Friday, August 12, 2016

Maritime Vacation Part 1


Selfie #1, Cold River Campground, Eddington, Maine

This summer as planned we drove out east to the Maritimes with Phil, Fernanda and the children for a two week holiday, our first return to Nova Scotia in many years. Phil and Fer were to attend his best friends wedding near New Glasgow, NS and Marie and I would look after Amy and William. On Saturday morning, July 23rd we all met up just across the border in Coburn Gore, Maine and made our way down SR27 and SR2 to Bangor, us in our truck and camper, Phil driving his white Rogue. The kids stayed in a motel that first night while we continued on to Eddington, 15 minutes away near the Penobscot River. Cold River Campground was having its annual Christmas in July that day and we were treated to some warm weather characters from Frozen and the Minion movies.


 

   

Cold River Campground, Eddington, Maine




 The next morning we all met up and followed the old airline road SR9 I had travelled many times back in the 70s to Calais, Maine. We crossed back into Canada into New Brunswick, our next goal St John where we had reservations on the Bay ferry to Digby, Nova Scotia.  It was a pricey crossing at $184 for the truck and camper on the MV Fundy Rose, the ship that had replaced the old Princess of Acadia we had travelled on a few times in the 80s and 90s. We had over an hour wait, killing time by tossing stones into the bay and posing for photos with the ferry in the background. But it was a great experience for the grandkids who did very well for their first time on the water. We were the first one off in Digby so we waited at the jetty for Phil to meet us before heading to our next destination, Blomidon Provincial Park.



leaving St John, New Brunswick

Amy and William, daycare, MV Fundy Rose

me taking photo of Phil and Fer

Selfie #2, leaving St John, NB

Amy making friends
 
 


 
William and Grandpa, approaching Digby, NS

William exploring



Ben and Marie, waiting for Phil and family to leave ferry
the Rogue exiting the ferry, Digby, Nova Scotia

The weather remained very warm with a fresh breeze off the water in Digby, the next few days promising to be as nice. The town hadn't changed much since we had last been there 10 years ago and it was as if time had stood still. Planning to meet up again at Blomidon we left the kids (William was now travelling with us) and headed east on highway 101 towards Bridgetown and Paradise to stop by our old farmhouse. There was nobody home when we pulled over on the road so I got out and took a few pictures, memories flooding back as I gazed on the place where we had spent so many happy years. It was time to move on so we got back on the main highway in Lawrencetown and headed toward Canning and Blomidon on the Minas Basin, another hour and a half away.

 

lane running down to back fields

corner of house and swing

view of orchard

back of house and grassy area where our pool used to be

the old greenhouse

the old carriage house and barn

"are we there yet?"

Blomidon Provincial Park, Nova Scotia

Blomidon Provincial Park and view of the Minas Basin

yeah I'm free!


 

We had been to Blomidon Provincial Park once before in 1991 when sister Carolyn and family had flown out from Utah to visit with us when we were still in Paradise. We had never camped there and we found the park and surrounding area with its spectacular views as beautiful as we remembered it. The kids loved the large grassy fields, home to dozens of snowshoe hares and the beach where they discovered their first hermit crabs scurrying about in the mudflats. Before leaving the next morning we took pictures of the grandkids where we had last taken photos of  our kids 25 years ago. Next stop, Caribou-Munroes Island Provincial Park.    gws
 
 
 
 

 

 
 

 

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Sunday, July 10, 2016

Our Retirement Home Part Forty-Five (Fireplace Stone)


and so I begin...

2x6 nailed on Durock where mantle will go

mantle ready to be stained

first level of scaffolding up

hmm. I need more height!

2nd level of scaffolding up

almost done

now the stepstool to finish!

the last piece!

finished view with picture hung and mantle inserted




 

Saturday, July 2, 2016

Phil and family surprise visit



 
This past weekend we were both surprised, pleasantly mind you, by the unexpected arrival of Phil and family. We were just finishing an episode of Downton Abbey, thinking of bed, the clock just west of ten, when we heard footsteps on the stairs and lo Phil appeared, sitting down beside us on the couch and grinning at our astonished faces! We had neither heard the car arrive at the front door nor Phil letting himself in downstairs. Naturally we were both happy to see everyone and proceeded to spend a busy and fun filled next two days. Although it was very hot and dry we managed to stay cool under the shade on the deck or down at the swimming hole. We spent Saturday afternoon at the annual village garage sale in Notre-Dame-des-Bois and the evenings by the fire till it got dark.
As I sat there watching the glowing embers, with William falling asleep on my lap and the night birds beginning to call I thought how lucky I was and what a wonderful way to celebrate my birthday!   gws












 
















 

in celebration of Jeronimo Penagos Cobos