Cottage Highlights

As promised, here are some pictures and highlights from my vacation week at the cottage:

My birthday dinner, celebrated with as many family as could be there. (The best way to celebrate family, in my opinion!). Truth is, it's not just a celebration of my birthday, but all the July birthdays and anniversaries in the family - there are many in July. But I got to pick the cake: a Lime Coconut Cheesecake. Thanks, Mom!


My very first pedicure. I don't usually go for frivolous things like pedicures, but it was one of those things I'd always been curious about. It was fun, and I was pleased with the end result. It's not something I'll do very often; the price is a bit hard to justify.

Peace and quiet with only the sound of birds, the occasionally plopping of fish jumping in the water, the wind through the trees.

Perfect spot for hulling straberries, eh?

 Gorgeous sunsets that never disappoint.(Click for larger images)

And the best seat in the house

There were also some stunning sunrises...though, admittedly, I missed the first few. 

 

I went for a few bike rides, to check out a couple spots I had never been on the other side of the lake. Like this old cottage.

There was some "communing with nature", mostly in the form of spying on a bunny that frequented the lawns around the cottage, and pestering a very large (bull?) frog under the wharf. Seriously, this frog didn't even blink at us for a good few minutes. It wasn't until we "tickled" *giggle giggle* it with a stick that it actually moved. And, yes, we are grown-ups. I couldn't bring myself to actually try to grab it; I'm okay with the baby frogs, but the big ones make me shudder!

There was also a rescue mission (well, for my mom, not me): to rescue a baby bird from certain doom where it was in the middle of the dirt road. Mom figured it had fall from his nest, and that the nest was nearby given that the parents were flying around mimicing broken-wings. We searched for the nest but couldn't find it. Also, we think the birds were yellow-bellied warblers.

There was a whole lot of reading on the porch swing, and knitting whilst watching long period dramas. Very few photos of those activities.:) And there was a visit from friends, during which we had a spectacular thunder and lightning storm. Our power went out for about 6 hours and the lightning lasted for at least 2 hours (started around 10pm, ended around 12:30am). Taking photos of lightning over the lake proved difficult, but I did get a pretty great video which is about 8mins of me narrating the storm. If you're interested, here it is.

I'm already looking forward to next year's stay at the cottage. Or, maybe, with a little arm-twisting, I can squeeze another weekend in before the summer is over?

Sunset at Peggy's Cove

April in Pictures

Because, once again, I don't really have much time to elaborate on all that I've been doing lately.

First, there was a trip to Peggy's Cove with friends to watch the sunset. It was a little overcast, but such a lovely evening to hang out on the rocks. I never tire of this spot - it's one of my favourite in Nova Scotia. And it's great to go before the tourists arrive....
Then there was a trip to Shubenacadie Wildlife Park with the "Little" where we were entertained by various species of foxes...

Some were active...Some were not!

And then there multiple trips to Two If By Sea to indulge in what is possibly the best pastry I've ever eaten. Those pain au chocolat are huge and buttery and delicious, and best enjoyed with friends.

There was also some beach exploration. It's such a treat to have such warm, sunny weather in April - and what a perfect way to celebrate an early spring by going to the beach to watch the waves!

And that's about it. I will try to do better at blogging in May. Maybe.

The cot at the cottage

Can you see why I've chose this as my most comfortable place?
This cot is coveted by any who visit the cottage. It's a perfect napping spot, reading spot, relaxing with some knitting spot, or a place for reflection and creative thought. And I swear time stops when you're on that cot!

This summer I had the luxury of spending a couple solitary days at the cottage and it was absolutely wonderful. This is definitely one of the biggest advantages of living in NS again - that I can take some time to go to the cottage and relax. I took a few books, a few movies with my laptop (there's no internet connection so I was still "unplugged"), and some knitting projects....and just relaxed. I didn't follow a schedule or routine - I ate when I was hungry, slept when I was sleepy, played loud music when I craved noise, and swam a couple times (though the slimy rocks and underwater growth put me off swimming in the end). It was as perfect as an earthly experience can be.
And then when the day ends, you get to enjoy the best view around...

...and the quiet solitude of a relatively uninhabited lakeside in the middle of backwoods NS (well, not far from Digby anyway) . Sadly, I didn't hear any loons, but there are always other birds, and the scampering of squirrels, and the lapping of the lake water on the shore.

Phew! I almost didn't get this post up today....now it's bedtime.
Read about what others are saying about their most comfortable places here.

The sky's on fire!

I had the privilege of witnessing one of the most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen during my vacation at the cottage. Naturally I grabbed my camera and tried to document it as best as I could . So now, as I post and try to decide which photos I like best, I realise it's impossible. I love them all! So here they are, every one of them, in order as I took them.

Leave a comment to let me know your favourite!

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Self-Portrait

Peggy's Cove at Dusk

A couple of weeks ago when a friend was visiting, we went to Peggy's Cove to watch the sunset. It was a picture-perfect evening - not cold or windy as it sometimes can get at Peggy's Cove. After stopping into the Sou'wester for gingerbread, we climbed over the rocks to get the best vantage of the sun. I've been meaning to upload these photos (and a short video clip) for quite awhile....

Christmas at the cottage

My grandparents did a wonderful job decorating, inside and out. Gramp did his best to make our cottage the most decorated on the lake, and Gram trucked some of her favourite decorations from home to set up in the cottage, including about 20 of these snowflakes which were hung from the rafters. Very pretty and festive .
And then there was the natural beauty...
Though we didn't have any snow over Christmas it did get cold enough for ice to form on the surface of the lake. As usual, the sunsets at the lake never disappoint!