Peggy's Cove and Lunenburg

We were all excited to leave the city of Halifax and get on the road. I was tired of battling traffic to get to the downtown area of the city. Bedford was better, though still more traffic than we're used to in our small town. As one of my readers suggested (thanks Kim), we chose the scenic route to Peggy's Cove, a winding two lane highway, rather than the main highway. Every curve seemed to provide another beautiful view, of the trees, water, and small communities.  Sadly, there are no photos - I was driving and my daughter was so fascinated by the scenery she took no photos!

We arrived in Peggy's Cove ahead of the crowd that would soon arrive. There were just a few vehicles in parking lot near the visitor's center. After a stop to pick up a map (though it wasn't really needed we made our way towards the lighthouse.

Eli was very interested in walking on the rocks, however we managed to keep him away from the ocean.

Unfortunately we were too early in the season for many of the shops, though likely by just a few days.

One of the buildings we had hoped to visit was the old schoolhouse but, it too, was locked up.

Leaving Peggy's Cove, we made our way to Lunenburg. We were able to find a parking spot just a short distance off the main shopping street, where D was lured into visiting. After dropping off her parcels at the car, we walked a little further down towards the water.

After a short walk down the boardwalk, we went to visit the Bluenose II. The original Bluenose was launched in March 1921 in Lunenburg as a fishing and racing schooner. It would reign as an undefeated racing champion until 1946 when it ran aground on a reef off Haiti. The ship is featured on the Canadian dime. Bluenose II was launched in 1963, and currently spends it's time in Halifax and Lunenburg. Open for on deck touring, one can also book a two hour cruise available twice daily. The price was a bit much for my pocketbook so we limited ourselves to a wander on the deck of the ship. Eli was quite disappointed to learn he wouldn't be sailing on it...maybe next time.

Another short walk brought us to the Fisheries museum which featured a restaurant on the wharf with an incredible view of the bay. (Pricey but good). While the temperatures had moderated somewhat from the two previous days, it was still quite hot and the shade of the patio umbrella was appreciated.

After lunch, it was time to visit the museum itself. I had not been there in 2015 and found it very interesting. There is a large room towards the rear of the building that was full of exhibits, ship models, ropes and other equipment, and several interactive displays.

A visit to the museum's gift shop capped off our afternoon, and we made our way back to the car to return to Halifax for our last night at the hotel in Bedford for a few days. 

A road trip to Baddeck was our plan for the next day!

Halifax - Day 2

I neglected to take notes so am relying on memory and photos. So I won't bore you with the time we woke each day and what we ate for meals. 

While on the waterfront the day prior, we had noticed the Harbour Hopper, an amphibious vehicle that does a tour of downtown Halifax, as well as a water tour of the harbour. Eli was quite taken by it, so we looked into the cost. I should note that D was able to get an access pass through Easter Seals, that allows a caregiver free access to various events and attractions. As a result the cost for the three of us wasn't unreasonable. After parking the car, we walked down to the kiosk and purchased our tickets for the 10 a.m. tour.

We started with the city tour, with our tour guide providing information on the buildings we were passing. A quick drive around the Citadel and then it was down to the harbour. What an odd feeling to suddenly be floating in the water! Captain Jack made certain to make a big splash. Various buildings were pointed out as well as other attractions along the water front. About ten to fifteen minutes into the tour, the Captain beckoned Eli to come forward. D went with him, and Eli was given the opportunity to drive (is that the correct term) the vessel with a little help. 

All too soon, the tour was over and Eli wanted to stay on board. He was quite disappointed when we explained it was someone else's turn. From the drop-off point, it was a fairly short walk along the waterfront towards the Museum of Immigration at Pier 21. We did make a quick stop to allow Eli to play and run off some energy.

The museum also took the Access pass, plus I was given a discount for my CAA membership. It's always nice to save a dollar or two.

Eli's favorite exhibits related to the Titanic (no photo - but he was fascinated by the various model ships). Apparently he and his mother have watched a few documentaries so he knows about the fate of the ship. My favorite exhibits related to the immigrants as they left Halifax for other centers across Canada. There is a train car that one can sit in and imagine the long trip west. There are also several "children's trunks" - one that struck me was that of one young girl's belongings containing clothing, blankets and toys, as well as walnuts! Apparently her grandmother had stuffed their luggage without the father's knowledge and it was quite the surprise for him and the customs officer. My daughter is a history buff, so I think the entire museum was a highlight.

Our final destination for the day was the Citadel. We did not make it there in time for the noon gun, but were fortunate enough to find parking right on the site. All national parks have free admission this summer so the only cost was the parking, about $8. As a result we didn't have to climb the hill, but we did climb to the top of the walls of the Citadel for the views.

We checked out the cannons first and the cubbies were extra shells were kept. As we continued our walk around the top of the wall we came across a employee dressed in the garb of a soldier explaining the firing of a muzzle loader to several young men. After a demonstration without the ammunition, one of the young men signed a waiver, put on the coat of the uniform and was allowed to fire the gun. It was loud!

Making our way down the ramp, we went through several exhibits, and another young man explained the purpose of the rooms, the tailor's space and an officer's room. He explained that there was only one tailor responsible for the dressing of all of the men at the fort.

Before we left, we stopped at the main gate for Eli to have his photo taken with the guard. There was a trip to the gift shop as well!

Then it was time to return to the hotel, for more time in the pool. The next day would be cooler, and we'd be heading out of the city to our next destinations, Peggy's Cove and Lunenburg.

Rollercoaster weather, more weeding, day camp and shopping

Summer time, and the living is easy.....not around here! I spent much of this past weekend and week weeding, clipping spent flowers on the peonies, and catching up on housework. We did have a morning or too with a bit of rain, but as long as it was cool, I managed two or three hours a day. 

We had a trip into the next community over on Tuesday, as Eli had day camp. He'll be attending two days a week for 3 1/2 hours each time. I drove my car, as D's car continues to act up (despite the repairs that were recently made) and she would prefer not to drive long distances. It was just as well, as we managed to fill the SUV with our shopping! I picked up two raised garden beds on clearance that I plan to set up next spring. For now they'll be tucked away in the shed. We also made a trip to the thrift store where we found a next to new bread machine. D was gifted one nearly ten years ago, and while it continues to work, it had vibrated its way off the cabinet so has some cosmetic damage from the fall. She listed it on the local free site and someone was happy to pick it up. I found a vintage set of two small mugs, a creamer and sugar set that I couldn't pass up. The colours bring back memories of my childhood. 

A stop at the dollar store for just a few items, and then we went to get groceries. We were low on a number of items, including cat food and treats, and I had a list of a few things that were on sale. Our local Independent Grocer's pricing is quite a bit higher than these prices. However, I do buy locally most often, it just made sense as we were there for Eli's program to pick up what we needed. 

Wednesday's photo was of a funnel cloud that my nephew spotted in north Regina on the weekend. There were a number of funnel clouds spotted, though thankfully none touched down. We didn't see the same weather here, though we're a mere 90 minutes away. 

It was a scorcher here on Wednesday, with a high of 35C/95F. For gardeners this story might resonate. While we were away we had a young person come in to feed the cats and water the containers. When we arrived home, it was clear that, at least one of the tomato containers had not received water consistently. The leaves were curling up and it looked stressed. I've been watering regularly, but we've taken to calling it the dramatic plant because whenever it gets hot'ish, despite being watered, it does the same. It is my signal that the containers need water - on Wednesday I watered three times! Our rain barrels still have lots of water; I'm thankful not to use city water - it's expensive.

Thursday was another day camp for Eli. We dropped him off and went to get breakfast before doing a bit more shopping. At the thrift store we found two curtain rods for $4.99 each (we saw similar ones at Wally world for $17.99 each). We have tacked up black out curtains on the large dining room window, and need to cover the kitchen window as well as the early morning sun heats up the kitchen.  D also scored finding two full bags of Lego for about $15. Retail pricing would have been closer to $40. Both she and Eli enjoy building with Lego...I'm good with it unless I step on a piece.

The sale flyers for the week were out, so we picked up a few grocery items on sale. I also found a half price hanging basket of flowers. One of two basked that I purchased this spring appeared to have been missed a few times when we were away, needs some tender loving care to come back. In other words, I'll cut it back, tuck it in a less sunny area, fertilize and hope it comes back. 

We were under a smoke advisory in the morning, and it was particularly bad in the next town over. By the time we left at noon and headed home, most of it had cleared out, and it was getting quite warm. I didn't get out to weed, but spent time indoors prepping meals. I seasoned several chicken breasts for the air fryer, boiled eggs for egg salad, and par-boiled potatoes for hash browns. Later I cooked up some bacon, cut up peppers and onion, for a chicken bacon ranch pizza for our dinner. Delicious. 

Friday as an indoor day, rainy and much cooler. We had about a 1/4 inch overnight, with the light rain continuing to fall throughout the day. The temperature reached only 17C (63F). Quite the difference from the temperature from earlier this week.

In the morning, I caught up on my financial spreadsheets, reconciliation and budget for expenditures from the last few days. In the meantime, D set a batch of dough in the new bread machine. It works perfectly, though it was a small batch; I only got ten buns out of it. I guess that's the point, fresh buns or bread every few days. Not like the baking my mom used to make when I was young. We'd arrive home on a Monday after school, and she would have a dozen loaves of bread made, often a pan of ooey-gooey cinnamon buns, and a week's worth of laundry done too! I loved slicing the heel of the bread while it was still warm and slathering it with margarine. There was a price, she usually left the ironing for me when I was a teenager.

My next task was to start re-organizing the pantry and cleaning the shelves. I did not take any before pictures because it was a mess. Items were purchased and put away mish-mash. What I originally thought was a container of chocolate chips was actually a container of cat food! Good thing I checked. I cleared a shelf at a time, scrubbing it down, drying it, and replacing items in an order that made sense to me. I made certain to explain my logic to my daughter with the hopes that it will remain (relatively) tidy.

Today, we're expecting a temperature closer to 24C/75F. D is planning to take Eli to the pool at some point, and I'll be back outside doing more weeding. The raised flower bed is a mess of weeds, so much so, that I can't see the gladiolas I planted this spring! One of these days I'll be back to just maintaining the yard, but for now, it's a challenge.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Friday Funny

 

Halifax - Day 1

Not surprisingly, D and I were awake by 6 a.m., though Eli slept through until 7. When everyone was up and dressed, we headed down to the breakfast room. The menu was the same every day we were there: scrambled eggs, hash browns, sausage, ham, cereal, muffins, bagels/bread for toasting, yogurt, and for those willing to wait a little longer, waffles. There was definitely something for everyone. 

When I set up the schedule for our trip (yes, there was a spreadsheet), I had planned a couple of activities/places to see, but of course with lots of free time. Our agenda for Day 1 was the Maritime museum and Pier 21 Museum of Immigration. We only made it to the first and walked part of the boardwalk on the waterfront. There was salt water taffy to buy and a playground for Eli to enjoy. I had warned D there would be a lot of walking, and there was and both she and Eli ended up early in the day with blisters. . D was able to switch out shoes, but Eli's blister was on the bottom of his foot. 

In addition to this area, there was a climbing apparatus with slides, and a large concrete whale tail to climb. It was the latter that caused Eli's blister. He tried to climb it wearing his shoes but wasn't able to make it to the top. Barefoot he basically walked up but when he slid down, he tried slowing himself down, resulting in the blister.

Off we went to find a drugstore, and while D ran in to get what she needed, I searched for a restaurant for lunch. Some distance from downtown, we found Willman's Fish and Chips. The business was originally opened in 1946 at the same location, though has had two other owners since. The latest owners have rebuilt in the same location, a corner lot in what seemed to be a mostly residential area. It was quiet, just one other family was dining while we were there, and I can confirm the food was delicious!

Back at the hotel we spent an hour or so at the pool. I should mention Halifax was under a heat warning for the first couple of days, with temperatures over 30C (86F) and the humidity was high. I didn't get in the pool that day, but D and Eli enjoyed the cool water. When we headed back to the room, I napped for nearly 90 minutes - I guess I was more tired than I realized. After my nap, we headed out to a nearby Dollarama to pick up some inexpensive beach towels - the ones at the hotel were no bigger than hand towels. 

On our way back, we stopped at a local pizzeria, Tomaso's, touted as the oldest pizzeria in Halifax. Originally opened in 1969 in downtown Halifax, the current owner moved to the Bedford Highway location. The restaurant has no air conditioning, so we chose to take our meal back to the hotel. We ordered a combo, including a pizza, garlic fingers, and a 2 litre bottle of pop/soda. There was more than enough food for two nights, plus a snack or two. 

While the day didn't pan out the way I had thought it might, we did have a good day. D would have liked to have spent more time at the Maritime museum, and Eli would have liked more time at the playground area at the waterfront. I was happy with my nap. :)

The weather improved the next day, and with proper footwear and bandages, it was a busy one. 

Wordless Wednesday

 

School's out, time to travel

I'm starting this series of post from Monday, June 23rd as I neither had the time nor the inclination to post last week while we were away. It was a busy time!

Monday was busy; Eli had school in the morning and equine therapy in the afternoon. D and I had a long list of things to get done too, laundry, vacuuming, dishes, cleaning the kitchen, etc. in order to leave the house in decent shape. D dropped off her car at the dealership as the parts needed for a repair had been received, and they would take care of it while we were away.

We picked up Eli at school around 11:30. He delivered some small gifts to his classmates and teachers before the morning ended. I waited in the car, and when he came out of the school, two of his teachers followed him to give him hugs and wish him a wonderful summer.

I went along to his final session of equine therapy for this session (his mom has arranged for another session in the fall). Miss Stephanie allowed Eli to set the agenda for this session. First up was visiting the horses in the pasture. Ten of them! He has absolutely no fear of these large animals (only one is miniature) and has learned to move them away by waving his arms and making a loud noise if they start crowding him. While we were there they did, and he did what was needed.

Next up was visiting the young mama cats and their kittens in the barn. The first litter is old enough that three of the five kittens have been rehomed. The second litter of three or four are old enough to have their eyes open and are starting the toddling phase in the manger where they are located with their mama. We were also met by the tom, who is likely the papa of the second litter, based on his colouring. None of these adult cats are older than two years. 

Finally, there was a visit to meet the newest addition to the farm, piglets! There are fifteen of them! Eli demonstrated how to walk quietly behind them so as not to frighten them. Archie, the corgi, not so much. Eli also learned they don't like to be picked up and squeal...like a pig. :)

Back at home, there were more chores to finish before we left for the city at 6 p.m. Laundry was folded and last minute packing was completed. We managed to feed Eli, but ran out of time for D and I, so stopped for fast food before we went to C's. But before we ate, we played a round of musical cars so I could park in the garage. A single lane driveway can be a real nuisance.

Eli got to meet Sage (dog) and two of the roommate's cats (there are five). Kota, a black and white tom is the friendliest as I would learn as he landed on me a few times during the night.

We all settled into bed/couch by shortly after 9 p.m., but no one was asleep before 10. Too much excitement and anticipation. D's alarm went off at 2:50 a.m. and we were dressed and out to the garage to grab our suitcases by 3:20 a.m. Good thing, as the taxi cab I'd ordered arrived about that time.

At the airport we had a short wait before the check-in counter opened. All went smoothly, except both my and Eli's carry-ons were selected for secondary screening at security. The issues: a package of antacids for me, and an empty water bottle for him. I actually think there were new staff in training, so they were more vigilant.

Breakfast at Tim Horton's and time for Eli to play on the indoor play structure took up the time before we headed for the gate for boarding. We were last to board (intentional) and the flight was uneventful. We were early resulting in a slightly longer layover.

Again we boarded among the last guests and then we sat on the tarmac. While Eli and his mom amused themselves on their devices, I slept. When I woke, were were at least a half hour into the flight. I had no memory of the take-off.

We did hit a bit of turbulence about an hour prior to landing in Halifax. I was a bit worried that Eli would find it troubling but he didn't seem to even notice. When we landed, we discovered it was hot in Halifax, 32C/88F. Quite the difference from the 7C/45F we had left behind in Regina. Our immediate need was for a family bathroom were D and Eli changed into lighter clothing. 

We picked up our rental car and were on our way to Bedford (just outside Halifax) soon after. We stayed at a Comfort Inn that was clearly a converted older hotel. There were stairs in a few places in the hallways, the property had a lovely front porch with a view of the basin, and a single elevator at the rear of the property. It also had an unheated pool that we would make good use of, and offered a continental breakfast each morning. Finally, it was a reasonable distance from downtown Halifax and the waterfront. This is the view from the front porch.

The rest of our evening was spent quietly and we were all in bed by 9 p.m. (or 6 p.m. at home). It was early but we were all tired from the travel day and ready for a good night's sleep. Eli told me a bedtime story and it was lights out.