Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost

Two days in a row ....

2008-11-18T07:07:00.002-04:00

......... to you! Even if I haven't too much to say this morning, perhaps an enouraging word and a pretty picture will benefit someone out there in cyberland.

Sooooooo .........

2008-11-17T15:41:00.003-04:00

........ you thought that I was lost, didn't you? ....... No. I wasn't. Busy, perhaps .... but not lost. Late autumn is upon us in the 'northland' ...... and the temp took a drop today. It has been unseasonably warm ....... but that is about to end. Winter preparations are almost complete as we anticipate the cold and snow that is soon to arrive. I'm digging through my yarn stash looking for some wool as I've been commissioned to knit a friend a pair of socks for her husband as a Christmas gift. The picture above shows the pygmy goat kids meeting my Basenji during one of their first outings last spring.

Where does the time go??????

2008-07-10T09:22:00.003-03:00

...... And, not only has the time speeded away on me, by the time I manage to get on here and under the correct account most of what I wanted to say has vanished! Nevertheless, I'll share a bit with you ............ It's been a busy spring and early summer here in southern Nova Scotia, and now the FOG has struck this coastline! ....... so thick that I heard a friend remark earlier this morning that 'even the seagulls are walking' ........ Now, that's thick!! Though the fog keeps things damp, it's only a surface dampness, and we've had a number of forest fires in the area already. Hoping and praying for rain here ..........

Birds have been plentiful at the feeders and it's always a joy to see them.

Knitting of socks continues. There's something about that process in that you can never have enough socks IMHO.

Going to the hairdresser this afternoon. Will be a boost during the 'foggy season' ....... :-) .......

~ Dawn

2008-04-15T10:45:00.002-03:00

"I was beginning to learn that spring was not a specific date on the calendar, but a gradual relinquishing of the bonds of winter." - Isabel Edwards

It was a long winter ........

2008-04-15T10:04:00.003-03:00

..... but now only the occasional day has snow, and the snowfalls are changing to rain, the winds are still cold and strong but once in a while the sweet promise of a warmer wind mixes in ......... Ah, Spring begins to stir the earth again! While the winter hung on I knit and read and took a few pictures ........ I bought a spindle and some rovings ........ the lady that I bought the items from gave me a hugh handful of fleece to 'practice with' ........ which was very nice of her. I haven't practiced yet .......... but I've bought myself a couple of books that should help ............. Spin It by Lee Raven, and Start Spinning by Maggie Casey. And, Heather and I bought some livestock last month and became 'farmers' ....... or would we be 'shepherdess?' We bought a pair of Pygmy goats ......... a breeding pair ....... and Annie, the Nanny was pregnant. Note that I said 'was' ................ A week and a half ago we were blessed with two doe kids .............. so now I'm buying hay and Hobby Farms Magazine. All are doing well ....... lively and healthy ....... promising much fun for the weeks ahead.

Winter came early this year

2007-12-19T05:40:00.000-04:00

Still autumn, and yet winter has been upon us since the latter part of November. A fierce winter storm went through the Atlantic provinces last weekend giving us low temps, much snow, and far too much wind. In the middle of it all the temp went up and the heavens poured water down, which washed away a lot of the snow, then the temp dropped again and left us with frozen earth and ice. Yo yo weather ..... :( .......

My computer is back from the 'computer hospital' and is 'well' again. Isn't that grand?! Meanwhile my son bought himself a computer bringing the total computers here up to four. Now, mind you, this is with dial up and one phone line. So far we are being courteous to each other. Hopefully that state will continue.

December 15th was Dream's 10th birthday. Hard to believe that this little girl has been with us almost 10 years. When we picked her up at the airport in Halifax she was 10 weeks old and weighed 6.6 lbs. Just a little baby bundle.

It's very peaceful here this morning. The winds have dropped and I saw one lone star off toward the east earlier. I'm listening to one of the two tapes I bought myself as a treat. Celtic Hymns and Celtic Serenity ....... easy listening ...... I hope all is peaceful at your house as well .........

2007-11-20T10:52:00.000-04:00

-3C earlier this morning ............ brrrrrrr ...... winter is coming! The trees and bushes are bare for the most part now here in NS ........ lakes and streams are filled to the brim ........ it's time for winter to move in.

It's been since September 30th that I've posted. Were you wondering what I was doing during October? I was sick with an upper respiratory infection that just would NOT give up, and has left me with a lingering cough. :(

Getting back to the knitting ...... I did finish one pair of socks; however, all that I had planned to knit this fall is still in skeins and balls. Looking forward to accomplishing 'something' through this winter.

A wood fire going in the furnace today ........ hmmmm .... love the wood heat. There's nothing quite like it for heating a body thoroughly!

No pics today ...... sorry .......... my main computer is at the 'computer hospital' having come down with a case of 'computer fits' so I am using my laptop here, and as my laptop was completely cleared and redone a while ago the pics folders are empty on here. Must raid hubby's computer for some pics to use down the road. :-)

Hello out there in Blogland .....

2007-09-30T22:32:00.000-03:00

....... Nice to see you again! I'm happy to know that some still check to see if I've written anything here from time to time. Lately it seems as though the days aren't long enough to get everything done that I'd like ......... and I must confess to spending a fair amount of time on Facebook when I am online. Leslie keeps up with me there. She knows that I'm not lost ...... just missing in action. Hi Leslie! :-)

DH and I managed some time down at the cottage this weekend and stayed overnight on Friday. He spent yesterday clearing off the bracken and tall grass which had covered our lawn area there for the summer. There is sooooo much for him to do and try to catch up on during the weekends now that he is working away each week, something had to be put on hold this summer and it turned out to be the cottage that was neglected.

My interest in knitting waned over the summer; however, as the cooler weather came on and my feet felt the chill, I took knitting needles in my hands once more and have begun to knit socks again. Heather's socks, that I had started earlier in the summer, have become one whole sock with the matching sock about to begin.

Canadian Idol was of major interest in our household this summer. Though I personally don't watch such shows that much, this year was an exception. A local young man was competing and made it to the Top Four. Dwight d'Eon is our local star!

Lunar Eclipse pictures .......

2007-09-07T03:43:00.000-03:00

..... taken near my home on August 28th. Blogger is being kind to me early this morning and allowed an upload quite promptly. Nice Blogger ...... Hope you all enjoy the pics.

I'm frustrated with Blogger

2007-08-31T22:04:00.000-03:00

I had wanted to upload a few pictures of the lunar eclipse that I took earlier this week; however, Blogger has seen fit to block any photo uploads from my computer ......... :( ......... so I'm sitting here 'crying in the rain' ........ Yes, we're having rain. Rain is good for us right now as things were beginning to dry out. Plenty of fog and moisture keeps the surface wet ...... but down near the roots is where we needed water.

Blogger is frustrating ............ I'm going to do some chatting on Facebook instead ..........

As time speeds by .....

2007-07-18T11:05:00.000-03:00

WoW! Is the summer going fast! July is already over half way through ..... hard to believe, but it's true ........ As a child I was often told that time went faster as you age ........ now I am finding out just how true that is. I am healing well from my highflying act ........ knitting more socks ...... contemplating a fabric project or two ....... contemplating I said ....... :-) ........ keeping in contact with relatives and some friends on Facebook ....... and I did think it was time to bring my Blogger friends up to date ........ again. Two articles from the July/August 2007 Issue 13 Cloth.Paper.Scissors magazine are what has interested me in regards to fabric projects ........Graffiti Composition by Alisa Burke, and A Year Captured in Fabric by Tracie Lyn Huskamp. Both interesting concepts ..... and being 'handwork rebel' of a sort, I wouldn't be doing mine exactly as they did. Don't get me wrong ...... I admire 'sane work' but prefer 'crazy quilted' or 'patchwork' type methods ......... I like to 'colour outside the lines' nowadays. Spent many years of my youth 'colouring inside the lines' to please the adults.

Hubby arrives home again tomorrow evening and will be off on vacation for the following week. His vacation this year will be spent in the woods finishing up cutting and hauling out wood, and catching up on the lawns, both here and at the cottage. A 'working vacation' ........ No trip to MO this year ....... or to the Blue Ridge Mountains ....... :-( ........ maybe next year ....... :-) ........ Oh yes, he'll also be spending time on his radios. Being a Canadian Amateur Radio Operator he loves to make contacts around the world.

The songbirds are busy here this morning taking turns at the feeder and perching in the trees singing. I woke to fog earlier but it has burnt off to overcast skies with a touch of blue. A while ago a hummer arrived at their feeder on the window and she had her half grown baby with her. Showing the little one the ropes.

Have a happy and blessed day wherever you are .........

2007-07-09T06:41:00.000-03:00

Columbines ........ an old favourite.

A new week beginning ..... and I decided to get off to an early start by rising before the sun this morning. Hubby is back to work up near Halifax so I'm on my own for another week. Watching the hummers coming to the window feeder beside my computer desk .......... they are adorable! and feisty too!! The weekend was a combo of good and bad weather, but hubby and I spent quality time together and that's what counts. The songbirds are singing beautifully this morning .......

Time travel ....

2007-06-27T15:04:00.000-03:00

Going back in time to 1986. Heather is up on Whiffit and Zip is my mount. This is one of our many 'mother/daughter' horseback rides together. Lots & lots of fun.

Update ....

2007-06-25T09:28:00.000-03:00

Another absence ..... so, another update ..........

I've been nursing a battered and bruised body this past week, after falling down my front steps ...... all eleven wooden steps ....... a week ago yesterday. I was attached to Dream by a leash as she chased a squirrel off the verhandah ...... para-sailing down the first half, I landed on my back and bumped from step to step on the second half ...... ending up with a sore back, two bruised elbows, a bruised and swollen left ankle, and one battered toe on my right foot. No broken bones, and no snapped neck ........... it's apparent to me that God doesn't want me in Heaven quite yet! I'm healing well and slowly getting back on the computer. Finally felt like knitting this morning so I started the second sock to the latest pair that I am making for Heather.

My lilac bush in bloom earlier this month.

Another pair of socks

2007-06-10T21:03:00.000-03:00

These are for me, and I have another pair on the needles for Heather.

Hello Blogger Friends .....

2007-06-06T17:39:00.000-03:00

I haven't been lost, but I have been busy ...... checking on an ill step-father-in-law, setting up a page on Facebook for communicating with cousins, nursing a sore leg, and knitting ....... among daily chores of course. :-) Heather has claimed the pair of socks that I had been knitting last month that you see in this picture. I am now working on another pair for myself and almost ready to start decreasing for the toe on the second sock ....... so should soon have another sock pic for the blog. Wind and rain have been stalled with us for the last days; however, the latest report says sun is on the way. That's a pleasant thought for the immediate future. The scenery is still beautiful this time of year regardless of the weather though, isn't it?!

Kelly and me .......

2007-05-31T15:10:00.000-03:00

.......... back in the summer of '67 .........

Those were the days .........long hair ..... blue jeans ...... bare feet
....... Roy Orbison glasses ........ and a Basenji ........ it was a
wonderful summer!

...... Isn't Kelly adorable?!

Cooking all done ......

2007-05-31T14:52:00.000-03:00

........ and though I didn't achieve the nice yellow shade that Cyndy did, I did manage a soft beige and had fun doing the experiment. Anyone know of another springtime natural dye for me to try? Btw, my son wanted to know why I didn't just drive in to town and pick up some yellow yarn, if that was what I wanted. Guess he doesn't understand the challenge, eh?! {g}

What's cooking?

2007-05-28T15:12:00.000-03:00

Pretty yellow dandelions simmering in a blue enamel pot on my kitchen stove, and Cyndy ...... they don't smell weird to me. I think they smell quite nice. They'll steep overnight and tomorrow we'll see what I can do about dyeing a skein of wool with them. The experiment has begun. Dream went with me while I picked the danelions. Questioning looks followed my every move, and I've had to lift her up twice so she could smell the simmering dandelions. She seems to think they 'might' be tasty. We're having fun. :-)

From the past .....

2007-05-08T11:29:00.000-03:00

Sunny springtime weather always stirs the desire to 'maybe' have horses again. I'll quench the urge today by sharing a picture with all of you. This was taken in the late 80s ........... my daughter Heather riding my horse Zip for her dressage test during a Pony Club C Rally in the Annapolis Valley at Applewood Farm. Pony Club testing is quite intense. They must first pass a written test, then an oral test, and then do a riding test which consists of a dressage test, cross country at speed over jumps, and then must come back and do a stadium jump course. We enjoyed those years of Pony Clubbing and eventing. Great fun!

New growth

2007-05-08T11:04:00.000-03:00

I love to walk around our property in the springtime and see the new growth coming. Viewing the greenery as it emerges from the cold ground amidst the blandness of last year dead foliage gives one's heart a lift and a joy ........... knowing that new life is arriving once more. My snowdrops, though still showing this year's blooms, are also making seeds to expand their numbers.

The wild mayflower, which is our provincial flower, greets May.

Lupine leaves holding raindrops ...........

Hungry?

2007-04-23T17:22:00.000-03:00

. . . and thinking banana bread. Looks good doesn't it?

With spring weather here and outdoor activities getting going not one ounce will be added when the scales are brought out next, right?!

Winged Friends

2007-04-18T04:37:00.000-03:00

Images are from a couple of weeks ago. The last few days there haven't been many photo opportunities as we are in the midst of the nor'easter that is visiting us as it leaves the New England coast. More rain and high winds are expected to continue today, and there storm surge warnings for our coasts as we experience high tides. Flooding will occur again today more than likely.

This little Chickadee ponders which tasty morsel of grain he will choose next.

Canada Geese heading north ......... after spending the winter months disquised as 'Snowbirds.' :-)

A male Marsh Hawk soars above as he searches for 'lunch' .............. and a plumb Robin sits in a maple tree and sings.

-2C and a 40% chance of flurries

2007-03-29T10:35:00.000-03:00

Windchill -9C and NNW winds 33 km/h gusting to 45 km/h

Did spring run away again?? She did a fancy dance around for a day or two, and then ran. While she's off to other lands we'll gaze upon some pictures from another spring season . . . . . .

Snowdrops by the stonewall . . .

Pink ladyslippers in the nearby woods . . .

A special treat that we see most years. A white ladyslipper . . . . so nice to find among the pinks.

Monday March 26th 2007

2007-03-26T20:10:00.000-03:00

Along with the Spring, I am hoping to emerge from my semi-hibernation state. Winter was long and wearisome, and I am looking forward to warmer weather and more pleasant times. With rising temps and disappearing snowbanks I have been walking in the woods taking pictures and watching the earth come to life again.

Happy Belated Birthday Dream!

2006-12-16T10:23:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was my Dream's 9th birthday. Isn't she beautiful? My constant companion ..... my 'angel with the tarnished halo' ..... my 'little kid' ...... and sometimes 'rotten little kid' ..... my heating pad ....... my friend ........ all this and more ....... she has brought many new friends into my life ..... Basenji friends who understand my love of these semi-wild barkless dogs from the jungles of Africa ...... Dream was the fulfilment of a 25 year old dream of having another Basenji ..... she has done her part well. I am looking forward to many more years of loving and living with this Basenji that I feel God placed in my life for a good purpose.

2006-12-15T16:11:00.000-04:00

Haven't had a lot of time, or energy, for posting lately and wouldn't you know that when I do, blogger won't let me upload pics. How disappointing is that? It's Dream's 9th birthday today and I had hoped to put up a picture of her taken this afternoon. Maybe later ......... It's a busy time of year around here, and has nothing to do with Christmas and that chaos. Mostly the hectic pace is due to lobstering and I've been voted 'chief cook and bottle washer' for the homefront. Electric stove, dishwasher, clothes washer and dryer are all much appreciated! Even so I've hardly had time to catch my breathe between chores. Only a bit of picture taking and computer work has been accomplished before falling into my bed in the evening. Though I've written little here on my blog, I have been trying to keep up with reading the regular blogs that I visit. 'Someday' things will return to 'normal' around here ............ 'someday' .......

Until next time ........... take care all .............

First snowstorm of the season

2006-12-05T21:14:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we received our first snowfall, even though winter will not officially be here until the 22nd.

The weather report said 'flurries,' which is how it all began.

A few short hours later our world had become a winter wonderland.

Unexpected beauty as the day ended .......

Last Monday was Dumping Day .......

2006-12-02T09:36:00.000-04:00

in this area of Nova Scotia, when the fishing boats headed out to sea to set their traps for the start of the lobster season.

It was a beautiful day with calm seas and winds and mild temps ...... what the fishermen would call a 'slicker.' The waters became a gigantic mirror.

Even this seagull and rock made a lovely reflection.

Scenes of Camp Cove Wharf in Lower Argyle, Nova Scotia.

Soaring hawk ..........

2006-11-30T12:05:00.000-04:00

........ on the air currents ............ Beautiful!

2006-11-24T10:39:00.000-04:00

These "Wonders" are some of our greatest blessings for which we should be eternally grateful .............

Rain .....

2006-11-24T09:10:00.000-04:00

...... and wind began early last evening and haven't slowed down much yet, though the weatherman says that the skies will clear overnight and then we will see the sun for a number of days except for possible showers on Monday. That's good! ..... as Monday is Dumping Day in this area of Nova Scotia and we pray that it will be good day with no loss of life or lobster boats. My son is a lobster fisherman and has already survived a shipwreck, which was no doubt a hugh reason for my hair turning gray.
The Rescue happened while Gene was dragger fishing a few years ago. So, we'll concentrate on a good day for this coming Monday, and today I will spend inside alternately between knitting on a sock and repacking fabric, and I may even attempt to dye some wool yarn in the washmachine which can hang in the basement to dry. I still haven't been brave enough to show you what a diaster I made of my first attempt at food colour dyeing out in the sun last summer. Pictures are in my files. Maybe someday you'll get to see them. We'll see. :-)

There's a lump under the leopard spotted blankie on the loveseat. The lump is Dream. In true Basenji-fashion she is keeping a low profile as it is raining and windy. Basenjis don't do rain and wind all that well and when conditions are as they are today they can hold it forever.

Hope everyone has a nice day and my American relatives and friends are able to move freely despite their overstuffed tummys. Hope your Thanksgiving Day was a happy one! :-)

Sunshine & Balmy Temps . . . . .

2006-11-13T16:04:00.000-04:00

. . . . . were what we experienced for the most part this autumn here in New Scotland. During many days at least one walk was in order; if not a couple or more. Dream, the Basenji, is with me in this picture. She enjoys looking at the water but is not inclined to venture in to go wading or have a swim. Today, with the weather turning colder, the winds blowing, and overcast skies threatening rain, Dream is staying inside snuggled under a fluffy blankie in her Momma's favourite knitting rocker. Momma has to find another seat for the day. :-)

2006-10-19T22:16:00.000-03:00

Old October

Old October's purt' nigh gone;
And the frosts is comin' on
Little heavier every day -
Like our hearts is thataway !
Leaves is changin' overhead
Back from green to gray and red,
Brown and yeller, with their stems
Loosenin' on the oaks and e'ms ;
And the balance of the trees
Gittin' balder every breeze -
Like the heads we're scratchin' on !
Old October's purt' nigh gone.

I love Old October so,
I can't bear to see her go -
Seems to me like losin' some
Old-home relative er chum -
'Pears like sorto' settin' by
Some old friend 'at sigh by sigh
Was a-passin' out o' sight
Into everlastin' night !
Hickernuts a feller hears
Rattlin' down is more like tears
Drappin' on the leaves below -
I love Old October so !

Can't tell what it is about
Old October knocks me out ! --
I sleep well enough at night --
And the blamedest appetite
Ever mortal man possessed, --
Last thing et, it tastes the best !--
Warnuts, butternuts, pawpaws,
'Iles and limbers up my jaws
Fer raal service, sich as new
Pork, spareribs, and sausage, too. --
Yit, fer all, they's somepin' 'bout
Old October knocks me out !

- James Whitcomb Riley

Thursday sky pictures . . . .

2006-10-19T21:57:00.000-03:00

. . . . taken during a lovely autumn walk today. Our temps have been unusually warm for this time of year in our area so we are trying to be out and about enjoying the nice days while they last.

Seasons changing . . . .

2006-09-22T02:23:00.000-03:00

Late summer blooms are joined by a hint of autumn.

Through my lens . . . .

2006-08-23T01:49:00.000-03:00

Look! What do I see?
Apples growing on our tree.

Yellow flower by the brook
Fits into a little nook.

Lovely lilies in their gowns,
Another treasure from the grounds.

Sweet clover on the lawn
Could be lunch for doe and fawn.

2006-08-13T11:03:00.000-03:00

Last month life was peaceful at our stillwater as the waterlilies started to bloom. I've missed a lot of nice shots around home and the general area this summer due to rain, fog, and my illness which have all kept me inside for most of the time. When a good day does arrive everyone here is outside in the fresh air and sunshine as much as possible. A few pairs of socks have been knit though there were days that winding a bit of yarn was all I could manage. Hopefully those days are behind me.

Lovely little wild rose growing over the rock. I honestly did not notice the dragonfly until the pics were downloaded on the computer. Have to brush up on my observation skills eh?!

A pic of Dawn . . . .

2006-08-07T23:18:00.000-03:00

Dawn
Originally uploaded by irishsenji.

. . . . without handwork, books, computer, camera, dogs, or numerous other activities taking up my attention.

Another warm pair . . . .

2006-08-07T23:07:00.000-03:00

Dawn's handknit socks
Originally uploaded by irishsenji.

. . . . of socks for me. :-) I've really enjoyed knitting with the Patons Decor yarn 75% Acrylic 25% Wool and I'm thinking it's the wool that has made the yarn most fexible in my hands. Perhaps some of the wool experts reading this could tell me. It's the wool that makes the difference isn't it?

Dawn's handknit socks

2006-08-07T23:01:00.000-03:00

Dawn's handknit socks
Originally uploaded by irishsenji.

A warm pair for me.

Black Acrylic socks . . .

2006-08-07T20:53:00.000-03:00

Black Acrylic socks
Originally uploaded by irishsenji.

. . . for my sfil. We couldn't leave him with cold feet now could we? These socks are 100% Acrylic with white Nylon added at the heels and toes.

Experimental Seed Stitch Socks

2006-08-06T08:26:00.000-03:00

Experimental Seed Stitch Socks
Originally uploaded by irishsenji.

My original intent had been to keep these experimental socks for myself but as they turned out to not fit me all that well I've decided to give them to my mil. The seed stitch worked well with this yarn I thought.

Visible & Invisible Potholes of Life

2006-08-04T21:34:00.000-03:00

When the potholes are deep ones I've heard it said that you should toot your horn as you come up out of one . . . . so I'm tooting. At times some of those potholes even had water in them up to my neck! Things are starting to turn around now and I just wanted to let everyone know that we will survive. Hope to get up a picture or two and some more words typed tomorrow.

The experimental socks are done and I think they will be a gift to my mil. Shel's brother, Alan, had a successful surgery and recovery. If I've forgotten to answer a question or comment please remind me as I get back in the swing of things.

'Night all ..........

Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost

2006-08-04T21:32:00.000-03:00

Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost

Hello out there in blogland . . . .

As I've been out of touch for so long I'm wondering if a posting will make it to my blog so will use this as a 'test run' this evening.

2006-05-16T16:17:00.000-03:00

Time has a way of moving on and it's been a while since I've left a posting here I suppose. Things are about the same at Wine Brook Cottage with Shel on the computer most days for a few hours sending out job applications and his resume. Certainly is a different way to go job searching than what we remember from days gone by. So now you understand one reason I haven't been blogging ........... no chance! {g} When the weather is good we usually go for a walk in the afternoons, to clear our heads. Today we've had some rain; but nothing at all like what New England, especially MA, ME, and NH, experienced over the weekend. Glad that low missed us.

See this 'experimental' sock? Ribbing is the normal cast on 60 sts. and K2P2, then decrease to 54 sts. with a knit row, then hit the seed stitch trail of K1P1 down to the heel. Do a normal heel, then do the seed stitch on the top 27 sts. and knit the other two needles. Seed stitch stops when decreasing for toe starts. Turned out a bit large around than my skinny foot required, but it'll do. Now I have to get the other one started so I'll have a pair.

So glad to read At The Top of Squirrel Spur that things are looking up for the Riverrim folks. One never knows when they themselves may be the ones in great need. Shel's brother, Alan, has had a heart attack and will have a triple bypass in a St. John, New Brunswick hospital this coming Thursday or Friday. Praying that all goes well with his surgery.

More Spring pictures . . . .

2006-04-27T20:21:00.000-03:00

Our provincial flower, the Mayflower (Trailing Arbutus) is one of the first wildflowers to appear. I brought some inside today and their fragrance is gorgeous. They are a flower that I would love to have around all year long; however, the best idea is to enjoy them while they're here of course. :-)

This may not be the best picture to show a deer hoof print at a drinking hole but it will have to do for now. Difficult to see in the dark mud but it is there. Unfortunately, I did not sight the deer. He, or she, was long gone by the time I wander by that section of the Wine Brook.

No one was home at this residence on the day that this picture was taken. Perhaps another day . . . . :-)

2006-04-21T07:04:00.000-03:00

Beautiful sky beyond the treetops of my 'Observation Birch.' I call it that as at its base is one place that I sometime stop to rest and observe what life is springing forth. Evidence of spring is beginning to show up near Observation Birch. Marsh Marigolds are appearing, and shoots of various plants that I haven't identified as yet. The old railroad bed and truss are a short ways away; and part of the old sheep fence line remains. Reminders of the days when trains were common . . . . but now the tracks and the trains are gone. That pathway is silent except when a fourwheeler rumbles by or in winter a snowmobile streaks through the path of white snow.

Though today is overcast and the north winds are blowing cold, there is plenty of evidence that spring has begun here in New Scotland.

Stillwater

2006-04-20T06:35:00.000-03:00

It's wonderful to have this little brook flowing near us, and recently Shel has cut out the old, overgrown pathway to this stillwater, which I intend on making good use of when weather and time allow. Maybe I'll head for it irregardless of weather or time and glean from it the calm my soul requires by spending time in nature with God. I've always found God to be more real to me while on the nature trail than in buildings surrounded by strangers.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
- Psalm 23:1-3

He's Alive!

2006-04-16T06:42:00.000-03:00

http://hometown.aol.com/songgirl3031/page5.html

Dawn by Edward Everett

2006-04-15T07:23:00.000-03:00

(Upon the opening of the Dudley Observatory, at Albany, August 28, 1856, Everett gave an address on the Uses of Astronomy, containing this fine description of dawn. Notice that he is describing something so beautiful as to be worth going miles to see, yet so common that we can see it almost any morning.)

I had occasion, a few weeks since, to take the early train from Providence to Boston; and for this purpose rose at two o'clock in the morning. Everything around was wrapt in darkness and hushed in silence, broken only by what seemed at that hour the unearthly clank and rush of the train. It was a mild, serene, midsummer's night, - the sky was without a cloud, - the winds were whist. The moon, then in the last quarter, had just risen, and the stars shone with a spectral luster but little affected by her presence. Jupiter, two hours high, was the herald of the day; the Pleiades, just above the horizon, shed their sweet influence in the east; Lyra sparkled near the zenith; Andromeda veiled her newly discovered glories from the naked eye in the south; the steady pointers, far beneath the pole, looked meekly up from the depths of the north to their sovereign.

Such was the glorious spectacle as I entered the train. As we proceeded, the timid approach of twilight became more perceptible; the intense blue of the sky began to soften; the smaller stars, like little children, went first to rest; the sister-beams of the Pleiades soon melted together; but the bright constellations of the west and north remained unchanged. Steadily the wondrous transfiguration went on. Hands of angels, hidden from mortal eyes, shifted the scenery of the heavens; the glories of night dissolved into the glories of the dawn. The blue sky now turned more softly gray; the great watch-stars shut up their holy eyes; the east began to kindle. Faint streaks of purple soon blushed along the sky; the whole celestial concave was filled with the inflowing tides of the morning light, which came pouring down from above in one great ocean of radiance; till at length, as we reached the Blue Hills, a flash of purple fire blazed out from above the horizon and turned the dewy teardrops of flower and leaf into rubies and diamonds. In a few seconds the everlasting gates of the morning were thrown wide open, and the lord of the day, arrayed in glories too severe for the gaze of man, began his state.

I do not wonder at the superstition of the ancient Magians, who in the morning of the world went up to the hilltops of Central Asia and ignorant of the true God, adored the most glorious work of his hand. But I am filled with amazement when I am told that in this enlightened age and in the heart of the Christian world there are persons who can witness this daily manifestation of the power and wisdom of the Creator and yet say in their hearts, "There is no God."

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Edward Everett 1794 - 1865

When Daniel Webster was studying law in Boston, he once helped his brother Ezekiel for a short time in the teaching of a private school. Among the pupils was a boy named Edward Everett, the son of a Dorchester clergyman; this boy became in later years an orator scarcely less distinguished than Webster himself, and was one of Webster's warmest personal friends.

Young Everett's father had recently died and the boy was working hard to obtain an education. He fitted for college at Phillips Exeter Academy, entered Harvard at thirteen, the youngest member of his class, and graduated four years later with the highest honors. Thinking to follow his father's profession, he then studied theology and in 1813 became pastor of the Brattle Street Church, where his eloquence and charm of manner attracted large congregations. After a two years' pastorate he was offered the professorship of Greek literature at Harvard and was allowed four years of foreign travel and study to prepare himself. This position he accepted, and while at Harvard lived for a time in the old Craigie house, later framed as the home of Longfellow. During his professorship he was also editor of the North American Review.

Everett was already known as a brilliant orator, and in 1824 was elected to Congress, where he served ten years. Then he was made governor of Massachusetts and three times re-elected, losing his fourth re-election by a single vote. President William H. Harrison next appointed him ambassador to England, and upon the conclusion of his term of office he returned to this country and was made president of Harvard University.

At the death of Webster in 1852 Everett succeeded him as Secretary of State, and upon retiring from that position entered the Senate. He was one of the Republican electors in 1864, and his last political act was to cast his electoral vote for Lincoln's re-election.

Everett did not have the natural gifts of Webster or Clay or Calhoun, but what he lacked in force he made up in scholarship, judgment, and good taste. He was the highest type of a cultured gentleman of the old school; and his fine face, his noble figure, his full, clear voice, were well fitted to the graceful style of oratory in which he excelled.

A bit of knitting

2006-04-13T15:41:00.000-03:00

Even though I haven't been posting a lot lately I have been keeping busy. Of course knitting with an 18 pound dog napping on your lap can add an extra challenge to the process. Have to hold my hands up high than usual to avoid poking said dog with the needles. A pair of socks for me . . . .

Getting wood at the camp

2006-04-12T17:26:00.000-03:00

In late March, as we had some fallen trees to attend to near the camp and it was time to get some more firewood down there, Shel drove the tractor and wagon down and I joined him; mainly for photo taking and companionship.

Tree down, trimmed, and blocked, and ready to go for a wagon ride.

While we were in the woods I naturally had to go 'walkabout' and discovered where a bear had pulled off the bark of this tree and left some 'tell tale' black bear hairs behind. Later I discovered a fallen tree where the hungry bear had ripped more bark away as he continued his spring search for food.

Snowdrops

2006-04-01T13:36:00.000-04:00

Both the single and double . . . . .

Walking dogs

2006-04-01T12:54:00.000-04:00

Two days ago the girls and I had a couple of enjoyable walks while the warmer weather moved in. Dinah happily poses as she points her nose into the wind . . . . checking for scent no doubt.

Dream 'inspects' the banks of Wine Brook and blends in with the grasses and bushes. It's like a "Where's Waldo?" cartoon . . . . only this one is "Where's the Curly Tail?"

Busy Spring Days

2006-04-01T07:15:00.000-04:00

Clearing bush and thinning out trees in the area between house and road has kept us busy these past few days but I kept my camera handy and even took time out for a short, leisurely drive locally. A break in the midst of hauling bush is also welcome . . . . especially when the sun shines and you hear the voice of Spring calling you. In one small marsh I found many Cat and Nine Tails displaying their fluffy stuff so I brought one home to put in a vase where I could view it close up. Well, what to my wondering eyes appeared but a wee little worm hanging by a thread. So, it's a worm that makes this fluff right? Anyone know what 'kind' of worm this would be?

We are definitely on a major flightpath. See some of the tell-tale exhaust streaks across our beautiful blue sky.

Our first Robin appeared early in the morning of March 29th and since then his singing and that of his many friends has greeted me each morning as I wake. What a wonderful sound!

The pair of wild ducks has been flying in and out of the stillwater so it looks like we may hear quacking for a while again. They're quick on the wing which makes it difficult to get a picture of them in the air and the bushes are thick surrounding their chosen summer home with a swampy area leading to it so I'm not sure if there will be pictures of those particular ducks or not.

It is so very good to experience the return of Spring!

"If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive." - Eleonora Duse

Nice old doileys

2006-03-28T05:54:00.000-04:00

A couple more treasures from my DH's Nana. I have no information on them other than that they had belonged to her. The one on the right is in need of a bit of repair. I still use them. They are lovely reminders of a wonderful Christian lady who accepted me as though I were of her own blood and taught me so much.

All reports say that we are to have a nice day here in the southern areas of Nova Scotia. I'm certainly eager to hear more birds singing and to feel the warmth of the sun's rays.

Yarn and a scarf

2006-03-27T06:19:00.000-04:00

Colourful yarn that I purchased at Atlantic Fabrics on the way home from Halifax last Friday. I love all the colours and was thinking 'socks' when I saw it even though it's not acutal 'sock yarn.' The colours they offered in their sock yarn was just plain gross .................. so I chose these instead. They're all Patons Decor 75% Acrylic / 25% Wool 210 yds. / 192 metres Net wt. 3 1/2 oz. / 100g ......... Secret Garden Varg. ...... Mountain Top Varg. ......... Sweet Country Varg. ......... and First Spring Ombre. Probably I'll just sit and admire the beautiful colours for a while. It's not as though I don't have any WIP pieces that I could put my attention to you realize. {g}

A light little scarf that I knit up using a couple of balls of yarn purchased at a secondhand store and the simple scarf pattern that Jane told us about on her blog. Jane was correct ......... it was a very simple pattern ........... and I finally finished it on the third try. You want someone to mess up an easy pattern? ........ just give it to me to try. {g} It's a very soft and pretty scarf but the colours don't do a thing for my pale complexion so it's going in the box for future gifts; unless Heather makes a claim to it.

Hopeful signs of spring

2006-03-25T20:50:00.000-04:00

Spring is coming ........ it's just that some days it can be shy. Like when ice still skims the ponds and puddles in the early morning calm while the wild ducks chatter to themselves as they check out the stillwater on Wine Brook to see if they'll stay and nest here again this year, or perhaps move on instead. Shel heard the ducks early yesterday morning as he kept Dream company outside for a while before we left for my appointment in Halifax with the neurologist. The doctor was 'very pleased' with me so that means no more medications for the DRD/SP at this time! PTL! and hopefully I won't have to take any again. Wouldn't that be wonderful?! Seeing other patients who are obviously in worse shape than I am, while sitting in the waiting room, can be quite an eyeopener, and make one feel thankful and blessed to be spared these griefs. A couple of stops at shops on the way home ........... Shel required a few things from a hobby shop near Bridgewater, and I took a quick run through Atlantic Fabrics also near Bridgewater. Yes, I bought yarn. Will try for a picture tomorrow. To Halifax and back all in one day is tiring for me and I still haven't caught up on my rest. Perhaps tomorrow will be a better day. One picture from today that I can share at this time is of my snowdrops. Lovely little beauties aren't they?

New Documentary coming soon

2006-03-23T07:57:00.000-04:00

Twisted - Dystonia Documentary to be Released

My old home

2006-03-23T06:56:00.000-04:00

Home No More Home to Me

Home no more home to me, whither must I wander?
Hunger my driver, I go where I must.
Cold blows the winter wind over hill and heather;
Thick drives the rain, and my roof is in the dust.
Loved of wise men was the shade of my roof-tree.
The true word of welcome was spoken in the door -
Dear days of old, with the faces in the firelight,
Kind folks of old, you come again no more.

Home was home then, my dear, full of kindly faces,
Home was home then, my dear, happy for the child,
Fire and the windows bright glittered on the moorland;
Song, tuneful song, built a palace in the wild.
Now, when day dawns on the brow of the moorland,
Lone stands the house, and the chimney-stone is cold.
Lone let it stand, now the friends are all departed,
The kind hearts, the true hearts, that loved the place of old.

Spring shall come again, come again, calling up the moor-fowl,
Spring shall bring the sun and rain, bring the bees and flowers;
Red shall the heather bloom over hill and valley,
Soft flow the stream through the even-flowing hours;
Fair the day shine as it shone on my childhood -
Fair shine the day on the house with open door;
Birds come and cry there and twitter in the chimney -
But I go for ever and come again no more.

- Robert Louis Stevenson

Lack of bookshelves ?

2006-03-20T05:50:00.000-04:00

In a house of many books there is always, and no doubt will always be, a lack of bookshelves. What did I do? Well, I started thinking outside the box and looked around for possible places to put books. Here are two spaces that I found. In the little corner by the chimney and the brickwork are some of my craft books, protected from any heat from the chimney by a little metal stove, and supported on the other by a rock painted with an African scene by artist daughter, Heather.

The large pedal ( is that the correct word for that part of an old treadle sewing machine? ) was just the right size for holding another pile of craft books.

Some of yesterday and today

2006-03-18T19:43:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, while Shel was at a local Hobby Shop purchasing some required items for the latest remote controlled battleship that he is building, I popped into a secondhand store for a quick browse. One bookbin contained an interesting book that I hadn't seen or heard of before . . .
An Outline of Humor edited by Carolyn Wells . . . . . . don't know when I'll see it again as Heather has had her nose in it almost since I brought it into the house. It must be good; judging by the laughter. {g} That's right Cyndy! The other book you see in the picture is Crazy Woman Creek! the third in the series edited by Linda M. Hasselstrom, Gaydell Collier, and Nancy Curtis. I was so tickled I could have danced a jig! ( . . . were I a dancer, that is! . . . which I'm not . . .). It's softcover, I would have prefered hardcover as it's a book I want to keep, but it's in excellent condition and the price was right. Who am I to 'look a gift horse in the mouth?' ...... though that is good policy if you really are looking to buy a horse.

Praise the Lord! My needles and hands have finally worked together and gotten those promised socks finished and ready for shipment to Missouri! I know one recipient who won't mind sockies arriving in March to keep her toes nice and warm; and if she's like me she'll most likely be wearing 'em when the AC units are running too. We didn't require AC units here today. Good thing cuz we don't even own any. Though we had bare ground as the sun went down last evening, when I woke at six this morning our world was white again. The snow didn't stay long once the sun appeared but the winds were raw and chilly today. Winter doesn't give up easily.

Dinah, the Irish Setter . . . .

2006-03-18T18:21:00.000-04:00

. . . . is the 'Irish' in 'Irishsenji.'

Dinah is CKC registered as Silverstone Sunbeam and comes to us from Silverstone Kennels Reg'd of Mountain, Ontario, Canada. Her dam is Can Am Ch Confettis Damoiselle Shelby and her sire is Can Am Ch Confettis Automne Fragrance CD. FD. Back in 1997 Dinah's father, Jake, was one of only three Irish Setters to have won a Field Championship in Canada and if you happen to have a copy handy of In Praise of Dogs A Photo Tribute by Tara Darling and Kathy Darling you can find Jake's picture gracing one of those pages. Dinah doesn't do the showring thing. She's just very happy being a dog.

An old poem

2006-03-16T07:07:00.000-04:00

SPRING

From the French of Charles d'Orleans.
XV. Century

Gentle Spring ! -- in sunshine clad,
Well doust thou thy power display !
For Winter makes the light heart sad,
And thou, - thou makest the sad heart gay.
He sees thee, and calls to his gloomy train,
The sleet, and the snow, and the wind, and the rain ;
And they shrink away, and they flee in fear,
When thy merry step draws near.

Winter giveth the fields and the trees, so old,
Their beards of icicles and snow ;
And the rain, it raineth so fast and so cold,
We must cower over the embers low ;
And, snugly housed from the wind and weather,
Mope like birds that are changing feather.
But the storm retires, and the sky grows clear,
When thy merry step draws near.

Winter maketh the sun in the gloomy sky
Wrap him round with a mantle of cloud ;
But, Heaven be praised, thy step is nigh ;
Thou tearest away the mournful shroud,
And the earth looks bright, and Winter surly,
Who has toiled for naught both late and early,
Is banished afar by the new-born year,
When thy merry step draws near.

I am blessed . . . .

2006-03-15T10:36:00.000-04:00

. . . . to still have some old fashioned playing marbles and a nice fishbowl, with a little crack in it so that it can no longer hold fish, but makes a lovely marble container. Some folks would call this recycling. When I was growing up it was called making the most of what you had, and waste not, want not. It's certainly a far cry from our modern 'throw away' society. Now how did I get off on that track? I only meant to show you all that when I'm feeling better, I have the marbles and can go play in the spring mud too.

2006-03-14T18:21:00.000-04:00

Okay . . . . so the amoxil didn't do the job. The sore throat is still here, as are the sore ears, and at times I've coughed long enough and loud enough I could have been considered as competition at a Coonhound Braying contest. My energy is zapped and I've been nodding off in between bedtimes and naptimes. Yesterday morning I made a trip back to my GP's office where he examined me and informed me that the infection had settled on my chest. Lovely. Another Rx . . . . Novo-Azithromycin this time . . . . . knock it outta there in five days, or less. We'll see . . . . . It could be a lot worse so I'm pasting on a smile and heading on down the road. Let's hope the glue holds. :-)

Not much being done in the handwork department. It's just a bit difficult to knit, crochet, or whatever, with your body snoozing and your eyes closed. At least it is for me. The rains have come to our little corner of the world and the snow has left. If any snow does return now it will not last long, and that's how it happens here when Spring is lurking just out of sight, gracing us with the occasional beam of warm sunshine or the appearance of new life struggling up through the cold earth. Those feelings and views gave hope to the souls and spirits of all.

Sharing from books again

2006-03-10T09:20:00.000-04:00

I quite like what John Ruskin had to say about books, and how he was as a man himself.

Books

(The following extracts are from "Sesame and Lilies," two lectures on books and reading given in Manchester, England, in 1864. "Sesame," the first lecture, is so called from an oriental grain, the name of which, when spoken, opened the robbers' cave in "The Arabian Nights"; Ruskin means by it that reading is the key which will open the treasuries of knowledge and power found in books.)

Granting that we had both the will and the sense to choose our friends well, how few of us have the power! We may, by good fortune, obtain a glimpse of a great poet and hear the sound of his voice, or put a question to a man of science and be answered good-humoredly. We may intrude ten minutes' talk on a cabinet minister, answered probably with words worse than silence, being deceptive; or snatch once or twice in our lives the privilege of throwing a bouquet in the path of a princess or arresting the kind glance of a queen. And yet these momentary chances we covet, and spend our years and passions and powers in pursuit of little more than these; while, meantime, there is a society continually open to us, of people who will talk to us as long as we like, whatever our rank or occupation - talk to us in the best words they can choose and of the things nearest their hearts. And this society, because it is so numerous and so gentle and can be kept waiting round us all day long - kings and statesmen lingering patiently, not to grant an audience, but to gain it! - in those plainly furnished and narrow anterooms, our book-case shelves, - we make no account of that company - perhaps never listen to a word they say, all day long! . . .

Now books of this kind have been written in all ages by their greatest men - by great readers, great statesmen, and great thinkers. These are all at your choice, and life is short. You have heard as much before - yet have you measured and mapped out this short life and its possibilities? Do you know, that if you read this, that you cannot read that - that what you lose to-day you cannot gain to-morrow? Will you go and gossip with your housemaid or your stableboy, when you may talk with queens and kings, or flatter yourselves that it is with any consciousness of your own claims to respect that you jostle with the hungry and common crowd for entree here and audience there, when all the while this eternal court is open to you, with its society wide as the world, multitudinous as its days, the chosen and the mighty of every place and time? Into that you may enter always; in that you may take fellowship and rank according to your wish; from that, once entered into it, you can never be outcast but by your own fault. . . .

This court of the past differs from all living aristocracy in this: it is open to labor and to merit, but to nothing else. Do you ask to be the companion of nobles? Make yourself noble, and you shall be. Do you long for the conversation of the wise? Learn to understand it, and you shall hear it. But on other terms? - no. If you will not rise to us, we cannot stoop to you. The living lord may assume courtesy, the living philosopher explain his thought to you with considerate pains; but here we neither feign nor interpret; you must rise to the level of our thoughts if you would be gladdened by them, and share our feelings if you would recognize our presence.

This, then, is what you have to do, and I admit that it is much. You must, in a word, love these people, if you are to be among them. . . .

No book is worth anything which is not worth much; nor is it serviceable, until it has been read, and reread, and loved, and loved again, and marked, so that you can refer to the passages you want in it, as a soldier can seize the weapon he needs in an armory, or a housewife bring the spice she needs from her store. Bread of flour is good; but there is bread, sweet as honey, if we would eat it, in a good book; and the family must be poor indeed which once in their lives cannot for such multipliable barley loaves, pay their baker's bill.

John Ruskin
1819-1900

Think for a moment of a deary row of houses in the smokiest part of London - square, brick, substantial, and very ugly houses - and put into one of them a child who loves beauty with a love that is almost a passion; you will then have the John Ruskin of near a century ago. He was born in that smoky row near Brunswick Square, in 1819, and was the son of an honest Scotch merchant who had come from Edinburgh and had by hard labor built up a prosperous business. The boy was an only son, and his parents were not only entirely devoted to him, but determined that he should receive every advantage which they could give him. It was probably for his sake that they moved a few years later into the suburbs and took a house at Herne Hill. There was a wonderful garden at Herne Hill, with lilacs and other blooming shrubs, apple, pear, and mulberry trees, and all that could appeal to a boy who had been hungry for beautiful things.

But both father and mother, though very fond of their son, were also very strict with him. He was allowed neither toys nor sweetmeats. It is said that a kind-hearted aunt, who was visiting the family, once gave him a remarkable "Punch and Judy," which would dance when attached to the leg of a chair. This greatly delighted his childish heart, but as soon as the aunt departed he was told that such things were not good for him, and he never saw the treasure again. He would look out to sea from the upper windows of his home, but was not allowed to go near it for fear he would be drowned. Even the garden had its drawbacks. He writes: "The differences . . . which I observed between the nature of this garden and that of Eden, as I had imagined it, wer that in this one all the fruit was forbidden, and there were no companionable beasts.

If you compare Ruskin's childhood with that of Dickens, you will not fail to notice that while Dickens had too little care, Ruskin had altogether too much. Yet neither was seriously injured by his surroundings - which goes to show that one who is determined to do worthy things and to make the most of oneself can generally do it, whether his family is rich or poor, over-careful or under-careful of him.

The greatest delight of young John Ruskin's life was a two months' jaunt which the family took each summer. They went in a family carriage or "traveling chariot," as it was called, driving in leisurely fashion from town to town. The elder Ruskin made it partly a business trip, but to the boy it was pure joy. One of these summer outings took him to Switzerland and the Alps and opened a new world of beauty to him.

Young Ruskin's favorite books were Scott and Homer - his Homer coming to him from in the form of Pope's translation. Nor should we overlook his reading of the Bible, which, he has said, had the greatest influence upon his literary style when he came to write. He read two or three chapters with his mother every morning and then learned a chapter or a psalm by heart.

He began to write poetry when very young, copying it neatly into little books which he made and illustrated with original pictures. These books were made with the utmost care. Ruskin even in childhood did everything well and carefully as he knew how to do it.

He was prepared for college by private tutors, spent a few terms at an academy, and at seventeen entered Oxford. In the midst of his college work he was threatened with consumption and was obliged to leave, but after nearly two years of rest and travel in Italy he was restored to health, went back to Oxford, and graduated with honor.

During his Italian visit he made a study of the great painters of olden times, whose work he found in the Italian galleries and churches. This led him to write his first book, "Modern Painters," which compared the work of Turner and other modern artists with that of the old masters and showed that the moderns were in some ways better. Ruskin wrote a number of other books on art, including "Seven Lamps of Architecture" and "Stones of Venice." During these years he made frequent journeys to Italy and spent much time in the great galleries. In 1869 he become professor of art at Oxford University.

At about fourty he turned his attention to other subjects. He saw that the working people of England were deprived of things that seemed to him necessary to life - for he know that beauty and truth and justice should belong to the poor as well as the rich. So he wrote four essays in the Cornhill Magazine, of which Thackeray was then editor. They were afterwards published in a book entitled "Unto This Last." Among other books which Ruskin wrote were "Sesame and Lilies," the "Crown of Wild Olive," and "Ethics of the Dust." One of his last books is "Praeterita" (that is, "things passed by"), which tells the story of own childhood.

Ruskin received from his father a large fortune, all of which he spent in making other people happier and better. He built model homes for working people, paid for cleaning certain of the streets of London that were not properly cared for, and founded a society of working men called St. George's Guild, giving it land and a museum . He was himself a painter and left many pictures that show his skill, but especially was he a painter in words, and his descriptions of natural scenes are among the finest in English prose. He loved beauty as few love it; he loved nature, - the rivers and the clouds and the forests and the sea, and especially the great mountains with their snow-capped tops stretching up into the sky, - but nothing was beautiful to him that was not good and true and straightforward and pure. He was a great man, but above all he was a good man, and he taught those around him and those who came after him to see God in nature everywhere.

. . . . Readings-From-English-And-American-Literature
Walter Taylor Field

2006-03-09T21:50:00.000-04:00

A fuzzy cat and nine tail growing among his friends. I wonder if any of my spinning friends know if fabric could be spun from this?

Moving onto the island that we will be walking around, we can see that the sun has been doing a good job of getting rid of some of the snow in the pathway. The more sheltered areas of the trail have more snow on them still but the walking is good.

Shel and I moving along through the trees.

Some of the older trees were sporting fungi growth. So many different shapes and sizes grow here.

Another sweeping view of a section of Goose Creek Marsh; and at the end of your long trek (approx. 1 mile 'round the island), a lovely bench in the midst of a peaceful forest on which you may rest your body and refresh your spirit. But of course, it might be best to wait for a slightly warmer day and after the sun has melted away the snow on the seat there.

Hope you enjoyed your little walking tour with us.

Goose Creek Marsh walking tour

2006-03-09T20:54:00.000-04:00

Here we are, all ready to begin the walking tour on the Interpretive Trail at Goose Creek Marsh. This is the sign that greets you in the parking area. Then, up over the little hill and we're on our way.

Just over the hill, and off to the side of the path sits this monument.

A view of the marsh and the island which we will be reaching via the boardwalk. Though the temp was up yesterday and the sun shone brightly, there was still quite a bit of ice and snow left on the marsh.

Shel and Heather enjoy the view from the boardwalk while they wait for slowpoke me to catch up. I like to take my time and look for photo opts, and enjoy the outdoors, especially when the temps are high enough to be bearable again.

The view from the boardwalk shows the mainland beyond the swamp.

2006-03-09T16:15:00.000-04:00

This is a posting without pictures. I've been trying to put up pictures from our walk yesterday on the Interpretive Trail at Goose Creek Marsh on Robert's Island. Blogger doesn't want to see them yet so you will have to wait . . . . sorry :-( My sore throat is still running rampant and my dog is too! . . . insisting that she needs to go BAD! . . . and is trying her best to make it look as though I don't understand what she wants, so she walks up to me, touches my knee briefly with her nose, then spins in a wild circle, stops and sniffs her butt. Could her wants be any more obvious?! I went to Bible Study this morning but should have stayed home as I was hughly miserable while there and felt so sleepy. After a quick lunch I laid down for a nap and started coughing. By the time I did get a nap I was exhausted. I know there are better days coming . . . just would like to see them hurry up please! No handwork done or anything important. Heather took care of the laundry and some housework. PTL for helpful adult children! :-) Right now I'm working on consuming a cup of chicken noodle soup. Supposedly good for what ails you. Dream has just trotted over to my computer chair, sniffed me and deemed me well enough to leave here by myself as she heads for the family room and the chair where the last rays of sun will soon be leaving. It's a dog's life . . . . at least for her. I'm back to the chicken noodle soup . . .

2006-03-08T21:00:00.000-04:00

This is a text picture with my copyright name. I've been trying out some on my pictures here tonight. Not certain if I've accomplished anything though. This picture was taken in at our cottage during October 2004.

2006-03-07T18:38:00.000-04:00

One lone woodpecker is sighted back in February as Heather and I take an early morning walk in the softly falling snow. He blends in rather well with his surroundings, but his pecking alerted us to his presence and the photo opt. Other than the odd chickadee, and of course the crows, we haven't seen many birds yet. Surely the warmer temps and nicer days will soon see their return.

Heather stood in the clearing where Gene's house 'may' eventually be built and watched the sun breaking through the clouds and snow.

2006-03-06T15:44:00.000-04:00

Alright now . . . I have four pictures up here for the Virtual Tour at Wine Brook Cottage ( thought I'd do one after seeing Jane's ). When I added the link there to Jane's name my 1st picture and the one of my knitting area disappeared. Shall we go with the two and see what happens? Yeah, sure . . . unless they disappear too. {g} There is the corner in my driveway where the fourway intersection meets. Blue sky today, leafless trees and bushes, snowcovered stonewalls and bare driveway. The temp came up yesterday and all driveways are back to mud.

Back in February I dug through to my snowdrops and this is how they looked then. No doubt they haven't grown much as they've been snowcovered since and the temps have stayed down until yesterday.

I pulled a few of the leaves away from the new growth and then very carefully recovered them with the leaves and snow. It is amazing how insulating those two items are.

Now I'm going to try and bring down those other two pictures again. We'll see what happens. {g} They're back!

Winter scene #1 looking out towards the road. Kinda of quiet in these parts these days . . .

My winter knitting area being guarded by Dream.

Will post this and see what happens. Blogger is always a mystery to me.

Book meme continued . . .

2006-03-06T07:24:00.000-04:00

When I was typing out the list of books on the stand which holds my knitting, Simon's bowl, and those books the other day I completely forgot about the second shelf below on this stand where you will find my Bible (KJV), The Inspirational Study Bible (NKJV), the little booklet Guidelines For The Understanding of the Spiratures by J. Vernon McGee, Charles Stanley's Handbook for Christian Living, and my mother's treasured Bible Readings For The Home. Under that shelf sits a wicker basket which contains A Dempsey Parr Micropedia . . . World Mythology, Random Acts of Kindness by Animals by Stephanie Laland, Deeper than Tears . . . Promises of Comfort and Hope, and Roger Tory Peterson Field Guides Animal Tracks.

This weekend has been 'sore throat weekend' which I think may require antibiotics. We'll see later this morning. In the meantime, the washer is already at work and breakfast is coming up.

Book meme

2006-03-02T15:49:00.000-04:00

Still haven't gotten to that book meme because I keep getting lost in a book . . . . Really! I do that a lot ya know . . . . but it's a pleasant sort of being lost . . . . . . today I've been wandering in Readings - From English - And - American Literature by Walter Taylor Field, copyright, 1919. Neat portraits of each author too. I've also had my nose in a couple more lately . . . . some are here on my computer desk, along with Webster's Dictionary . . . . . Historical Sketches of Glenwood and the Argyles, Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia by Jackson Ricker. This is a 1941 copy which had been previously owned by my DH's great-grandfather, Roy S. Goodwin, and has now passed to us. The Chestnut Pipe, Folklore of Shelburne County by Marion Robertson is still here, and Hidden Secrets of the Eastern Star by Dr. Cathy Burns. Behind me on my mother's old treadle sewing machine sits Thoreau On Man & Nature, On Holy Ground by Charles Stanley, Birds by Robert Bateman, Vavra's Cats by Robert Vavra (which is a treasured gift from a fellow Basenji lover and dear friend), and Wolves by Leonard Lee Rue III. Streams in the Desert by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman, Always a Springtime by Helen Steiner Rice, and My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers are also there. Across the room in the dining area I like to keep a couple more books handy . . . . What I Like In Poetry by William Lyon Phelps and The River Congo by Peter Forbath. On another stand in the sitting area keeping my knitting company are The Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds, Dog's Best Friend by Birr, Krakauer, and Osiander, The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon, No Room in the Ark by Alan Morehead, Tartans by Brenda Ralph Lewis, and Leaning into the Wind and Woven on the Wind both compiled by Linda Hasselstrom, Gaydell Collier, & Nancy Curtis. All these, and not to mention the two stacks of crazy quilting, embroidery, and various handcraft books on the floor; and this is just one room in the house. Every room contains books.

Winter is still upon us

2006-02-27T08:09:00.000-04:00

Shortly after 7AM this morning I stepped outside on the verhandah and snapped this photo. It was then -13C and with the wind blowing NW28km/h with gusts to 37km/h that pushed the windchill factor to -23C. Brrrrrr!!!!! Sure glad I've kept those longjohns handy! {g} There was light snow falling when I took that shot which can't be seen, but it sure is coming down now! Makes one very thankful for food, shelter and clothing when the storms surround you doesn't it?! A storm of a different sort was one that our family went through back in October 1999. As you will remember, my son, Eugene, is a fisherman and nowadays he is lobster fishing. Back in 1999 he worked aboard a dragger and on October 21st of that year he survived a shipwreck. While surfing the net a few nights back I stumbled upon this story and gasped as the first picture came to view and I saw my son in the life raft with a fellow crew member and their Captain sitting on the second life raft. Praise the Lord that the three men were alive and unharmed! Still, it stirred this mother's emotions greatly once again. Just click on The Rescue for the story.

CQ Block in progress

2006-02-22T09:10:00.000-04:00

Heather says that it may still require a bit more . . . . like some leaves around the three center flowers.

CQ Block

2006-02-18T05:43:00.000-04:00

This crazy quilt block was one that I pieced and handsewed some time ago for DD, Heather. Will have to find it later today and take a completed picture to post. I have never used a machine on any of my blocks. No one would want to view the mess I'd make with a machine, believe me.

Our wind warning is discontinued for today but there are still a few strong gusts out there yet. The ground is bare again, for the most part, with flurries possible for the next couple of days. It won't be daylight for another hour and a half when we can view the world and make a decision on todays activities. One thing I must do is make icing for the cake I baked Heather last evening. We have a Happy Birthday Girl here today. Maybe a picture later . . . :-) . . .

A bit of poetry from your name

2006-02-15T08:58:00.000-04:00

Found this fun idea over at Quiddity and thought I would join in too.

Dream, and continue on my Love,

As the threads of our lives

Weave a beautiful tapestry,

Now, and forevermore.

This is my Dream . . . . Premier's Dream Weaver . . . . the very special Basenji Girlie who has been sharing my life since February 21, 1998. The 'dream weaver' part of her name was suggested by my DH as it had been a 'dream' of mine to own another Basenji after having had one back in the late 60s/early 70s. Ironically, her mother's name was Hillstar's the Dream Maker. I really think this little girl was always meant to be mine.

Thanks for the poem idea Jane.

More from the Chestnut Pipe . . .

2006-02-14T10:44:00.000-04:00

Home Customs

In addition to brewing home remedies on the kitchen stove, ink, dyes, soap, paint, paste, and glue were also prepared in the home. These domestic recipes and skills were passed down to the next generation and still remembered by some mothers and grandmothers, fathers and grandfathers.

Soap Making

Soap making was an important household activity. In a wooden tub beneath the dry sink in the back entry, bones and scraps of fat were collected to be boiled in lye into hard tallow soap, "taller soap." For soft soap, cracked bones and marrow were dissolved in a tub of lye, making a soft, viscid solution that was used to scrub wooden floors and tables.

Gurry soap was made in the fishing villages from barrels of fish offal, saved by the fishermen to grease the skidways beneath their boats when winching them ashore. The lye was leached from wood ashes that were soaked in a barrel with a hole in the bottom to drain the lye. The gurry and lye were boiled together until the mixture would float an egg or a potato, when it was "strong enough" to make hard soap.

Paint

Paint for houses was made of red and yellow ochre, slaked lime and oil, and was mixed with fresh skimmed milk if it was to be used indoors on walls and woodwork. A man who lived at the Hawk, near Clarks Harbour, remembered using red ochre mixed with oil to paint his house, and painted the roof shingles with seal oil and red ochre. A good paint for houses and fences was a mixture of rosin melted in oil, added to milk and slaked lime. Another paint for the roof was made of fine sand, ashes, and slaked lime, mixed with oil. It was applied to the shingles with a wide brush - first coat thin, second coat thick. For those who lived in Jordan Falls, a good source of red ochre was "up the tote road west of the river."

Many houses and outbuildings were whitewashed with slaked lime in which glue from a fish skin was added. For white paint, quarts of white lead were stirred with oil in wooden tubs.

Paste and Glue

Wallpaper paste was made by boiling flour and water. Homemade glue came from fish skins, cod and cusk providing the best.

Along the old Crowelltown road

2006-02-14T05:41:00.000-04:00

As we leave the main highway to reach the old Crowelltown road we must first go through a short section where some woodsmen are gathering their logs together to be hauled off to the mill. Where the old road comes out is quite overgrown so this is the only way to join up with it nowadays. On Saturday morning we had to wait for this tree farmer to finish unloading and move back into the woods before we could continue through. They can certainly move a lot of wood around in a short time.

As we moved along the low section of the road Shel stopped so I could get a shot of this sweeping visa. Snowcovered saltmarsh running out to meet the Argyle River, and the tree covered shore across the river with houses scattered along the village of Argyle Head.

From the low area we climbed up the side of a drumlin and on one we followed an old trail to the top where we sat and admired the view down river.

Back up the trail a ways this old foundation sits in the middle of an old field on top of a drumlin. As I view the ruins and the lone tree sentry, I wonder about the people who lived in this house, and where did they go . . . . Crowelltown was settled by some of my father's people . . . . perhaps this house and property at one time had belonged to some of my ggggggrandparents. (Or however many ggg's back it may be.)

It was a cold, blustery day when we went for this ride and I snapped these pictures. No animals or birds around. I'm certain they were safely off in their little hideaways in the sheltered hollows between the drumlins, seeking protection from the winds.

More from the Chestnut Pipe

2006-02-13T06:33:00.000-04:00

Quilts

Patchwork quilts, like hooked mats, were a part of home life. Their bright blocks of squares were sewn together according to a design, such as "crazy quilt," "hole-in-the-wall," "wedding ring," or "Star of Bethlehem," and many other designs. Quilted to a lining, through a cotton or woolen bat, or, as was discovered in Lockeport when a century-old quilt was repaired, through a bat of newspapers, they made warm bedcovers.

Bed ticks were stuffed with hay, oat, or barley straw, or with eelgrass, where oats or barley could not be grown. Thus the old command, "Com' on boy, 'tis time to get in your eelgrass." Those who had hay-filled ticks were told "to hit the hay."

A family in Welshtown used to sit around the kitchen stove on winter evenings stripping fine strips of birch from birch sticks to be used to stuff their bed ticks. In spring, the old crushed birch stripes were thrown away, and the new ones were stuffed into freshly washed bed ticks, starched stiff with flour paste. Over the birch tick was a feather tick. In the winter those high-mounded ticks were warmed with peeled sticks of wood scorching hot from the oven or hot stones wrapped in flannel.

Witherod Baskets

Baskets were woven from long slender rods of witherod and were used aboard fish boats; smaller witherod baskets were used to carry fish ashore. For a housewife, fish could be easily washed in a witherod basket, for the loosely woven strands permitted the water to flow through. The farms of Ohio used witherod baskets when harvesting crops of potatoes.

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Please note ........ the Ohio spoken of here is Ohio, Shelburne County, Nova Scotia, Canada. Many place names were brought here by the United Empire Loyalists who settled in these areas after coming from the US.

Windshield view and old info

2006-02-13T05:26:00.000-04:00

Before the storm started in earnest, yesterday morning Shel and I went for one of the short drives that we do on a regular basis. I'll put the whole ride together in pictures with a brief description later today. For now here is one picture that I took while on the old Crandall Lodge road in Argyle Head. As the lodge is now under new ownership I can't be sure if this road will still be known by this name, though to us it's how we'll remember it. The storm had petered out by the time it reached us here, after having left most of its snow along the eastern seaboard of the US. DD had received an email from a friend in Portland, ME during the early evening saying that they had only received about 4 inches there. Turned out to be just an ordinary winter storm for us for the most part.

Back home I spent some time with my nose in The Chestnut Pipe and came across some tidbits on subjects of interest to handcraft folks . . . .

Ink and Homemade Dyes

Good black ink was brewed from inkberry, Ilex glabra, and from maple bark. The same berries were used to make black dye, as was alder bark. Seaweed was gathered for a brown dye, and for yellow, onion skins were boiled. Lichens gave various dyes: "cockles" from maple trees provided a rich brown colur; old man's whiskers, a light sand or beige; rock cockles, light brown; and the stiff, shell-like rock lichen, a deep rose. Navy-blue dye was boiled from logwood brought from the West Indies in homeward bound vessels. To set the colours of homemade dyes, either a small lump of rock alum, salt and vinegar, or urine was added to the dye pot.

The natural colour of yarn spun from the wool of brown sheep was known as "heather" or "burnt"; "clouded" yarn was strands of yard dyed different colours.

Spinning and Weaving

In some homes there were looms, spinning wheels and "winding blades," to wind yarn into skeins. Cloth was woven for clothing and blankets, and for rugs to cover the bare floors. A single strand of yarn as it came from the spinning wheel was known as "open-banded"; for two-ply yarn, it was "double-and-twist"; for three-ply, "treble-the-three." Yarn spun from wool sheared from sheep that roamed their home pastures was known as "homeste'd"; clothing made from the yarn was known as homeste'd clothing. Those who remembered their grandmothers weaving yards of heavy cloth for pants and coats, remembered "plain weaving" had two threads; "swansdown" had four threads. Women went from house to house spinning for two cents a skein and weaving blanket cloth for seven cents a yard. One young widow, in Brass Hill, "buckled to" and made a living for her children weaving rag rugs. They were laid on the floor of the front room over a layer of oat straw. "Ingrain" carpets were woven in a pattern "one colour on top; another beneath," red above, gold beneath.

Mats

Mats were hooked of wool or of rags. Heavy rag mats were hooked on crocus bagging, the coarse burlap of oat or middling bags. A sturdy scatter mat for kitchen floors was a "sheeny mat," a "hit-and-miss," hooked of bright coloured rags, each row a different colour. A favourite design traced on burlap to be hooked in wool or finely cut rags, was of roses, thistles, and shamrocks within a border of scrolls, and against a "main" or background of grey, sand, or brown.

A coin mat was made with circles of flannel traced around coins that were feather-stitched in various designs onto squares of woolen cloth. The squares, feather-stitched together with a backing of blanket cloth, made an attractive bedroom mat.

Painted canvas mats were made for back entries and sinkrooms. Flour and cold water were mixed and boiled to a smooth paste that was brushed over the canvas. When dry, it was painted with odds and ends of house paint, with brightly coloured designs, bursting red roses, scrolls and geometric patterns, or a ship in full sail. Sometimes, yellow or red ochre paint was painted on the canvas as a background for the design.

Snow warning for tomorrow

2006-02-11T08:37:00.000-04:00

Not a blizzard actually, but lots of snow. Thought you might enjoy the little cartoon, and hopefully by posting this it will also push into place the earlier posting I sent today. We'll see ...........

Have a nice day/night wherever you be. :-)

Books

2006-02-11T06:30:00.000-04:00

I love 'em! It's the simple truth ............ I love books! Good books! Books that reach out and draw me into them. With a heavy snowfall warning for tomorrow, and I'm aware of four books within my range of vision just sitting here looking at the screen, I don't think there will be lack of entertainment if I'm housebound tomorrow. Now, wasn't that said with my tongue firmly in cheek ........ me? housebound? with a 4 x 4 Jeep sitting at my backdoor. Still, I'd rather stay off the roads unless there's a need when the conditions are not great. You're probably wondering what those titles are .......... give me a minute to move my little notes to myself and I'll tell ya. Let me see ............ The Chestnut Pipe, Folklore of Shelburne County by Marion Robertson. I had been reading this out loud to my DH and DD ....... a bit each evening about a month ago. We had some chuckles and a few real good belly laughs from that one. Then there are the two books that are a compilation of short stories and poems and thoughts written by women from the High Plains. They have tugged at my heart, caused me to cry, and made me smile through my tears. Sisters in this journey through life. Leaning into the Wind and Woven on the Wind ............. edited by Linda Hasselstrom, Gaydell Collier & Nancy Curtis. They have a new one out called Crazy Woman Creek. I must remember to get myself a copy someday. They are keepers. Keeping busy with the books, or keeping busy with some handwork, there won't be any reason for being bored. I'm not certain I understand how some can be bored. Overwhelmed with so many choices of things to do is how I find myself these days, but never bored; and there's always spring cleaning, when the mood hits. I wonder if any of my spinning friends would like to buy some unique angora dustbunnies? They're going at a super discount price! {g} My computer clock has just turned to 7AM. It will soon be time for the rest of the house to awaken. Oh! You were wondering what that fourth book was ............. Why, it's Maxine ....... Yelling It Like It Is ...... I love Maxine! She reminds me of my paternal grandmother.

Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened. - Anatole France

It's breakfast time at Wine Brook Cottage. Until the next time ......... take care ........

Sometimes there comes a time ........

2006-02-08T04:36:00.000-04:00

.......... when you have to stand up and say what you believe.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
- Genesis 1:1

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. - Genesis 2:7

It's raining again . . . .

2006-02-05T05:41:00.000-04:00

Wet-Weather Talk
by James Whitcomb Riley

It hain't no use to grumble and complane;
It's jest as cheap and easy to rejoice. -
When God sorts out the weather and sends rain,
W'y, rain's my choice.

Men ginerly, to all intents -
Although they're apt to grumble some -
Puts most theyr trust in Providence,
And takes things as they come -
That is, the commonality
Of men that's lived as long as me
Has watched the world enugh to learn
They're not the boss of this concern.

With some, of course, it's different -
I've saw young men that knowed it all,
And didn't like the way things went
On this terrestchul ball; -
But all the same, the rain, some way,
Rained jest as hard on picnic day;
Er, when they railly wanted it,
It mayby wouldn't rain a bit!

In this existunce, dry and wet
Will overtake the best of men -
Some little skift o' clouds'll shet
The sun off now and then. -
And mayby, whilse you're wundern who
You've fool-like lent your umbrell' to,
And want it - out'll pop the sun,
And you'll be glad you hain't got none!

It aggervates the farmers too -
They's too much wet, er too much sun,
Er work, er waitin' round to do
Before the plowin' 's done:
And mayby, like as not, the wheat,
Jest as it's lookin' hard to beat,
Will ketch the storm - and just about
The time the corn's a-jintin' out.

These-here cy-clones a-foolin' round -
And back'ard crops! - and wind and rain! -
And yit the corn that's wallered down
May elbow up again! -
They hain't no sense, as I can see,
For mortuls, sich as us, to be
A-faultin' Natchur's wise intents,
And lockin' horns with Providence!

It hain't no use to grumble and complane;
It's jest as cheap and easy to rejoice. -
When God sorts out the weather and send rain,
W'y, rain's my choice.

2006-02-02T06:11:00.000-04:00

This is my very first attempt at Crazy Quilting and I thought perhaps I should post the picture before my CQing friends felt that I had 'gone over to the other side' with all the knitting that has been going on around here lately. This practice block is still 'in progress' and I did something too that some say not to do . . . . I put pattern against pattern, instead of having a plain fabric in between. Guess it was the 'rebel' coming out in me . . . but hey, why tell us that in CQing there aren't any rules, and then throw that rule in there?! Personally I think it worked in this case . . . and it is after all my block, right?! And I will be doing it again. {gg}

At the moment I am working on another pair of socks and hope to get some pics up soon of the last two pairs that I finished. In between spells of knitting I am 'forced' to do housework and cook meals . . . . even bake the odd sweet or two. Lately I've made a couple of Washington Pies that didn't last long. Even the crows never managed a nibble off one of those. Poor crows . . . :-( . . . . they do have stiff competition with the ravens, and the grackels (sp?), and the spruce partridges (Ruffed Grouse); not to mention the Wine Brook Cottage house residents who are in line ahead of them. Last April this woodpecker found that he may have to defend his right to peck on this pole for his breakfast. Looks like the 'Glarefight at Poletop' and it seemed a bit unfair as one was working as part of a 'tag team.' Interesting to watch the interaction of the birds; as well as most creatures.

Cya later . . . .

Various things

2006-01-31T07:34:00.000-04:00

Adorable kids! :-)

One of the Blue Jays that was visiting my MIL's feeder yesterday morning.

A Victorian Amulet that I made a year ago. It's not the best, but it was a good practice run.

Flip flop weather

2006-01-27T22:25:00.000-04:00

What a change in weather one day can bring eh? The first picture was early morning on the 24th. The second picture early afternoon on the same day.

Clearing land

2006-01-21T06:39:00.000-04:00

As this has been such an open winter ........ so far anyway ........... and the man and woman power is available .......... we have been outside clearing the section of our property directly in front of the house. It's being done the silviculture way, as opposed to undesirable clear cutting. When June arrives the cleared area near that clump of maples will be covered in lupins and I will be capturing more digital pictures similar to these .........
Pretty aren't they? I love to take breaks while doing this work and wander off into the deeper woods, or explore a path that a woodland creature has made. Yesterday I trimmed lower branches off some spruces and firs, and also some dead wood off the maples. Our temps have been so balmy, for the most part, this month that the maples were starting to put out tiny suckers on their trunks. I had sap on my hand as I brushed the end of a branch from a fir tree as I toss it away. That means that the sap has started to rise in that tree already. That's not good. New growth will come, and then the cold weather will find us and kill off the new growth. Hopefully, not the tree too, or do damage to it.

"If a man walks in the woods for love of them half of each day, he is in danger of being regarded as a loafer. But if he spends his days as a speculator, shearing off those woods and making the earth bald before her time, he is deemed an industrious and enterprising citizen." - Henry David Thoreau

I would have enjoyed meeting Mr. Thoreau.

Looking forward

2006-01-15T06:29:00.000-04:00

Lots to blog about but for this time I thought I'd bring everyone up to date on my visit with my neurologist last Thursday. Shel and I had been quite suspicious of my three major 'spells' being an overdose of the Sinemet that I take for my DRD, coupled with the fact that I had just eaten a high protein meal before taking a pill. Protein interfers with Sinemet. To make a long story short, I had begun to decrease my Sinemet after the third spell and by the time I saw my neurologist I had myself down to 1/2 of a pill taken one hour after eating my breakfast each day. Sinemet is a medication that must be started gradually and weaned off of slowly. As I had begun to notice an improvement in how I felt, and had not had any more major spells, he wants me to stop taking the Sinemet completely and come back to see him in two months time to see if he can detect any difference at that time. DRD is an extremely difficult disease to diagnose and treat, and the information on it, though improving, is really minimal. Many, many doctors miss it completely . . . . even specialists. They simply don't understand it; especially if they've never seen it before or studied much about it. I am extremely blessed to have a neurologist that is very keen on movement disorders. If any of you would like to read more about the various types of DRD, or find links to more information on Dystonia in general, check out Dopa Responsive Dystonia Central or
Dystonia Medical Research Foundation . Ironically, my neurologist tells me that it is possible that with my particular type of DRD, which is the Segawa's variant and is hereditary, in my case it may be that I have grown into it over the years, required help rising the dopamine level, and that I am now growing out of it (in a sense), which means that I may no longer require Sinemet to up my level of dopamine. Or, it may be that I require a lower level intake of Sinemet. That remains to be seen. I still have the disease. There is no cure. The Sinemet simply helped to control my symptoms. I have been off Sinemet since Thursday now and so far, so good.

The other symptoms that I had been experiencing which don't really fall under the umbrella of Dystonia, would appear to be stress-related, menopausal, and what one may experience if one tends to live life as a 'worrywart.' I am working on those and with God's help, and that of my DH and children, I will be moving forward one day at a time.

One word of advice that I do have for anyone that doesn't seem to be getting answers from their doctor . . . . find one who will listen to you. I did, and it has made all the difference.

Take care . . . .

Our Morgan mare, Meggie

2006-01-10T18:21:00.000-04:00

This was our Morgan mare, Meggie, at 20 months of age, standing in the pasture with a Nova Scotian mist surrounding her. I always thought that the picture was very well done by the photographer as her registered name is Maritime Misty Megan. She was/is so lovely . . . with her gorgeous chestnut coat and kind, twinkling eyes. I don't think there is a mean bone in her body. Her breeder told us stories of how she would romp and play with the other horses . . . . games that looked like 'hide and seek' . . . . and how she would wear out her pasture companions to the point that they would go back and stand at the barn door wanting to go inside for a rest. Meggie would come and peek around the corner of the barn at them and then wheel away to play on her own. Her energy was limitless. When we purchased her, Meggie had a stud foal at her side, sired by Fiddler's Black River, and so we allowed them to keep her there until the foal was weaned so he would not lose his momma too soon. Meggie herself was sired by Candy's Shadow, who was one of the many sons of this well-known Nova Scotian Morgan stallion, Jackson Mandate, who you also see pictured here. Jackson Mandate was the senior stud at Hobby Horse Farm in Coldbrook, NS for many years.

More on the horses later. Duties are calling . . . . .

Looking the other way

2006-01-10T10:06:00.000-04:00

Just last month during a snowstorm I was outside wandering around with my camera and for this shot I was standing in the riding area, just off the edge of the driveway. The maple tree is a divider between the driveway and the riding area and during dressage practises years ago it was "A" . . . . and sometimes "snack" . . . . {g} The old horse barn is off to the left in this picture, and the garage is to the right . . . . both are hidden from view. The driveway continues on from where the Jeep is parked there by the house, goes down the hill and circles around to come out and join the main driveway at the foot of hill by the stonewall. The driveway to the garage goes along in front of the stonewall which is in front of the house and continues by the garage on up to the basement door. Needless to say, the driveway is not paved. It would cost far too much money to pave it all.

Picture uploaded

2006-01-09T21:46:00.000-04:00

After a complete shutdown and reload Blogger decided to allow this one picture this evening. This was taken almost a year ago and shows the main area directly in front of the house where Shel has been clearing as I mentioned in the previous posting. Not a bad picture considering I took it from inside the house. This is the view from the big window in the sitting area of our combined kitchen, dining and sitting room. As you can see, we are a ways from the road and off to the right of the driveway halfway to the road is our old riding area. We still keep it mowed in the summertime so that it remains 'alder-free.' It took a lot of hard work to put there so we'd like to keep it cleared for a while yet.

Much going on ?

2006-01-09T20:27:00.000-04:00

Wasn't there supposed to be less to do when 2006 rolled around?! Who said that anyway?! Not one of you can remember, can you? I knew it had to be just a rumour. {gg} So, what is rolling on around here? . . . .

Well, let me see . . . . I started 'spring cleaning' the master bedroom. Let me tell you, the dustbunnies and spiders were shocked to hear that vacumn cleaner make a noise! I bet they thought it had gone to the 'old vacumn cleaner's home' a long time ago! I think 'spring cleaning' goes much better with a sense of humour . . . . as does so much of life. {g}

Shel has been 'spring cleaning' some of the acerage between the house and road and around the garage and just to the west of the back lawn. What that means is that he has been clearing out the alders ( alders are 'no good for nothing' bushes that thrive in an acidity soil . . . . of which we have plenty in this particular area of Nova Scotia), and also thinning out some of the trees so that the best ones can reach their full growth without being hindered. He has plenty of work yet to do on that, with the house being right in the middle of approximately 11 acres and over 300 feet from the road. Blogger has blocked my attempts to put pictures up this evening so those will have to be done another time. Meanwhile I'm knitting on a pair of socks that I had originally intended to keep for myself but I am reconsidering and they will likely end up in daughter Heather's bureau drawer. After those are done I have a third pair to knit that will be accompanying two other pair on their way to Missouri later this winter. There are also a few crazy quilting UFOs hanging around that I have to get moving on. And in between there is the regular housecleaning, baking, caring for the dogs and the cat, and the Betta fish.

On Thursday Shel and I will be making the trip up to Halifax to my neurologist and after my appointment there we will be visiting with some old and dear friends who have recently returned to NS from Ontario. Unfortuantely there won't be time to look up a Basenji breeder who has a new litter up there near the city. Oh, how I would love to have an hour or two of Basenji puppy time but it just isn't going to happen I'm afraid. There are only just so many hours in a day, and just so much energy to cover it with. So far the weather reports are giving a decent day for travelling on Thursday so I do hope and pray that the good weather that has been down south will drift northward and arrive in time for our day trip.

Cute or what??

2005-12-30T08:58:00.000-04:00

My blog friend Jane had this photo up and suggested that others pass it around. No problem Jane! How coud anyone resist this little guy? He is soooooo sweet! Wish I could reach out and pick him up for a cuddle.

I have a busy day coming up and not a lot of time to spare for the computer. It's soggy outside here in NS today with fog hanging around. The rain seems to be stopped, for the moment anyway, and the winds have died down. The winds certainly blew through the night . . . . so much in fact that as Heather came downstairs this morning she was mumbling "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore." Her bedroom is one of the two facing south so she heard it the worst; while on the north side the master bedroom was in the lee and we had the patio door partly open all night to let in some fresh air. I had filled the wood furnace around 3PM and then the temp went up. Whew! Was like being in OZ last night! {g}

I'm off . . . . but will return again soon. In the meanwhile I hope you enjoy the beauty of these roses that my stepfather-in-law grows beside his backstep. This is a picture taken last July here in LA.

Christmas Day in LA

2005-12-29T08:53:00.000-04:00

Yes . . . . this was Christmas Day in LA. No, it's not Los Angeles, CA. This is Lower Argyle, Nova Scotia and I snapped this photo at Camp Cove Wharf in the sunny afternoon while standing at the edge of the parking lot. The couple of closer land masses are islands and the stretch of land on the horizon between them is part of the mainland that jots out as a peninsula. It was a very peaceful and calm day . . . . just what the doctor would have ordered . . . . yet it wasn't all peace and calm for me. I've been having a bit of trouble with my meds and have been experiencing some 'spells' . . . for lack of a better word. Shortly after taking this picture and a few others I spent the afternoon back at the house waiting for the spell to subside. I have an appointment with my neurologist in Halifax on the 12th of January ( as long as a snowstorm doesn't keep us at home ) so we'll see what happens from there. In the meantime I have cut my meds ( Sinemet) down to where I am feeling a bit better and may have to discontinue them altogether. At least for a while. There has also been added stress in my life, which is no doubt contributing to my problems. My DH has been laid off from his work as a marine electronics technician as we are experiencing a 'down turn' in the fishing industry in this area. We are trying to trust God that this is a change in our lives that is needed at this time, and keep praying that something will be just around the corner.

As the afternoon wore on and I began to feel better, Shel suggested that we go for a ride up to Argyle Head ( I can see folks grabbing for their maps of Nova Scotia now {g} ..... ) and see if any deer are out shortly before dark. And they were! Gorgeous creatures . . . . having their late afternoon Christmas meal. That patch of snow near them was about the largest size of any snow patch that I saw still around after the last snowfall. So far this has been a mild season; however, that could change quickly. These four were munching away on the late grasses left in this old pasture and were not overly concerned at our presence as we stopped the Jeep and shut off the engine while the photo opts presented themselves.

On Christmas morning Shel, Heather and I had attended the lovely morning service at the Argyle-Pubnico Baptist church with other family members and friends. We had also been in attendance at the very calming and beautiful Candlelight service at the Yarmouth Wesleyan church (sorry . . . . can't locate their website addy right now. Pastor Jim will forgive me. He's that kind of man.) on Christmas Eve. Family members and friends gathered there as well.

I sincerely hope that all my blog friends, and anyone else who happens along here, had a blessed Merry Christmas.

Calming tea

2005-12-19T05:18:00.000-04:00

In the midst of all the hurriedness,
When my coffee cup screams at me,
I'll put his hot little fire out,
And serve myself up a calming tea!

. . . . and I will remember . . . .

Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than an house full of sacrifices with strife.
Proverbs 17:1