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?

YouTube is addictive!

This week has been all about YouTube.

First of all, an amazing collection of Nova Scotian film has been uploaded to YouTube which includes fascinating footage dating from 1917-1957. One of my favourite films is the 1928 footage of the Cherry Carnival in Bear River. But there's hours and hours of film footage I've yet to see.

Speaking of hours and hours, if you have that much time, you should also check out a BBC series on YouTube called "The Supersizers Go....". It's all about food and it's completely addictive. Once you start watching, you won't be able to stop. Each episode focusses on a different era in British history, from Ancient Roman times to the 1980s, and everything in between. But the episodes aren't more specifically focusses on the food and the culture of eating from each of these eras. It's fascinating and hilarious as the two leads (a food critic and a comic) act the part and find out for themselves what life was like in that week's time period. Oh, and at times it's revolting - sooo many pigs heads were eaten, and grotesque fish dishes, and so much gross concoctions! Each episode is 60 minutes, but broken up into 10 minute segments on YouTube and I challenge you to watch just one episode! When I discovered this, I was glued to my computer for hours!

How to be Alone

Have you seen this short film? It's been floating around the internet for a couple weeks now.
It's a lovely piece with a lot of wisdom, not just for those of us who are single but also for those in relationships who find themselves lonely when they're alone.

Being alone doesn't have to be synonymous with lonely...
...."'cause if you're happy in your head, then solitude is blest and alone is okay."

Poem written and perfromed by Tanya Davis.
Filmed in Halifax.

Run Fatboy Run!

With permission, I'm posting this picture and video of a dear friend competing in the Dartmouth Natal Day Race. He did a fine job!And here he is crossing the finish line 6 miles (or 9.656064 km) later:

In case you were wondering, the title of this post is meant to be ironic. It is also a reference to a movie of the same title, which I'm told is hilarious and a 'must see'.

"No two sunsets are the same..."

I'm a little late posting a few pictures from my latest trip to the cottage. I debated about posting at all since my last visit was just a month ago, and only 3 posts ago. I mean, how many sunset photos can I post, before it becomes just more of the same? Well, as my grandfather says, no two sunsets are the same ... and this last weekend visit seemed especially lovely and worthy of it's own post.

I'm going say this particular weekend was especially lovely because of the company. It was the big July birthday/anniversary celebration and most of the family was able to get together (missed you uncle D. + cousin E.) . And we know how to celebrate in style...

...with a feast of lobster. And huge lobster at that! These crustaceans must've been about 2 lbs each. And wow, was it delicious!

After supper, G. and I went canoeing to check out a brook neither of us have noticed before that feeds into "the cove". We canoed past this derelict cabin, that's been abandoned for as long as I can remember.

There are so many nooks and crannies to be explored at the cottage. The lake is small, but the possibilities for exploration are endless. Such is the advantage of being in the backwoods. Here are a few pictures of the brook G. and I wandered along for a bit (there was even a little falls!).

And this year, for the first time in ages, I even went swimming in the lake. When I was younger, I didn't seem to be as bothered by slimy rocks, and underwater growth (lilypads, etc.) or creeped out by anything swimming under the surface that I couldn't see. But this year, after a rather sweaty canoe-ride, swimming in the lake seemed like a good idea. The water was incredibly warm and with water shoes I managed to forget about the bottom of the lake and concentrate on actually trying to swim.

And at dusk, we did something we haven't been able to do in ages because the summers have been either too dry - make a fire outside and roast marshmellows. Yum!

Last but not least, one of my favourite ways to waste away an afternoon at the cottage is with a book, in the quiet stillness of the day.

I picked up Dolores Claiborne by Stephen King from the library and quite enjoyed it. The novel is not structured in chapters but is a single account from Dolores Claiborne about how the events in her life unfolded. It was riveting and hard to put down (and not just because there weren't any chapter breaks!).

And that was the weekend! A delight as always.

Delighting in a good read

This is the view I enjoyed for a long afternoon at the cottage. And these were the sounds - a light breeze and the rippling lake against the wharf:

One of the delights of the cottage is the luxury to sit down with a good book and not have to get up for anything. It's a perfect place to shut out the world and immerse yourself in the world of your book. In my case, the book I was reading took me back to pre-American Civil War times in Kentucky. I finally finished reading Uncle Tom's Cabin, and I have to say this book shot way up to the top of my favourites. First of all I was completely caught off guard by the underlying themes. Yes, I knew the book was an indictment against the injustices of slavery and was very forward-thinking of its female author. In fact, Harriet Beecher Stowe has become a sort of hero to me now. The text, the language, is very pointed to particular social groups and at the time it was written in 1851 it had to have been very shocking to its readers. HBS was very counter-cultural and I dig that! But what I didn't expect was the message of hope and forgiveness in the midst of some of the worst kinds of treatment a human could endure by the hands of another. Uncle Tom's heartfelt desire was not really for his own earthy freedom, because he knew he would receive freedom in Heaven one day. No, his heartfelt desire was for his Master's freedom - freedom from that which has separated him from God, and freedom that comes from being released in forgiveness.

This is a long post, but I have to share these passages from the book with you. I hope they give you as much food for thought as they did for me. AND, if you haven't read Uncle Tom's Cabin - do!

On the abuses of slavery, the author writes to the reader:

"Patience! Patience! ye whose hearts swell indignant at wrongs like these. Not one throb of anguish, not one tear of the oppressed is forgotten by the Man of Sorrows, the Lord of Glory. In his patient, generous bosom he bears the anguish of a world. Bear thou, like him, in patience, and labour in love; for sure is he is God, "the year of his redeemed shall come." (Ch.12)

And when George, a slave who doubts the presence of God, finds refuge in a Quaker home:

"This, indeed, was a home, -- home, -- a word that George had never yet known the meaning for; and a belief in God and trust in His providence, began to encircle his heart, as with a golden cloud of protection and confidence, dark, misanthropic, pining, atheistic doubts and fierce despair melted away before the light of a living Gospel, breathed in living faces, preached by a thousand unconscious acts of love and good-will, which, like a cup of cold water given in the name of a disciple shall never lose their reward. (Ch.13)

And from St. Clare, on the hypocrisy of the church's support and justification of slavery:

"Religion! Is that what you hear at church religion? Is that which can bend and turn, and descend and ascend, to fit every crooked phase of selfish, worldly society, religion? Is that religion that is less scrupulous, less generous,less just, less considerate for man, than even my own ungodly, worldly, blinded nature? No! When I look for a religion, I must look for something above me, not for something beneath."

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.

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.

An Engineer's Guide to Cats

Corporal cuddling....tee hee hee!

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....

A sign of spring!

I was home for the weekend and was treated to the sounds of Spring - Peepers! It's so wonderful to be close enough to home that I can pop by for a weekend and enjoy a weekend away from the city sounds.

If you look carefully, you'll also see bats flitting through the video.

Riders on the storm

Post-tropical storm Noel has come and gone, and none of us here in my little corner of the world seem any the worse for wear. Millie and I hunkered down last night for a quiet evening in (taking a pass on a family birthday party) to listen to the storm.



In the video you'll see the start of the storm - heavy rain, the blowing bushes and trees, and the wind blowing the water on the pavement (it's being blown up the slope of the parking lot). It was quite spectacular. And that was only the very start at around 5pm. The worst of the storm hit around midnight, but I was sound asleep and missed it all.

About 3am, the wind took out the power. According to CBC about 150,000 households in NS were without power; 60,000 of those in Metro Halifax. So I made the best of a dark and stormy morning with lots of candles, my solar powered radio, and a good book.


I'm half-way through Imperial Woman by Pearl S. Buck, and quite enjoying it! It was a struggle reading this morning - all cozy under the quilt in candle-light. I kept falling asleep! Read 1 page, sleep for 20 mins, wake up to feed the cat, read 20 pages, doze for awhile. What a great way to spend a morning!

And while I was relaxing, Millie was keeping watch and guarding our apartment from any rogue leaves blowing by the patio door. This kept her occupied for hours, and was quite funny to watch.

Now it's back to normal. The storm has cleared, and the sun was out this afternoon. Our power came on at 4:30. I'm glad to have hot water again.

Being entertained by cats

Watch this!



Millie likes the new quilt, but definitely not the camera flash!

A little bit of silliness

Apparently I have too much time on my hands because I've just spent well over an hour watching YouTube videos. But then again, what else do you do on a stormy Saturday morning.

Here's what I've been watching:

Chad Vader: Day Shift Manager, episodes 1 to 8
John Dunham & Company (Walter, Achmed the dead terrorist, Peanuts & Jose Jalepeno*)

*some of the humour is in bad taste, but the rest is hilarious!

Experience DRUM!

A couple weeks ago I went to see DRUM! with my family. It was a fantastic production and exceeded my expectations in every way. It'll be going on tour later this month and I think you should go! Everyone should go.

The concept is similar to other percussion shows, except this has a storyline attached to it. Basically it presents the history of Nova Scotia's first settlers (Natives, Acadians, Scots, and Blacks, with a titch of English) to the rhythms of those cultures with a rather dramatic confrontation mid-way through.



Go see it.

Bloor & Bedford update

Today I witnessed the toppling of the red brick building that used to stand on the NE corner of Bloor and Bedford. I managed to capture some of it on video. Turn your volume up for Part 2 - you can hear an over-excited man behind me shouting.


Demolition - Part 1 (Taken on March 17, 2007)


Demolition - Part 2 (Taken on March 17, 2007)

This building used to be where you could find Crepes A GoGo and BoosterJuice and Mr.Sub - all staples for UofT students and locals.
Here are before and after photos of the progession of demolition:

Before:

Bloor & Bedford, before the stores closed. Taken Sept.17, 2006

After:

Bloor & Bedford, boarded up. Taken on Nov. 12, 2006.

Bloor & Bedford, demolished. Taken on March 17, 2007

They've been gradually demolishing all the buildings on that corner since about February. The ugly two-storey building that used to be Macs and Sunflower Florists and Platis Cleaners has long since been demolished and the concrete slab where the building used to sit is now used as a parking lot for the construction crew. Just this past week I noticed that they tore down the building that used to be Harvey's. It's just a matter of time before Swiss Chalet, and the rest of the buildings come down.

But this corner is not alone. There are major construction projects happening along this stretch of Bloor : Varsity Stadium, the Royal Conservatory (to open later this year), the ROM (to open later this year), and I noticed that the building where Pizza Hut is will be demolished (I presume) for another new condo development.