A very quiet week!

Well this is a first! What a dull old week it has been, I don't really have any news at all. The most exciting events were buying a new pair of slippers and a scarf and putting my back out on Thursday. I sometimes get acute muscle spasms in my lower back, nothing really triggers it, it just goes. Thankfully a shed load of Ibuprofen later and I am feeling much better.

The weather has been so so this week, some rain, some cloud, and a couple of days of sun. Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny so we hope to head out somewhere.

The next couple of weekends are going to be hectic. I have plans for next Saturday, and next Sunday I shall be working as it's inventory day at Pete's. The weekend after is very busy, we are meeting up with our friends Tom and Marg to go see that local band Signal Hill. I also want to get to the Citadel on Saturday for a photo op, and Sunday is the Pumpkin Paddling thing. I shall need a rest after that for sure.

I did a few cars on the lot this week one of which is pictured below (especially for Tom)...I had had a hell of a job hoisting myself up into this baby! I also had 2 cars completely conk out on me (they were just dead and had to be jump started)...which was funny as the chap helping me, put the clamps on the wrong way round and nearly set one on fire! I yelled is that meant to be smoking, he panicked, so did I and we both ran in opposite directions until he managed to compose himself a split second later running back and pulling them off.

No news on Robs exam yet and that's about it!

Happy birthday to Tom for Monday! And get well wishes go to my friend Pam...Here's hoping you are back on solids soon!!

No good for short legs!

Pumpkin Time

Another busy week for Rob and I. Rob had his two day practical Oil Burner exam. He really struggled on day one largely due to the fact he couldn't get his hands on the books he needed prior to the event, Day two he felt he did better and knew a little more of the subject, but we will have to wait and see if what he did was good enough to pass. We won't know for at least a couple of weeks.

I have been busy working of course and managed to fit in Thursday evening at the car lot. I have quite a few cars to do and I was going to go back on on Friday after Pete's but the weather put an end to that, it rained so hard all day you would not believe.

Saturday was gloriously sunny and Rob was working, so I did absolutely nothing apart from 3 loads of washing and de-fluffed the house. Yes you read that right! Due to the wooden flooring you get 'dust bunnies' all over the place. Just when you think you have swept them all away, more pop up out of nowhere...I would be lying if I said this didn't get on my nerves! Everyone around here knows what 'dust bunnies' are it a very common term!

The weather wasn't great today, grey and drizzly, but we headed to Windsor as it was farm 'open day' today. I printed off a list and picked a couple to go visit, The pumpkin farm was top of my list. There were some outrageously huge pumpkins. Loved it there. We bought our pumpkin in preparation for Halloween, we plan to make a Jako Lantern and once we figure out how to make pumpkin pie, I reckon we will have a freezer load of it, looking a the size of the one we bought (image below). We also found out about an event that surely has to be seen to be believed...On October 10 they have a Pumpkin Paddling Regatta. People participating buy the largest pumpkins they can find, carve them out and turn them into boats (of sorts) and try to get all the way across a stretch of water without sinking. If weather permits, we shall be there!!

I have also made a new friend this week, well actually it all stemmed from the Air Day last weekend (I refer you to the images of the men in uniform in my last post). The bottom image (with flag) is of Arthur. he and I had a great chat whilst I was there, he looked up his photo on my flickr page and we have been batting messages back and forth since. By day, when he is not re-enacting he works for a print firm, he encouraged me to send him some of my photos for him to print out in large format - free of charge, he couriered them over to me at work on Friday, beautiful prints and I am going to show them at the next camera club meeting to hopefully drum up some business for him hopefully. He is giving all camera club members 15% off printing, which is just so nice of him. Anyway, Rob, myself and Arthur are going to meet up at some point for a drink and we shall also pop along and see him in action again on October 9 at Citadel Hill.

Rob and I attended the camera club on Wednesday night, a whole heap of new members were there and I reckon the total of members now must be getting on for 200. They have tons of field trips coming up and I hope to go on at least a few of them. I have also been enlisted to help out on a competition we shall be holding early next year between Wincanton Camera club and Sackville Club. An idea put forward by Lachlan in Wincanton, should be fun going international :o)

The Pumpkin Farm


So many to choose from....


We decided the one on the right was more our size!


Decorative Corn...Whatever that's for!

End of an Era!

An emotional week this week for me...Now don't laugh, but I have just caught up with the very last of Big Brother, I watched every last ounce of programming, the final and every associated supplementary programme from Friday night...And yes I sobbed! Sad but true. I am one of the original fans from series one ten years ago and I have never missed a single episode. I know most of you reading this don't feel the same as me regarding BB, but when you have invested as much viewing time as I have in one programme, it's sad to see it go, it really is the end of an era!

Big Brother USA comes to and end here next week. The USA version is so completely different to the UK version and is more a game of alliances and strategy, where the head of household vote out other housemates, no public vote, and ex-contestants make up a jury to decide the final winner. On the upside, as one door closes another one opens, and new next week here we have Survivor and the new series of The Apprentice USA, so have no fear I shall still be dipping into my addictive reality shows, plus let's not forget Strictly is back!

In other news (real life) Rob, Nancy and I attended the Air Show today at Shearwater. It was a gray day and the wind was nippy to say the least. We got to see the Snow Birds (the Canadian equivalent of The Red Arrows) which was fun, plus I got to photograph men in uniform!

Since Labour Day the weather has felt distinctly Autumn-like, the temperature has dropped right down and we have had more rain. Sad to see the end of Summer! We actually had to fire up the heating today in the house and to think only a week or so ago it was so unbearably hot.

Rob has been busy revising for a practical oil exam he will be taking on Tuesday and Wednesday this week at the college. Fingers crossed for him on that as I think he is finding it a little hard as he doesn't really know what to expect from the test.

Camera Club has started up again now, so we shall be attending this Wednesday evening and catching up with some of the faces I haven't seen since the BBQ.

I am working on a website for a lady in Sackville who is hoping to start up her own Spa business in a couple of months. It's a test project for me so I am doing it for nothing (as I have no clue if she will like what I am doing)...But in return I get some treatments and she will spread the word to clients about me fingers crossed.

Big Brother R.I.P.

The Snow Birds


Men in Uniform :o)


Yes...and some more....

Quick Catch Up

Well to be honest, I don't have much to write! Before the hurricane hit on Saturday the weather was as usual, hot and very calm, I left work and went home to get Rob and we headed to the lake for a swim, met up with Nancy and Brenda there and whilst cooling off we speculated about how bad the hurricane would be. Thankfully as you saw from my previous post, it wasn't as bad as we had previously feared.

Saturday Rob worked, I stayed in avoiding the wind outside. by late afternoon the worst had passed and the sun came out once again. This weekend was a long Bank Holiday weekend (Labour Day). Sunday we didn't do very much at all, I think to be honest we were both so tired from the lack of sleep last week caused by the intense heat. We popped down to Fisherman's Cove in the evening to watch the sunset and take a stroll on the boardwalk.

Bank Holiday Monday the weather was glorious again and we took a trip around the Peggy's Cove circuit. I never get tired of taking photos of that place, or in fact of the many, pretty little places on route.

Peggy's Cove itself was packed with bus loads of tourists, in all my times there I have never seen it so busy. Many people came to see how high the waves were after the hurricane, although they didn't look that bad to me.

About a week or so ago we had a family of deer wandering around outside. I was pre-guessing that they were to become more frequent visitors now as we approach October so I bought a load of (gone past their best) apples from Pete's bargain bin....Guess what, I haven't seen a deer since! Typical!


Yes it was busy there! 2 hours of cloning got rid of the tourists!


An overview of the Peggy's Harbour


The landscape surrounding Peggy's is really quite beautiful...
Bleak in winter I imagine, it reminds me a little of Dartmoor.

Earl Came and Went!

So Hurricane Earl came and went today. Just to let you know that we made it through the day without incident. The winds were quite something, but as far as I know there was only one death, some poor chap drowned trying to secure his boat. The wind and rain definitely cooled the air down, but not enough for my liking the house is still hot and humid, no thanks to keeping the windows shut for most of the day! I think in total the storm passed through in about about 6 hours. before moving on to New Brunswick and P.E.I. We had some minor power outages during the day, but other than that, we were pretty much problem free. However I do know that many homes are still without power. I believe there is still some debate as to whether Earl was a Hurricane 1 or a tropical storm when it arrived. You can see what damage was caused in the downtown area in the video clip below.

Ka Ching!

No Hurricane yet! Although it is still on course for tomorrow, there is the possibility it might just swerve us and hit New Brunswick instead. The experts just can't seem to figure out where it will hit.

The temperature today was another scorching 37 degrees. I have a terrible migraine today due to the extreme heat, I know I bang on about the humidity a lot, but with that factored in it feels like 40 plus degrees.

Now the real reason for this update today is to tell of some exciting news! A little while back the camera club were asking for submissions for the Credit Union Calendar contest. Well I had word today that my submission has been picked as not only one of the months, but the front cover as well. This Calendar will be in every branch across the Maritimes. How good is that! I also won $100. As you can tell I am chuffed as nuts about this!


An old favourite gets a new lease of life and becomes a cover star!

Extreme Weather

Just a quick update to say that we are suffering an extreme heatwave. This week has been like living in the tropics. Everyday it has been around 36 degrees and extreme humidity. It's about 12.30 am as I am typing this and the temperature is still 24 degrees. Our house is literally like a furnace. We can't sleep very well at all, I think everyone here is suffering in the heat. Apparently it has been the hottest summer here on record.

If you have been watching the news you may have heard that we have Hurricane Earl heading this way. Normally when a hurricane moves up the Eastern Coast by the time it hits the Canada Maritimes, the coldness of the water here diffuses it's power, but the water here is so warm right now there is nothing to stop the full force. There is of course the chance it will move off course and miss us, but as of right now it isn't looking good.

The last time Nova Scotia took a serious hit from a hurricane was in 2003 with Hurricane Juan, which caused major devastation and killed several people. I think it's fair to say people are somewhat nervous, including us. Notices have already been sent out to prepare for power outages and to bring everything inside including our smelly dustbins...Nice!

Wish us well and keep your fingers crossed it misses us!


Hurricane Earl Heading this way from the Caribbean Orignal image
and article from the Montreal Gazette

Hurricane Juan Heading for Halifax in 2003
(photo credit http://gallery.ivany.org/v/miscellaneous)