Sight-seeing – Page 11 – Just An East Coast Girl

My boy is back in town

Well James is back after having an adventure filled Spring Break. James loves to travel as much as I do and even though we’ll all go to Cuba for the Wedding in April, he wanted to go somewhere for his break in March. So he flew to Toronto but then where?

Where to go? And without spending a lot of money.

So he is full of resources and talked to his cousin who’s husband works for Air Canada. They can fly ‘Stand by” anywhere Air Canada flies for a relatively low price. He asked if they were up to some travel for March Break and they were. So…the destination they chose. The land down under…

James and his cousin Rachel have been wanting to see Australia together for years! So James, Rachel and her husband Gerald and baby Kiet spent 4 days in Sydney, Australia. They had a great time and lots of adventures and fun getting “stand by” flights. Gerald actually had to stay an extra day in Sydney while James, Rachel and the baby flew home. James finally made it home to Bridgewater yesterday a few days later than expected. And of course with a big smile on his face.( travel does that to a person)

Here are a couple pics from his phone and one from his camera. There hasn’t been time to get all the gorgeous ones from his camera yet.

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Don’t you just feel like you’re there?

And it’s soon time for the next adventure! Glad you’re home safely James!

For more of James’ work check out:

http://jamesgoode.squarespace.com

Switchin’ it up!

These winter days I’m thinking about summer ( as many people do) and making plans! Especially with a day like yesterday. It may be a bit pre mature but yesterday was gorgeous Spring-like day here!

5 months from today, on July 18th, David & I will celebrate our 30th Wedding Anniversary! Crazy eh? People look at us and laugh when we tell them. “Did you get married when you were 10 they ask ?” Haha, it’s funny. Not quite, but we married young. Started a family a couple years later ( our oldest son will marry his sweetheart in 2 months) Anyway… it’s 30 years this year!!

I wanted to celebrate this milestone in France, Paris to be exact. We’ve celebrated our Anniversaries in some pretty sweet places the last 5 years…so we thought (or I thought) Paris would be fun for our 30th. ( We haven’t been to Europe except for a stop over in Spain on our way to China from Brazil) That was the PLAN! I’ve had this in my mind for awhile and would start planning our itinerary this Winter.

Well… many times I looked at it, and tossed it aside, and looked at it again, and I wasn’t getting real excited about the idea of the whole Paris and France thing…so what could be some other options? I LOVE traveling, I love adventure BUT this Winter I’m just not getting excited about going anywhere really… until one day out of the blue, I had an idea.

Periodically David & I talk about our “Bucket List”. His is obviously a little different than mine. But he is usually game for whatever I propose…within reason.

So here is what we came up with… 29 years ago, the year after we married, we did a road trip out West for his twin’s wedding in Alberta. We went just to the edge of British Columbia ( just to say we went to BC). David has always wanted to do that trip again.

This summer we have a three week period in July around our Anniversary. ( 3 weeks is all David could get…peak time for vacations) and we are gonna do an Across Canada Road Trip of sorts…ALL THE WAY TO Victoria, BC! James’ photos really made us want to visit!!

I say it’s a ROAD TRIP of sorts because once we decided what we’d do, I dug out the maps, sat down for hours with my computer and got right at planning and calculating. Three weeks is a long time BUT not long enough!!! Not long enough to do EVERYTHING we want to do this time, so… it’s gonna be a combination road trip and flights across the country. We won’t have to drive LONG hours on end and be exhausted, we won’t have to drive through some of the “less exciting” places we’ve already driven through, we can pick and choose a bit and spend MORE time in our favourite places, and we will have time and energy to just have FUN and ADVENTURE!!!! It’s not a lot of fun when you have to spend 10 hour days just driving and be frustrated that you can’t stop and see certain things because of time restraints.

I am so excited, and so is he, and we have been having lots of fun looking at maps, and places and options and ideas… I actually have flights, all our hotels, and car rentals booked for the segment that we aren’t driving our own car. Haha…It doesn’t take me long when I get excited about something!!! ( besides, it’s peak time and things book up quickly) It makes me think it’s the right choice for us this year.

There’s nothing wrong with switchin’ things up. LOTS and LOTS more planning to do! It’s gonna be an exciting 30th Anniversary Across Canada for this Canadian girl! 5 months away…haha 😀

So what am I doing these wintery days? Planing for summer of course ( and a wedding trip in April) Fun times! 😛

A drive on the beach…

There’s no question I LOVE the beach!

“This really is my favourite beach! We are so blessed to live this close to such a beautiful beach.” I said to my husband as we were driving, yes driving, on the beach yesterday.

There aren’t too many places that you can drive on a beach but Crescent Beach is one of them and it’s not far from our home. We usually don’t drive on it. We usually like to walk this beach, like on January 1st of each new year. It’s tradition. But this is our “go to beach” and we like to visit often.

The first couple days of February have been so unbelievably mild and sunny that yesterday we went for a drive to the beach and because the sun was soon setting, rather than walk we just slowly drove the length of the beach and watched the waves roll and the beautiful glow on the water. There is something so relaxing, so soothing and peaceful about this to me. Ahhh…

I often say we should buy a place or land and build here, so we can have this EVERY day but, I also like the convenience of living right in town too. Hmm…

If the remaining weeks of Winter could be like this…I wouldn’t mind it a bit. However, in a day or so I’m sure there will be another snow storm. We’ve just got to be thankful and enjoy the nice ones.

Beautiful Windows

I love a nice evening walk. And this time of year it’s so much fun especially to walk along city streets…oh how I miss that!! So, in my case it’s small town.

My small town stores have beautiful window displays for Christmas!

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So pretty!! I may have to try to get to the city to window shop.

Folklore from days of old…it’s a childhood fantasy land

Father Christmas often appears as a large man, often around seventy years old. He is dressed in a red suit trimmed with white fur, often girdled with a wide black belt, a matching hat or hood, often long and floppy in nature, and dark boots. Often he carries a large brown sack filled with toys on his back. It has been said that the red suit only appeared after the Coca Cola company started an advertising campaign depicting a red suited Father Christmas in the 1930s.

The Father Christmas Festival in Mahone Bay is this weekend and next, and I love all the different Father Christmas figurines.

David having a little chat with Norman the Gnome
It has become a somewhat new tradition for me to visit Mahone Bay for this festival and…pick up my new Amos pewter ornament. Living away makes you really appreciate local and what your community and neighbouring communities offer. I love Amos pewter things and have decided a few years ago to collect these special ornaments.

Each year the Amos Pewter company create a new collector ornament. This year is the Winter Blossom. Each has a lovely inscription about the ornament …” There is a beauty in the cycle of the changing seasons. We wonder at the uniqueness of each softly falling snowflake, joining with others to blanket the earthen a magical whiteness. As the days become longer and warmer, each melting snowflake helps to foster new life that grows, transforms and ultimately fills summer with bursts of blossoms and butterflies. Change is the hope for newness and transformation. Nourish your dreams you embrace the changes in life’s seasons.”

For the last few years at the festival the image of Father Christmas has changed. This year’s 2015 “signature” Father Christmas is Della Robia. He has a gentle face and an Old World European look.

And a new feature this year… The Nutcracker Fantasy. It was my favourite. The creativity and the detail. I am AMAZED that every year there is something new that tops the year before. I could spend hours wandering around here…

And David’s favourite…

Mahone Bay is definitely ready for Christmas and after this weekend with all the specials my mood is very festive, It really is a wonderful time of the year!

Old Town, Off roading and Oxner’s Beach

Today was so great! Usually Monday is a slow start. lots of coffee and cleaning. Today I was off and running…meeting my friend for a day of shopping and adventure. You just never know when we’re together. It’s so much fun!

First stop, West LaHave and a peak at her new home with the most awesome view of the water. I could sit there for coffee everyday. Love the wharf and buoy’s hanging…

Then off roading with faithful Bessie on the back roads to Old Town Lunenburg to browse the shops and a bite to eat. We both love shopping and are a dangerous combination. Lunenburg is a great spot to pick up special one of a kind Christmas gifts and I will definitely be stopping back for a few things.

Wanda is so creative and wanted to show me where her creativity begins…

Haha, lots of fun pics 🙂

A new beach for me…Oxner’s beach to pick up some drift wood and interesting things. Lots of inspiration to create!! What a great day, a PERFECT start to the week. And only one thing missing…

LONG…. wǒmen xiǎngniàn nǐ

I went for a little drive today

to see and capture Autumn’s brilliant color in all it’s glory.

It was such a beautiful day. A great day for gardening, a walk, a drive… I really can’t believe the temperatures are so nice for mid October. This week colors are peak. It really would be perfect to see the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton this week.

Well…better enjoy it because who knows what this winter will bring once it finally gets cold and snow season starts …this was the 9 day forecast when I checked this morning. Monday doesn’t look so great… ( say it isn’t so)

This time of year

If you are lucky enough to live in a place where there are seasons…you will know that this time of year is one of the most spectacular! The colors are AMAZING!!!! The leaves put on quite a show.

I am thankful we live in Canada. While all the trees and their colors together are beautiful, I am a little partial to the red Maple.

Here are a few pics of the beauty around me this weekend on our Canadian Thanksgiving Long Weekend…

Feeling Blessed!

Lego Invasion

The Pumpkin People are back in Kentville this October and it is time to get up close and personal with all your Lego favourites!

More than 300 of these pumpkin characters have arrived for their annual October visit. It’s time to experience all the fun characters and get lost in lego land with the Pumpkin people!

It’s Scarecrow weekend!

It’s that weekend in October when the small town of Mahone Bay comes to life with all sorts of colourful people…scarecrow people!

It’s been rainy and cold and not so nice but we just had to get to this quaint little town for the Annual Scarecrow Festival. There was still lots of people out and about.