MIND(ING) THE GAP: September 2017

Cake by the Ocean!!!

We had cake by the ocean - cue the music and video! We specifically had Maritime Gingerbread, but we were too busy eating cake to take pictures. It seems this seaside holiday went without a lot of key people-pictures, but I have lots of pretty landscapes to paint a picture.

First stop on the road trip was Quebec City with my cousin Jean-Francois, Rozita, Shadie & Shirine with a guest appearance of cousin Yvon (ugh, no pictures). Then on to the great red mud of Prince Edward Island.

Bud the Spud in the Red Mud

Adrian's family convened for his mother's, Kay, memorial in Mt Stewart. Kay passed away in January. She was brought up in the area and set a yearly pilgrimage to reconnect with her roots. A big thank you to Linda and Charles for lending their house out to the family to make this happen.

Wanting to rekindle childhood memories, Corry set up a visit to the family homestead. Disappointingly, the once formerly beautiful 1860's house has been left in sad disrepair. The grand-girls had fun checking it out and coming up with wild haunted stories - there is a book with movie sequel in the making here. Of course the drama started when the truck died in the driveway and despite John's efforts to jerry-rig it back on to the road, the tow truck came to the rescue.

I'm a grease monkey!

Thyme has invaded
the lawns of PEI
with its pretty purple flowers,
buzzy bees and great scent

The famous red mud that tells you you're on the Island

Ireland may have their garden fairies
but PEI has fisher-fairies

Where fairies live, so do giants!

Fee-fi fo-fum! I think the Giant is in residence!

Look up! WAY up!!!

Adrian and I took a little trip in to Charlottetown to check out the waterfront and have a Cow's ice cream.

Let me help you with your zipper, Sir.

The Fathers of Confederation
pondering what to do with a belligerent tourist

An "a-luring" fish sculpture
made of spoons

Why did the tourist cross the street?
To get to the Cow's Ice Cream!

Bring some back for me, please!

Hey, I didn't get any!

Just love the idea
of these libraries
popping up everywhere

Labour Camp

Having been away from the cottage for 5 years, Adrian was missing that feeling that he didn't get to go away to summer camp. Lamenting that other kids get to go to Sailing or Canoe Camp, I thought I'd make up for it by sending him to Labour Camp. He is ever so grateful that I could fulfill his wishes.

Handling the sophisticated and highly technical tool, the shovel, Adrian put in a front doorstep. I tried to convince him the interlocking brick was just practice for the future building of our stone patio. By the look of his smile, I think it worked.

Proof that Labour Camp
is good for you!

I also got shiny new red doors!

We were getting ready for Frederic and Marie-Ange's arrival. Fine weather greeted them for their Maritime visit.

You do realize you're centrally located
in the middle of nowhere, eh?

Hey, is this place even on the map?
No Google street view?

Yeah, because they'd find
my blueberry patch if it was

And I wouldn't have
all this beachfront to myself

No city living here

I'm going to get me
a big one!

Exotic food...
more salmon heads please!

Grampy wouldn't be able to
wear rubber boots
with his shorts in the city

When you take the city kid out to big sky, they sometimes get a little confused. You know, used to light pollution and stuff.

Is it a plane, is it a bird?

I think he should try the other end?

I put the pretty filter on according to Adrian

Nope, this is Nova Scotia, un-filtered, un-fined

On the Road Again!

You know,
we only came back to Canada
for the Timmies.

Marie-Ange matches the brilliant blue sky!

Brilliant day at Pomquet Beach

Bathing Beauties

We were a little apprehensive about Frederic and Marie-Ange getting bored at the cottage with nothing to do. The problem is when you're doing nothing, you don't know when you're done. So to do something we headed to Port Hood,Cape Breton and visited Karen-Anne and Dan.

We had a great time catching up on friendship, sun rays and relaxing on the beach. Same time next year!

Why we want to be at the beach!

While living in the UK,
I didn't realize how I missed
all the beautiful cloud formations
we get with big sky in Canada

Help! I'm drowning in beach sand!

OK, got my legs back, phew.

My hat matches the sky

Care to join us?!
Dress code stipulates you must
be in Canadian red and white

Yoga on Karen-Anne's deck!

Does anything say Maritimes more than
a lobster boil, potato salad and corn ?

I'm ready,
bring on the "bouffe"

Think anyone would notice
if I took a bite?

Do you think the leftovers
would smell bad in our suitcase?

Country living at its idyllic best

Sunset view from Karen-Anne and Dan's front lawn

Full moon rising!

From the picturesque Port Hood, with the warmest waters north of the Carolinas, we headed to Fortress Louisbourg on the other side of Cape Breton. Usually shrouded in fog, I wondered why the French hadn't just turned the boat around. We enjoyed a windy but warm overcast day of historic touring.

French invasion

We're not sure if our French friends were planning a second invasion, as the guards seemed to invite them in without any suspicion or questioning.

That's too bad Mom is down there.
Think we should send a bucket down?

Maybe we could send
a chicken in case she's hungry

Met some gnarly pirates from the Tall Ships.
Hope they don't eat little children.

Some were friendlier than others

This one was a bit of a shady character

Ahoy Matey!
We've captured her and are
taking her away to sail the mighty ocean!
We are definitely in trouble now.

I was a little concerned

as these scallywags had to walk the plank

Its kinda windy here

Told you I could sleep anywhere

I wish I was in Sherbrooke now!

Can you hear Stan Rogers singing Barrett's Privateers? OK, so he might not be historically accurate, but it makes for good lyrics.

I always enjoy a visit to Sherbrooke Village museum. Everything is authentic and done just like in 1867. We liked it so much we got married there ;). It is a little off the beaten path from other main NS attractions or Halifax, but definitely worth a visit.

It is very hands on - C & E made butter and ice cream. The printing press still works, there are artisans like a chair maker, weaver, artist in residence, ambrotype photography. OK, so its an unpaid ad for Sherbrookevillage.novascotia.ca. Just go!!