Unbelievable

Photo taken from the rooftop of my office building around 3:30pm today.

It's really quite unbelievable that just 3 days ago I spent a lovely day in the same neighbourhood that, right now, is engulfed in flames. It's been hard to tear myself away from the news reports on CBC radio, though hearing from people who have lost their homes is more than disturbing.
Fire is so unpredictable, and this one has changed directions already a few times. It's hard to know what's been consumed, and what's left. And I have no idea if York Redoubt will survive.

Here's hoping (and praying!) the rain will come sooner than expected.

EDO Monday : A lovely day at York Redoubt

This EDO Monday I was determined to make the most of my day and enjoy doing a little sightseeing. I debated about wandering around Point Pleasant Park or checking out York Redoubt. York Redoubt won.

(Click on any of the images in this post to make them bigger.)
It was a gorgeous day for a walk - 14 C weather and not too sunny (so I didn't get sunburnt). Also, being a Monday, there was hardly anyone on the grounds. I was able to wander around pretty much on my own, without bumping into people. [Does that make me sound too reclusive?]

There were a few things that struck me about this National Historic Site. First of all, it's free! They do have visiting hours, but you can basically walk in and around at your leisure. The other thing that struck me was that the military structures - like the powder magazine and the south caponier - were all open to walk in.

One of the highlights [literally] was the highest point on the site - the Fire Command Post, which was still active as late as the 1950s. There were several ways to get up to the command post - a gravelled road, and a wooden staircase, but I took the path less travelled and stumbled upon [not literally] these stairs carved right into the rock.

From the top you look out over the harbour opening into the Atlantic (left), and see Halifax in the distance behind you (right).

When I came down from my high, I bumped into the first person I had seen since arriving - the grounds-keeper (whose name I didn't get). We had a nice chat and he told me a bit more about the grounds in the summertime (apparently it's quite beautiful when the wild roses bloom in mid-July. And it will be a great vantage point when the Tall Ships sail into the harbour this summer. He also told me about the path that leads down to the York Shore Battery. I could see the Battery from the cannons but didn't know if or how I could get down there.

The grounds-keeper said that all you had to do was go outside the gate, and follow the path along the exterior of the wall and it would take you to a gravel road which leads to the shore.

I followed the path for awhile until I came across a trail behind one of the abandoned military buildings. I wondered if it might be a "shortcut" that would take me closer to the Shore Battery. Um, not so much. The trail was steep, and I wasn't wearing my proper hiking shoes, and there were fallen branches and loose leaves and loose dirt, and I nearly went down the trail head-first several times. The trail ended up taking me right on top of the searchlights (which you'll see in pictures below from a different vantage point).

So my "shortcut" was actually a very labour-intensive climbing excursion that left me huffing and puffing when I got to the top. Fortunately, I bumped into my second person - a dog-walker who was surrounded by 5 dogs of various breeds and sizes. She was very friendly and helpful and pointed me in the right direction. Actually, as it turns out, had I followed the gravelled path a little further, I would've seen the fork in the road (right) - the high road goes to a Federal building up the road from York Redoubt, and the lower road goes straight to the York Shore Battery.

So here's another thing I was struck by on my walk: the number of military buildings. The grounds-keeper did mention that this was the main military post, which probably explains why there were buildings almost around every corner. And I was even more impressed when I saw the York Shore Battery. It must've been quite a site when it was operational. Here's what it looks like:


| The York Shore Battery .............| Searchlights

| Looking through a window.......| Looking back up the road
This was such a lovely walk, with a little discovery - a new building or a budding tree - to be found around every corner. I even tried a self-portrait, though I was a little off in my aim (and the dog-walker passed by just as I was about to take a 2nd shot).

There was one last stop before I left York Redoubt - Stella Maris Catholic Church. I hadn't noticed this church until the ground-keeper pointed it out. It was built for the soldiers, but is outside the gates of York Redoubt and is actually owned and maintained by the Herring Cove Catholic Parish.

As it so happened, I bumped into the church's grounds-keeper when I was admiring the building. He was there to inspect a broken window and to wait for the police to arrive to report the vandalism. He told me a bit more about the building - the church has been decommissioned and the Parish is actually hoping to sell the property because it's just too costly to maintain. He couldn't tell me when it was built, but the registered property plaque says 1846. The statue of Mary is not the original, the original was wooden but dried out and split, and despite being told that the church had beautiful stained glass by 2 different people, it actually has none. It was never meant to be decorative, just functional for the soldiers. There is still a bell in the bell-tower but it's never rung. The last time the church was used was in September for a wedding. The groundskeeper said that the church was built by a ship-builder(?), and, apparently the towers bow (or slant) a little due to prevailing ocean winds.

So, that's it. It was a fun day, and this was a long post to write...but well worth it. If you're ever in the Purcell's Cove area, you should definitely make your way to York Redoubt. I'd imagine it would be especially pretty in the Fall!

For most of this week I've been laid low with the flu, and then an eye infection. Needless to say, I haven't been very ambitious when it comes to cooking. Instead, I've been sticking with the old standbys - tomato soup, toast and yogurt....and lots of water.

I was treated to very tasty homemade lentil soup in the middle of the week thanks to a very dear friend. This was a real treat not only because it was ready-made and served hot, but because it had flavour and because it was good to see a friendly face after being home sick for a couple days by myself! (Thanks R.!)

And today, to celebrate payday, a few of us from work ("the ladies who lunch") went out for a delicious Middle-Eastern meal at Mezza.
We all agreed that we have to come back... it was THAT delicious. We all ordered kebabs - I ordered the Kafte (lamb) kebab with basmati and a salad. And it tasted so good to eat something different from my usuals this week.

*****

On a different note, before I got sick last weekend, I made my first trip to Dollarama in awhile. I was more than a little surprised to see that the prices have changed - items were $1.25, $1.50 and even $2.00! Whoa! When did this happen?

This gives me great joy!

Do me a favour, okay? Watch this video in High Resolution (the HQ box at the bottom of the video, by the volume control), and turn up the volume too.

Then watch the sheer joy spread across the faces in the crowd.

Tonight's dinner

Oven Roasted Kale

Sweet Potato Fries

Lemon Baked Salmon

This is for you, now pass it on.

This has been floating around the blogisphere and facebook for a little while now. I've seen the posts and resisted thus far because I was worried I might not be able to hold up to my end of the bargain. But you know what? I think I can!

The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you.

This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:

• What I create will be just for you; and you will have no clue what the item is going to be.
• I make no guarantees that you will like what I make.
• You will receive your item before the end of the year (Dec. 31st/09) - exactly when will be a surprise. It could be a story, a collage, cupcakes, a bracelet or something else entirely.
• I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.
• In return, you must post this text into a note/blog post (or another method) of your own and make 5 things for 5 others. You are supposed to also let me know so I am reassured that you didn't cheat.
  

It's a fun concept. So, here it goes....

Long overdue

Where did March go? My goodness, this year is going fast! I can't believe it's been well over a month since I posted. Sorry folks, I'll try to do better in April.

In a nutshell, here's what I've been up to...

At the beginning of March, a bunch of us celebrated a friend's birthday by going on a hike at Polly's Cove. It's a beautiful spot, with fantastic views of the Atlantic, of Peggy's Cove, and of the rugged, rocky coastline. It also happened to be a perfect day! It was the first sunny and warm (10 C) day all winter, and even the cool ocean breezes were warmed by the sun. We hiked for about 2.5 hours, but made many stops along the way to sit or lay on the rocks, listening to the crashing waves and soaking up a little Vitamin D. Be forewarned: This is going to be one of my favourite spots to take visitors from now on!

You should be able to click on these images to see larger images.

Then, during March Break, I had a visitor! A teacher friend from Toronto came to visit, and guess what we did? Yup. We hiked Polly's Cove (See!...I warned you!). We also ate lobster, shopped at 4 Frenchy's (Sackville, Dartmouth, Coldbrook and Berwick), and drove to the Look Off at Blomidon.

This picture was created using Canon PhotoStitch. I'm thoroughly impressed!
Um. I mean I took this photo painstakingly without the aid of any software at all.
Yeah, that's it.

Also during March Break, my "Little" and I got together. Actually, we get together every week, but this particular week we had a couple special things planned - dinner at Boston Pizza + a movie on one evening, and then a decadent breakfast of homemade crepes with all the fixings including fruit, chocolate sauce and whipped cream on Saturday morning!
We also (finally!) mailed Flat Stanley to his first destination - Winnipeg! From there he'll be going on vacation with a friend of mine to Morocco! Hopefully he stays safe. I'm considering starting a blog to follow his adventures...but should probably clear this with my Little's mom first.

March is also birthday month in my family. Aunt S., a couple cousins, my step-father (G.), and my nephew all have birthdays in March. I didn't get to all of them, but I was there for the two-for-one birthday celebration for G. and the nephew! Usually I ask permission before I post photos, but I'm on a tight schedule today and don't have time. Will have to ask post-posting. In the meantime, enjoy this photo of the birthday boys!

Also, this month I tried a couple new recipes. Remember my obsession with kale? Well! I tried another recipe, Oven-Roasted Kale, and it was even better than the first! Even my 8 y/o Little would agree. So basically what I've determined is that garlic + a little oil + kale (cooked in almost any form) = delicious! I wish I had pictures, but the kale doesn't last long enough for photos!

And the second recipe is my new favourite. I was able to replicate one of my favourite Thai dishes - Thai Eggplant Basil. I found the Thai Basil at Tian Phat Asian Grocery as well as the Japanese eggplant (though these can be bought at any grocery store most times of the year), and the rest of the ingredients I already had. Here is the recipe I used Thai Fried Eggplant with Basil. It's super easy, though one thing I discovered....it's best to have all the ingredients ready before starting. I ended up over-cooking it a bit in the end because I was busy chopping peppers. Oh! And I made a substitution - rather than the serrano chilis, I used a tbsp of Thai chili sauce instead, and the heat was just perfect (for me, anyway!).

Okay that's all from me, I have to go get on with my day. Will be more faithful posting in April, I promise!