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