The Delights of Autumn

This is the first time in my whole life that I have ever had tomatoes ripening on the vine.  Gardening has been somewhat sketchy for me in the past.  Many years when I was working full time we had neither garden space or time.  Now I have a wee garden and pots of things like tomatoes and herbs.  I have enjoyed both so much this year.  And the taste of those tomatoes is incomparable to ones that we eat in the winter time. 

Today we had the pleasure of shopping at the Halifax market.  I supplemented my supply of tomatoes enough so that I could make salsa.  And we bought fresh Nova Scotia valley strawberries--the kind that have been produced especially for this time of year.  They are delicious--and I had fun making some freezer jam.

Earl Update

Yesterday at about eleven in the morning the winds really amped up.  Gathered at our house to ride out the storm were Lisa, Mike, Annika, Stella(the beautiful family dog), Sharon and Jim Janz (Mike's parents).  The video gives you an idea of the winds and some of the rain.  In actual fact, it did not rain as much as had been predicted. 

We played Scrabble while the men went to assess the damage at Lisa and Mike's place.


The only real inconvenience that we experienced was a disruption in power for about 28 hours.  Lisa and Mike also had their power disrupted for that length of time and a number of trees fell at their home.  Thanks to friends and neighbours with appropriate equipment as in saws and generators, we weathered the storm quite comfortably!

Weather Watch

Photos taken a few hours ago:  our house at 1561 Crowell Road

The view of Porter's Lake as seen from our front porch.

Our lovely screened deck where we spend several hours every day, usually at mealtimes.  The weather has been oh so lovely this summer.

 Earl is coming and we are "battening down the hatches".  Apparently this is the calm before the storm.

Beautiful Hot Summer Days!

Lisa, Annika and I enjoying abit of a rest after riding our bikes.  (We are at the local country store, called Theresa and Heather's where they sell everything from yarns, to dog food, to guitars to ice cream cones--a fun place in which to poke around).

The weather has been unusually warm in Nova Scotia.  Everybody is saying so...even the water temperature in the ocean is warmer than usual. (22 degrees Celsius today).  The past several days surf has been fantastic due to the hurricanes south and east of us. (In this picture you can see Lisa riding the waves).  But this weekend there is a little more concern  about those storms, because Earl is threatening to affect us on the eastern coast of Nosco.  We are watching...and praying.

Pedestrians

Nova Scotians are known for being so very polite to people wishing to cross the street.  More so than anywhere we have ever lived before.  A few days ago when Lisa, Annika and I were in Dartmouth we wondered why the traffic was stopped when we saw ten large white ducks crossing from a park to the other side of the road,  ever so slowly.

Today as I was riding my bike along highway 207 in West Chezzatcook I saw this sign and took a picture.  Makes me smile.

Whatever is lovely...

Somedays it is easier to think about lovely things than other days...today my heart and mind are so full of good things.  Here are a few of "my favourite things" from today... ability to walk, harvesting and eating fresh vegetables from my garden, fun times with my beautiful children and grandchild, observing Annika's eagerness to learn, observing her development and growth each day, walking along the beach at sunset, feeling the gentle ocean breezes, watching the surf.  I thank God!

Looking Good

"Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop,but have you ever seen color and design quite like it?  The ten best dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.  If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers--most of which you have never seen--don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you?" Matthew 6, The Living Bible 

Home Again

Many people build these huge beach houses on the sand.  I wonder about this...

our home on wheels

One of the many Civil War battlefields around Gettysburg.

In my attempt to capture detail I have included this picture of ornateness on the ceiling of the Pennsylvania monument.

Lou and I cycled around the battlefield tour and took time for snacks and a picture, of course.

what was once President Eisenhower's and his wife, Mamie's home.

After many camping and exploring adventures in North Carolina (Cape Hattaras), Delaware and Gettysburg, Pennysylvania, we journeyed home.  The objectives of our vacation time were met.  The absolute highlight of the past five weeks for us both was the week in Virginia that we were privileged to spend with our children and precious grandaughter. 

Good to be home...enjoying times together with the Canadian contingent of our family.  Yesterday Annika and Lisa included us in their walks/yard work/treats.

Springtime in Virginia

Annika is delighted and curious about the cherry blossoms!

Hay fever symptoms aside Lou and I also have been delighted with all the spring we have encountered in our almost four weeks along the eastern coast of the United States

An Almost Spring Day...

What a brilliant day to be at Lawrencetown beach today.  Lou and I are  fascinated at the changing formations of rock, sand, seaweed affected by the powerful tides. 

Today this seal enjoyed the rays on the beach.  He was gone by the time we came by the second time.

Snow Day...

stepping out our front door

taking out the old "splitkeins" to do some skiing

depth perception

 white stillness in the woods in the back of our yard

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Our first "frig" art work from our grandaughter!

If only I had some skis today...

The past few days I have really enjoyed walking in snowy Meewasin Trail park--just ten minutes from my mom's.  The temperature was minus 20 degrees.  Saskatoon had the largest snowfall of the season this past weekend.  Each step that I take is such a joy...the snow has such a great "crunch" to it.  Skiing would have been fun, but walking was satisfying enough.