Back by popular demand ... well ... sorta.

How are you doing my friends ?  

I present to you the "Cole's Notes" version of my life.

Life has been a series of woodland rambles,  gardening fun and explorations of this beautiful province.  In other words, not much has changed since I paused Blogging.

As you may know by now, Winter is my fourth favourite season.  

But now it's almost May and Winter is well behind us.  

Dexter and Sooki are wonderful companions. Sooki is on several medications to help lessen the pain from her leg surgeries.  As she is now well over 13 years old, I suspected that winter would put an end to her; but happily it did not.  She still looks forward to going for walks.  Now the warmer weather is coming, she enjoys lying in the sun on the back deck.

In November my daughter Kaitlyn, went to England to spend three months with a friend there.  Well, that three months turned into six; and though she is coming back in May, her heart remains in London.  As a result, I am experiencing "empty nest syndrome" at age 73 !

My dog walks are also another way to get out and observe nature.  The photos I take I then post to iNaturalist.

I tell you more about my explorations.  Next time ...

I'm hoping to keep in touch via this Blog.  However I gather that Blogger.com doesn't send out notices of new posts.  I send notices of new posts out to an email list of friends and I'll share too to FaceBook.  I don't know if commenting is still functioning either.  Guess we'll all find out together  I would like to hear from you either by a comment or email.

So ... what have you been up to ?

August adventures

 I've lived in Nova Scotia 12 years and as of a few weeks ago I had never visited Yarmouth.  I had travelled to the tip top of the province at Meat Cove, but had never ventured to the "bottom".

Happily that has now been rectified.

"I KEEM"  "HUT DOGZ"  "SAMMICHIZ"   

Just below Yarmouth, poking into the open Atlantic, warning ships at sea, is Cape Forchou; a well-known tourist destination.  These are some photos from along the spit of land leading to the lighthouse. Loads of photo op spots.

My travelling companion is always up to pose for a photo.

In spite of Covid, or perhaps because of it, the lighthouse is a popular destination.

The door was propped open revealing the narrowness of the unique "apple core"  lighthouse design.  

There is a pretty scenic walking trail around the cape.

Another goal on my adventure was to visit Shag Harbour.  You know about Shag Harbour ?

                                  

It was reported as a downed plane.  Many local fisher folk rushed out in their boats to look for survivors.  All they found was foam on the water and very briefly, lights under the water.  It is the World's best goverment documented UFO sighting and yet few are aware of it.

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One of the amazing things about Nova Scotia is the unexpected places you were NOT planning on visiting; but simply stumbled across.  Case in point: Cape Sable Island.

Dexter and I had many different beaches all to ourselves.  Keep in mind that this is a warm day in August !

It's hard not to stop as I drive down Nova Scotia backroads, having glimpsed a tucked away beach.  And once we stop, at the very least a wander is in order.

That teeny lighthouse in the distance is Cape Forchou!

Turns out Dexter is a marvellous travelling companion and we can't wait for our next adventure.

Summer, Sooki and Five Islands

 Summer has been interesting and it's only early August.

Gardening keeps me busy.

    

Hiking and exploring with Dexter and Sooki runs a close second.

In late June we were out for a walk in the woods and suddenly one of Sooki's hind legs seemed to be causing her great pain.  She couldn't walk home.  Kaitlyn had to pick us up.

Long story short ... she had a torn cruciate ligament.

The surgery was three weeks ago and she is recovering beautifully; my pocket book might take a bit longer to recover, but as I often say, "That's why God invented lines of credit".

To help her atropied leg muscles recover, we take her for lengthening leash walks each week.  We're up to three thirty minute walks a day.   No off leash walks for her for another two months !

Dexter sometimes goes with Sooki on her brief walks.

But most of the time Dexter and I go for off-leash walks together.

   

Exploring with Dexter is made all the more entertaining by his constant habit of climbing on whatever he can find.

Once I knew Sooki was recovering OK, I left her in Kaitlyn's capable hands and headed off on a camping trip that I had booked way back in April.  Five Islands Provincial Park is a beautiful park on the Bay of Fundy up near Parrsboro.  

I set up a mattress in the back of my car so I can sleep on a bed with real sheets and pillows.  The tent goes over the open hatch of the tent.  

There were many different trails for Dexter and I to explore.  This was my first time camping without Sooki and my first time with Dexter.  He turned out to be a good camper and he could out-hike me any day.

   

Before walking on Fundy it's important to know how much time you can spend safely walking on the ocean floor.  With tides over 40 feet you don't want to mess about.

So Dexter and I went for a walk on that floor.

Yeah and THAT happened.  I discovered the hard way that Fundy mud was VERY sucky.  Walking got harder and harder until I literally stepped out of my shoes.  Luckily I had a hiking pole to balance me while I reconciled myself to walking barefoot through the gloop.  BTW getting those shoes out of the mud was not easy.

It really is a magical place.

If you get a chance DO visit this park.