Calendars are very popular gifts at Christmas.

So can somebody please give Mother Nature one? Preferably one with the North American holidays on it. And maybe a kitten or puppy one, since she would probably like one of those. Not a Sports Illustrated Swimwear one. Or maybe.

Anyways, Mother Nature seems to have lost track of the season. Sing along with me here, 'I'm dreaming of a white Christmas...'. That's WHITE Christmas. Not green. Not brown. Not even plaid. WHITE. White means snow, which we have had in abundance for a month now. Until the last day or so. Now the temperature is up to almost 11C, the birds are flying home from the south, and there's talk of an early start to baseball season. What do we have to do to get an old fashioned take-it-to-the-bank-it's-going-to-be-a-white-Christmas kind of Christmas?

Oh yeah...stop global warming. Um...never mind.

She might still like a calendar though.

We're in the home stretch now.

Christmas is a mere day and a bit away, and since it's Christmas Eve Eve we can really feel the rush of Christmas spirit building. The house still needs some work to prepare for the big supper event, but the bulk of the shopping is wrapped up (pun intended) and we're settling in for a casual day of organizing and decorating.

We'd like to thank everyone that has welcomed us to our new home, and made us feel like a part of the community. You can't have Christmas without good friends and neighbours, and this year we will definitely be having a festive season thanks to all of you.

Do you hear the sleigh bells ringing?

That's the sound of Christmas being only 5 days away. Actually, 4 days away, since it's 12:22 am now. Are you ready?

My friend Jen dropped by work today to say hello. She was on her annual one day get-it-all-done-in-a-day shopping excursion. That's what I'll be doing tomorrow - my day off. Hit the internet and hit the stores in a one day, no holds barred combat shopping experience. So...if you're near Bayers Lake tomorrow watch for the streaks of light going past you. That'll be me.

A busy day on the social calendar

Yesterday was a busy day for Jeannette, what with the Bonds Christmas Cookie Exchange - a great idea since it involves each participating family to bake and bring cookies, that are then put into the selection, and you can then exchange them for an assortment from the ones brought by the other particpants - and then the annual lighting of the tree at Newport Corners.

During all of this she managed to get an invitation to join the Windsor Symphony Orchestra (or as Charlie Farquharson used to call them Sympathy Orchestra, "always going along threatening to break into a tune") as a Violinist . Now Jeannette hasn't played the violin in a few years, so I have a feeling she's a little rusty. There may be some noise coming from the house over the next while, so if you're passing by and it sounds like the cat's in trouble, it's probably just practice hour.

Ha ha ha, ha ha, ha, now that's a real knee slapper!

That's from an actual recording of Mother Nature watching me try to get my car up the driveway yesterday morning. With the 5 - 10 centimetres of snow that had fallen overnight it made the whole experience rather futile. Ultimately, I gave up after about 45 minutes and tried the Vue. That only took 15 minutes before I was on my way to Halifax.

We've been told that the amount of snow that we've had so far this year is as much as we had all of last year. No kidding. Timing is everything. It is still beautiful though, if you have the day off.

Know of any good snowblower deals?

It could happen to anyone

If you have a driveway that's covered with a couple of inches of snow, and sloped so that most people avoid it unless it's sunny and dry (see August in the dictionary) you may find yourself slipping, and then stuck in the snow. That's what happened today. Luckily the fine folks at CAA sent a tow truck to get the Vue out.

You can laugh now.

Did I mention that we live in the snow belt?

Another drive home in a snowstorm. Inevitably not to be my last. This is snow country, and it is beautiful, if not somewhat buried by now. Once again, very reasonable drivers all the way up the 101, with speeds staying within safe limits and a safe trip for all concerned. The CBC on the radio, a bit of snow hypnosis to battle with, but otherwise no problems.

I am glad that we chose here and not Wolfville, however. That would have been a bit much in this weather, since they're right in the heart of it.

Looks like things will even out

After entering the retail sector by joining Blacks Photography it looked like working on Boxing Day was going to be a given. That would mean only 1 day off for Christmas. Not exactly what most people would call a festive season. Things seem to be in the process of changing for the better, however. The Nova Scotia government, a minority government at that, announced today that they would support a bill by the rival Liberals that would make Boxing Day and New Years Day, along with Christmas Day, a holiday for retail workers. Woo Hoo!

It kind of balances out the whole Family Day in Ontario thing, that you may recall was announced shortly after we move here.

Bubbly anyone?

The hen's new home

We dropped the hen off to her new home this afternoon. She has 5 roommates, a warm and safe place to spend the winter. Thanks to the Bonds for taking her in. It's a great relief to us, especially after this taste of things to come this winter.

Ssssssssssssssssss

That's the sound of the air coming out of the climate change balloon. Mother Nature has given the movement a bit of a shot in the stomach with the recent snowstorms across North America. It's been years since we've had this much snow this early. I was a kid the last time you could take to the hills on a cafeteria tray in November. With these events people may be more inclined to return to apathy and reduce their commitment to the cause.

Al Gore et al. may have to pound some big drums to stay on track.

It's hard to snuggle up for warmth when there's only one of you

Since we have just one hen, and since the cold weather is gradually taking over it has been decided that the lone hen will move over to a neighbours to live with 5 other hens. This should ensure a happier hen, and a hen that stands a fighting chance at getting through the winter. We are definitely saddened by the prospect of losing her, but relieved that she will have some company.

To anyone who was expecting fresh eggs, sorry to disappoint you but production has now officially stopped for the winter.

Here kitty kitty kitty

Bring back the hen!

In the ongoing saga that is having hens we are now back down to only 1 hen in the henhouse tonight. In the morning we had 2. When we got home this evening and Jeannette went to put them to bed for the night she noticed that only 1 hen was ready to be tucked in. The other one was no where to be found.

When I went out to look around for the her I only found a set of feline footprints through the fresh snow. They were strategically placed and appeared to be placed very cautiously, at one point all 4 paws were together in a standing/watching pose.

Needless to say, the hen is gone and it looks like a linx or wild cat has something to do with it.

Speaking of Gizmo

There was a time when Gizmo would sit just out of reach of Logan and antagonize him. Then he would avoid him altogether. He has now started to eat Logan's food, while Logan is eating as well (probably because once Logan's finished there's nothing left to eat). Logan doesn't even seem to notice him there, though we do want Gizmo to realize that if he's not careful he could be a mouthful himself.

Lap cat. Lap dog. Lap hen?

We've had Gizmo sit with us on the lounger enjoying a roaring fire. We've had Logan sit with us while we watch TV. Yesterday, Jeannette was relaxing on the porch when one of the hens came hoping up the stairs, waddled over to her, and then jumped up into her lap. I wonder if Zoe the donkey is a lap ass?

While we're on the topic of driving

I travel just over half an hour each way to work. The drive is very straight forward, 2/3 of it on the highway. It means that I have some time to sit and listen to music, or whatever. Lately I've been listening to Ray La Montangue, Tom Petty, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and the CBC out of Halifax (to get the latest on what's happening in Canada). Last night I turned off the radio and just drove with the sounds of the road and the wind. On the 101 highway this wasn't particularly satisfying, since it's such a straight piece of road and without music there was no way to judge time passing (it was dark, so landmarks weren't visible).

On the twisty bits it was quite different. Sweeping through the corners and along the straights took on a different feel without the music or chatter. It was much more fun, even though I was abiding by all local traffic laws - no, really, I was. Honest, officer.

Give it a try. If you are driving on a twisty bit of road turn off the music and let yourself get into the groove of driving. It's actually quite different. If you're on the highway crank the tunes as high as they'll go because it can get mind numbingly boring on those long-straight-nothing-but-trees stretches.

We've gone green

Yes, we've gone green - valve caps that is. As mentioned in an earlier post, nitrogen has been deemed the way to go when it comes to pumping up your tires. So now that we have new snow tires on the Vue we'll be testing out the new 'air'. So far everything seems just fine, with a smooth ride on both roads and highways. The real test will be the leakage test, because nitrogen 'air' isn't supposed to leak through the tire walls the way oxygen 'air' does.

A Titanic decision?

Celine Dion has decided that she doesn't like the fact that Halifax media doesn't like her. So, she's decided to cancel her show here as a result. Okay. There are probably a number of reasons why some Haligonians have little interest in seeing Celine Dion, like the Las Vegas casino/theatre that was built for her (and later given to Cher for her show) that wasn't in Canada, or that she's been on a steady decline since she took on the above mentioned show. Or, it could be the 1 million dollars she got to appear in Air Canada commercials at a time when people at the airline were losing their jobs. It could also have something to do with negative PR over other non-artistic activities in Las Vegas.

Perhaps the real reason why there's been so much negative media coverage of her is that she's not as relevant anymore. She hasn't really done anything worthwhile since that Academy Award winning song from the movie Titanic. Ironically, there a number of victims of the sinking of the famous ship in a cemetery in...well...Halifax. Take that Alanis Morrisette!

A trivial pursuit, for sure

Finbar's Pub in Bedford. Any Wednesday night (starting at 7). Useless Knowledge Trivia Night! NTN doesn't have a chance against this. It pits team against team in an all out battle for the Useless Knowledge crown. Questions like:

What Baseball team ranks 4th in value?

How much water is contained in a swimming pool 6 metres deep X 2 metres wide X 3 metres long? A side question could be, 'who'd build a pool that's shaped like a flower vase?'

What music group contains Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford?

If you apply acid to litmus paper what colour does it change to? Blue or Red.



It's a multi round extravaganza of odd questions that you'd need a good internet connection and a small device - say a Blackberry, to really cheat...er...work your way to the top at. The lucky thing is that Finbar's happens to have WiFi, so all I need now is a Blackberry, or a way to make this laptop look like a plate of fish and chips.

BTW - Finbar's has the best Curry and Chips going. Awesome!

How long would it take you to repave 5 km of road?

If you are in any major city this might take 6 months to a year. If you are in the Toronto area it might take 6 years to a decade. If you are in Ardoise it takes about a month. Yes. A month.

The road crew (consisting of about 10 people) started by digging out new drainage ditches. They moved on to removing the surface of the road in preparation for new asphalt. As of today we have a new, smooth road, new painted lines, and no more construction crews slowing our way from here to the 101. Now that's the way a road crew is supposed to work. Not by having 30 people take forever interrupting everyone for ages and making a 5 minute drive a 1 hour nightmare. Progress? Nope. Work ethic. Probably.

Donkeys aren't really asses after all.

It turns out that horses can get lonely. It also turns out that donkeys make great companions for lonely horses. Zoe, the local donkey, was specifically brought in to keep a horse at a local farm company. They have become fast friends, and are always seen together. So, Shrek couldn't have picked a better sidekick (Well, he didn't really pick his sidekick. The sidekick kind of picked him. Maybe that's how Zoe got in with the horse?)

A very fashionable affair

The Frenchy's Fashion Show was a huge success. The community centre was full to capacity, with standing room only at show time. The models were all very stylish, and the dual MCs were very busy keeping the crowd entertained both during and between outfits. Rounding out the evening were the tasty cheesecakes prepared by the volunteers and models. Definitely a very enjoyable way to spend an evening.

Jeannette's wearing a classic casual night out dress with matching accessories

Tomorrow night is the fund raiser for the Newport Corner Community Centre. Featuring a fashion show of Christmas offerings from Frenchys, a local previously enjoyed clothing store, the itinerary also includes home made cheesecake, and coffee or tea. Jeannette, Sharon, Sarah, and a cast of tens will begin the show at 7:00 pm Atlantic time, and it will run until all of the models have taken to the runway. See you there.

Happy Birthday Logan!

Logan is 1 today. See details here.

For the first month only the trucks will change.

There's a joke with this punchline that has been floating around for years. It's one of those (Insert city/province/state/country that you would like to make of here) jokes and it suggests that roads are going to change from driving on the right (or left, if you happen to be in the UK, Australia, or any other country that drives on this side) to the other side. The punchline suggests that as a test it's only going to be trucks for the first month. Har Har Har!!!

Imaging my surprise as I drove east on 101 this morning, after following the icy Old HWY 1 to get there, to find a Maritime-Ontario tractor trailer facing me as I came over the crest at the old garbage dump. Those of you who are familiar with the 101 into Bedford-Dartmouth-Halifax will know where I mean.

It was not sideways. It was not in the ditch. It was not moving, thankfully. It was, however, facing the wrong way, with no apparent damage - though I would suggest that the occupant may have needed either a clothing adjustment or a hug, neither of which I was prepared to offer. Further along there were cars in the ditch, also facing the wrong way. When I say further along I mean Further. Again, no apparent damage.

Now that you have all of the info that I have, please explain what the heck happened, because I sure can't figure it out. How did a tractor trailer end up completely turned around on a highway that isn't nearly wide enough for it to just spin 180 degrees? Where did the other cars come from? And NO, the tractor trailer was not a car carrier, it was a completely closed trailer.

Things that make you go hmmm...

Late to bed, early to rise...

makes one wish they could win the lotto, first prize.

I don't know where that came from, it just popped into my head.

The change from daylight savings to regular daylight has meant that it gets dark around 4:30/5:00. That means that if you get up for work at 6:30 it's dark, and you get home from work at 6:30 it's dark. So the winter doldrums aren't too far off. Except that we have Christmas to enjoy before the real doldrums set in. Then we have a winter with snow and, potentially, skating on frozen ponds to enjoy before the doldrums set in. Then we have the evening fires in the woodstove, and watching Logan jump around and play in the deep snow to enjoy before the doldrums set in. Then we have the spring thaw and the budding trees and gardens to enjoy, before the doldrums set in. Then we'll realize that we've passed through winter, before the doldrums set in.

Now, where was the garden again? Was it underneath that large snowbank behind the garage, or the one towards the old stump? In no time we'll have flowers blooming there.

It was a dark and stormy night

and since it was so stormy, and so dark (not to mention cold, and I'd just driven 1 1/2 hours through a snowstorm to get home) I forgot to a/ turn off my wipers, and b/ lift them off the windshield to prevent snow from freezing them into a solid mass.

As a result I now have a fried windshield wiper motor. Doh! What are the chances of it raining or snowing over the next few days? What was the address for the local weather again?

The moral: remember to lift your blades before leaving your car for the night.

I've got good news and I've got bad news. The good news is the road just got plowed...

There are very specific specifications for the placement of a mailbox. They are designed to allow the efficient delivery of mail to rural addresses. The postal carrier drives down the road, stopping at each house, reaches out the window and places the mail in the properly erected mailbox. This works quite well, in summer, spring, and even fall.

There are also very specific specifications for the plowing of snow from roadways. These are designed to allow the maximum lane width for vehicles using the throughway.

These 2 specifications are in direct conflict with one another.

On a subsequent pass the snow plow cleared quite a bit more snow, and surgically removed the mailbox from the post, depositing it in the snowbank 10 feet away. Now that's a dead eye with a plow.

Insert favourite holiday theme here

We had a little snow last night. The first of the season. The power went out about 10:30 - came back on this morning at 11:10. Once again, Sunday morning without power. My day off. I think I'll start working Sundays so that there's a better chance the power will stay on.

BTW - I drove from Halifax to home last night at 10:00. The roads were snow covered, with more snow falling. Over the course of the entire drive I only saw one car slid off the road. Everyone else was driving for the conditions, and the congo line took it very easy all the way up the 101. I was relieved and very impressed, since there's always a strong possibility of someone in a Jeep or SUV driving way past the limit and ending up either in a ditch, or playing bumper cars with the other people on the road.

You can't go 'home'

If you do, be prepared for a surprise. The photo above is of our former house on Thirty Fifth Street. Notice the fine details around the windows. The wood trim, and hardwood floors, and the line of the roof. That was how houses were built 85 years ago. Built to last.

Needless to say there's a bit of work to be done to bring it up to modern standards.

You meet some interesting people when you travel

The world is full of stories. When you stay at a hotel, in any city or country, it's safe to say that most people aren't from around there. When you take a few minutes to chat with your fellow travellers you find out some interesting things, some of which are surprisingly coincidental.

For example, my brother-in-law's brother Peter recently started working with a company doing restoration work for people who's houses have been damaged by water, fire, or some other disaster. Needless to say he's quite busy right now after the storm that we just had through the atlantic region.

In the parking lot of the hotel is a truck with the name BMS Catastrophe on the side. Could they be in the business of causing catastrophies? It turns out that BMS Catastrophe is one of the worlds largest restoration companies. They have had as many as 2000 employees working around the world re-building commercial, industrial, and residential properties damaged by every possible catastrophe (hence the name). They've worked on the Trade Towers after 911, Hurricane Katrina damaged buildings in both Louisiana and Florida, and even projects in the UK. The one thing that they have in common with Peter, thousands of miles away, is that they help people get their lives back. Putting a house back together after such a devastating experience is probably the best thing that you can do for someone. Imagine going to a job like that everyday?

So big they should have named it twice.

However, Toronto Toronto doesn't roll off the tongue.

Flying into the city after being in Nova Scotia for a few months really feels odd. The city is so huge that the lights seem to go on forever. In reality, they almost do. While Halifax airport is set among the lakes and trees, Toronto airport is nestled into what feels like the middle of the city. The GTA sprawls out in every direction, with few dark spots representing natural greenspace (we flew in after dark).

The passenger beside me had never visited TO before, and when I pointed out the 401 as we landed said, "Geez, there must be 16 lanes!" Yes, 16 lanes of non-stop traffic. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It seems so huge now, compared to the 101, with it's 4 lanes and the 5 or so minutes of rush 'hour' as we get into the heart of Halifax.

BTW - it's snowing here now. They anticipate 5 - 10 cm of snow overnight. Needless to say, that made the drive from the airport a long and joyless experience. But the hotel is okay, and the food in the restaurant is equal to the challenge thrown down by my stomach. I'm going to do what I can to get back to the old neighbourhood to see how the house is progressing.

Exodus causes shortages everywhere

The local papers are full of ads for jobs in Alberta, yet there are plenty of jobs here in Nova Scotia. From Cape Breton to Yarmouth there's a severe shortage of labour. So severe, in fact, that people are waiting months for electricians, plumbers, gas fitters, and even retail help. The new Dartmouth Crossing retail complex is expected to need to 15000 employees. The problem is there aren't 15000 people available to take the jobs. Nova Scotia has a severe immigration problem. There aren't enough people coming into the province to fill the need, and there are thousands of people moving out west to Alberta to fill the jobs there. What to do?

Those power lines sure are strong

As I passed by the leaning tree of Mt. Uniacke this morning, and it was still leaning over the road, it struck me how strong the lines are. With the wind and the strain from the weight you'd expect the whole thing to come crashing down. Not yet. It does seem awfully precarious though, what with the road being right below. I'm sure that someone will notice before I get back on Friday. Either that or I'll be taking a detour.

The hangover continues

Even though post-tropical storm Noel has moved on to Northern Newfoundland and Labrador the effects still linger on. People who suffered extreme damage when Juan came through a few years ago were cleaning up again. Chimneys, decks, roofs, and windshields were smashed by debris and falling trees. Computer systems and electronic devices were knocked out and, in some cases, took most of the day today to get back to normal. People everywhere were discussing the impact of the storm, and some still did not have power as of this morning at 7:00 am (we consider ourselves lucky in that regard). This is an annual event, and though most of the country waits for winter to hit the atlantic provinces have this to look forward to every November. While it was a potentially dramatic, or even traumatic event it turned out to be another example of the resiliency of the everyone involved.

We've got the POWER!

Yes, you read correctly. Just before we were about to have dinner with a few neighbours the lights came on and we were suddenly brought back into the 21st century. Much rejoicing ensued, since the light was about to give way to evening darkness, and it meant that we could watch the Patriots/Colts game. Well, actually, I was rejoicing the latter more than anyone else.

We now have all of the tools necessary to survive a sustained outage, though it was a relief when things went back to normal because it was going to make getting ready for work tomorrow and my trip to Toronto on Tuesday much more difficult otherwise. Now I can sleep in tomorrow and not have to worry about trying to iron my shirt with a hot rock from the woodstove.

You do what you have to do

Since we don't have power (see tree photo) we have resorted to using an inverter in the truck to try and keep the laptop charged. Jeannette has some work to do over the next few days so with a few drives she should be able to get some of it done. It also means that I may not be updating as regularly in order to conserve power. The advantage to taking a drive is that you can sit in the library parking lot and access high-speed wireless. Woo hoo!

If a tree falls and the wind is so loud that you can't hear anything but, does it still make a sound?

A quick assessment of the damage from the storm last night revealed no surprises this morning. We've lost a few branches, which were scheduled to be dealt with anyways, and some of the lattice for the porch and deck were knocked askew, but otherwise we are as good as rain (no pun intended, really).

Here are a few shots of what was in complete darkness last night (okay, early this morning). The storm has moved on now, and only a few last gasps of wind remain to remind us of what it was like a few long hours ago. If you compare the shot above of the sheds next door to the rainbow shot from a previous post you can see the damage and the fallen trees that they suffered. I would be surprised if there weren't much worse situations all over the east coast.

On the practical day-to-day front we are still without power, and current assessments have it back by Tuesday at noon. This means some alternative methods for doing things, and I can't watch the Patriots/Colts game this afternoon, but since we have a woodstove and propane for cooking we are good to go. A neighbour has a generator (actually, most do) so we can put some frozen food in their freezer to prevent spoilage. Nothing we can't overcome. Hmmm...Bedford has power...and TV. Maybe I'll have to make a trip in to...um...get supplies. What time was kick-off again?

BTW - I never thought I'd say thank heaven for dial-up, but in this case it's been a good thing to have. The laptop battery has been holding up quite well too. We've been lucky all around.

Things that go bang in the night

The power has been out for about an hour now. It meant that the calming sound of the wind rushing through the trees was joined by the battery back-up beeping sound from the living room. As if that wasn't enough to wake us from our troubled slumber, we then heard a loud intermittent banging sound. In the darkness it was difficult to see where the commotion was coming from, but a change in the light revealed a large object swinging against the garage - the garage door. The wind had pushed aside the deck post block weighing about 30 lbs as if were made of paper mache. The chicken coop door had also been blown open, and the hens were huddled inside looking somewhat confused.

After pulling the Vue into place to prevent the garage door from continuing its late night tug of war with Noel, I nailed the chicken coop door closed and then scanned the area for other signs of disturbance. The outdoor fireplace, once a single unit waiting for wood and some pyromaniacal attention, now lays in 2 parts, separated from each other by a gust or gusts unknown.

Everything else seems to be holding up. The old TV antenna, long since replaced by the pizza dish to space, can be seen shifting around on its wall anchors as the wind gusts through its skeletal form. The fire indoors occasionally falters as it fights with the forces acting upon the chimney.

In the darkness, and when the flashlight is off it is DARK, it's very eerie. There's a combination of fascination and danger. Listening to the wind through the trees, and visualizing the crowns being bent at extreme angles, is almost hypnotizing. Then the vision of the outdoor fireplace head flying through the air brings you back to reality and you quickly find the doorway to the warmth and safety of the laptop. Well, at least I do anyways.

Waiting to run out of daylight savings

In a few minutes we set the clocks back an hour, as we go from agricultural life to hibernation. It's unfortunate that it had to happen tonight, because it means another hour of heavy rain and high winds - at times you can feel the house shudder as the gusts slam into walls. We're ready to settle in and listen to the storm in the darkness - darkness that may or not be a result of the power being out, since it's been flipping off and on for a while now. Luckily, the only thing we've seen passing by in the wind so far has been a chair on the porch, which flew by the window going one way, and then the other.

It's lucky we live in the country...

it'll be a lot easier to rustle up 2 of every animal from here.

I'm not trying to say that the rain is heavy, but former Hurricane Noel is definitely bringing some serious moisture to the area. Driving home from Halifax the wipers were on high and the speed on medium. There was so much water on the highway that at times it looked like a river running across the lane.

Now that I'm home, the wind has picked up, and at times the rain sounds like a sandblaster taking the paint off the house. The satellite dish is having a hard time staying in contact, and we're expecting a power failure any

The hatches have been battened

As the atlantic provinces brace for the remnants of Hurricane Noel - and memories of Juan are dredged up - we have loaded the house with firewood, locked the patio furniture in the garage, and taken down anything that could be wisked away to the land of OZ. Coming from Ontario we are accustomed to weather forecasts that are somewhat less than accurate. Storms, rain and snow, have been predicted before and when a sunny day results we become jaded to the Chicken Little world of meteorology. Not so here in Nova Scotia. When the call is for weather that requires neighbours to watch out for each other, it's taken seriously. As seriously as 130 kph winds and 70 mm of rain can be.

Back in the USSR...

Well, actually, back in Ontario. It figures that the first Halloween we have in our new house, in our new province, in the new neighbourhood, and I'm back in Ontario on business. It feels a bit strange being here. Jeannette has had a few trick and treaters, so that should make the work that she put into decorating feel worthwhile. I'm very glad for that, and the neighbours who took the time to dress up and drop by to make her halloween a good one.

It was interesting talking to somoeone who talked about driving to London to visit their grandchildren. At first I thought 'geez, that's a long drive'. Then I realized that it;s only 6 hours from Ottawa. Amazing how quickly you become aclimatized to your new surroundings. I'll be glad to get back home tomorrow night. I miss it already.

Oh, one other thing...

BOO!

Orange is the colour of hunting season

You read correctly. Orange is the fall fashion colour of choice, because to wear any other colour would be...well...ill advised. Hunting season has started, so the sound of gun shots can be heard from the adjoining acreage. This means that walking the dog and enjoying the woods around the house is out of the question until February 28th, when hunting season ends. In the meantime we'll be wearing our orange vests and leaving the deer calls behind. By the way - what does a deer call sound like?

Ah the country. Peace and...peace and...PEACE AND...QUIET!

It's no wonder legends like that of the Screaming Banshee have existed throughout history when you sit on a porch in the evening. As the last of the late night cars descends into the distance, and the quiet returns again you soon realize that you are not alone. Owls, Coyotes, and creatures that make an odd rustling noise - not big enough for bears, not small enough to avoid making an odd rustling noise - slowly begin their symphony. A symphony that can sound like you are being surrounded, and hunted. Calls from one position, and answers from another, sound like the chatter between 2 or more predators seeking to surround you. So it's no wonder that people who travelled the forests late at night would be scared stiff at the sound of a bats sonar, or the call of a wolf. They didn't have Discovery Channel to explain what those sounds were. They only had the legend of the Banshee.

Milk, eggs, a pound of ground beef, and a bottle of red wine

Yes, you read correctly. That's a shopping list that you could fill in one store. Of course, we wouldn't need the eggs because we have our own egg production facility - one egg per day, mind you.

So, welcome to the 21st century. Here we can conserve fuel, time, and personal energy by being able to get supplies in one fell swoop - kind of like the hawk that keeps attacking the local poultry, only with 4 tires and a radio. But wait, that's not all. Soon there'll be a Petro Canada that will become a NSLC authorized agent. That means we'll be able to gas up, get groceries - albeit convenience store level groceries - and pick up a little something to go with dinner, all at the same place.

Now, to most of you out there this probably seems like a thinly veiled dig at Ontario for staying in the dark ages by preventing the corner store from carrying liquor of any kind. Far from it. Well, not far far from it, but far from it. What it means to us is that we don't have to drive all the way to Windsor or Sackville just to get a 6 pack of Alexander Keith's for the game. It means we can drive 10 minutes, instead of 20. It means reducing greenhouse gases, and frivolous fuel usage. More importantly, it means we can forget to stop on the way out of the city, and still get what we want close to home. Bravo NSLC. Bravo.

All things look brighter in the morning light

As the sun slowly advances from dawn to high noon, the natural world comes alive with colour and splendor to make any artist run for canvas and brush. Even in the fall, as flowers and colourful leaves are slipping into memory there's still plenty to see. These photos were taken this morning in our garden. There was a light rain last night, which left a few beads of water that caught the sun, and called out to be captured.

Wasn't that a party - part 2

Halloween is only 4 days away, and that means Halloween parties this weekend. Our neighbours, Philip and Sharon, pulled out all the stops and got the neighbourhood together for an evening of great food and socializing.

The 'hot' item on the menu was Jason and Roxanne's Jalapeno poppers, which Jeannette found especially good in groups of 2, though her sweating taste buds might argue the point. Philip cooked up some awesome skewers, with chili, hash brown casserole, and Martha's pasta dish making up just some of the various offerings.

Philip and Sharon also rated the halloween decorating on the street, with Darryl winning the Grand Prize for the best display on the street, and Martha being awarded the best combined Halloween/Christmas theme. We were honoured with an award and trophy for Best Halloween Decorated House Newest Neighbours thanks to Jeannette's work on the porch.

Thanks Philip and Sharon for a great time. There's something in the air about Christmas and New Years, I hear.

If they were alive today they'd be 300 million years old

Joggins Nova Scotia is the home of the oldest recorded reptile fossils. These reptiles would become dinosaurs 100 million years later, following a fair growth spurt I would suspect. The reptile in question is the Hylonomus lyelli, and it is similar in appearance to a gecko and about 30 centimetres long. Scientists have found numerous fossils left behind after the animals became trapped in hollow tree trunks, and then buried under layer after layer of sediment. One can still their voices calling 'throw down a rope!' and 'Guys. Guys! This isn't funny! Whoever pushed me is going to pay for this.'

The ferry is a fun way to travel

Back to the ferry for a minute. The ferry has always had a certain mystique about it. Something to do with driving your car onto the ship, snacking and sightseeing the whole way across, and then driving your car onto a part of the planet which would otherwise be impossible to get to by car.

Ferrys now have satellite TV, slot machines, and french fries with gravy - mmmmmm. They also have state of the art navigation systems that enable it to travel in the most hostile of conditions. Conditions that would probably mean you wouldn't be ordering french fries with gravy.

It's nice to know that the old ways of navigating are still around though. The seagull escorts, for example. They stayed with the ship the whole way, floating just above the bow of the ship. It was almost as if they were watching for rocks as we went. Of course, once we got to the other side there was the familiar sight of a lighthouse standing tall and prepared for action. Comforting sights, both.

You don't suppose the seagulls were actually looking for french fries, do you?

It only took 12 kilometres of concrete to unify a nation

Well, okay, Newfoundland needs a bridge too in order for the whole 'unify a nation' thing to be true. How about 'It only took 12 kilometres of concrete to link PEI with New Brunswick'? Or, 'It only took 12 kilometres of concrete to unify a part of the nation with another part'? Doesn't quite have the same ring to it, does it? Oh well...if it got your attention that's what matters. It's like headlines in newspapers, movie trailers, and political speeches - they don't have to be entirely accurate, as long as they get you to read/watch/listen. Still there? Okay.

Anyways, the Confederation Bridge was built to bring New Brunswick (and the rest of Canada) together with PEI. Those 12 kilometres of concrete connect a beautiful island world with the rest of the country. No longer cut-off from New Brunswick, and the rest of Canada, PEI has a link that enables it to provide more opportunities for islanders, and still maintain the essence that makes them who they are. It's a pretty cool drive too, especially the bump in the middle.

In Memory

Jeannette's 'Great Uncle Bobby' was laid to rest today in a pastoral setting close to the place that he had called home as a child, and every summer as an adult. Robert Burke Ness was a good friend to Jeannette's mother Roberta, and will be missed by family, friends, and his extended family. His friendship and generosity will always be remembered, and appreciated.

Anne doesn't live here anymore

We travelled to Cavendish, a town about 30 minutes from Charlottetown this evening to have dinner with Jeannette's Great Aunt Pauline. The town is the home of Avonlea, and after September it is a virtual ghost town. Cottages, amusement rides, restaurants, even the local Petro Canada are all dark and closed until May. It's a strange thing to see all of those buildings quiet and unused. Apparently it's quite the opposite come summertime when the area is jammed full of tourists.

It's free to come in, but it'll cost you to leave

We're on our way to PEI today. We're taking the ferry from Caribou (Pictou) to Woods Island. A round trip costs $69, all in. But the interesting catch is that it costs nothing to get on the ferry to go over. The only time you pay is when you want to come back. So, don't spend all of your money while you're there, or you'll be staying to wash dishes until you raise enough.

Turn left where the old Taylor place used to be.

Seriously. We found this in the UK, and it happens here too. When you are given directions they usually involve landmarks. Landmarks that are, in some cases, no longer there. A reference to something that's been gone for some time is more common than you might expect. So you have to be prepared with a map, or some other way of finding your way around when the situation arises.

How do you know when you're almost here? Look for the barn and stables as you come down the hill.

My new car!

We were at a fundraiser for the Newport Corner Community Centre on Monday night. We attended a similar event at the Ardoise Community Centre a week earlier. The event is an auction/raffle type affair where you buy tickets that are numbered - 25 for $5.00 in this case - and items are arranged around the room with a container of some kind associated with each. When you find an item that you want to 'bid' on you simply place a quantity of tickets in the container. At the end of the viewing/bidding period a ticket is drawn from the container and the number called out. If you have that number you get the item. Simple.

We were completely shut-out of the Ardoise event. Not even the chocolate macaroons were meant for us that day. But Monday I was the lucky guy who drove away with the car. It's a pretty sweet ride, and looks great on the bookshelf...er...in the driveway.

Jeannette brought home what she wanted as well. The Outhouses Address Book, a $10 gift certificate to Shur Gain (a feed store here), a Dooly's Windsor license plate for the front of the Vue (Dooly's is a bar that has pool tables, etc. There are a bunch of them here), and a bag of potting soil.

Next time, I'm hoping for the 5 litres of oil and the windshield washer fluid.

The Bridges of West Hants County

When you're cruising along the winding road towards home, or away, glancing at the horses and cows as you go you'll come upon one of the bridges in West Hants County. There's a strong possibility that it's a single lane bridge. While it saves on construction costs it can be a bit interesting to encounter another vehicle at the same time. What are the rules of the road in this case? I'll let you know when I find out.

Nothing lasts forever

The fall colours in the valley are everywhere, but with the recent high winds here in Ardoise we've lost quite a few of the leaves from the trees. It's only a matter of time before we'll be looking for fall colours on the ground only.

18 holes of fall goodness.

There's nothing better than being among the fall colours on a warm sunny day. Well, how about playing a round of golf at an awesome golf course in the Annapolis Valley. Well, that's what Jason, my neighbour, and I did today. Probably because it was a workday the course was fairly open, with little pressure to hurry up our game - which came in handy when I was looking for errant shots in the woods, which happened a fair bit but it couldn't ruin a great day.

Use it or lose it.

According to Einstein we only use 10% of our brain, and there are numerous examples that some of us use far less than that. Recent studies have shown that it is possible to get back some of your brain power through various exercises. A few months ago I was able to buy a Nintendo Wii - a very hard thing to find, still - and we've had numerous people try it out. People who would otherwise not give a video game a second glance have played for hours, because it's actually fun and interactive.

Stephanie is into the puzzle type games. There is a title for the Wii called Brain Academy. She does very well at it. Me not so much. I haven't actually used my brain this way in a long time. But after playing it a few times I found that doing the activities did get much easier. Practice, and stretching those areas of the brain where cobwebs have formed really did pay off.

Well, you don't have to go out and buy a Wii to test this theory on yourself. There are websites that have brain activity content that you can use to get back some of that brain power that you've lost, or is in hiding behind your high school prom memories. Lumosity is one example. It offers a free trial, so you've got nothing to lose but the cobwebs. What will you do with your revitalized mental acuity? You might remember where you parked the car next time you're at the mall.

The mystery of the missing hen may be solved.

This evening Jeannette was sitting on the porch having a read when a hawk swooped down to steal one of the remaining hens. There was much screaming and cowering that ensued, but ultimately both hens were saved. If you were to come by the house and look at the front part of the porch you would find quite a few feathers adorning the plants. This is the result of the combat with the hawk.

In the end, we had 2 frightened hens, one startled Jeannette, and one hungry hawk.

Why do we get better gas mileage in Nova Scotia?

Could it be because we don't have a flat, aerodynamic-as-a-brick license plate on the front of our cars. I'm not sure whether it makes a difference or not, but the car does look a lot cleaner without that front accessory.

So we've now moved from the 2 plate system in Ontario to the single plate one in Nova Scotia. It's meant an MVI (Motor Vehicle Inspection), new insurance (1/3 the cost of the same coverage in Ontario), and a new drivers license. All of this was done without any headaches, hair pulling, or fist pounding. What a nice change that is.

Has anyone ever told you that the air in your tires needs changing?

This used to be a common ploy played out on unsuspecting car owners at service stations. It looks like it may be a reality soon, and 'air' that you'll be changing to will be nitrogen.

We took our cars to a local service station to have them inspected for registration transfer to Nova Scotia, and we got into a conversation about nitrogen in tires. As it turns out there is a major change coming over the next few years as the big auto companies are introducing nitrogen filled tires on all brand new models. The rims are fitted with a sensor that's part of the valve stem, and this system will constantly monitor tire pressure. Nitrogen, apparently, does not change pressure, unlike conventional 'air'. This means that if you have 32 psi when you start off you will still have 32 psi after driving for 30 minutes. Great. Less expansion of the tire, less wear and tear.

There are a number of other advantages to nitrogen, including the fact that it doesn't degrade the tire composition, isn't effected by cold since the moisture content is so low, improves fuel economy.

The down side to this new system is that working with it will take considerably longer, and could result in much higher costs to the consumer for routine tire rotation and tire changes. This is as a result of the increased work involved in removing the tire from the rim, and then recalibrating the tire sensor computer to account for the movement of the wheels from one location to another.

The other problem is that nitrogen will cost money. $5 to $8 per tire. This means that service centers, dealerships, and gas stations may say that you're getting nitrogen, but how can you tell? Without a sensor gauge, that costs $1000 to buy, you'll have no way of knowing whether you spent $32 for nitrogen, or $32 for plain old 'air'.

I wonder if helium would have been better. That way you could release a little from the tire, and if your voice didn't sound like Alvin the Chipmunk you would know that you got 'hosed'.

Condos come to Windsor

30 odd minutes (truthfully, 45 minutes) from Halifax is an old textile mill that's being converted to condos. Windsor is a city of approximately 4000 people, and predominately 50+ year old homes, a library (with wireless internet access), an Atlantic Superstore, The Woodshire Inn (see previous post for info), and some incredible views of the Minas Basin (pictures to come, once I have high and low tide for comparison). It's also close to the wine region near Wolfville - home of Acadia University - and the agricultural heartland of the Annapolis Valley.

The old textile mill is being converted to loft condos, just like in any major city across North America. It will be interesting to see how the project progresses, since it's not your typical venture for this area. I'm sure that the residents of Windsor are somewhat mixed on the whole thing. It means putting a building that is no longer viable, from an industrial standpoint, to use, but also means that the city has come west to Hants County.

Who knows, there may be a few Haligonians who won't mind the commute to be close to everything that the area has to offer.

Is there really a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?

I'm not sure. I was too busy taking pictures of the rainbow to find out. As luck would have it I was outside just as this rainbow was forming. It gave me just enough time to run into the house, grab my camera, and get back outside to snap off about 10 shots as it built and then faded out. It was lucky that the clouds broke enough to allow some sunlight to shine across the field as well.

Now, if I could only find that Leprechaun.

How do you know when your dial-up is really slow?

When your feet go to sleep waiting for your email and facebook to load. Did we mention that we have a dial-up connection? We're exploring satellite based internet through Xplornet but we currently enjoy a consistent 28-32kbps connection. So, if you find we're not as responsive as you'd expect that might be the cause.

What do you get when you cross a cat, a drizzly day, and a warm fire?

A nap. If watching a cat lounge in front of the fire doesn't make your eyes droop and sends you searching for a pillow then nothing will.

Superman and Clark Kent are never seen together. I wonder if...

Okay, maybe they aren't Superhens, but since the game of count the hens started a few weeks ago we've been trying to guess which one is coming back. In order to keep track of them we've photographed them - also ensuring that they are, in fact, different hens, and you clearly see that they have very distinct features. Now we can compare these images to the actual hens that are wandering around the yard, and if the third one shows up while the second one is away we'll be able to tell, hopefully.