I'd like to thank the academy ...

I have recently had the unexpected honour* of being nominated  for a 'Versatile Blogger' award by Cindy Kilpatrick whose Alberta based Nature Blog I follow. 

Does "nominated for" mean the same thing as "have won"?  or is a further vote yet to occur ?

The acceptance of this award has several mildly intimidating requirements... 

1.   Thank the person who honored you and give a link to their blog.

Thank you Cindy and here is a link to your blog.  (Check)  Actually, if you're counting, that's two links. (bonus check)

Where the magic happens. ;-)

2.   Tell 7 random facts about yourself.

I'm a stunning, statuesque, blonde who lives in a California beach house and has just broken up with Charlie Sheen, (check, check, check, check, check, check, check) who sometimes fibs (check).  

Oh wait.  Grammatically that last sentence makes it sound like Charlie Sheen and not me, fibs.  I want you to know that I am not in any way implying that Charlie Sheen is a fibber.

3.   Pass the award on to 15 new-found bloggers.

WHAT ?  

FIFTEEN !  

Are you kidding ?

Noooooooooooo.  

I don't read 15 Blogs.  

I need time for walking in the woods and for beach combing.

I don't have time to write about 15 other bloggers.

I mean I love reading other blogs and I learn a lot from them but good grief !  

FIFTEEN !

Oh wait.  I just checked.  I subscribe to eighteen blogs !  Who knew ?

Now what do I do ?  

It's like choosing your favourite child.

I love them all.

OK.  Here I go ... I Sybil, being of moderately, unsound mind and aging body do hereby bestow a Versatile Blogger Award upon the following blogs and may God's mercy be upon their souls.

Amy-Lynn's "Flandrum Hill is my favourite* place to go.  Before I ever moved to Nova Scotia I hoped that Amy-Lynn and I would become friends.  I got my wish.  I learn so much about the natural world of Nova Scotia from her and I enjoy her company.

Flora's Bear River Adventure was one of the first Nova Scotia Blogs I found.  Flora and her hubby moved here a few years ago from Toronto and are living the artsy, back-to-the-land life in the enchanting village of Bear River which is located on a tidal river on the Fundy side of Nova Scotia (where the rockin' big tides are).

One of the the magical things about blogging is how it can lead to happy connections with like-minded folk. Usually the connection is by email but sometimes it leads to real friendships. I have been luckier than many on that front.  A while back I was contacted by a British blogger who was considering moving back to Nova Scotia -- her childhood home.  In March she came for a visit and, she, Amy-Lynn and I bonded, and are now officially, chums.   Her name is Lynne Kovan and her blog is Five Good Things.

Nova Scotia Island Journal is a charming blog about a transplanted city couple who now are "the only year-round residents on McNutt's Island, perched at the mouth of Shelburne Harbour, facing the vast Atlantic"  Greg has written a book,  Island Year about their experiences on the island while Anne takes care of blogging duties.

Rounding out my top five is Me and my dogs in Halifax by Joan Sinden.  A couple of years ago I fled Ontario when my daughter moved home from England with er part-Staffordshire Terrier, Trey.  Any dog that looks like a "pitbull type dog" under six years of age in Ontario is destroyed.  Period.   I found Joan on the internet and she helped us find a vet in Ontario who would neuter Trey without turning him in.   Joan monitors issues of concern about dogs in Nova Scotia.  She can be strong in her language but you cannot doubt her sincerity and the service she does shining a light on puppy mills and those who abuse dogs.

Trey

Jodi DeLong, of  Blooming Writer, describes her blog as: "Being the adventures of a plant geek living on the windy, rocky edge of the Bay of Fundy."   She has written a wonderful book "Plants for Atlantic Gardens".  

Halifax Broad is a cheeky humour blog written by local ad writer and art director, Cindy Shultz.  She writes with acerbic wit and no shortage of very naughty words about whatever is bugging her.  I love her sense of humour -- you might not.

Warning:  don't visit her site without a note from your mother.

Gerry's Torch Lake Views, tells about life in a small lake-side community in northern Michigan.

I recently discovered Nature Posts, which is a blog by a U.S. dad who is home-schooling his son and at the same time (unintentionally) home-schooling me.  His underwater photos of tadpole and salamander eggs in a vernal pool are wondrous.   I'd love to tag along with the two of them as they explore the natural world near their home in north central Pennsylvania.

Sometimes I know I've subscribed to a blog but don't get new posts for them popping into my email box.  I guess the missing blogs don't have an email subscription option but instead have "RSS Feed" which meant nothing to me but I chose anyway.   I had no idea how to see the posts. Where did they go when they arrived at my computer?  Guess what ?  I found them !  And there were 175 posts waiting to be viewed.  I cleared the history and am now starting from scratch.

I'm just glad I  re-found hikes i like  which is exactly what its name says --  brief descriptions and directions and photos of walks and hikes in the Halifax area and farther afield.  The blog is a marvellous "bucket list" of natural places to explore in Nova Scotia.

 That's top ten blogs.

That's all you're getting.

I'm tired and my brain hurts. 

4.   Contact each blogger onto whom you pass the award and let them know.

Sho' 'nuff.

5.   Let the giver of the award know you accept it or not.

Of course I'll accept it.  

This is the first award I've received since I got that "D" in penmanship in Grade 4.    

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*  Canadians in an effort to distinguish ourselves from our American neighbours to the south add "u's" to words like neighbour, favour and honour.   Otherwise we're exactly the same as American's except for our liberal views, universal health care, lack of concern for where Barack Obama was really born and fear concealed weapons.  :-)