Almost Over . . . .

Pretty cone flowers

The days are getting shorter and the nights a little cooler . . .  In a few weeks, the fall fair comes to town and then school will start up.  Summer will officially be over. 

Tomatoes are getting big

Meanwhile I've been busy doing nothing.   That's right.  Nothing.  No crochet.  No knitting (hence no blogging).  Actually, there has been some knitting, but I've been distracted by family events, outings to the big city, games and technology.  Truthfully my knittin' mojo had been waning and now it's MIA!  I'm gonna have to find it if I want to finish those Christmas hats.

The beans that survived . . .

Hanging basket

Meanwhile I've been putterin' 'round in the garden: watering my flowers and veggies, pulling weeds and trimming over-grown bushes and trees.  There's something very primal 'bout planting seeds and watching them grow . . . 

Tomorrow I step back into the mundane ordinary life, and I'll have to re-focus my energies and prioritize my time. I'll keep you posted. ;)

Home Sweet Home

Nathan Philips Square decorated for PanAm Games

It was great to finally visit my family.  It had been four years since I'd last been out to Toronto.  And I missed so much!  The city has grown, especially on the periphery where homes mushroom like weeds.  

Old City Hall

There was much knitting as there was lots of waiting in airports, on airplanes (I am not a good flyer--not one bit) and in subways.  And of course I got to shop at one of the best yarn shops--ever!  Romni Wools on Queen St W.  I was so intoxicated by yarn fumes that I forgot to take photos inside the store.  But yarn was bought--and I am happy, happy, happy! :)

Knitting, tea and good company

Most of all, it was good to catch up with family and friends: laughed and giggled with my sisters; chatted with my bro and mum; got to see my nephews and meet my niece; and re-connected with friends (and I mean really good friends.  The kind that when you start chatting, it's like you've never been apart).  Most of all, I got to spend time with my dad. 

Dad enjoying time with family

He's been ill with one thing or another and we had a few health scares in the last 10 months.  So I was happy to spend time with him, just shooting the breeze . . .  

There's still lots of summer left, even though In a few days I'll be back to work.  Hope you're enjoying your summer.

Summer's Whimsy

There's something rather whimsical abut capturing the colours of summer.  There's always a surprise in the garden, from the wild roses pouring over the fence from the neighbour's yard (these beauties are my absolute favorite with their intoxicating fragrance.  And they require minimal care). 

Staple of Nova Scotia: wild roses

To the wild flowers announcing their arrival and joining lovely green space in the lush backyard (wild phlox and some variation of Queen Anne's lace). 

Nature's natural beauty

Even something as mundane as laundry hanging on a clothesline can be beautiful.

Rainbow clothesline

Beauty lies all around.  You just have to open your eyes and see it.


PS (I'm on vacation and where I'm going there 's little or no access to internet.  I'll see you on the other side--and yes, I will bring my knitting. )

Gardening 101

Although there's been little crafting, there's been plenty of gardening!  After consulting my gardening books and online guides, we visited the garden centre.  You know that "high" you get from visiting a really nice yarn shop?  Yeah, I get that way from visiting a good nursery.  

Front flower bed

Perhaps overly ambitious, I was lured by the promise of bright colours.  When I got home, I went straight to work, digging up the long neglected garden--covered in that yucky weed fabric (which never really works very well at keeping out the weeds) and tons of unappealing red mulch (I'd rather use natural or black-coloured mulch).  Love the feel and smell of soil between my fingers . . . and then there's the satisfaction of seeing the plants in their place.  Wow! 

View from above

There's nothing like caring for a garden, tending those little plants and watching them grow.  It's good for the soul.  And then your creative juices start flowing and great ideas swim 'round your head: Yup, I has plans--big plans!!  But I need to go slow and work on it a little at a time because (a) I'm no spring chicken and (b) I don't have enough funds to follow my dreams all at once.

That small flower bed at the front of the house took a few hours worth of digging.  There was nothing there and the soil needed lots of compost and good black top soil.  Whatcha think?  Pretty?

Detail of columbine flowers

Lots of shade loving perennials: columbine, bleeding hearts, lungwort and coneflowers.  There's also some dianthus and alyssum in hot pink and purple.  Hope everything survives.

Hanging basket detail

We added a couple of hanging baskets too--in hot pinks.  These will look pretty when they're in full bloom--if summer ever decides to officially show up (I'm lookin' at you Mother Nature.  After the long winter we've had, we need some summer, please.).


Hope your weekend is filled with sunshine. :)

Still Summer

Coneflowers in bloom in big garden under the honeysuckle

Yup, still summer, although the air feels crisper and the evenings are definitely cooler. There's still lots of growing left in the season: plenty of flowers left to bloom and I'm eagerly anticipating my red sunflowers.

Tall tiger lilies on the other side

Certainly can't deny that school is right 'round the corner--less than 3 weeks!  That'll mean work for my boys and me (although this year I'm excited 'cuz I've transferred to another institution that will hopefully be a better "fit' with my professional goals).

Wildflowers growing in garden along front deck

Meanwhile I can enjoy the loveliness blooming in the garden beds.  I love watching the seasons change and noting the season markers, especially the wildflowers.

Detail of poppies amongst the wildflowers

I found some great books on wildflowers in Nova Scotia.  One (Wildflowers of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick & PEI) has been out for a while, but I love the photography.  While not exhaustive, it's a lovely tome to peruse.

Great coffee-table book with lovely photos

Excellent field guide for wildflowers in NS

The other one (Wildflowers of Nova Scotia) is a recent publication and quite exhaustive.  It's a great primer and handy reference for those of us who go for walks in the woods or near fields (the same author has a similar book on trees and bushes which I may have to pick up at some point).

How goes your summer? 

Summertime

Know what's so great about the summer?  Those quiet moments when you sit out on the deck with a glass of sweet strawberry wine.  Maybe you've got a book to read.  The sun's warmth washes over you.  Looking up, you catch a hummingbird at the feeder, whilst other colourful brethren flock to the bird seeds.  As you close your eyes, a cool breeze offers some respite from the heat.

Wine goes well with Game of Throne series ;)

It's summertime.  And the living is easy . . . 

Enjoy!

Happy Canada Day!

Here's hoping you're enjoying the day, wherever you may be across this fine country.  Hope you have good friends and loved ones nearby to share the start of summer.  After all, summer really doesn't start until the July 1st festivities.  School is officially out for the kiddies and there's often a long weekend--although this year didn't quite work out as a long weekend (hope some folks were able to take the extra day off).  

Have a good one friends!  Cheers!

Road Trip . . .

Red rose from a grand opening--very classy!

Now that summer has finally arrived, we're using our weekends to spend time with the kids. Usually we end up on a road trip--perhaps a visit to the city, maybe a quaint little town or dip in the ocean?  No matter where we go, I love watching the countryside as we putt-putt along the highway . . . 

View from my window . . . 

As with any road trip, its not just the destination that matters.  There's lots of great stuff that happens along the way: cool tunes, good conversation, lovely scenery--and in-car crafting!  Seriously!!  I love knitting or hooking in the car--even if I sometimes end up with boo-boos (Only another crafter can truly appreciate the joys of car-crafting).  Viola, my car-hooking:

Pink square in progress

Right now I've got tons of squares stored away in a bag in my room.  All those lonely squares, waiting to be joined . . . soon, my pretties.  Very soon.

Home Again Home Again

Aww how I missed lovely Nova Scotia where the air smells fresh and clean, and there's lots and lots of green.  We only just got back last night, and I've still got a bit of unpacking to do.  Uploaded all my photos this morning, though.  Leafing through my snapshots, I found some nice ones.

CN Tower

The trip to Toronto was good, if busy.  No matter how long one stays, there's never enough time to see or do everything.  We managed to visit with most of the family and catch up with some old friends (miss you guys).  And of course, we hit a few tourist spots.  Our two big excursions were visiting the Royal Ontario Museum (to see those dino bones) and catching a Blue Jays game.

T-Rex in all his glory



No matter what its called now, this will always be "The Dome"

We also ventured downtown to enjoy the sights and sounds--and smells--of urban life.  Life in the city can afford one many experiences and amenities (good comic shops, large book stores and lots o' yarn shops--squeee!!).  Still, as nice as it is to visit another place, it sure is awfully good to come home.  

Spadina and Queen St W

Funny that as much as we enjoyed ourselves in the big city, we all came to the same conclusion: life is good in our small east coast town.  Be it ever so humble, there is no place like home. 

Summer Whimsy

My Niece and Her Freshly Picked Flowers

Whilst summer is here, enjoy the warmth, the light and the bounty: smell the sweet scent of wildflowers wafting in the breeze; listen to the enchanting calls of feathered friends; blow bubbles and watch them float away; savour the sugary sweetness of a popsicle as it drips past your chin.  Yeah, summertime is the best.

Nova Scotian Wildflowers

One weekend, I picked wildflowers with my niece.  We found daisies, clover, buttercups and other purple varieties I haven't been able to identify yet.  Aren't they just lovely!  Most people consider them weeds, but really they're wildflowers.  Just because they grow where you don't want them, doesn't mean they're any less beautiful or less fragrant than something planned (dare you to stand near wild roses and not succumb to the intoxicating fragrance).  Maybe sometimes we just need to see the world through the eyes of a three year old. 

Is It Summer Yet?

I only ask 'cuz in my little corner of the world (on Canada's east coast), summer is sadly lagging.  Sure the grass grows and flowers bloom.  I need only look at my wee flower beds to see the evidence.

Corner by Front Steps



Front Flower Bed Overflowing with Life

Unfortunately the temperature has been unseasonably cool (and down-right cold a few days); there's been lots of rain and nary a sunbeam to bask in.  Sunny days have been few and far between.  Day-in and day-out of nothing but cloudy days can get a body down.  I need me some sunshine!  

Okay, enough ranting.  Hope its summertime where ever you are.  And if you could send some sunshine my way, I'd be ever so grateful. ;)

Historical Adventures

Main Street at Sherbrooke Village

So we took a trip to a pioneer village and had a blast.  The boys enjoy history--as do I and dear hubby.  Let me tell you that there's nothing so peaceful as a rural setting with lovely artifacts and antiques . . . very, very nice.  And of course, it's neat to watch artisans at work: woodworking, blacksmith, weavers and spinners . . . ah, it all makes the crafter's heart go a quiver.

Sitting Atop an Old Bicycle

We even came home with a book of old-fashioned recipes, a handcrafted wooden tasting spoon and a spinning toy.

Momentoes From Our Excursion

Funny story: my son lost his sunglasses in one of the old buildings.  We retraced our steps, but couldn't find them.  Our little tour ended up at the gift shop.  Wandering about upstairs amongst the quilts and hand-knit sweaters, guess what we found?  The lost sunglasses!  There they were on top of some lovely scarves.  How did they get there?  Talk about a weird mystery . . .

None, Nada, Zero, Zilch

That's how much I worked on my lovely Blue Sprout.  To be fair, there has been knitting, mostly on my "secret" Bernat project.  You'll have to follow that progress on the Bernat Blog (and I have recently finished a cute little something for my nephew--part of his Christmas package).  Hopefully I'll get to my Sprout this week.  The sleeves shouldn't take too long . . . right? 

Lots of plans for this week: it's my second vacation week--woot, woot!  There shall be day trips to historical places and jaunts to the local beaches.  And yes, there shall be knitting . . .

Comfy Chair and Chilled Wine . . . Ahhhhh

Life is good. :)

Summer and Vacation

Sailboat Near the Shore

Vacation time should be filled with sunny days, cool breezes, shady trees and salt water beaches . . .

Strolling on a Sandy Beach

Days off should be filled with beach days, picnic lunches and road trips to city museums (and maybe a comic book store too).  And even if the rain should fall, there's popcorn, funny movies and board games to pass the time. 

'Nuff said ;)

Summertime Festivities

There has been crafting (including ripping and re-knitting, but can't show you that 'cuz its for Bernat blog).  The toads are coming along--very slowly.  The hot sticky weather drains all my energy at the end of the day.  So I'm takin' her easy.

Lots of stuff going on in town this weekend with Highland Games.  Its a big cultural event drawing lots of tourists to the area (this year marks 147 years running which makes it the longest consecutive running highland games outside of Scotland.  Canada has only been a country for 143 years, so the event is older than the country). 

First we walked on campus at our local university 'cuz it's so pretty (I get to walk through it often with my toddlers, but hubby and the boys aren't on campus too often).

The Boys Following Their Dad

Campus Gardens

I always thought the campus was pretty.  In fact, I'd dare say town looks lovely during the summer with all the pretty hanging baskets and flower boxes.  It really is very quaint and welcoming.

After our little jaunt 'round campus, we found a nice shady spot under the trees to watch the annual Highland Games Parade.  

Kids Waiting for Parade to Start

The boys enjoyed all the piping bands.  I like them too.

RCMP Piping Band

Another Band on Parade

There's nothing so mournful as hearing all those pipes wailing and the drums pounding in your ears . . . very neat!  And its a big social outing too: feels as if all of town comes out for the parade.  Beside, fun to run into friends and acquaintances.  

Hope your weekend is filled with summertime fun.  Have a good one!

A Day at the Beach!

A surprisingly cool and refreshing day at one of our local beaches. The water temp was posted as 19 C. It felt like bath water! Not bad for the usually cool Atlantic Ocean.

Nothing soothes or calms like the ocean: I just love the sound of the surf crashing onto the sand; cool water splashing over my legs; wet, squishy sand between my toes as I walk along the shore on the hunt for treasures washed up on the beach . . .

I did find some pretty rocks and a few small shells, but no sand dollars or sea glass today :(

And of course there's uber-cool knitting!

I do try to always bring my knitting along, just in case I have a free moment. And I did work on the sleeve of the eyelet yoke cardigan (its gotta be done in time for Christmas and there are two other gifts needing my attention).

Happy knitting where ever you are . . . and don't forget the sunscreen. :)