Bluenose Race Report...

The 13.1 miles (26.2K) are in the bag - the race is officially over - although I am carrying around the residue soreness of a run that long! Yesterday was Day 30 in my 50 Day Quest! A great way to log Day 30!!

A short recap - the day began at 5 am (ugh) so that we could be on the road to Halifax by 6 (I drove in with my friend Janice - thanks for the ride, Janice :). Traffic was light and we had no problems getting parked. A short walk down to the race event site, stored my bag (which I brought because I was going to be there for almost the entire day), and headed over to the start line to wish my friends Julie and Colette "Happy Running" as they both were heading off to tackle their first ever full marathon!! The 5K left shortly after, so I was able to scream and yell for Janice's start, too!

Then, some time on my hands - enough to find a bathroom, do some people watching and work my way back to the start line for my 8:45 gun time! I found Misty (another running friend) in the crowd so we stood and chatted. And, oh my, was it chilly. I wore running tights, layers and a pair of mitts! And I was still shivering!

I set my watch after careful thought as to how I wanted to run the race - I planned (!) on doing 10 and 1 intervals, but set my watch to 4:30/1 minute intervals so that when I got tired and needed to drop down to less running time, I would have my beeps to let me know! Now, you must know, I have issues with my watch on race days. This will be fourth time where, for whatever reason, I have done something wrong and thing doesn't work. This time, I managed to get it running just across the start line (it's a long way to the start line when you line up at the back of 1320 runners), BUT no intervals of any kind. It just ticked off the minutes and the miles - when I plugged it in to my computer, I didn't even have any split times - just the total distance and time! Sigh!

So, I found some people who felt like they were doing my pace AND were running intervals of 10 and 1s. I tagged along. But, after checking my timing graph when I got home, they were actually running between a 9:40 minute mile and an 11:00 minute mile. My goad? 11:30!! As usual, I went out too fast. But I felt good. I felt good right up to the 10 mile mark. The timing graph shows my 6 mile split as a personal best (1:03).  But at 10 miles, just shy of 2 hours, I knew I was done. I didn't give up, though.

I plugged in my iPod (I never run with music, but I took it in case I needed some distraction). And I shortened my running time, with more walk breaks. And I just kept going! I finished the race in 2:34:29 - 12 seconds shy of my personal best, but considering the elevation graph below, I'm very happy with my time. And my race!

I collected my medal, headed for the chocolate milk booth (love chocolate milk after my run), over to the food tables (which, because of thousands of people before me who ran the 5K and 10K were down to their last crumbs), collected my bag, found a free coffee vendor and headed upstairs to the arena's washroom and a quite corner where I could just sit (on a chair, because I knew if I sat on the floor, I may need help to get up). After a bit, I changed into dry clothes (should have brought warmer clothes) and headed down to the waterfront (um, downhill, should have given that some thought). I parked myself on Hollis street to wait for Julie and Colette (figuring they should be along as that was the 3/4 mark of the full). I timed it perfectly - about 20 minutes later  they both came into view so I was able to cheer them and give them a hug. They were doing awesome!!

Then, onward. I had a goal in mind and nothing was going to stop me. A waterfront vendor named The Battered Fish Co. for fries. I am not calling this fast food - they make your order up fresh, the fries are not sitting in a warming tray!! I asked the girl what sizes, picked the largest (which could have fed a family of three) and when I got my hot, hand-cut fries, doused them in malt vinegar, salt and ketchup, found an Adirondack chair tucked into a corner of the building in full sun and with a full view of the waterfront and proceeded to inhale those fries! THEY WERE AWESOME!!!!

I had to walk back uphill to get to the finish line to await Janice, who had been volunteering in Point Pleasant Park, and Julie and Colette. Janice found me first and we waited for the girls. They finished - I am so proud of them. They both looked strong, both upright and smiling!!! And I believe one of them is hooked on full marathons!!! After a quick hug and congratulations, Janice and I hoofed it back to her car (all the walking, I think, really helped my legs - they would have been much worse today if I hadn't  walked). We stopped for a bite to eat (Janice - I was still full from my chips, but I had a big mug of tea) and then headed home.

All in all, a great day!! The best part - the huge bucket of fries ;)

Reading, Writing and Running on Canada's East Coast...

I'm at a loss today for a journal entry - the only thing on mind these days is running, especially with the half marathon coming up, but even I get bored with that one-track recording so I can imagine you guys do, too!

I considered a reading post - afterall, this is 'Reading, Writing and Running on Canada's East Coast'. But I haven't been reading. No, sorry, that's not true. I have been reading - books about running! Yep, the song plays again. I have quite a few books lined up once I get over my obsession with running books - Wolf Hall by Hilery Mantel, The Dinner by Herman Koch, and Maeve Binchy's last novel: A Week in Winter. I also have a non-fiction book called The Gin and Tonic Gardener (by Janice Wells), which I'm looking forward to 'digging' into!! Maybe once I get this race over and done with!

There's no use doing a writing post - not writing. But I think my new habit to cultivate will be writing. Nothing huge - I'll follow the same guidelines I did to start my running habit - short time frame and the mindset of 'streaking'! With my running (I know, I'm going there), I'm marking my days on my calendar with a red marker. At a quick glance I can see how many days I've continued with the streak. And because I'm a little over the top, I also have a stack of pennies (poor pennies, no longer wanted or needed in Canada I felt they needed some loving) - 25 - that I count with (like an abacus - as an aside, have you ever seen someone skilled at using the abacus? Amazing). I have 4 days to prepare for my new habit.

So, reading, writing, running - East Coast! I've been doing some searching on line for my brother and sister-in-law who are coming for a visit at the end of next month (so excited). I live in an amazing place. They're going to go up to New Brunswick to take in the Hopewell Rocks Park (I blogged about it long, long ago - go HERE if you're interested in seeing the pictures and learning about this wonderful place where, when the tide is out, you can walk on the ocean floor and 6 hours later, Kayak among the rocks far above where you had just been walking - the difference between low tide and high tide: 0 ft to 40 ft). They're also going out Digby Neck to whale watch with this fabulous package - http://www.brierisland.com/ I'll take some time off work and do some day trips with them - including a trip into Halifax!

There, I managed to cover all my bases and not talk exclusively about running - yay! Happy Thursday, Everyone :)

It's Cold and Squeaky...

It's turned cold here on Canada's East Coast - colder than normal and for a longer period of time. Still  not as cold as out west where I'm from and where I lived most of my life (and certainly not as cold as when I lived in the Arctic), but once you become acclimatized, you start to complain!

We've had some snow, too - snow that hasn't melted! I went out with Taz last night - all bundled up - and stepped onto the snow. IT SQUEAKED!! Because it's usually warmer here, and the snow that much moister, I never get to hear the squeaky snow. When we lived here before and then moved back home, I remember going out and realizing how much I missed squeaky snow. This week we definitely have squeaky snow.

Did you know: Snow is made up of ice grains with air pockets in between. When you step on the snow, you compress the top layer, which is mostly empty space. The ice grains rub against each other causing friction or resistance. The colder the temperature, the greater the friction and that's what causes the crunch or squeak.

Our local meteorologist, Cindy Day, explained this in a segment called Grandma Says (she's written a children's book called Grandma Says - all about weather sayings and the science behind them). She added that at -10C (14F) and below the snow will crunch. At -19C (-2.2F) and below the snow will squeak. All I know is that squeaky snow reminds me of home!!

From the looks of the weather forecast, the cold and wind (which makes it colder) is to last for another week. Perfect time to hunker down in the warm jammies and _________. Fill in the blank for me - what would you do with a week of frigid temperatures? And let's get even crazier and imagine that there is no Day Job, now what would you do. I'll answer in the comment section!!

Stay warm :)

White Point Beach Resort, Nova Scotia...

One of the most beautiful places in Nova Scotia (and there are many of those) is White Point Beach Resort. I discovered this gem when we lived here before - a day trip out to the resort for lunch and a Christmas Craft Fair - I fell in love. The beach, the peacefulness, the old lodge (and the food was pretty darn good, too - my friend and I sat in the lounge, next to the huge stone fireplace, looking out over the ocean - amazing). The resort was a little over 70 years old then and the placed oozed history and story - I imagined there were also a few ghosts hanging out.

When I discovered my friend Frances Jewel Dickson was going to be writing a book on White Point, I was elated. I love history - I love Nova Scotia - and I love knowing how others lived their lives. Every time I asked, Frances said the book was coming along well, on schedule. Then, in November of 2011 White Point's main lodge burned to the ground. Frances' book, almost complete at that time, had taken on new meaning. And she felt it was only right to add to it - include the fire and the hopes, dreams and reality of rebuilding.

I am pleased to say that Frances is finished and her book Destination White Point is ready to order. She's doing an 'Early Bunny' promotion (bunnies play a significant role at White Point Beach Resort) - and I'm pleased to help her promote. The book will be released to the public after June 30th, so you don't have much time to get in on the pre-order - did I tell you that the 'Early Bunny' promotion is a signed edition of Destination White Point? Yes, it is. I'll let Frances explain - the video is great, with Frances at White Point and flashes of old pictures and a brief summary of the book.


Here's some links:

Frances Jewel Dickson: http://www.voicesetc.ca/index.htm

White Point Beach Resort Blog (about Destination White Point):  http://www.whitepoint.com/blog/2012/06/12/destination-white-point-to-be-released-order-yours-now/

White Point Beach Live Webcam (I love watching the ocean): http://www.novascotiawebcams.com/south-shore/white-point-beach.html

Have a great weekend, everyone :)

There's No Place Like Home...

If you missed yesterday's Carnivalesque - or all the great comments, including a final one from Lynn with great advice/ideas for making social media work for you - go back and read (you'll be glad you did).

Now on to the regular post - I was saying to The Husband the other day (we had to go into town to drop off our central vac, which gave up the ghost in the middle of vacuuming the living room...we have Taz and there's no way we can go without a vacuum for more than two days - the next day the truck decided it wasn't going to start...talk about rainy days)...Where was I? Oh, yeah - I was saying how much I love living in Nova Scotia! There are days when the heavy clouds, darkness and rain are internal - and those days can be very trying and tiring - but always I am grateful for where I live. The water is like home to me (Pisces) and the country side is, well, not flat (sorry all my Prairie friends and family). There's a peacefulness to it. The way of life is slower. And I love the salt air.

Anyway - I've had this on my radar for some time. My friend Sara Harley posted this on her blog and then on YouTube - these are her photos and the song is a reworking of "Farewell to Nova Scotia" (which can be quite dreary) by The G3s. When I saw this the first time I got goosebumps - and it sums up my love of this fine maritime province in words and pictures.



If you love these pictures, I urge you to check out Sara's blog for links to her photography and window art. She has also brought together a group of artists and photographers for a charity book called Paws for Charity, with all proceeds going to SHAID (Sheltering Animals in Distress, a local animal shelter). The name of the book is hotlinked to the book seller's webpage and you can peek inside at some of the amazing pictures).

Do you love where you live? Does it feel like 'home'?

Titanic - 100 Years...

Bailed again on that Weekend Words Exercise - truth be told, I wasn't on the computer that much this weekend and the weather was so absolutely glorious, I spent a great deal of time outside! I got a great run in - that helps a lot considering my runs haven't been that stellar lately - and we took a drive in the country! I also watched the greatest 'keepsake' movie ever - Titanic (the heart-shaped diamond necklace that is returned to the ocean after many years, soon to be followed by Rose who then re-unites with Jack on the grand staircase of the ill-fated, unsinkable ship - I need a tissue just thinking about it this morning)!

It's all things Titanic around here this weekend. Of course, it's the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the ship - and Halifax played a huge role in the recovery and burial of the passengers. There were approximately 2225 people on board - 1523 of them died when The Ship of Dreams hit an iceberg and sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean - 150 of the dead are buried in Halifax. And did you know there really was a J. Dawson on board? Joseph Dawson - buried in Halifax - he worked in the belly of the boat, shuttling coal to those that stoked the fires that kept the ship moving toward its destiny.

For more information on J. Dawson - The Real Jack Dawson by Senan Molony is a fascinating read.

As is Encyclopedia Titanica - a comprehensive passenger and crew list with some biographies, and articles on all things Titanic.

Of course, I must mention and link to Halifax's own Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and their FAQ section. I've been to the museum (and for those that don't know, I am a huge museum junkie) - the Titanic exhibit is haunting!

You may have noticed a new blog on the side bar - The Pet Blog- a great place for all things 'awww'. Last week they did a post on the Titanic Dogs and until then I had never thought about all the pets that would have been on board the ship. When I watched the movie, I was aware of the dogs coming onto the vessel at the beginning and the scene where one of the crew members is walking the dogs on the deck where the lower class passengers spent their time. The link takes you to the Titanic post and there's a link there to another article (which I'm in the middle of reading - fascinating) - 12 dogs on board, only 3 survived.

Did any of you watch Titanic over the weekend? Any museum junkies out there? How was your weekend - good weather, bad weather, relaxing, frenzied, too short? And, in keeping with the start of this post, what are your keepsakes - any heart-shaped diamond necklaces out there?

Vietnamese Food Experience...

We went out for a fabulous dinner last night - the local college puts on a 2 month global tour at the beginning of every year with their students in charge. Each student selects a country then goes about creating a menu, budgeting the food, ordering the food, running the kitchen - a simulation of what it will be like when they graduate and become a chef in real life. A win for the public as these dinners are wonderfully unique in our little corner of Nova Scotia.

This year we chose the Vietnamese Dinner. Here, I shall let the maitre d' explain my meal:

Good evening, madame. To start, a lovely presentation of summer rolls; paper thin rice noodle wrapped around a summer fresh medley of bok choy, cucumber, carrot and green onion on a spicy ginger sauce. And it is spicy, madame; a little goes a long way for those who like things mild, bold tang spread heavily for those who like a little more adventure. Enjoy.

Your main, madame. A spicy pork accompanied by fluffy coconut rice and a stir-fry of mixed vegetables. The mango sauce is a pleasant accompaniment to the pork; fresh and cooling against the heat of the spice. Bon appetit.

And for dessert, deep fried bananas with a swirl of whipped cream, a panna cotta with thin caramel sauce with a slice of dragon fruit. One of our most popular choices, we hope you enjoy.

This, of course, was just my meal. Everyone at the table (and there were 9 of us) enjoyed summer rolls, mango and papaya salad, or spicy prawns to start. The main ranged from more prawns over rice noodles, a jungle curry (the vegetarian offering), a red snapper or duck with black rice. Desserts, the two tried amongst the dinners last night were the fried bananas and a sticky rice pudding. Every dish presented with flair and every plate figuratively licked clean!

As to my personal experience - the ginger sauce on the summer rolls was very, very hot (and very, very good - you know how hot stuff works, the more you eat, the more you want). The pork was good, but it was the stir-fried veggies and coconut rice that I could have eaten three-times over. The veggies were done to perfection - a difficult thing to do in one's own house, let alone a kitchen where you're trying to time your meals and your cooking for 40! And the dessert - hey, it was deep fried, what's not to love. I had never had dragon fruit before, so that was something new (no real flavor, but pretty on the plate) and the panna cota was spectacular!

The only disappointment - no chopsticks!

Do you like trying new global cuisine, People of Blogland? Anyone out there experienced dragon fruit before? Do you like going to restaurants where the maitre d' explains the meals (I can name a handful of times this has happened - there was no maitre d' last night, but the choices were fully explained on the menu)? I'm trying to remember a TV commercial where the maitre 'd was explaining a chocolate bar - can't find it on Google search - anyone remember?

FYI - anyone interested in my first dining experience with the college can go HERE to read the poem I wrote about my Italian Cuisine!

Windswept Beach...

There seems to be a beach theme this week. Yesterday way a blustery day here on the East Coast. 85K/hour winds (53mph) gusting to over 100K (65mph) made for many trees down, signs blown over and, because it was garbage day in some areas, garbage bags rolling down the street like modern day tumbleweed!

We took a quick trip over the river on the ferry. A large vessel, usually steady and smooth, bobbed up and down in the water as swell after swell hit the side. If one was prone to seasickness, the contant up and down of the horizon might have caused some quesiness. I loved it. The motion, the overcast sky, the howling winds took me back to my childhood when we would go overseas to visit relatives (Scotland - notoriously bad weather) and take as many boat tours as we could. My dad loved boats and water - inevitably, we would be out on the water in less than perfect conditions riding out the swells and listening the flap of our pants in the wind.

The Husband and I drove out to Hirtle's Beach - a beautiful stretch of beach that usually has some fantastic waves. The wind was so strong, I struggled to get my door open to get out. Then struggled to walk down the boardwalk to the rocks. Here's me leaning into the wind at the end of the boardwalk.

The pictures don't do the wave action justice. It was incredible! The sound of fury. The salt spray. But it was hard to keep the camera steady. If you're interested in seeing Hirtle's Beach on a calm day, head over to Dream Big - Sara had been there on Monday and took some fabulous pictures and a short video.

Have a great weekend, People of Blogland :)

Post Race Report...

Took a long weekend there - needed it after my crazy busy Sunday. Yes, I did run a half-marathon distance in 2:28:14, which is a personal best! I decided to do a straight out course - there's something about getting out a distance and then turning around and knowing you have all that distance to cover again to get back to the start. Mind games! I convinced The Husband that he needed to come and get me. He arrived right on time.

The course I chose, from my place to Crescent Beach, was beautiful. And it was a beautiful day - I was 'unlayering' before I even hit the half-way mark. I ran along the LaHave River to where it meets the Atlantic Ocean, then kept going until I hit the beach. I've blogged about this beach before - the only beach in Nova Scotia that allows cars to drive on it (good thing, don't think I could have walked back to the parking spaces) - see here if you're interested in knowing more about this natural wonder or seeing some pics I took.

When I got to the beach, the watch told me I still had mileage to go - so down onto the hard-packed sand I ran with the waves spilling in toward me and the rhythmic sound accompanying the percussion of my feet. What an awesome way to finish a run!

Needless to say I was tired and could already feel my legs burning. An epsom salt bath was needed - as was the hot chocolate spiked with Swiss Almond Liquour (the running nutritionists will be having a fit with that post-race refueling). And I had to be ready to leave the house for an afternoon party in under two hours. I'm so glad I took the time to have the bath, though, or I wouldn't have made it through the rest of the day.

After all that excitement - the run and a marvelous party with friends - I was one tired puppy yesterday. Didn't even have the energy to blog! Still a little fuzzy around the edges today.

How was your weekend, People of Blogland?

Happy Canada Day...

It's the start of a long weekend here in Canada - and a beautiful one here on the East Coast according to the weather guys (thank you Weather Guys :)

We'll be checking out Bridgewater's Canada Day - last year we got awesome t-shirts that read "Canada Day Rocks the River"(that's the LaHave River, in case anyone is wondering). Hopefully there will be different shirts there this year.

Then it's off to our friends' place for dinner - I have to make dessert (must get thinking about that). Should be a good time and always great food.

We also have a picnic planned for either Saturday or Sunday - might be heading over to the Fundy Coast. I'll post pics next week!

What's your plans for the weekend (eithe long for my Canadian Friends or regular old two days for my American Friends), People of Blogland? Hope you have a great weekend no matter what you end up doing!!

Weekend Event Number 3...Tree Hunting...

Wow, it's impressive when our weekend activities take almost as long to blog about - and in one day, we're back to another weekend. But this weekend looks to be a quiet one - guess I should have thought about spreading out the activities.



(The Gang - minus me, taking the picture)





(Measuring the tree is very important)








On Sunday, we went tree hunting. We went to the same place as we did last year - a tree farm out New Germany way. And once again, the event, experience did not disappoint. The weather was much warmer than last year - and there wasn't a snowflake to be found. But the Christmas Spirit was alive and well in our little group (2 more than last year - loved having Matt and Jane along for the adventure). So, because we do plastic, two trees were hunted down and sacrificed for the big event. In relatively short time, as well. I complained that our drive out to the tree farm took longer than finding and cutting down the trees! But with a vast field filled with perfect trees, a lot of searching was pointless.



Besides, we had to get that part of the hunt out of the way so we could move onto the after-hunt festivities of horse-drawn sled ride and hot chocolate!!









(Ah, fire to warm the weary hunters)










(Beautiful horses pulled us on the wagon around the tree farm)










(The beautiful stream that runs through the propery - check here for last year's much more artistic and icy pictures)









(Matt found a stick that had been chewed by a beaver - he fished it out for his grandson)




OK, People of Blogland, you know my issues with formatting on Blogger - enough said. Do you have a Christmas Tree Tradition - either decorating or finding? Big question - is your tree real or plastic?

Weekend Event Number 2...Decorating...

On Saturday of the very busy weekend, a group of us attended the house tour in Bridgewater. Six houses were opened up as a fundraiser for the local hospital. And what an impressive showing. The houses ranged in age from 1885 to 2005, and the variety in Christmas decoration spanned the sparse and subtle to the over-the-top, chock-a-block. If you didn't come home with an idea or two, you were too busy looking at the architecture (oops, that's me).

My favorites were a relatively new home that had Christmas everywhere. Every mantel was adorned with glowing villages. Every hearth was filled with candles. The table was set with Christmas china. The stair case draped with greenery and lovely gold ribbon. Even the master bath was decked out with greenery and pinecones around the tub, candles nestled within. Yet, it didn't come across as cheesy or too much - very well done. You couldn't help but get into the Christmas Spirit visiting that house.

The other favorite was an older home (1889) decorated with greenery and old-fashioned ornaments. They had a huge tree with peachy-orange ribbon and the old flickering lights that make it look like candles, casting the tree in an orange glow. Of course, the high ceilings and the marble fireplace drew my eye - along with the wide crown moldings and beautiful wood built-ins. Yep, the architecture. The house oozed old world charm and elegance!

But I did come home with a few new ideas. And was amazed at the dedication some have to decorating and collecting Christmas things. My homemade decorations (consisting of juice boxes and burnt out light bulbs) seem pale in comparison. But as we decorated the tree yesterday, I couldn't help but smile at all the memories my 'different' ornaments have. See here for the story about my tree - and all the homemade decorations and the reason why. The Husband suggested that we might need to add to our collection, so I'll be scouring the Internet looking for cool and unusual patterns to try out!

So, People of Blogland, have you ever gone on a Christmas House Tour? Were you inspired or intimidated? With less than 2 weeks left, is your tree up and decorated? And special ornaments that flood you with memories whenever you bring them out - we'd love to hear about them.

Weekend Event Number 1...Singing...

What a weekend - something happening every day! And all three events were a great way to get into the Christmas Spirit!

Friday night saw a bunch of us girls head over to Lunenburg to take in A King's Christmas, an evening of song and stories. The Chapel Choir of the University of King's College (in Halifax, NS) sang carols and hymns while CBC Radio's Eleanor Wachtel provided readings in keeping with the season. (I've looked for a youTube video of the choir, but no luck - just take my word for it, they were fabulous).

The writer I am loved the readings. And Ms Wachtel usually prefaced the essay, prose or poetry with a story about the author. Anyone who knows me knows I love the background of a writer - the tick, the spark, the angst that makes him or her create. One, in particular, stayed with me (and, again with the unfortunate, I didn't bring the program home - recycling is alive and well in Nova Scotia - and have forgotten the name of the writer). A writer who, while struggling to create, worried and fretted over being accepted in his writing - and afterwards, when writing was profitable (if the monies he made in his time could be considered profitable), worried and fretted about being creative. A writer's life...

Which leads me to share an article I found over on Betsy Lerner's blog (I've just discovered this writer - her link is in my side bar if anyone's interested is checking her out). Did you know that writers are on the list of careers with high depression rates? Here's the link to read the information on artists/entertainers/writers. And if you go there, check out the next page - teachers! Administrative Support Staff are also on the list, as well as retail sales people. In my vast job history, I have hit 4 out of the 10! 5 if you count the fact I did some accounting clerk work (not really an accountant, so maybe 4 1/2)!!

On that happy note...

People of Blogland, do you take in concerts at this time of year to help you get into the Christmas Spirit? How was your weekend - did you do anything fun and exciting? What job have you had that should (or is) on the list of depressing jobs?

Saturday's Concert...

This past Saturday we drove down to the Chester Playhouse with good friends to hear Rankin, Church and Crowe in concert. Let me tell you, we were not disappointed. I've been stalking following Susan Crowe ever since my friend Jane told me about her cousin (Susan). The context of the conversation back in November was about Susan's blog - and after my first reading, I knew I had to stalk follow her. Humorous, self-deprecating, a master story teller - all things I strive to be (OK, I've pretty well sewn up the self-deprecating). And although she doesn't blog on a regular basis, when she does, it's priceless.

I had never heard her sing. Didn't stop me from giving an emphatic "YES" when Jane asked if we wanted to go to the concert. I mean the woman (Susan) won the Canadian Folk Music English Songwriter of the Year Award!

What a concert! Rankin, Church and Crowe sang beautifully (click HERE for one of the songs they sang on Saturday), told hilarious stories, and were genuiningly glad to be in Chester playing for the audience. You could tell that they loved what they did. You could tell they loved each other. It was fabulous!!

And Susan Crowe did not disappoint. Here's a video from the ECMAs -

Stalking Following just reached a whole new level.

What about you People of Blogland - ever stalk follow anyone prior to knowing her as the artist she is? Oh, crap, just realized I may be doing the same thing with Silver! I may need therapy! Or high-powered binoculars - does anyone know where I could buy some? Any folk music lovers out there (Jennie?)?

Mom's Visit Part 3 and a Quick Check-in...

Well, it's been a busy weekend. My friend Brenda is here visiting for two weeks, so there was a lot of catching up and visiting over the past couple of days! She's going to run in the half marathon and, as practice, we did our last long run and made it the actual distance. For myself, I wanted to make sure I could actually cover 21K - getting a little nervous about my ability. We did the distance in 3 hours (my personal record now for future runs). At one point, it looked like I wouldn't be able to continue - but Brenda had some power gels and that revived me so I was able to finish the last half hour. I feel like I climbed Mt. Everest - oh, I also feel somewhat sore :)

I may be here and there this week. Hoping to keep up with the blogposts for the rest of the week, but fair warning just in case I can't. We're off to shop in Halifax tomorrow - The Running Room in a priority because I want some of those gel packs for Sunday's run.

Here's the last set of pics from Mom's visit:

The well known landmark at Peggy's Cove. We did a coastal drive from Bridgewater to Peggy's Cove - an absolutely beautiful day. We stopped off at Bayswater Beach to take in the ocean waves and a quick walk on the sand. Taz got to play some ball. Then, to Peggy's Cove - very, very busy!

The waves were beautiful - and the color of the water was that turquoise blue that reminds me of the Caribbean. The Husband took lot's of pics while Mom hung out at the lighthouse and I sat on a big rock with Taz, people and ocean watching.

Mom in the shadow of the lighthouse.

More fabulous water views.

And, of course, I had to get a pic of my favorite man and dog :) They were waiting for us to emerge from a store (no Husband Chairs in sight!)!

So, that's it, People of Blogland. Hope your weekend was wonderful - let us know what you did!

Mom's Visit Part 2...

As promised, here's the next batch of pictures from my mom's visit. On the first Monday she was here, we drove over to the Valley (Annapolis Royal) for the sole purpose of seeing the Historic Gardens. My mom is an avid gardener - and I'm a wanna-be! The perfect place to spend the day.


The first section of the garden is the Rose Garden. Of course, we were a little late to see the garden in full bloom, but OMG, the flowers that were blooming were beautiful. And they grew in clumps, just like a bouquet! And there was a beautiful lilac rose bush - I took a picture, but it came out fuzzy! You know how much I love purple.







The roses grew up the gazebo/trellis! Wow!










Mom and I :)










There were a variety of garden sculptures throughout the garden. This one entitled Adam and Eve really drew my eye. Got me thinking about garden ornaments - hmm, maybe I should have a garden before I start collecting garden 'stuff'?







Anna came over with us. Always a pleasure to have Anna join me in whatever venture I'm about :)

This was part of the Victorian Gardens. Very, very busy - but very, very busy. I like it, but my favorite was the wild grass garden. Did I get a picture of that? Um, no! But definitely ideas for my 'hill' are percolating! The heather gardens, in almost full bloom, were beautiful, too. Yeah, no pictures of that either. I could do a heather and grass combo - I have all winter to think on that plan!

It was a really great day. After the gardens we wondered around town and checked out the shops. A wonderful day :) Hard to believe it's been a week since I put her on the plane to go home.

Anyone out there in blogland enjoy visiting public gardens? Do you get ideas and then implement them? Has anyone been to Buchart Gardens in British Columbia? I love that place :)

Mom's Visit...

I promised you pictures of my mom's visit - I took so many, I'm going to have to do this in three batches (so either stay tuned or be warned).

The first batch of pictures were mostly taken on the first Saturday she was here. We all jumped in the car (including Taz) and headed southwest along the coast - destination Liverpool. What fabulous day! It could have been a little warmer, but we didn't get wet and we managed to walk on a couple of beaches along the way. Of course, most of the journey follows the coast and the scenery is breathtaking! We ended up at the lighthouse in Liverpool (built in 1855 - and the sight of deMonts' and Champlain's landing in 1604) and picniced on chicken salad sandwiches, veggies and dip and hot tea from the thermos!

This is my mom with Lunenburg Harbor in the background. We ventured there on Friday (before the picnic/beach day). It's such a great picture (hint to family members reading this - fab if you could print off a copy for mom :)

First stop and our longest walk - Risser's Beach. We had to have hot tea and a muffin when we got back to the car - it was a chilly walk, but well worth it with the sound of the waves and the tang of salt air.

Mom, me and Taz (don't look too closely, I have a bag of poop in my hand - thanks, Taz).

The Husband, Mom and Taz on the later part of the walk that winds its way back through the woods.

Picnic time - yeah, she doesn't like getting her picture taken. I could have used the other one, Mom - then you'd have something to complain about ;)

Taz enjoyed the picnic, too!

And you all know that you can click on the pictures to make them bigger - and I apologize ahead of time for any formatting difficulty (so much easier to apologize than learn how to do it properly - I'm lazy).

Any picnic fans out there in Blogland? I love to picnic, but always forget to do it. I have the equipment, hmm, must be that lazy streak ;)

Storm Shopping...

A short post as I'm in the middle of preparing for disaster - or the Apocalypse!!

Yes, Hurricane Earl is on its way and the word on the street is batten down the hatches and prepare for the worst!! Honestly - the people here on in the Maritimes take their storms very seriously - and so they should, check this out. Which means that we Prairie People should, too!!

So, we've been out storm shopping. Collecting all that we think we might need in order to weather the storm. I thought the crowds would wait until Friday to do Storm Shopping, but the stores were packed as people had the same thoughts as I did (I heard them in the grocery check out saying they thought they would get a jump on the busy time). We have water - and will fill our bathtub just in case the power goes out and we need water to refill the toilet! I bought extra milk - we're huge milk drinkers and need to have lots of it in the fridge (more on that in a bit). And I even bought a new tub stopper - see comment about filling tub full of water.

We're SOL if the power goes out for a long period of time because we don't have a generator. There are advantages to having a winter storm - you can stick all the fridge/freezer stuff outside in order to preserve it (one day I must do a post on our 'freezer' in the Arctic). But at those temps, the water pipes could freeze. In the summer, no worries about the water pipes, but the fridge/freezer contents are in serious danger if the power goes out for an extended period!!

And we have lots of wine and beer!!

Earl's on its way - Saturday at 3 in the morning is the predicted landfall. Here's the latest: http://www.theweathernetwork.com/news/storm_watch_stories3&stormfile=top_5_qs_about_earl_310810?ref=ccbox_weather_topstories and some interesting answers to hurricane questions! I'm off to bring in lawn chairs, solar lights and make sure my car is parked in the garage. Oh, and possibly some more storm shopping if I start to panic!

Have you ever lived through a hurricane, People of Blogland? Any advice on preparation? I'll try to get some pictures, you know if the hurricane isn't so bad to endanger my life (I'm not going to be one of those reporters out in the hurricane giving you live updates: "How's the wind, Janet?" "Gee, Bob, it's a little windy. And there's rain!" - as the poor reporter who drew the short straw is strapped to the light standard while the camera man is safe in his car!!!).