August 31, 2022. Western Head, Nova Scotia. The Privateer Inn.

Ken and I ate our first meal in Liverpool at The Privateer Inn.     Before we even ordered, we asked our young waitress  about a Privateer.  She just laughed and told us that she knew nothing about being a privateer.  But she did direct us to a lighthouse, where we could read all about being a privateer.  So we did and now I will bore you with lots of information about the days of the Privateer in Liverpool.

The food was good all those years ago and is still good today, which is sometimes not the same.  Susan Lane had just taken over the Inn when her father retired.  She was young to be running that large place but she has done a good job.  When we first dined there, the dining room was at the front of the building, which overlooked the street and a parking lot.  Ken and I wondered why they were not using the back of the Inn for dining, because they overlook the Mersey River.

It took awhile but now the dining room is at the back, and there is an extensive patio area so you can dine outside overlooking the lawn and the river.  But two years ago Susan sold the Inn.  We were fearful that the new owner would change everything.  But he has left it alone and  is doing well.  Today for lunch I enjoyed my meal of haddock cakes.  My friend Heather ate a delicious haddock burger.  We were both pleased to see the new owners doing well.  We do like The Privateer Inn to be alive and well.

August 30, 2022. Western Head, Nova Scotia. One Joy of Getting Old.

Lots of joys come my way by being old.  But one of the greatest joys is watching the children grow up.  And it all happens in a flash, at least in retrospect.    Not only your own children and grandchildren but also the children and grandchildren of your friends and relatives grow up, get educated, form families and then have their own children.  And these little kids we knew so well playing with my own children have become responsible adults.  And they are still lots of fun.

The twins, Allison and Samantha just turned 21.  Now they are in their third year of University.  Tori, one of the Mitchell's granddaughter just moved into the dorm at the University of Maryland.And two of the Ely's grandchildren ate now at University.  I have enjoyed watching the children grow up, get educated themselves and now have children of their own attending University.  Such joy for me as it all unfolds.

One of the special pleasure of living in Nova Scotia is that our good friends are here.  And our friends children come to visit them along with the grandchildren so I get to visit with them too.  Two sets of Ely children came to visit this summer so I got to see and visit with them all.  Then today Gill's son Tim came to say hello along with his two beautiful children.  It was a great pleasure spending time with Tim and his family.  And I know that I would never see these folks if we were not spending summers in Nova Scotia.  Who knew when we bought this place in 1999 that the place would provide me with many unexpected pleasures.  But it is true.

August 29, 2022. Western Head, Nova Scotia. A Double Life.

I have always been intrigued with the question of leading a double life.  Not to long ago, a well known journalist died.  When his will was made public, it turned out that he had a whole second family living in Montana.  He had a second wife and family, unknown to his wife and family in Washington, DC.  What a surprise that must have been.

Then my friend down the street  who is a writer discovered last year that his grandfather who he dearly loved, had left a wife and family behind in the north and west when he moved to Mississippi.  The wife he left behind was never discussed when he married and had several children..  My friend only discovered this secret life when he was researching records for another book.  Lo and behold, the same person appears in a censes who was married and who had children.  Now my friend has just published a book about that ancestor.

Closer to home, my friend Pat and I recently had a conversation about a man who was a good friend for many years.  He and his wife were also good friends with my family and other friends.  He was a fine friend.  Funny, interesting, able with no hint of scandal.  On the other hand, ,y friend Bev told me once that the same gentleman had been a serial kleptomaniac, who had lost several jobs due to his bad habits.  The true story will never be told because the gentleman has died and his wife has loss of memory.  But I for one would love to find out the whole story.  People are endlessly interesting for sure.  

August 28, 2022. Western Head, Nova Scotia. Steve & Sue.

 They are like the energizer bunny.  I am always astonished at their productivity.  Today just around noon, they stopped over for visit.  They had been tending to my foot but I am only soaking it three times a week, so their services are not needed.  Both them and I missed our visits, not the least of it that they brought me food.  They know I do not cook.  

The main reason for their visit was that they brought me a tray, made by Steve, of a great blue heron in flight.  It is beautiful.  Steve also made me a luncheon salad and Sue made me a pineapple upside down cake, just the right size for me.  They are remarkable with their generosity.  Also Steve brought me a small bowl of cabbage rolls he had made.

While they were here visiting, I asked Steve to take the objects he made to the Farmer's Market, held every Saturday.  I also encouraged Sue to sell her jams, jellies and pickles at the market.  Steve was not inclined.  He is certainly a worker bee and he makes these objects during the long winters, where he can not work in his garden.  His reason for not selling them is that he enjoys giving his pieces away.  And they both enjoy giving away the jams, jellies, pickles and relishes that they make in abundance.  They would much prefer to give away the stuff than sell them.

One on the best thing about Steve & Sue is that they love their life.  They are not rich but they tell me that they have enough money to live on so they do not need more money.  And they are grateful to be living by the ocean, growing their vegetables and preserving the produce.  And giving things away. They are happy campers.  And I appreciate their generosity along with their spirit.  It is such a delight to talk to people who are so grateful for their life.  

August 27, 2022. Western Head, Nova Scotia. Our Anniversary.

Today would have been the day to celebrate.  It would have been our 64th wedding anniversary.   The day is still worth celebrating but this year I celebrated alone.  And I was the only one who remembered.  But I had a good day.  Friend Wendy stopped over to pick up a book and I enjoyed her visit.  And friend Mary brought me corned beef and cabbage for dinner, which was special and delicious.

For several years after we were married, Ken and I were traveling in August so we often forgot the dates so we often discovered that when September rolled along, we had forgotten to celebrate both Ken's birthday and our anniversary.  When the boys were old enough to go to fancy restaurants we always celebrated with the boys on our anniversary.  Then in Nova Scotia, we always had a party to celebrate with family and friends.

Ken never really wanted us to celebrate his birthday, which was on August 19.  But we celebrated anyway.  Birthdays are worth celebrating so we had a party even though Ken objected.  But in his mind, our wedding anniversary was always worth a celebration.  And today I celebrated the start of our great adventure.  

August 26, 2022. Western Head, Nova Scotia. A Splendid Dinner.

Just as I was wondering what I might eat for dinner, my friend Mary walked into my kitchen.  It was 6:45 and they had just finished their dinner.  They brought me the leftover food which I was delighted to see.  She brought me three containers because she said that the dinner would not fit well into one large container.  We chatted a bit while Walt enjoyed sitting outside looking out to sea.  And then she was gone. So far I did not know what a scrumptious dinner was in store for me.

But soon I learned.  For dinner tonight I ate a breaded pork chop, which was tender and juicy.  Along with the chop was a dish of creamed corn, that Mary had made herself.  The third container was scalloped potatoes.  All together, the dinner was delicious.  I always love surprises but this evening seemed especially appealing to have dinner walk through my kitchen.  Once again, I got lucky when Walt asked for breaded pork chops, creamed corn and scalloped potatoes.  And I ate every bit of what is in those three containers.  I had a splendid dinner tonight.

August 25, 2022. Western Head, Nova Scotia. Liverpool Abuzzing.

Most weekends, my town is sleeping.  But not this past weekend.  Two major events were held the same time, both successfully.  I am told that the town was full of people and Recreational  vehicles.

The Hank Snow Festival took place at the arena.  I is always a big event but this year was bigger and better, with groups playing all day and evening for the three days of the festival. People come in theirr RV's and park in the big field in front of the Hank Snow museum.  I am told that the parking lot of the arena was also full.  It is always a big deal but this years event seemed more exciting, I am told.

Then a car show was held at Privateer's Park, right  along the river.  It had not been held the last few years due to Covid but this year the antique cars were out in force.  The place was jammed with cars and people, I am told.  But my sleepy little town was abuzz for the whole weekend.  I of course, could not attend.  Too many people for me.  But I loved the idea of all these people enjoying my little town.  great fun.

August 24, 2022. Western Head, Nova Scotia. What a Mess.

 I knew I could never pick up the mess I had just made on the kitchen floor.  In order to use a broom and dust pan, you must use two hands and I must always hold on with one hand.  So I got the broom and pushed the broken plate and the food over to the trash can.  And I left  the mess in one place.

But before I could do anything I had to find my second slipper.  I leave my wound open to the air and never put on that slipper.  Also wearing the slipper on that sore foot makes it hurt.  But now with shards of plate all over the floor, I had no choice than to wear both slippers.  Next I prepared another lunch.

I was using the tray on my small walker when it tipped and flipped over on the way to the microwave.  What a crash.  Glass and food everywhere.  Jackie the cleaning lady had come and gone.  And Anna does not work on Wednesday.  So while I ate lunch and watched a baseball game, I discussed systems for picking up the mess.  I had decided that I would use a chair and the dust pan to shovel the mess into the trash can.

Fortunately, Gill stopped by to borrow a lemon squeezer.  So she swept up my big mess.  But I still must wear slippers until Anna can carefully inspect and wash the floor.  Not only can I not use both arms at the same time, I can not even see the small shards from the floor.  Mary M. picked up several pieces when she stopped by to say hello.  Once again, I got bailed out by my friends here in Nova Scotia.  I am indeed a lucky lady.

August 23, 2022. Western Head, Nova Scotia. Trouble Shooting.

My first phone call this morning was from the Bank of Montreal, my bank in Liverpool.  They were sorry to tell me that the large cheque I deposited from my Wells Fargo bank was returned due to tampering.  So I was overdrawn.  Horrors.  I was told to come into the bank to give them another cheque.  But I have no helper today so can not get there.  Son David contacted Wells.  They had no idea why it was returned so their solution was to deposit another cheque, which I did, thanks to friends Wendy and Clausen who drove me there.

The next task was reading e mails, where I discovered that Amica , my auto insurance company had one payment returned from Wells.  But when speaking with Amica, another problem arose.  The insurance for the Escape had never been cancelled so I have been cheerfully paying for insurance after the car was donated.  This was one of the automatic payments paid from the Wells account.  Horrors again.  But the error was been corrected and Amica will even reimburse me.  Good insurance company.

Then later in the afternoon I received a phone call from a man in  Mississippi saying that a limb had fallen in my front yard and the tree was dead.  He wanted me to have him cut down the tree.  After several texts from my neighbor, I realized that the man was out looking for work, as well as being helpful.  So my tree man will go and evaluate the situation and tell me what to do.  The good thing was that I had many texts with my neighbor Donna, who is a good friend.

And my trouble shooting for the day is now over because I soon will go to bed which will be a great blessing.  All issues are not totally resolved but they are close.  Gold star for me.

August 22, 2022. Western Head, Nova Scotia. New Information.

 Once again, I have read new information  in the Canada's History magazine.  Harriet Tubman has been a name familiar to me for many years.  She lived in Southern Maryland.  And she spirited slaves via the Underground Railroad into the states that outlawed slavery.  I recently saw a movie of her life.  Then when the Fugitive Slave law was passed, where slave owners could find and return slave back home, Harriet was forced to take the slaves to Canada.  But in none of my previous reading nor in the movie did it mention St. Catherines, Ontario.

In the lead article in the History magazine, Harriet had moved her base of operation to St. Catherines.  She can be found in the censes, even giving her address and type of work.  And she had great support there too with safe houses available to her for her slaves.  Who knew?  After the Civil War she left Canada and returned to the east coast.  Just prior to the Civil War, there was 15% of the population was black living in St. Catherines.

In addition and in the same edition, was an article about the death of a French nun, who had worked for 30 years as a nurse in Quebec.  But what interested me was that the nun's family name was Scottish.  Her father had fled Scotland to France when the Catholics were required to convert to Protestents.   I knew there was trouble between the religions but I did no know that 15,000. Scotish noble families fled Scotland for France.  And my little nun was one of those families.  Interesting.

August 21, 2022. Western Head, Nova Scotia. My Fridge.

On the weekends, Pat, Mal and I ate leftovers except this week, the caterer was ill on Monday and could not send food, which meant  we also ate leftovers on Monday and Tuesday.  They left on Wednesday morning so by evening all the leftover food had been consumed.  But now my supply of food has increased, just like magic.

Every day whenSue and Steve come to help with my feet they bring food., which goes into my fridge.  Steve prepares a bowl of salad for my lunch, the same type of salad he eats himself except my bowl is half the size as his.  He puts everything in the salad: lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, cheese, meat, nuts and seeds.  All yummy.  And they bring desserts.

On Wednesday, friend Mary brought me a large tupperware container of home made squash soup, which was delicious.  I have two meals still in my fridge.  Anna cooked me 6 small chicken pot pies, just waiting  for me to heat one for supper.  And she cooked me small quiches, 12 in all, and a package of sausages also just ready to eat.  This evening, friend Mary brought me stir friend steak.  It was still warm when she arrived so I did not even need to do anything but dish some onto a plate.  I have two meals left over in my fridge of the stir fried.

So once my fridge was empty but now it is again full thanks to my friends and Anna.  Certainly I will not starve.

August 20, 2022. Western Head, Nova Scotia. To Soak or Not to Soak.

 When my foot first looked  nasty, we soaked my feet twice a day in Epson Salts.  After soaking for 20 minutes, we applied peroxide followed by essential oils and lastly, the antibiotic cream.  If Anna was not here, friends Sue and Steve came twice a day to do the duty.  When Pat and Mal were here we switched to once a day.  But now Sue and Steve are coming once a day at noon.  On Monday, Anna and I will evaluate to determine whether or not to  continue to soak.  And for how often each week.

I really need Ken for his advice.  Or maybe I must again bother nephew Norm.  My foot is much better but it is still pink around the wound.  And it still hurts.  Getting a doctor to look at my foot in Liverpool is impossible.  But I do not wish to bother my friends Sue and Steve any longer than necessary.  Anna is here twice a week and Jacky my cleaning lady is here once a week so perhaps three times a week would be fine.  But I certainly do not wish to get my foot infected.  So what to do?  On Monday we will make a decision on inadequate information.  But we will make a decision!!

August 19, 2022. Western Head, Nova Scotia. The DWEM's Celebrate.

For the first time this summer, the DWEM's celebrated together.  We gathered together on the deck of the Mitchell's house to celebrate being together in Nova Scotia.  The DWEM's are the Dickies, Wus, Elys and Mitchells, the four families who bought and built homes here in Western Head.  In addition, we celebrated Ken's birthday.  He would have turned 86 today.  And of course, it was Ken who found this place so he was an important person in our celebration.

We met in the late afternoon on a glorious day.  We munched on fresh vegetables and drank wine, at least some did.  Then we ate quich made by Mary which was  the perfect late afternoon meal.. For dessert we ate fresh peaches and ice cream.  The last time we were able to get together was 2019 so today was an especially important celebration.  And we enjoyed ourselves.

August 18, 2022. Western Head, Nova Scotia. The Bold Atlantic Ocean.

Ever since I arrived on June 10, the Atlantic Ocean has been anything but bold.  Friends and relatives have come and gone without ever seeing the big waves of the Atlantic.  Every day, the ocean has been different but it has not even close to being bold.  Today it has been bold.

The wind was strong.  The white caps could be seen as far as your eye could see.  And they were big white caps.  Yesterday the waves were rolling in a bit so the surfers were hoping the waves would grow.  But they never dod so the surfers left after a couple of hours.  Today there were no sustained waves.  The whole sea was choppy so the surfers stayed away.  But I would not have been out on the open ocean today.  The ocean was nasty.

Sterling and Connie are still in Shelburne, waiting for a sustained 15 hour window of calm seas.  They must get from Nova Scotia to Maine but today would not be a good day.  Since they left our Brooklyn Marina on Monday they have been enjoying the safe harbor of Shelburne.  Tomorrow, if the wind dies down they will go to Yarmouth.  Then wait for the window of calm weather to make the long run to Bar Harbor, Maine.  The Atlantic can be very bold indeed so it is best to stay in a safe harbor such as Yarmouth.  Then when the ocean looks like a pond, they will make a run to the safety of Maine.  Going across the Bay of Funday is difficult at the best of times, what with the big tides and currents.  But when the Atlantic Ocean is bold, crossing is impossible.  They will wait.

But we will enjoy the waves and the noise of the bold Atlantic Ocean, right our my front door.  Nifty.

August 17, 2022. Western Head, Nova Scotia. Another Empty House.

 Pat and Mal left early this morning., heading to the Digby Ferry to St.John.  They will cross into Quebec and drive to Ontario and will not drive across Maine.  Rumor has it that the border is still a bit difficult so they will stay in Canada to get home.  We had a good visit.  And they looked after me very well.  Fortunately, the bulbs burnt out in the kitchen just the day before they left so Mal changed the bulbs which pleased me.

This is the first trip they have taken since Pat fell and broke her femur 11 months ago.  Her recovery was long and difficult but she did very well here.  They stayed in the Guest House which has a long flight of stairs but she did just fine.  In addition, she walked most days in town, at the Privateer Park along the river.  She uses a walker and walks well.  She has been pleased with her progress.

They have visited us every year since we moved here, except the 2020, the first year of Covid.  So I was pleased they could come this year.  In past years, Mal worked along with what ever projects Ken was working on.  But this year was the first year when they looked after me.  They had me soak my feet and apply the ointments.  And Mal heated  dinner every day along with preparing lunch.  And of course Mal drove us everywhere.  I totally stayed out of the kitchen so I not only enjoyed their company but they also made my life hassle free.  I will miss them now that my old house is empty.  And I look forward to seeing them next summer.

August 16, 2022. Western Head, Nova Scotia. Breakfast in my Bedroom.

 Anna brings breakfast in my bedroom.   We have decided that I should shower on the days she is working.  If I shower when she first arrives at 9:00, breakfast gets late.  So she suggested that she bring breakfast upstairs to me immediately upon her arrival.  Then I shower right after breakfast.  I drink my tea and eat breakfast sitting in my comfortable reading chair while Anna sits in the wing chair just by the window.  We eat breakfast together.  And we have a good time too.  

This is a first for me.  I have never eaten breakfast in bed but I must say I am enjoying eating my breakfast in my lovely bedroom.  Anna does not seem to mind lugging our breakfast upstairs and it saves me climbing up and down the stairs too often.  The grab bars in my shower are not good so having Anna close is a good idea.  And while I am showering, she actually scrubs my back which is a delight.  So add it all together, I have two new pleasures for me.  Twice a week I eat breakfast in my bedroom and twice a week I get my back scrubbed.  Pretty nice.

August 15, 2022. Western Head, Nova Scotia. Waving Goodbye.

Anna and I waved from the little deck outside  my bedroom  as Sterling and Connie slowly drove past our homes at Gull Bay.  Mary was waving from  the shore while Pat and Mal waved from the deck of the Guest House.  The horn was blown in front of every house except Gill, who was not outside to wave them goodbye.  Sterling and Connie left the Brooklyn Marine this morning and took the time to cruise past the Western Head Light house, plus our homes before they headed to Shelburne.  They even took the time to take a good picture from their boat.  The picture is wonderful.  Now I must figure out how to get it off my phone.

I worked with Sterling for many years and over the years have gotten to know Connie at the many parties. Also, during the years when I offered the house to the agents when Ken and I were not there, Sterling, Connie and their four children stayed a few days here and had a wonderful time.  That was 2008 or 2009.  Also their eldest son spent his honeymoon in the carriage house.  So I knew the family well, but since I retired when I was 74, I had not seen them.  It was wonderful seeing them again.  And it was exciting to watch their sturdy 47 foot blue trawler cruise past my house.  We all waved a fond farewell.

August 14, 2022. Western Head, Nova Scotia. A Day With Sterling and Connie.

We spent a great day together.  Connie and Sterling came on their boat to Brooklyn from Lunenbery, arriving last evening.  Mal and Pat picked them up  this morning.  Gill came over and we spent the first two hours going through their route getting here, and all the places they went.  It was truly a wonderful journey, up the Hudson River, through the Erie Canal, over to The Gaspe peninsula than on to PEI and Cape Breton before coming to Nova Scotia.  They will leave tomorrow to Shelburne, then to Maine before eventually ending up in The Chesapeake Bay.

Next we had lunch here: soup and a sandwich.  Sterling and Connie  used my truck to go to the grocery store, then drive around Liverpool, which included The Sculpture Garden.  They agreed that the garden is wonderful. We dined at White Point and we sat in the lounge, which was fine until the entertainer drowned out all conversation.  At least the food was good.  Back at home, we took pictures and chatted before Mal took them back to their boat.

It was wonderful seeing them again after a ten year absence.  They are truly on a trip of their life.  And I was delighted to be just  one day with them  on their epic journey.  Such fun being just a small bit of their trip.

August 13, 2022. Western Head, Nova Scotia. More RE Story.

The cleaning folks stopped down to be sure that everything was in order.  They called my friends the listing agent to ask if permission had been given to someone camping in the front lawn.  Of course, the answer was NO.  Clearly, someone was camping.  A small pup tent had been set up, which would have slept 2, with two lawn chairs in front of the tent facing the water.  As no one had entered the house for five years, these camping folks might have regularly camped on the property.  And no one would ever know.

My friend the agents called the RCMP who came to check it out.  No one was there but the constable unzipped the zipper to the tent and left  his card on the tent floor.  That night it rained heavily so when the agents went to look, they discovered a soggy mess with again,  no people.  In the tent was a sleeping bag and blanket along with an air mattress.

When the constable visited today, the sleeping bag, air mattress and blanket were gone but the tent was still in place.  The constable urged the agents  to remove the tent which will be done today.  He thought that the campers had left in a hurry.  The chairs had blown into the bushes.  When an agent lists a property for sale, you never know what will happen.  With this listing, the agents found millions of spiders plus campers on the front lawn.  You just never know what will happen next.

August 12, 2022. Western Head, Nova Scotia. A True RE Story.

 My friends were called.  A house and the land outside of Shelburne needed to be sold.  My friends the agents were asked to evaluate the property and list it for sale.  So far, all is normal but when speaking to the owner, discovered that the property had been obtained by an inheritance.  The owner lived in the US and had never been to Nova Scotia.  And had never come to see the property even though the present owner had owned it for five years.  This house had not been opened for five years.

My friends arrived to see the house carrying a broom.  They had no idea what to find.  What they found was amazing.  The agent took two steps into the house waving the broom.  Then she backed out.  Every surface was covered with spiders.  Millions and millions of spiders.  Every wall.  Every ceiling.  Every floor.  Every piece of furniture was covered by spiders.  The first call was to the owner for permission to hire the exterminator and the cleaning crew.  By Monday all bugs were gone.  And by Thursday the place was clean and ready to be shown.

This house is not the draw for this property.  The house sits on 1300 feet of a sand white  beach along with 10 acres.  The setting is lovely and is being shown today.  I will be interested to see who buys this waterfront land.  The number of land available on the water is getting difficult to find.  But no one would even go into that house without the spiders gone.  And no one who buys that property would live in that tiny house either except as a guest house.  But now it is all clean and tidy with no spiders in sight.  I will be interested with the action.

August 11, 2022. Western Head. My Perfect Spot.

When we first purchased our home at Western Head in 1999, most people in town were surprised and told us that Western Head is too cool.  And we would not like it.  But we just laughed.  Now we are having the last laugh because living at Western head  now is close to perfection.

Starting with the temperature, Western Head is almost always 10 degrees cooler than the town of Liverpool.  So when there is a heat advisory at 85 in town, at Western Head we are a comfortable 75.  Of course, in San Antonio , the temperature is 96 but still has no heat advisory.  People drive out to Western Head to enjoy the cool air.

The rains have mostly fallen during the night so our wells have not run dry, neither do we have forest fires.  So while the rest of North America is struggling with first first and heat waves, we are cool as cucumbers here at Western Head.  The day times had been delightful.  Of course, that might change.  The forecast is for a solid week of rain.

The Atlantic Ocean has been calm since I arrived on June 10.  Of course, every day the ocean changes but we have had no huge waves or angry seas.  Some days i can see white caps out as far as the eye can see.  Other times the sun make diamonds sparkle on the water.  But so far, no rough ocean.

When I add it all together, I must admit that living at Western Head is as close a perfect spot to live as any place on the earth.  Am I lucky or what?

August 10, 2022. Western Head, Nova Scotia. Dinner at Home.

The only two things I did for a dinner party at home was  to invite the guests and then to call the caterers that we would be 5 for dinner tonight.  I did them both well.  Clausen and Wendy came to dinner tonight at 6:30 and the caterer sent more than enough food for five.  Everything else tonight was done by Mal and Pat.  The whole thing did not seem quite fair.

But we had a good time.  In years past, we ate in each others homes all the time bust since we are old, we seldom dine together.  And of course, Pat and Mal wanted to take more time visiting with Wendy and Clausen, who they have been seeing for the past 20 years.  Mal is used to heat and organize the food, which he did tonight again.  Wendy helped serve the plates while Pat had already set the table.  And both Pat and Mal cleaned up the kitchen.  I offered to help but my efforts were declined.  The kitchen is too full with three, was the response.  So I cheered.  And eat a delicious dinner of roast beef. 

August 9, 2022. Western Head, Nova Scotia. Sterling and Connie.

"We are having a trip of a lifetime," said Sterling.  Ten years ago I retired and left Bethesda.  I have not spoken with Sterling and Connie since that time.  Before then, we worked together.  But three days ago I received a message on Facebook telling me that they are coming to Halifax, arriving on their boat.  Then they were to come along the coast and stop in Liverpool to say hello.  I was thrilled.

Sterling gave me his cell number and I returned the favor by sending him mine.  Today he called from Halifax.  They had arrived last night, weary from their journey in Cape Breton, so they slept.  And he called this morning.  Their plan is to spend time in Halifax, then stop a bit in Chester and then Lunenbery, then come to the marina in Brooklyn, where we hope to get together.  Such a surprise.  And such fun seeing them.

They left in their trawler in May from the Chesapeake Bay.  They have been on their boat ever since.  And they are having a wonderful time.   We will get details later but they went from the Bay to the Hudson River and then through the Erie Canal to the St.Lawrence River and the Seaway into Lake Ontario.  They have spent the rest of the supper on the Great Lakes and now enjoying Nova Scotia as they wend their way down the coast, finally returning to the Chesapeake Bay.  No doubt about it.  This has been the trip of a lifetime.  Now I look forward to hearing all about it.

August 8, 2022. Western Head, Nova Scotia. Mystery Meals.

 When I have company, The Riverbank Market brings us dinners.  From Monday to Friday, they deliver two or three meals at a time and leave the food in the garage fridge.  And they bring an envelope with directions for heating and serving.  The restaurant decides on the menu so we never know what we will be eating for dinner.  Mal is responsible for heating our food and he is the only one allowed to read the instructions.  He will never tell us what we will be eating for dinner until he brings the plates to the table.  Mal is actually the only able bodied adult capable to deal with the hot food so we have turned to whole task over to him.  He keeps our dinners a mystery from us.

In return, he plays the guessing game with us.  He gives hints but never tells us if we are correct.  And he certainly will never give over the instructions to Pat or me.  So every evening when we sit down to dinner, we are eating a mystery meal, which is kind of fun.  While the food is cooking we try to guess.  For instance tonight we ate haddock and we could guess the smell of the fish.  But he never tells, until he brings in our dinner plate.  Then he announces that tonight we will dine on haddock, sweet potatoes and cole slaw, which we ate tonight.  

In addition, Mal does the bulk of the clean up, which does not seem fair.  Then he puts the left over food into the kitchen fridge to be used for lunches or for the weekend, when we are on our own.  We are enjoying our little game with the food.  And of course, we are really enjoying the delicious food.  The Riverbank food has vastly improved since they catered for us several years ago.  We are all impressed...and grateful.

August 7, 2022. Western Head, Nova Scotia. Brunch at the Osprey Nest.

Today,  Pat, Mal and I ate brunch at The Osprey Nest in Petite Riviere.  The restaurant only opened last year but already it has become a favorite.  Today we did everything right, as far as I was concerned.  We drive along the shore to get there.  And after we ate our delicious meal, we drove along the LaHave River into Bridgewater to get gas.  As we were in Nova Scotia, we ate pan fried haddock or scallops which did the job.  Delicious.

Staffing is difficult here.  They have just reduced their hours  and now will stop serving at 4:00 thus eliminating the dinner hour, all due to their inability to hire staff.  A pity because it is an excellent restaurant.

On the way home from Bridgewater on highway 103,  Mal stoped for ice cream at Bob and the boys, a place I did not know served ice cream.    So my day was complete.

August 6, 2022. Western Head, Nova Scotia. An Auspicious Day.

Today is a special day.  My grandniece Katie and husband Brock had a baby girl at 4:20 this morning.  My Wonderful Wendy is now a grandmother and my brother and sister in law now have 6 great grandchildren.  We in Nova Scotia celebrated the birth of a new family member who has joined our wonderful family.  

August 6 is also the birthdate of my Grandmother Houghton.  And on the same date Grandpa and grandma Houghton were married.  Also my parents were married on the same day.  So August 6 is a truly auspicious date, really more important for the family than with Katey and Brock are aware.  The most important aspect of the date is that a new generation of the family has been born thus continuing the lineage.  We have much to celebrate.   

August 5, 2022. Western Head, Nova Scotia. Again. Simple Pleasures.

 The deck was perfect.  Not too hot nor not too cool.  Clif is not meeting anyone in a building this summer, due to the infection rate of the new Covid, so today was the right day.  Mary and Clif came over to welcome Pat and Mal.  We sat on the deck and visited.  They arrived at 2:15 but I fell asleep reading so Pat and Mal enjoyed a visit with Clif and Mary.  Shortly after I joined them, Clausen walked over with his new dog Jamie.  So we sit chatting on the deck, just like old friends, who chatter away even though we have not all been together for a few years due to Covid.

The deck was perfect.  The cloud cover and fog kept away the strong sun, but the air was warm.   And with just a hint of a cool breeze, we were all comfortable.

Just before 4:00, everyone left for home while Anna brought us tea and arrowroot biscuits, still on the deck.  The afternoon with friends was one of those simple pleasures we experience in Nova Scotia.  I feel fortunate.

August 4, 2022. Western Head, Nova Scotia. The Patriots of 1837 & 1838.

 Every so often, when reading an article in Canadian History magazine I come upon a topic that is totally new to me.  But not often.  Usually I am reading something that I know quite a lot about but have not paid attention to recently.  I enjoy reading the information but a lot I already know.  After all, I did study Canadian history in Canada.  This little magazine once was The Beaver,  the magazine of The Hudsons Bay Company but when The Bay was sold, the Beaver was taken over by The History of Canada organization.  Ten years ago, they changed the name, which is still Canada History.

This week, I read a topic I knew nothing about: The Patriots of 1837 and 1838.  The Lower colony was restless and took to arms against the British rule.  Many Patriots were hung and many were sent to a penal colony in Australia.  It was the same as The American Revolution on a small scale.  Except the insurrection was quickly squelched.  The french speaking people were the ones who took up arms.  The English speaking folks did not take up arms.  Perhaps that was why this rebellion was never taught to me in my english schools.

The local folks fairly quickly were given representation politically and in 1845 the Patriots were returned to Canada.  I have asked several of my friends about the rebellion and they knew nothing about it either.  I am grateful for this little magazine for setting me straight.  I have been reading this history magazine since we moved here in 1999.  And I enjoy every edition, which is published 6 times a year.  But this edition was unusual because everything I read in the lead article was totally new to me.  Great fun.

August 3, 2022. Western Head, Nova Scotia. Visiting on the Deck.

We were in our own little world.  The fog was thick, so thick that we could not even see the ocean, but we could still hear the waves.  We three were together surrounded by the fog sitting on my deck.  Wendy and Clausen walked over with their dogs for a visit.  I joined them on the deck.  And we talked and visited.  I enjoyed hearing of the visit with their family and their activities while here.  All the while we could hear the waves lapping in the shore.  

Soon, Pat and Mal joined us and we got to visit longer on the deck.  The sun was desperately trying to burn away the fog but it was not until 4:00 when the fog lifted.  The sky was bright and the air was warm but the fog still surrounded us.  We felt as if we were isolated on an island.  The deck is a splendid place to chat.  And chat we did, making up for the lost years of Covid when Wendy and Clausen were unable to come.  But now they are here and I was delighted to visit with them and their two dogs here on my deck.  I thoroughly enjoyed the visit, especially as we were in our special world of fog.  Pretty nice.

August 2, 2022. Western Head, Nova Scotia. Pat and Mal.

This is the first trip since Pat's fall so this is an especially important visit.  They drove and gave themselves plenty of time to stop along the way.  But I did laugh.  Mal is the most well organized person I know but when he booked the ferry between St.John and Digby, be accidentally booked the wrong direction so instead of taking the ferry, they drove through New Brunswick.  The time difference is about the same but you do need to drive.

They arrived in good spirits, at 4:30, where we drank herbal tea and ate carrot cake and celebrated their arrival.  Pat had a bad break of her leg  when she fell 11 months ago and even after many months is not fully back to full strength.  She was very discouraged.  But here she is, enjoying the ocean views.  They are staying in the guest house which means she must go up a full flight of stairs.

Mal is the only able-bodied person here so he will attend to the dinners, which are being catered.  In addition, I have asked him to set up the basin to soak my feet.  I did not ask him ahead of time but sprung it upon him at dinner.  So not only must he look after dinners but also attend to me.  Fortunately, he is a good fellow and I appreciate his help.  Now they are over at the Guest House, enjoying that lovely spot overlooking the ocean.  I am delighted they are here.

August 1, 2022. Western Head, Nova Scotia. My Meals.

 When I have company I have food delivered for dinners, 5 days a week from the Riverbank Market.  On the weekends we fend for ourselves, either eating leftovers or going to a restaurant.  When I am alone, I look out for myself.  But my friends bail me out.

Steve and Sue have been kindly coming to soak my foot.  I can not lift the basin out of the sink so they kindly came to my rescue.  And every time they come, they bring me food.  Today for lunch I ate  a large delicious salad, made by Steve.  He eats that type of salad every day so he brought one for me today.  It has all kinds of goodies: lettuce, cucumber, olives, cheese, tomatoes, nuts and cut up meat.  This is the fifth salad he has brought me for lunch.  And I love them.

Tonight for supper I ate a big piece of chicken pot pie, given to me by friend Mary Mac.  Walt wanted only one piece.  The rest she brought to me.  And last evening for dinner Sue and Steve brought me a full turkey dinner, complete with all the trimmings.  I told them that it was like eating Thanksgiving  dinner.  It was delicious.  So I am not lacking for good food.  Steve and Sue will no longer be coming to help as Pat and Mal will be coming tomorrow and I hope Mal will help with the soaking.  I must say that I will miss those big delious salads that Steve has made for me.  But everything must come to an end!!