Life, Just a Different Location

How many of you out there think I am on a three month "vacation"?   I would have been tempted to agree with you, until  last week.  Some time between the several drives into town to take care of business (i.e. pay bills, fight with the tax office)  and the hours I spent riding a lawnmower, I realized this is not really a vacation, it's just life in a different location.  My suspicion has been confirmed today as TJ is working in the home office and my list of things I need to do gets a bit longer.  The wind is howling and the sun is shining and we are inside "working". 

Owning a property up here comes with it 's own blessings and curses. Mostly blessings. This year a good friend, I'll call her Curling Queen, became a home owner up here. She previously rented a place every summer and had lots of free time because she did not have to do all the jobs that come with owning a property.  "Who cares if the garden is not weeded and those walls need to be painted?...it's not mine...I think I'll go read a book on the beach." This year is an exciting year for her family as they make their new house a place they will enjoy for years. First, there is a lot of fixing up to be done though. Fixing up time conflicts with sitting on the beach time. Fixing up time also makes us very tired and consequently conflicts with going out at night time. Fixing up time can take over what used to be vacation! I have fallen victim to this same phenomena ever since we started working on the farmhouse.  Fixing up time can also be very rewarding though!

Curling Queen and her daughter are smiling because they are enjoying a little down time instead of shoveling or painting!

There are people who come up here for a week or two, rent a place and aside from a few mundane chores they spend most of their time sitting on the beach,  reading, playing golf and hanging out with friends and relatives.  They leave their responsibilities for a bit and go on "vacation"!  Before I go on too far,  I am not complaining!  You would know it if I were complaining!  There are times up here that seem more like vacation than others.  The next few weeks will seem like a stay-cation!  After a month of relative quiet and plenty of time to get those annual fixing-up-things-without-missing-too-much-fun done, we are entering the busy time at the shore.  The fixing up will just have to wait a couple of weeks. 

This candidate for "deck of the month" will have to wait until the Games are over for it's facelift.

On a completely unrelated note, this summer has been a summer of wildlife and I'm not talking about staying up all night drinking and dancing.  Along with the skunk, fox and racoon sightings on PEI I have seen a bear crossing the road and a deer right next to the road (alive) so far.  There was one unfortunate wildlife sighting in my yard this summer.  A baby deer (dead) was deposited in my yard by some mean animal.  It was a very small baby deer and I did not have the fortitude to remove it myself so I decided I needed to find a man!  This proved to be harder than I expected.  I must be losing my touch!  I had to call three! men before Georgia John came to my rescue. He removed the baby deer and drove it back into the woods and dropped him into the cirlce of life.  I have been relatively unsuccessful in luring the elusive yellow finches to my bird feeder but the hummingbirds are zooming in and out gulping the sugar water in the feeder on the window.  Sadie continues to stalk the squirrel that lives in the tree next to the shed.  They hold daily staring contests.

This is what Sadie does all day!

This is what the squirrel says all day...."You will never get me, sucker!"

Crafty Beer Business

Have you ever wanted to start your own business?  Known someone who started their own business?  I lack that entrepreneurial spirit but I do know people who are brave enough to go out on a limb and start their own business.  I admire them but I don't want to emulate them.  First of all, I am not really that creative.... the kind of creative that is part stroke of genius, part unique idea, part hard work and part passion.  Some people have both great ideas and the courage to market their great idea.  One of those people just happens to be my daughter. 

Take a girl who loves beer, loves to knit, has a bit of courage and a creative flair and what do you get?  A unique creation called BeerSox.  She has been knitting these for a while and now has decided to launch her own business. Which apparently takes a little money and a lot of energy!

BeerSox by The Caged Yarn

I will get to see the first major launch of the BeerSox in Denver this fall, exciting stuff.  Before this all happens though I guess she has to get the business to sprout wings and fly!  Since I can't offer any creative input I will do my part by getting the word out to the tens of people who read this here blog.  Check out her website   or her Esty website and enjoy the pretty colors and witness a small business beginning. 

They are great if you enjoy a good beer or even a nice glass of wine...like me!  Check it out!  I'll stick to writing and leave the knitting up to her!

The Dirt on Garbage

I had reason to celebrate on Monday....my trash did not get rejected!  No orange stamp of shame on my bags sitting on the side of the road for me!  If you think this is a small accomplishment then I have news for you.  Trash sorting up here is a serious business.  I have at least three written fliers explaining the trash sorting, classifications and schedule for the summer. 

Just a few rules to follow here when throwing things away

It seems that every year the regulations get more and more specific.  We arrived this year to a new green bin, or "bin of joy", as TJ fondly refers to it.  This lovely, expensive (I'm sure) bin is for compostable waste.  Things like leftovers if you ask me.  Used tissue and paper towels, paper plates, and the stuff we usually would put down the garbage disposal but we don't have one here so it goes in the "bin of joy".  Since we live on a farm, sort of, we just use our compost bin next to the garden for most of the fruit and vegetable waste, of the earth/back to the earth theory. 

Then there is the recycling which should be pretty simple by now.  We have been doing this for a long time, it hasn't changed much.  We are pretty good little recyclers and hope to stay that way.

Then there is the garbage situation.  They have required everyone to use clear plastic bags....so they can spy on your garbage and bust you if a tea bag sneaks into the garbage and they are in the mood to slap one of those orange stamps of shame on your garbage.  The garbage category seems to be getting smaller and smaller every year.  Pretty soon they will allow one small zip loc bag for your two week pickup, clear of course.  

What does everyone do with the stuff they don't allow in the garbage, recycling or compost?  Well, here in Nova Scotia they have the great trash extravaganza in July when you get to throw away just about anything.  The road is littered with toilets, old sofas, broken down bbq pits, carpeting, appliances, building materials, junk, more junk and more junk!  The road looks like a garage sale nightmare gone horribly wrong for about 2 weeks.  That is when the scavengers come shopping.   You think I am kidding?  I am serious!

Just doing a little roadside shopping?

I guess none of this is compost....?

So, every week I tentatively put out my clear bags for inspection and pickup and hope they take my garbage and I don't have to fish out whatever contraband is lurking inside. If I happen to fail garbage sorting, I get to hang onto my rejected trash for another two weeks until they come around and pick it up again.  I seriously think we need to make a new event for the games this year, Sort This Trash!



Mayberry North

Andy Griffith died....but Mayberry is not dead.  It exists in a small town in Nova Scotia.  After Andy's recent death the paper and the computer have been full of  scenes from the Mayberry shows from days of yore.  Many people comment that they miss the good old days of sitting on the porch, fishing with your buddy and your son, homemade pies, open windows with a fresh breeze, and knowing everyone... and everyone's business in town.  It occurred to me that I spend my summer in a place very similar to Mayberry. 

Canada Day was Sunday...and Monday (the Federal holiday).   I love this week in Canada!  First, I get to witness and participate in  Canada Day festivities and then a couple of days later I get to celebrate the 4th of July.  The week is full of fireworks, patriotism, parades, pot luck suppers and flag flying.  It would be hard not to get caught up in the celebrations!

On Canada Day I went to Pugwash for the parade and the Gathering of the Clans.  This was my first year to attend but it won't be my last.  The parade was a delight.  There were five, count them...5, Pipe Bands!  There were antique cars, floats, fire trucks, tractors and silly cars and horse drawn carriages.  I am sure the population of Pugwash doubled that day.  You really must see, so here is a little photo journey for you! 



Happy Canada Day!



Pipe Band from Dartmouth...helping make my day!

See?  Mayberry North!  I love the church in the background,.

It was a beautiful day for a sail, if you aren't into piping, highland games and dancing.

I wonder if Ontario Sailor heard this young piper playing from the shore... how perfect is this???!!!

Every time we saw something new I was taken by how scenic and iconic the entire day was!  The carnival atmosphere, the vendors selling hot dogs and kettle corn, the kids running around with hard earned stuffed animals, families out for a day of fun, music in the air and it was an absolutely perfect day weather wise.  There were bagpipers playing in competitions around the picturesque Cyrus Eaton house.  Each corner had a judge and a piper playing his or her best.  It was nothing short of a perfect setting for the competition.  I had no idea this kind of stuff happened anywhere other than movies and my imagination. 

He is being graded by the lady sitting at the table while the little boys in the window look out curiously

The view a lone would be something to toot about!



 There was also a highland games competition or in other words, large-men-in-kilts-throwing-heavy-things competition.  Yes, there was a lot of tartan and wool in Pugwash for Canada Day.  The games defy gravity and logic if you ask me!

Glad he remembered to wear those shorts!

 After we celebrated Canada Day for two days it was time to celebrate the 4th of July.  There are enough Americans here to coordinate a golf scramble and a pot luck supper for the day.  And not to be outdone by the Canadian holiday we will celebrate for two days as well!  Fireworks and BBQ tonight after the day of celebrating yesterday. 

I would say both countries have been honored and celebrated in style.  I think Andy would have liked it.

Gratuitous sunset shot!  Because you can never have too many sunsets.