Long Drives and Lighthouses

Crikey, I don't know where to begin. Putting up an early post last week has thrown me all out of whack.

Rob and I decided to take a very long drive last Sunday and drove all the way round to Yarmouth via Digby and then eventually back home via the South Shore stopping at Shelburne on the way back. I have highlighted the area we covered on the small map insert below.

This is a part of the Province that neither of us had seen yet and there is much to explore in that area, of course we couldn't do it all and I had to be pretty selective as to where I wanted to stop. My main reason for heading down that way was to visit Cape Forchu Lighthouse at Yarmouth (Pictured below). It was the perfect day to see it weaher-wise and after an early start we got there at around 11 am. I was so impressed by the lighthouse, it is an odd shape, but the grounds around it are so beautifully maintained. I half expected it to be like Peggy's and crammed full of tourists, but when we got there I think there were 3 other people milling around.

After spending quite a bit of time there we than headed to a place called Lower West Pubnico which has an excellent Acadian Historical Village, sadly the fog had rolled in a bit by then so it was a little on the grey side, but still very enjoyable. From there we headed to Shelburne, and oh what a treat. This place is just so beautiful...Yes you guessed it I found a house I would like to live in there...in fact there are several. A new adaptation of Moby Dick (TV Mini series) has not long been filmed there and it was also the backdrop to the film "The Scarlet Letter". The whole old Dock Street is like stepping back in time. More and more movie companies are looking at Nova Scotia to film now as it can pass for New England and it costs a lot less to film here than in the States.

Talking of films, I watched "The Shipping News" again this week, and for the first time noticed that part of it was filmed here. You can almost see our house in one scene, where Cate Blanchet has been killed in a car accident (supposedly she and the chap she was with had driven off The Jersey Bridge)...In actuality that is The Mackay Bridge just around the corner from us. I also found out this week that a number of stars have holiday homes here mostly in St Margaret's Bay, Tom Selleck being one of them.

I digress, so after Shelburne, we were pretty knackered and stopped only once more briefly in Liverpool to grab a couple of shots of the Lighthouse there. Then it was back home. We left at 7.30 am and got back at 11 pm and boy did I sleep well that night!

I have been to the doctors again this week and have been referred for an X Ray of my hip which had been giving me a lot of pain over the last few weeks. My doctor thinks that I have arthritis, but the X Ray should confirm this. Rather this than a hip joint problem although neither is good. I am falling apart lately!

Hip problem or no, it didn't stop us getting out and about today, gorgeous weather, a real scorcher. Rob, Nancy, Suzanne, Cheryl and myself headed off to Sambro for a boat trip out to Sambro Head Island Lighthouse (featured at the top of the page). They only take people over to the island once a year now. It was so lovely on the boat and the Island was fab, even though getting on it and up it was very tricky for me especially, rocks and boggy grass on way up and down, but worth it, So pleased I went and got to see the oldest working lighthouse in North America! Big thanks to Rob (UK) for initially finding out about this event for me. It was certainly a highlight of my time here so far.

After taking yet more photos around Sambro and Ketch Harbour on the way back we then attended to annual Photo club BBQ out in Fall River, a lovely evening to be sat under the trees and having a few beers.

It's Rob's birthday tomorrow, and we don't really plan on doing much, but one things for sure fish and chips at Wharf Wraps will be on the cards in the evening.

Cape Forchu Lighthouse Yarmouth


Acadian Village at Lower West Pubnico


Picturesque Shelburne


Gilbert's Cove Lighthouse Nr Digby


Where we went!

Natal Day and Thunderstorms

I am updating the blog a little earlier this week as I have plans for the weekend and it looks like it's going to be a hot one...Thank god is all I can say to that as on Wednesday night we had one of the worst storms yet. Absolutely no fun for yours truly, just 5 hours of shear hell as the thunder and lightening sent me into freefall. I actually felt physically sick with my nerves! At one point the Lightening struck literally just outside our house, at which point I think I nearly fainted and Rob couldn't really cope with me anymore...lol I had little or no sleep and my eyes felt like they were hanging out of their sockets the next day.

Fortunately the rest of the week, prior to this was superb, so I'll move swiftly on to the fun things, like last Sunday, where I left off in the last post.

Rob and I headed off to the free concert, it was so hot outside, we sat and watched the early acts, Some folk music in the form of Old Man Luedecke who was surprisingly enjoyable followed by some rock from a woman called Carmen Townsend...who wasn't really my cup of tea and reminded me very much of Catatonia!

Then finally the wait was over, enter Steven Page. I had some reservations as to what it would be like seeing him without the rest of the band, but I certainly need not have worried, his performance was cracking and he sung plenty of the old BNL tunes to keep me singing along and added in a bit of that famous humour. I have been on a bit of high ever since actually. I took a ton of photos as I barged my way to the front at the start of the show. Had no clue what settings I needed as it was dark, but managed to get a few good ones including the one featured at the top here. I have loved BNL since my dear friend Paul Byrne introduced me to their music back in 1992 on a trip to Toronto. I have seen them twice live in the UK and couldn't wait to move over here thinking that I would get so see them more when they toured....and then the unthinkable happened...They broke up! Is that the definition of irony I wonder?

Robert was surprised at how many older people were there (when he said older he meant 40 plus) to see Steven play....I had to remind him that fans grow older with the artists...including him and I!

At 10 pm, Steven stopped singing just for a bit while the fireworks display illuminated the sky. It was impressive seeing them launched from the bridge, they only do it that way every few years.

Then it was back on with the singing. It think it ended around 11.15pm in the end, by which time we had been there for about 6 hours.

Sunday the weather was again lovely and we took a drive out around the Blandford Peninsular, there's a few spots (one in particular) that I hadn't visited since before we became residents. Northwest Cove is the place and it's a very pretty spot.

That I think about brings you up to date. Just want to wish my father a Happy Birthday for next Tuesday!!


Natal Day Fireworks


Fox Point


Northwest Cove...Notice that fog bank just out at sea?

Slow News Week

Definitely not much to report this week!
Last Sunday Rob and I took a drive out (finally) to Peggy's and Prospect. I have definitely been getting withdrawal symptoms as I hadn't been there this year.
We left around 4.30 pm and headed to Prospect first. This place never disappoints! I always come back with shots that are different, even though the location is always the same. We met a nice woman there also taken a few photos, she walked up to me and said jokingly, "Just look at it, another ugly part of Nova Scotia", I replied, "yes I know, such a blot on the landscape, I don't know how people can live here". After that funny icebreaker, we got chatting for quite sometime, she had recently moved to Quebec and was here helping her sister move into a new place, neither of them had seen much of the Province, and I was more than happy to fill her in on a few places she should definitely see.

Afterwards we headed on to Peggy's and what a beautiful evening, we spent a long time there, having tea on the deck of the coffee shop and enjoying the relaxed feel of the place, most of the tourist buses had gone for the day and it's definitely the best time to enjoy this spot. When we did eventually wander out onto the rocks, I bumped into the lady from Prospect again, and also got chatting with a nice man from the States. There's something quite surreal about mooching around that lighthouse and chatting with folk, like you have bumped into an old friend at the supermarket :o)

This weekend is a Bank Holiday (Natal Day). There is much going on around the city, but so far I have done nothing! Yesterday was a washout, we had rain and more thunder storms all day, many of the events were cancelled sadly. As soon as Rob gets home from work today we are off out (the sun is shining again...hooray) and we are going down to Alderney Landing where there is a free concert. The best part about that is, Steven Page is headlining...If you don't know who he is, he was one of the lead singers of my all time favourite band, The Barenaked Ladies...So I am excited.
The fireworks have been postponed until tonight, so I shall be off to my usual spot to try and capture those.

Hoping to get out somewhere tomorrow, not sure yet, but the weather is again supposed to be hot and sunny, I almost feel a beach day beckoning.

Prospect Colours


A Postcard from (Foggy) Stonehurst

Ahh Peggy's


Foggy Fishing Day at Blue Rocks

Critters and a Sporty Ride

So the sun almost shined all week here, we had a thunderstorm mid week, which of course I found terrifying! But' let's begin with last Sunday.

Robert and I took a drive out late afternoon to Hubbards...My new place for wanting a holiday home! There are some really cute cottages on the waterfront there and a really pretty little beach, lovely evening, but my photos weren't panning out the way I had hoped. We drove round the inlet back onto the main road so I could try my luck from the other side. I found a neat little path in the grass down to the waters edge, I got ready to take my first shot and heard a rustling in the reads in front of me...instantly I thought snake, but no, out popped this beaver-like looking critter, I shrieked, it looked worried and we both hopped it in different directions. Anyone watching this would have found it hilarious to say the least. I later found out that the critter was a Muskrat. So much new wildlife roaming around to contend with here. Our neighbours accidentally hacked up a snake in the grass last week with the trimmer...but you will be pleased to hear there are no poisonous snakes around these parts, they are mostly harmless Garter snakes (my dad could tell you a tale about one of those!)

Didn't really do anything else all week, Rob worked Saturday and Nancy and I decided to take a trip out, we headed for all the great spots along the South Shore. The weather was super sunny and we had the top down on her sporty BMW, needless to say it was a tad tricky getting in and out of it and my hair looked like a ball of fuzz with the wind blowing through it :o)

Nancy and I have a thing for photographing Muskoka Chairs. They are so typical of this area and so colourful. We found this incredible jetty with the perfect chairs, we got chatting to the owner of the jetty and the house opposite, her name is Cheryl and she was so nice. As you will see from the images below the light and weather was superb...however, by the time we had left Cheryl, her mum, the neighbour Hal and Schooner the dog and got to Stonehurst Cove, the fog had come in big time and our images took a different turn.

Nancy hadn't been to Stonehurst before so it was fun showing her one of my favoutire haunts.
After Stonehurst we headed around to Blue Rocks, the fog was now a real 'pea souper' and it started to rain. So we headed back into Lunenburg for a spot of lunch and a few more photos.

Saturday evening Rob and I finally got to the cinema, it was again massively busy, but having booked online we went straight in. Horrible Bosses was the film and I thought it was great, Kevin Spacey was pretty horrible in it, but I still love him! It really made me laugh in quite a few places.

Just heard about Amy Winehouse dying. Bit of a shocker, but then not altogether surprising given her drug issues. Such a waste of talent and only 27. The other shocking news was the terrible events in Norway this weekend, how utterly awful! Not a place one thinks of where things like that happen.


Fox Point (Near Hubbards)

A beautiful morning with the wind in my hair


Cheryl's Jetty at Madders Cove...How pretty!!!!


Getting Foggy...yes about an hour after the photo above


And the fog got thicker...

Retail Therapy & Rural Charm

Another week and another update.
The weather has been somewhat mixed this week with some rain and some really hot weather. Today is really lovely, so I shall make this entry brief as I want to be outside and not stuck on the computer.

Tried to go to the cinema this week on cheap Tuesday, but even though we all got there early, the film was sold out on both showings and it was heaving with people...A very strange sight, so many people in one place, not very common here especially at Dartmouth Crossing. Whenever we have been there before there is never anyone around, but Tuesday there were cars everywhere.

With that plan scuppered, Rob, myself, Cheryl and Deb went to Tim's instead...I bet you knew I was going to say that!

Thursday Rob and I went up to Canadian Tire to check out some Cheap plastic Muskoka Chairs for the back yard, they were on special at £15 each, however, once inside the Aladdin's Cave of Patio Furniture I ended up being drawn to a small table and chairs that were much better quality and still at a good price. The table was $35 and the chairs $25 each. I am very pleased with them. You can actually blame Hamish for this purchase as he goes outside for walkies everyday now on his new retractable lead, and we got fed up with standing out there!

Hamish has almost turned into a dog now, he waits for his lead to be put on and has a little routine going, sometimes he gets adventurous and walks the length of the back alley, and sometimes he ventures out and around the back into the wooded area...but never without one of us in tow.

I have my first appointment next Friday with the physio people to get my back sorted, I can't say I am looking forward to it, but it needs to be sorted out as the pain is really bad every day now.

I ventured out yesterday with Cheryl, Suzanne, and Deb on a little outing, the intention was to take some photos at New Ross Farm, but sadly the weather let us down in the morning, so we ended up driving around a lot, and snapping a few rural scenes when the weather perked up, having some lunch and shopping in Frenchy's (a second hand clothing store) for some more dresses for our next outing in August with our models. It was a nice day and the girls are such fun to be around. Most of the day was spent around Berwick and New Minas, where I discovered there is a Drive-In movie theatre, something I definitely want to re-visit in the future.

Last night was a late one as we went over to Melissa's for her birthday bash, great company and a fire pit, I have a bit of a thick head this morning!


An old image from New Ross Farm...Last time I was there it rained too


Two trucks, one back yard!

Old Barn and truck that's seen better days!

The view from where we had lunch yesterday

Rustic Charm

Just Chillin'

A relaxed week this week not only at work but at home too. Now the end of the month billing is over and Summer seems to be in full swing, the pace has slowed. The weather has been reaching the 90's this past week (thank god for the new air con at work). In our house it's been like a ruddy sauna! Sleeping has been difficult to say the least. If the temperature outside is 90 I swear it must be around 120 uptairs in our bedroom.

Wednesday night I met up with some of the girls, Nancy, Cheryl and Suzanne at Second Cup in Bedford, a very chilled evening, lovely in the eveing sun outside. I picked the loaction, not only for the outside seating but because they do the best Mango Chillers. I am hoping to get to the cinema next week with a couple of them to see the film Bad Bosses. I quite fancy it from the trailers.

I have pretty much been camera free this weekend. I spent most of the day yesterday still editing the endless shots from the last model shoot and last night Rob and I went out with Darrel, Melissa and some others to a place called The Shore Club in Hubbards which is about 40 minutes out of town heading towards Peggy's Cove.

I have been through and past Hubbards before, but didn't realise there was more to it. It has a beach I have not seen yet, some great holiday lets and of course The Shore Club...Which, it says on the door has been serving fresh Lobster dinners since 1936. Not that I would be remotely interested in that as I don't eat seafood. But what a pretty spot right on the water. We were there to see a band called Shameless. They were pretty good, plenty of songs from the past, Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, Garth Brooks and more. The dance floor was pretty packed and the place was very hot with all the bodies in there, but the beer was way cheaper than in the city!

Nancy and I are comtemplating heading to the beach later, we have held off so far as there is a fair amount of breeze today, so we are waiting to see if it hots up some more. In the meantime I think I shall get outside and do some gardening and catch a few rays!

On the down side this week, my earwigs are back! There don't seem to be quite as many of them so far, but I am none to happy about it.

In the meantime untill I dust off the camera again, here are some more images of the girls. I quite fancy trying to make some money doing natural outside portraits now...Do you think I'd be any good?

April, looking alluring and demure


Jessica having fun with bubbles...Not MJ's Chimp


Whistful shots of Happy and Rebecca

Variety is the Spice of Life!

It's been a shot, long week this week. It was a Bank Holiday on Friday (for Canada Day) so only the 4 days of work to contend with thankfully as last weekend left me pretty knackered. I think I left off in my last post telling you that we were going out for another 'Trash the Dress' photo shoot on the Sunday, the weather looked highly suspect and none of us had high hopes that we would be going anywhere, but as luck would have it the sun broke through around 10 am and my god was it hot! We have 4 models this time, two of which were hell bent on partying all day with a box of wine which made for some interesting photos later in the day.

We started off downtown and then ended up at Rainbow Haven Beach which is beautiful and only half an hour away from our house). Yet another reason you should come to Nova Scotia, there's plenty of beaches and when the weather is like it is now, I think it could rival any beach holiday desination). There was a lovely breeze on the beach and I didn't realise how burnt I was getting, so come Monday I looked like a lobster.

The weather has continued to be great all week and all weekend, blazingly hot!
On Friday Rob and I checked out the annual Pow Wow on the Commons. It's an event celebrating our Native American culture and people. There's food, entertainment and stalls selling native art. When we arrived there wasn't much going on and the dancing didn't start until the evening, so we decided to head off and go to Grand Pre in the valley. I had been wanting to go and see this year's art installation by Nicole Evans and Patrick Farrell (remember Door 17 from last year?) Nicole got in touch with me recently and requested some prints of the image I took last year. So I took them with us, but sadly she was out. She loved the prints and wants to meet up in the near future. I loved this year's doors, and cannot wait to see what she comes up with next year.

In the evening we headed back to the Dartmouth waterfront to watch the fireworks, although not arranged a few of the usual camera club suspects we there doing the same thing.

Saturday, I didn't do a whole lot as Rob was working, but in the evening we headed back to the Pow Wow to watch the dancing. It was a a sea of colour and quite the spectacle. I would definitely go again. After that I had the urge for a Chinese take away (it's been a long time since I had one), so we got one from a place near us, and let me tell you it tasted sooooo good! It's hot again today, so as soon as I have finished this I am off outside.

Belated birthday wishes to my friend Kim. Hope you had a wonderful day.
And also belated Canada Day wishes to all my Canadian friends!

Lots of images today...apologies!


Jessica Left, April jumping on the right (very Riverdance)
Click on any of these to view larger

Postcard Girl


Happy and Rebecca


Perfect model pose!


Door Steps


A whole lot of feathers!

Definitely a colourful spectacle!