

2011-08-24T10:41:00.000-03:00

On Sunday, Lynne and I drove to Digby to go whale watching. It was a two and a half hour drive and followed by a three hour boat tour.

♫ A three hour tour. ♫

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale -- a tale of a fateful trip -- that started from this Scotian port aboard this tiny ship...

Digby is a lovely town on the Bay of Fundy about 220 km as an inebriated crow flies.

We left from Halifax (lower right of the picture)
and ended up at my finger tip.

We'd been looking forward to this adventure since we bought the tickets back in May. Holy Cats ! We were going whale watching !

Trouble is, you have to find the whales to be able to watch them.

We did look for whales. We looked hard, honest we did. We looked and looked. We stared out to sea until our eyes stung.

On passing through a narrows we did encounter several pods of porpoises, and that sighting, raised our hopes.

But alas and alack, it was not to be. Our "whale watch" turned into a "whale-can't-be-found" trip. Some of us, weary from staring out to sea, napped.

Some of us remained alarmingly perky, to the end.

Lynne with camera at the ready

As we were returning to harbour, the first mate came around and gave us each a coupon for a free future whale watching ... er I mean ... whale-looking-for trip.

Love the guy who's slunk down in his seat. He was exhausted
from having spent the previous three hours texting his friends.

Lynn and I will give it another try next summer.

In the mean time we have memories of a day spent adventuring in the summer sun, seeing new places, rocking on the waves, and exploring the wide open Bay of Fundy.

Hardly a total loss.

For Lynn's view on the day, here is her blog post about the outing.

Thanks Jack.

2011-08-23T00:45:00.001-03:00

Our nation lost a national treasure early yesterday morning. Jack Layton, leader of the left-leaning, NDP (New Democratic Party) had, in spite of a recent struggle with cancer, led the party in its most successful election ever. For the first time, the NDP formed the official opposition in our House of Commons. Well-respected by Canadians of all political stripes, Jack was known for his integrity, fairness and sincerity. Few were surprised, when late in July, Jack announced that he was taking some time to battle a new cancer. He spoke valiantly of his return. How he'd be back in September. But secretly, we suspected otherwise. We could see how much weight he had lost. We could see the fake tan that tried to hide his sallow complexion. It was too late. The damage was done. Jack had given too much of himself in the political struggle. Last Saturday, a mere two days before he died of cancer, he wrote this letter to the Canadian people. I draw your attention to the last paragraph, which I have hi-lited.

I am not ashamed to say that I cried when I read this letter.

August 20, 2011
Toronto, Ontario

Dear Friends,

Tens of thousands of Canadians have written to me in recent weeks to wish me well. I want to thank each and every one of you for your thoughtful, inspiring and often beautiful notes, cards and gifts. Your spirit and love have lit up my home, my spirit, and my determination.

Unfortunately my treatment has not worked out as I hoped. So I am giving this letter to my partner Olivia to share with you in the circumstance in which I cannot continue.

I recommend that Hull-Aylmer MP Nycole Turmel continue her work as our interim leader until a permanent successor is elected.

I recommend the party hold a leadership vote as early as possible in the New Year, on approximately the same timelines as in 2003, so that our new leader has ample time to reconsolidate our team, renew our party and our program, and move forward towards the next election.

A few additional thoughts:

To other Canadians who are on journeys to defeat cancer and to live their lives, I say this: please don’t be discouraged that my own journey hasn’t gone as well as I had hoped. You must not lose your own hope. Treatments and therapies have never been better in the face of this disease. You have every reason to be optimistic, determined, and focused on the future. My only other advice is to cherish every moment with those you love at every stage of your journey, as I have done this summer.

To the members of my party: we’ve done remarkable things together in the past eight years. It has been a privilege to lead the New Democratic Party and I am most grateful for your confidence, your support, and the endless hours of volunteer commitment you have devoted to our cause. There will be those who will try to persuade you to give up our cause. But that cause is much bigger than any one leader. Answer them by recommitting with energy and determination to our work. Remember our proud history of social justice, universal health care, public pensions and making sure no one is left behind. Let’s continue to move forward. Let’s demonstrate in everything we do in the four years before us that we are ready to serve our beloved Canada as its next government.

To the members of our parliamentary caucus: I have been privileged to work with each and every one of you. Our caucus meetings were always the highlight of my week. It has been my role to ask a great deal from you. And now I am going to do so again. Canadians will be closely watching you in the months to come. Colleagues, I know you will make the tens of thousands of members of our party proud of you by demonstrating the same seamless teamwork and solidarity that has earned us the confidence of millions of Canadians in the recent election.

To my fellow Quebecers: On May 2nd, you made an historic decision. You decided that the way to replace Canada’s Conservative federal government with something better was by working together in partnership with progressive-minded Canadians across the country. You made the right decision then; it is still the right decision today; and it will be the right decision right through to the next election, when we will succeed, together. You have elected a superb team of New Democrats to Parliament. They are going to be doing remarkable things in the years to come to make this country better for us all.

To young Canadians: All my life I have worked to make things better. Hope and optimism have defined my political career, and I continue to be hopeful and optimistic about Canada. Young people have been a great source of inspiration for me. I have met and talked with so many of you about your dreams, your frustrations, and your ideas for change. More and more, you are engaging in politics because you want to change things for the better. Many of you have placed your trust in our party. As my time in political life draws to a close I want to share with you my belief in your power to change this country and this world. There are great challenges before you, from the overwhelming nature of climate change to the unfairness of an economy that excludes so many from our collective wealth, and the changes necessary to build a more inclusive and generous Canada. I believe in you. Your energy, your vision, your passion for justice are exactly what this country needs today. You need to be at the heart of our economy, our political life, and our plans for the present and the future.

And finally, to all Canadians: Canada is a great country, one of the hopes of the world. We can be a better one – a country of greater equality, justice, and opportunity. We can build a prosperous economy and a society that shares its benefits more fairly. We can look after our seniors. We can offer better futures for our children. We can do our part to save the world’s environment. We can restore our good name in the world. We can do all of these things because we finally have a party system at the national level where there are real choices; where your vote matters; where working for change can actually bring about change. In the months and years to come, New Democrats will put a compelling new alternative to you. My colleagues in our party are an impressive, committed team. Give them a careful hearing; consider the alternatives; and consider that we can be a better, fairer, more equal country by working together. Don’t let them tell you it can’t be done.

My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.

All my very best,

Jack Layton

Marge visits ...

2011-08-17T23:33:00.000-03:00

Friend Marge, from my home town of Peterborough, Ontario, was just here for a brief visit. Being a professional photographer, she drove here, taking photos along the way for her website.

I never tire of introducing friends to Halifax and the surrounding area. It's a delight to share the places I love, and see them through fresh eyes.

Fisherman's Cove and McCormack's Boardwalk, here in Eastern
Passage are always on my must see list.

Some years ago the older buildings in Fisherman's Cove were turned into colourful, boutique stores in an effort to attract visitors, and for a few years the plan worked. Then the cruise ships started taking their travellers to visit the better known Peggy's Cove instead. Sadly, many of the colourful stores now stand empty.

Marge and I wandered around the Cove, taking pictures of things that caught our eye, and then later in the evening we compared what we'd seen and how we'd captured it.

Boat reflection

Marge

What is it ?

Here's a misspelled hint.

On Marge's first day here, I awoke with a raging headache, so she toddled off to Halifax on her own to explore.

To make up for that initial day of neglect, I took her to the Seaport Farmer's Market,

The living roof and wind turbines of Seaport
Farmer's Market

and to see the first Canadian cold climate living wall, which is located at the waterfront campus of the NSCC (Nova Scotia Community College).

The beach at Point Pleasant Park made quite the impression on Marge.

Of course we visited the Happy Dudes Surf Emporium after checking for surfers at Lawrencetown beach on the Eastern Shore.

Low tide at Conrad's Beach offered a lovely stretch of wide beach for strolling.

Farther down the beach the conditions were perfect for wind surfing.

We topped it all off with a visit to my "secret beach".

And no, I'm not telling you where it is.

If you want to see my "secret beach", you'll just have to come for a visit.

Roswell goes out.

2011-08-04T00:16:00.000-03:00

Roswell is an indoor cat. Being bald, he gets chilly easily, so he doesn't go out much. .

Even on a lovely sunny day, his time outside is limited, as a sunburned cat is an awful thing to contemplate !

Once out, he makes the most of his time

Checking out the view from the deck.

Practicing his high-wire act.

Visiting with friends.

And then he' asks to go back inside for a well-earned nap.

Life's tough when you're a cat.

Wanna see something really cool ?

2011-07-30T21:42:00.001-03:00

Recently I stumbled across this mesmerizing piece of art at Toronto International (Pearson) Airport.

Many people walked by without giving it a second look ...

Those who did stop, were in no rush to move on.

It was a large installation, full of water and little floating boxes.

Occasionally jets of air would shoot up, creating currents that gently
propelled the boxes in new directions.

They floated gently, reminding me of jelly fish drifting on ocean currents.

It was very restful to stare, eyes slightly unfocused, watching the floating boxes.

Sometimes it can be quite surprising the things you find at airports.

Back to good ol' Trent U dot C.A.

2011-07-30T11:14:00.000-03:00

On my recent trip to Ontario I visited Trent University where I worked for over 20 years prior to my retirement.

I sauntered around its lovely campus, snapping pictures with fresh eyes.

Reflection of me and the Environmental Sciences Building

Do you see the dragon' s head ?

Rooftop gardens

The original intent of the "groundhog" ramp was to provide critters
with access to the roof.

Shadows near the Champlain College quad.
Horror film, "Urban Legend: The Final cut" was filmed at Trent.

Hogworts ? Nope. It's the Champlain College dining hall, aka
the Great Hall.

Flowers are everywhere.

The Trent main campus spans the Otonabee River. Red canoes
await the excited children of the Trent Summer Sports Camp

Bata Library

While crossing the bridge over the river I encountered the
new-fangled, Google bike.

The bike heading over the Faryon Bridge.

OMG (giggle) am I going to be on Google Earth ?

There and back again.

2011-07-29T22:30:00.000-03:00

I just got back from a whirlwind trip back to Ontario to visit family and friends. My visit began in Toronto last Thursday, at the peak of a record-breaking heat wave.

This was the thermometer reading after only five minutes on the
front railing of my nephew's house.
I wonder how high it would have gone if it didn't stop at 50 C ?

Amusingly enough I chose that day to visit the greenhouses at Allen's Gardens in downtown Toronto.

I know, I know, I need my head read, but it was lovely there !

At least the dogs at the dog park were keeping cool.

I had wonderful visits with family, former co-workers and friends in Toronto and Peterborough. I rode planes and buses and trains and subways

and even in a friend's very cool, red Mustang convertible !

I bunked with friends and with family. There were dinners, a play, long chats, marvellous walks, card games, home movies, old stories and lots of hugs. It was a lovely visit.

I am a very lucky person.

And I know it.

What happens when a retiree gets bored and her daughter has dog clippers?

2011-07-18T23:03:00.000-03:00

At least now I can cross "see how I look bald" off my bucket list.

The best laid plans ...

2011-07-17T00:00:00.000-03:00

Today I had planned to go to a beach near Rose Bay on the ocean south of Lunenburg, where sand dollars are easily found.

As sometimes happens when I get excited about an upcoming trip, I awoke with a headache. Damn. Damn. Damn ! I drank some water, chuffed a couple of ibuprophen, had some toast and went back to bed. A few hours later, more water, more pills and more sleep. I slept until after 2 p.m. donned a pair of sunglasses and made myself some lunch.

Since Kait was out at the park with three of the dogs, I decided to salvage what I could of the day, get some fresh air and go for a walk with Trey.

We headed down to Fisherman's Cove for an amble around the boardwalk. Luckily I'd brought along his ball and we stopped for some fun.

I don't know how I got this shot of the ball hitting the water
in front of him as he leaps like a deer after it.

Ditto with the return trip. Look at the circles in the
water behind him.

Upon resuming our walk we encountered an assortment of people enjoying the day.

Fisherfolk at the narrows across from Lawlor's Island.

Coming across the wedding party was a lovely bonus, as they took some memorable photos of their special day.

Unlike much of Canada to the west of us where they are sweating their way through a sweltering heat wave, the weather was warm and the day breezy. A lovely day for a walk.

On the way home we passed this rose bush. So I stopped. And smelled the roses. Oh the heady, sweet scent -- so lovely !

The day was far from a total loss.

No worries. The sand dollars will still be there when I do finally make it to Rose Bay.

A Garden Update

2011-07-14T23:19:00.000-03:00

There are so many aspects to gardening. There is the winter dreaming and planning, early spring seed starting and finally the late spring hard work. I've just come to the end of the hard work part for 2011.

But let me take you back to the beginning of one section of my garden in 2010.

Here are my step-by-step instructions to creating a pond garden.

Start by digging a hole large enough to bury a fair-sized body, while neighbours look serepticiously over the fence in growing alarm. Retain the rocks you dug out of the hole for suitable, future artsy-fartsy placement.

Set the pond in the hole. Come out the next day to find that rain water has flowed down between the pond and the earth and the pond is now floating. Ponds aren't supposed to float. This issue needs to be addressed.

Bail water out of the hole, re-set the pond, add border stones and revel in the fact that you are now two inches taller than when you first entered the garden, owing to the thick red muck sticking to the bottom of your shoes.

Fill the pond quickly so that the weight of the water will keep the pond in place. Well at least in theory.

Add plants and place unearthed rocks decoratively around the pond. Step back and admire your handiwork.

Summer 2010. Click to see fish.

I don't plan things too carefully. I get an idea and just start poking about. If something doesn't work: I change it. If I'm cutting a garden outline I don't lay down string or hose as an outline to follow. I just start digging.

The pond garden started out as the oval area you see above.

This year I decided the garden area didn't proportionally fit with the pond size so I expanded the garden.

Early spring 2011.

After days of rock hauling, digging and stone setting, the expanded garden was ringed with a border of rocks.

Three weeks later I decided I didn't like the look and removed most of the rocks and re-edged the garden and added more plants and a bird bath.

This is how my pond looks now.

Summer 2011.

I'm pretty pleased with the results.

I left some stones around one side of the pond.

I added some floating plants to give the goldfish extra shade and to give the teeny, tiny baby goldfish somewhere to hide from their predatory, unsentimental parents.

The finishing touch was installing a water pump that trickles water down through the rocks at one end of the pond. I love that sound.

Wordless Wednesday ... sorta

2011-07-12T22:05:00.000-03:00

Two items found in a parking lot at a local scenic spot.

It's funny how without words these items tell a dramatic story.

A visit to the market -- the Seaport Farmers' Market.

2011-07-10T10:06:00.001-03:00

Last year, a brand spanking new farmers' market opened on the harbour in Halifax. A state-of-the-art building with wind turbines, solar lighting and living walls to cool and clean the air. With marvellous views of the harbour, George's Island and the cruise ship dock, it replaced the original farmers' market which was located in the old Alexander Keith's Brewery building. Some nostalgic folk were just too attached to the old market and continue to sell their wares to their equally nostalgic customers. However, judging from the crowds, I'd say the new market is a hit. A large open building, it is reminiscent of Toronto's St. Lawrence Market only with spectacular views, an upper level with coffee shops and an accessible roof-top garden.

There is a marvellous selection of local organic crops, meat and fish

There are also oodles of craft stalls selling everything from sea glass pictures to hand-made, leather shoes.

I love the name of this stall -- "The Quarrelsome Yeti".

Not candies -- earrings.

At the entrance there were a couple of buskers singing and playing their instruments. Inside, at the base of the main staircase was a rather unique performer ...

"Would you like to see a magic trick?"

It was pouring outside and many good folk of Halifax had the same idea about going to the market. It was busy in a vibrant, exciting way. There was much to be experienced: lavender scented soaps to sniff, pepper jelly on crackers to be sampled, and flowers to be admired.

Why don't I go more often ?

Letting it all hang out.

2011-07-01T00:27:00.002-03:00

Happy Canada Day !

Play Misty for me.

2011-06-29T23:29:00.000-03:00

Today was cloudy, then foggy, then the fog got a bit chunkier and then it began to mist.

The mist clung to the tamarack trees in a shimmery way.

I guess your average rain drop is too heavy to stick around on a branch for long. But these lingered, decorating each branch, needle and prepubescent cone.

Click for a clearer view of the droplets.

If I looked from just the right angle, these teen, tiny drops shone with a magical light.

To quote Bob and Doug Mckenzie: "Beauty, eh ?".

Remi's guest dog blog post

2011-06-26T23:46:00.000-03:00

Hello, my name is Remi. I am a small, confident, stunningly handsome dude.

I came over for a visit to Buffy's house this evening while my mommies went out for a while.

I love visiting my doggie friends.

Sooki gives me a kiss.

I live with a bunch of cats, so I like a chance to hang out with my own kind for a change.

I play with Buffy.

Well, they're sorta my kind. They're a tad bigger 'n me but I can handle them.

Wendy nibbles me.

They even have bigger dog bones at their house. I like chewing on dog bones but some dogs aren't good at sharing.

But I have found that holding their gaze and staring menacingly sometimes works.

Sooki leans away in the face of my unrelenting, terrifying gaze.

Victory is mine !

I hope I get to comeback again real soon.

Loopy for lupins ...

2011-06-25T23:09:00.000-03:00

After a lovely, warm, sunny week, today sucked. Sucked. Sucked. Sucked. It was cold. It was windy. It poured all day.

To distract myself from staring mournfully out the window, I decided to show you the lupins.

Lupins grow wild in Nova Scotia. I recall crossing the border from New Brunswick into Nova Scotia two summers ago and being struck by the beauty of the roadside lupins.

Not far down the road from here, there is a spot that is just loaded with them. Purple, white and pink -- the field is a marvellous sight.

Even those who pass this corner daily, slow down for a second look.

And who could blame them ?

The first day of summer.

2011-06-22T01:01:00.000-03:00

After our late, wet, chilly, windy spring I am delighted to report that the first day of summer really was a lovely day.

I present the following photos from today's walk at Shubie Park, as evidence.

Iris grow at the edge of a boggy stream.

I love the shapes of the roots as they snake over each other.

This Lady Slipper reminds me of a space alien
or an enormous exotic bug.

Lush greens of summer.

Summer -- a time for friends to play in the water.

Green, green, green. Can you smell the fresh green of grass and trees ?

Welcome summer. What took you so long ?

Grand Pré

2011-06-19T23:11:00.000-03:00

Stacey and I visited Grand Pré during her soggy May visit. Photos from that visit illustrate my brief summary of what Grand Pré commemorates.

b a

Founded in 1604, the French colony of Acadia covered parts of present-day, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Maine and much of Nova Scotia. Although the colony was ceded to Great Britain in 1713, the Acadian population continued to grow and thrive.

Acadian farmland.

Due to continuing skirmishes between France and Britain, in 1754 the British lieutenant-governor proposed that the Acadians take an unqualified oath of allegiance to the British government, and if they refused they would be deported. Despite their stated neutrality, successive Acadian representatives were arrested when they would not take the oath. The British now had the excuse they wanted to get rid of the perceived threat.

Statue commemorating the expulsion. The parents are
gesturing at two more children off to the right.

British troops were mobilized and the expulsion began. Many Acadian men were arrested, hundreds of homes and buildings were burned and crops destroyed.

In the end, over 10,000 Acadians were expelled between 1755 and 1763. One group of 3,100 deported to France, on overcrowded transport ships, suffered a fatality rate of 53% due to drowning (two ships sank) and disease. Families were broken up. Some children were taken from their families to become indebted farm workers.

Being both French and Catholic, those who were shipped to the American colonies were met with discrimination and rejection.

It was from Grand Pré, a once thriving Acadian settlement, that so many of them were expelled. That same location now stands as a witness to a shameful page in early Canadian history, but also as a tribute to a people who maintained their culture in the face of terrible hardship, indignity and loss.

That pride is still visible in flags painted on the sides of barns, licence plates sported on the fronts of cars and flags proudly flying from rural flagpoles.

b a

Perhaps you've heard of the Acadians who did successfully settle in the U.S. ? They migrated to the Louisianna area which already had some French settlers. Over the years the term Acadian evolved into its present-day term -- Cajun.