Puffy Clouds and Beautiful Fog

As I mentioned, we have had spectacular weather for the past week and a half.  I hate to admit that our luck ran out with bouts of fog and rain on and off yesterday and today.  

Slowly the Fog creeps in

Even with fog it can still be a beautiful day

Fog Happens . . . 

Not much happened during the foggy, wet weather.  That is, until this evening.  The sky had cleared and the rain had stopped.  We were out on the patio when Chewie got the scent of something in the grass. It had to be a mouse or a vole and he started to dig in the yard. 

Our Favorite Evening Hang Out Spot

Before we knew it, we lost sight of his head!  He dug furiously, until we pulled him away from whatever it was hiding underground.

Chewie!

Luckily, he did not catch anything, but we had to laugh when his head re-appeared covered in dirt!

Funny Dogs

Dirty Dog, Chewie

Nutter Butter and Cooper were content to sit back, and watch the action. I guess they were not interested in getting dirty like Chew.  

Fly Away

Since arriving here this summer we had seen a magnificent American Bald Eagle fly over the property on a daily basis. This morning, as I was opening windows I noticed something at the edge of the lawn near the path to the beach.  I had to find the binoculars to clearly see what was there.  I slipped out of the house and walked as quickly and quietly as possible past the patio to capture the following photographs:

Let's Eat!

Flowers found in the Front Lawn!

We woke today to fog, then sun, then fog, and then overcast and so it was a good day to work in the yard.  Peter and I spent most of the morning removing all the small branch's from the two downed dead spruce trees.  Just after we finished, and I was knee deep into picking blueberries, the rain came down in cold sheets.  I guess I'll have to get more blueberries, tomorrow.  This is what I managed to collect before getting soaking wet:

It was after 2 pm when I ran up the hill and back into the cottage.   When Peter saw the blueberries, he suggested I make French Toast with Blueberry syrup.  Hmmm, good idea!

The best part of being on vacation is doing what you want, when you want to.  So, yes, we had Blueberry French Toast for a late lunch.  It's still raining outside.  I'm out here sitting on the futon in the sun room thinking about dinner and also some of the meals we have already made since arriving last Sunday.  

For instance, last night, inspired by my Saturday, garage sale find of 6 Hull ovenproof soup bowls, ($2 Canadian for all 6!) Peter made a lovely vegetable soup:

The night before is was smoked Salmon and fresh Spinach Pasta Alfredo:

The eggs are so nice here, that we made plain French Toast last week, but unlike today, we did have it for breakfast.

My friend has been asking me about the differences between grocery shopping in Nova Scotia vs the states.  I plan to take some photo's and blog about shopping at some point during this trip. 

My family will remember our first visit to the local grocery store in Shelburne.  We stuck out like sore thumbs as we fumbled our way around the small grocery store.  I wish I had photographs, but if I had taken any back then, I might have been run out of town!  The locals refer to us as From Away.  I remember feeling very much From Away, that day.  That grocery visit was more awkward than shopping in Sweden which we did  when we spent one long ago summer, in Gothenburg, Sweden

The local grocery chain, Sobey's renovated the Shelburne store about five years ago.   By doing so, they put the other local grocery out of business.  The new Sobey's is wonderful; big and beautiful like any grocery in the U.S.  It has a fabulous Bakery and all of the other departments are first rate.  We love the dairy products from Canada.  They seem richer and creamier, to us.  However, Canadian grocery stores and shops are not exactly like those found in the U.S.  There is a lot of European flavor thrown in.  Even so, Sobey's is uniquely Canadian but also very comfortable unlike the Old Sobey's store.  Yes, there are lots of U.S. products for sale, but the packaging can be very different from what we find in the U.S. Once I take some photo's, I'll fill you in on the surprising differences in an upcoming blog. 

Rocky Coast

After opening the cottage and getting settled we spent one morning walking along the rocky coast.  We brought Cooper for the adventure and carefully carried him from the edge of the lawn down to the shore.  Of course, within minutes, Cooper was racing up and down the sand beach and up and down the rocks.  He likes the beach very much.  Even so, it was a surprise when he jumped into the bay for an impromptu swim!

Cooper on the Beach

Cooper on the Rocks

Later that day we returned to the shore to investigate the property boundary marker.  After some searching we found it, below:  

Here are a few more photo's of the beautiful Nova Scotia rocky coastline: 

That is, Blue Island, in the distance, to the right side of the photo. The coastline opposite ours is Lockport, NS.

We call this area, Maddie's Cove.  It's named after our black Labrador retriever, Maddy. The large rock in the distance is Queen's Rock. Beyond Queen's Rock is Enslow Point.  

Grandview

Grandview Cottage, Shelburne, NS, Canada

Since arriving last Sunday morning we have been enjoying super weather.  Most mornings we wake to sunny breezy weather blowing in from the Southeast.  With weather this nice its a shame to waste a moment.  Peter has been out working on his favorite project, "reclaiming" our long lost meadow.  This afternoon, after he had finished working on it for the day, a beautiful young deer visited the clearing.  It was difficult to get a photo without disrupting the deer.  I shot the following, through the window:

Young Visitor

While Peter was working on the meadow, I washed the car.  After that, I did Yoga.  With all the windows open and the cool breeze blowing in I rolled out my mat, turned on some music and enjoyed myself by practicing all my favorite Yoga poses.  The dogs hung out on the chairs and the ottoman.  They were very well behaved and occasionally, one of them would join in a Down Dog.  At the end, when I was laying on the floor in the final pose, Savasana, they all decided to go crazy and that was the end of Yoga, today.

Rock Wall and Meadow

After the trees came down . . . 

Ferry Boat

The Nova Star with two car decks and 8 levels!

It's been exactly one week since we arrived in Shelburne. It can take a week or so to  fall into the rhythm of cottage life. This summer we drove to Portland, Maine and took the new Nova Star ferry to Yarmouth, NS. It was a night sailing and we were fortunate to secure a cabin. After driving all day, the cabin afforded us a shower and comfortable bunks. Sleeping at sea was not like sleeping on a water bed. After tossing around and getting used to the engine noise, we did  eventually fall asleep in the snug cabin. At six am the wake up call came over the loud speaker. We packed up and walked  down to the lounge with giant floor to ceiling windows for coffee while watching fishing trawlers and a school of small black porpoises greet the ship as she arrived into Port. After disembarking and clearing customs, we pulled into the Tim Horton's for our arrival ritual: coffee and a maple donut. The drive to the cottage was one one hour, more, away.

Tug Boat used to help the Nova Star dock

In years past, Mary opened the cottage for us. After that long drive to St John, New Brunswick, night ferry crossing to Digby (sleeping on bench seats divided by arm rests) and a three hour drive across the province to Shelburne, we wanted to arrive and immediately start our vacation. Unfortunately,this summer, I called Mary late and she was unable to "open" for us. No matter, we arrived at 10 am after a good night's sleep and a short drive up from Yarmouth. We tackled the job ourselves. I will not go into detail but after two days I had a short list. Find  someone to "open" the cottage in 2015 and also find someone to remove two large, diseased trees at the edge of the lawn, before they fell down and created a mess, or worse.

In the past Mike Harris helped us with problem trees. I called and spoke to Doris who looks after Mike's mother. Doris promised to have Mike call and also just happened to mention that when not looking after Mrs. Harris, she cleans houses, opens cottages and is  all round very helpful. I had her out for a visit that very day! Then Mike called and said his friend Walter, would do a great job on my trees, and so Walter came out to size up the tree job. Just like that, Doris was on board to "open" in 2015 and both trees were safely and neatly, on the ground.  And I though it would take me weeks to work all this out . . . 

Dead Spruce Tree