Shearing day in Gaspereau Valley

I spent part of my EDO weekend in the Annapolis Valley, enjoying a little taste of the countryside for a change. I always feel refreshed after being home for a night. And this time of year is especially pleasant - with the lush greenery, newly ploughed and seeded fields, and the faint smell of manure in the air.

Today I did something a little diffferent though. My mother and I went to Gaspereau Valley Fibres to check out the shearing demonstrations and the International Back to Back Challenge.

We saw the cutest lambs (black and white!)...And then we watched Sarah Nettleton shear a Cotswold sheep...Sheep in a pen waiting to be sheared (or just sheared).

Sarah Nettleton demonstrating how to shear a sheep.

The newly shorn Cotswold wool.

After the shearing we checked in with the Nova Scotia team in the Back to Back Challenge. So, what's the Challenge, you ask?? It's a competition to produce a sweater straight from the sheep. A team of spinners and knitters get together and spin wool freshly shorn from the sheep and then knit the wool into a sweater. Last year the Toronto team won. Here's hoping the Nova Scotian team won this year!

Nova Scotian team hard at work spinning & knitting.

And how could I forget....a sight that made me giggle out loud. We caught a glimpse of Caprice, the Llama, after her turning being sheared.

Before (November 29, 2008):

After (June 6, 2009) :

Oh the indignity!
Poor Caprice!

Keeping my fingers crossed that I won a prize from their raffle today...but as I've not received a phone call, I guess I shouldn't get my hopes up too much. Though I was really hoping to win a MacAusland Woven Wool Blanket from PEI.

No worries, though, I didn't leave Gaspereau Valley Fibres empty-handed. I found a knitting book I've been wanting for a little while:

Folk Shawls by Cheryl Oberle

There are shawl patterns from around the world in this book, but the one I really have my eye on is the Kimono shawl. I picked up some lovely wool from Gaspereau Valley Fibre's spring yardsale that I hope will do the trick!

Okay, well that's all from me right now. It's been a lovely and productive day (I managed to squeeze in enough time to wash my car + AmourAll the bumpers so it looks brand new again!). I must get to bed if I'm going to get to church in the morning. The weekend's not through for me yet, however, and I hope to take some time on Monday to do a bit more sightseeing in the HRM.

My patio garden at dusk

So my patio garden is started. And I was ambitious! Here's what I planted this year:
Kale! (on the right), and romaine lettuce (on the left)...
Scotia tomatoes and basil in the black planter, and sweet green peppers in the white...
Trailing petunias in the hanging baskets...

...and a few others that still need to be potted.

I also learned another gardening lesson this year: sometimes it's not worth trying to start plants from seed. You can get cell-packs of vegetables for super-cheap at Kent or Home Depot or Farmer Clem's and when you're only buying enough for a patio garden, the expense is minimal. So next year, I'm not bothering with seeds, unless they're scarlet runners which are just plain fun to start from seed.

Assembled!

...Mostly!
I have yet to connect the propane and the igniter connection. But I found out my building super is willing to help with that (which is good as these are the things that make me a little nervous). If all goes well, I should be BBQing this weekend.

Any suggestions as to what I should BBQ first?

I bought a BBQ today!

This is what it will look like once it's put together. But it's a long way from looking like this now. I've got some assembly to do ...unless any of you, dear readers, would like to volunteer?!!

All you need is love.

Okay, so I'm going to make a confession that is going to inevitably lead to some taunting. As I mentioned it's been a crazy, crazy week full of conferencing and networking and people and being "on". Being an introvert (albeit with extroverted tendencies), this has left me with a desire to be reclusive this weekend and get a little "alone time" in.
So what have I done?
Nothing.
I've got my patio garden started, so the weekend wasn't a total bust, but aside from that this weekend certainly lacked any productivity. Instead I puttered and relaxed, and watched a movie. Here's where the confession comes in. The movie I watched is one that I've seen many times and each time it elicits the same emotional response - outright sobbing. The movie? I Am Sam.
Laugh and taunt if you will. I don't care. I still love this movie, and it's likely I always will.

I remember the first time I had seen this movie was in Toronto, in 2001, with S. It was the late show, I remember that much, because it was really late and cold (I think it was in January) when we walked back to our homes and I clearly recall being so incredibly emotionally drained from sobbing almost through the entire movie. But then, after a hard first semester, an emotional release was probably not a bad thing.

I had often thought about buying this movie, but I don't buy movies very often and I certainly don't pay full price for them if I can help it! So a couple of months ago I found the movie in a discount bin, ridiculously cheap...and I bought it. Since then, I've watched it a couple of times and enjoy it just the same, even though it makes me teary every time.

So what do I like so much about it? The underlying theme: All you need is love. The plot is about a mentally disabled man who tries to be the best father he can be for his daughter despite his lack of financial resources and his low IQ. All the while society is telling him that his best is not enough. The plot is heartwrenching (naturally), but also very well executed. All the while we're following Sam's plight, we get glimpses into his lawyer's life and see the other side of the dichotomy: a life of affluence and privilege, but without love. Also, when or if you watch it, look at how colour is used, specifically red, the colour of "love". I know full-well that this movie is highly criticised, and many of the critics complain of it being too manipulative and contrived, but who cares what the critics think! While I appreciate hearing what other people think, I can make-up my own mind, thank-you-very-much. Laugh if you will.

Phew!

It's been a very busy month. Busy with conferences and work and "Little" activities. When I get some free time I'll post something a bit more substantial.

4 more reasons ...

...why the cottage is my favourite place on earth:

1. Nosey geese trying to get as close as they dare to shore to see what's causing all the ruckus. We were at the the cottage for the annual clean-up day and, of course, making a lot of noise - the dogs barking, the chainsaw cutting trees, people talking and shouting over the chainsaw, etc.
We were also visited by a loon, but it didn't stick around for too long.
2. Gorgeous sunsets in the Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter! This was my first visit to the cottage in the Spring. As usual, I was able to stick around to see the sun setting over the lake and it did not disappoint.
3. Indoor plumbing that has, as a result, rendered this outhouse redundant! The cottage has had indoor plumbing and an bathroom for many years now, though I do remember a time when it didn't.
4. Mayflowers! I managed to find, with the help of my mother, a few remaining mayflower blossoms. Ironically, they blossom in April. It's been a long time since I've looked for Mayflowers, so now I have a better idea of what I'm looking for on my woodsy walks in the city.

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!