Bitter Sweet Spring

We had beautiful weather on Earth Day, what a treat! In fact all weekend we had gorgeous weather. To honour Earth Day we walked to the movie theatre instead of taking our car.

We went to see the movie Arthur which I found charming and sweet. I love stories with unconventional and unique male protagonists in it and this one sure fit the bill. I totally disagree with the critics. This was a lovely movie. Boo on them!



Our magnolia tree is in bloom. Last year some of the buds bloomed twice, finishing in October which was very weird. All May they will be out in their pink glory. They are one of my favourite trees ever.



You would think I would be happy to finally get out for my walks again but this is what I see all around me. It breaks my heart. All the garbage in the ditches where drivers can't see it. They are blind to the reality of our neighbourhood.

The weather during the week has been cold and very wet. I have not been about to get out to make a dent but it would take dozens of people to clean this hood up.

I have no tears left.

Woodpecker and Personal Update

Here Oscar the Owl keeps vigil at sunset, always watching for the woodpecker. Unfortunately I heard him again this morning. I ran outside but didn't see him on my roof. I clanked some pots together and he flew onto a telephone poll. Who knows where he was making all that racket, I just hope it wasn't on our house.

I am scared to leave my house, damn it! Oscar can only do so much.



The word "End" is scratched into the bus stop with an arrow pointing towards my neighbourhood. I discovered this after waiting eons in the cold bus shelter on the way to the dentist to get my tooth fixed. Looks like others feel like I do.

Last night I did start to feel better though. Like a cloud lifting. We had a stunning weekend, I thought the woodpecker was gone. But the rain has come back and will be here for days and days.

Seven months of winter attacked my body, pecked at my spirit and my heart. I thought spring was going to be more gentle.

Woodpecker-proofing our home

Yesterday we worked at defending our house against woodpecker roof attacks. I began with FINALLY putting out this stunning wind chime that our friend Michelle gave us years ago. If I remember right, the chimes are inspired and in tune with Vivaldi's Seasons. Winter, in particular. Which is why I just could not bring myself to put it out. The winter graphic is stunning though and it is the prettiest wind chime in the world. Hopefully the glint off the metal and the song scare the woodpecker away which to me would be weird because the sound is so lovely it makes me want to go outside.

Oh and it is Michelle's birthday today!!! Happy Birthday Michelle!!! So in a way, the timing is perfect.



Here is my husband insisting I take this bizarre photo of him and our newest friend, Oscar the Owl. Reg liked this photo so much he is using it for his Facebook profile, funny guy! We found Oscar yesterday and he agreed to protect our home, what a sweetie. And we only had to pay him $20!



Reg created a perch for Oscar on our back deck. I replaced the garbage bags with some tinfoil on our clothesline to add extra reflection.



Earlier in the day when we still had some sunshine I put this giant eyeball I made into the tree that had all the garbage bag strips, which I removed since they didn't make any difference at all. Oh and doing all this has put the nastiest crick in my neck, I can't even sleep, the pain is so bad. And the pupil took off somewhere last night. Still, with it being very windy this plate makes a nice bit of noise as it spins around which hopefully will make a difference.



I don't know what more we can do. We do not want to hurt the little guy and scaring away the birds with our feathered bodyguard is something I would never have considered doing had our house not been attacked. There are very few safe areas in my life. My house is my sanctuary. The anxiety that there is now damage up there makes me sick to my stomach and I have been up since 5 am worried about the woodpecker coming back and me having to chase it away with pots and pans. It is a rainy morning could deter his return for now. But it means I won't know if this is working until the sun returns and in Nova Scotia, who knows when that will be? Whatever...

You know about a week ago I have a horrific dream that ended with a barred owl that was unusually dark staring at me. I started to think he was judging me. But he kept looking at me, like Oscar is now. It was very uncomfortable and I was very confused.

Now I wonder, perhaps it was a warning? Maybe he was trying to tell me that I need to connect with this animal totem again? I have a profound connection with them that has been lost since I moved to the east coast. Maybe I need to find my power again by connecting with the wisdom and spooky powers of this nocturnal creature?

Or maybe, I should just go back to bed.

Help!!! Attack of the Woodpeckers!!!!

Yes, I am the crazy lady on the street once again, tying long pieces of garbage bags into my trees and I can tell you, I didn't want to do it. But there is a woodpecker who has decided to attack our roof on a regular basis and I am freaking out! The damage that could cause to our roof is mind blowing to me.



I read that the black flapping would scare them off but nope, he keeps coming back. I keep going out there making noise with pots and pans (see, the crazy lady forever) and he is getting used to my insane antics.

We do not have termites on the east coast thank goodness but we can not figure out why he is focused on our roof. Apparently sometimes they do it to mark territory or call a mate. We have trees all around us so I am just feeling attacked and scared that he has gone serious damage to our roof. I don't know what else to do!

Please, if you have any advice, we need it!!!

Winter, what else will you take?

A while ago when I was walking I saw this giant of a tree, gutted. Like someone had just ripped off a tree Ent's limb and taken away its heart. I saw myself in this tree. Alive but for how long?

This has been a long and brutal winter. Almost everyone I know has been touched in a brutal way.



This is how winter has left me. Open and broken. Last week I got very upsetting news about a loved one. Then on Friday night a chunk of my tooth just popped out. Yesterday I found out that a beloved pet died. This morning I woke up to my bathroom stinking and ow I have to call the plumbers.

That is just the tip of the iceberg. Don't get me started on it snowing on the weekend. That I am constantly hunched over in terrible pain from the cold. That I did my cards on the full moon only to find out that my imprisonment here may be indefinite.

So I am logging out for a while. I am barely functioning. I am just trying not to cry all the time. If only spring would come and make me feel like life here might get better I may be able to recover from yet another cruel and psychotic winter.

My Electronic Scrapbook: Jamie Visits Nova Scotia - Downtown Halifax & Farewell Spring of 2011

We did get to take Jamie to downtown Halifax and she got to see how much of it is just rubble but there is evidence that there may be construction underway in some areas. I find it so shocking just how much is shut down in the downtown core and left to fall apart but maybe, maybe some buildings will finally be knocked down and replaced with something new.



What was also surprising is that on a beautiful day down by the waterfront, so much was closed. I had no idea just how much of a tourist city Halifax is. We tried to get food at a restaurant I have been wanting to review but it did not open until 5 pm so we had to keep looking for a place to get food.



My husband is the best person to go on a tour with. He grew up here and knows all sorts of stories and the history of Halifax and Nova Scotia. Note yet another area of rubble. A parking lot that has become a treacherous space to walk that is apparently going to be turned into something but who knows when. I swear, this is the slowest place when it comes to change ever.



I can never remember the name of this abandoned island, I think this is George's Island???



So at this point we were getting very hungry so we drove up the hill to go to one of our favourite places in Halifax: Maxwell's Plum.



When we stayed in a hotel downtown while house hunting, we used to go to the Plum with Mike and Jen for a cheap dinner. Three years ago the prices were rock bottom and we had so much fun and were still so hopeful and excited about our new lives in Nova Scotia. Oh, we were so naive... Still, the Plum does feel like a home away from home and is a fun hangout.



Jamie wanted to go to a place that was a local hangout for us and this was the closest we could think of. Touches of humour, lots of different beer on tap, unpretentious food... I think we made a good choice.



One thing you have to say about the Plum is their portions are very generous.



See that giant beer-dispensing pitcher? That is hugely popular at the Plum. I am not a big drinker but I did join Jamie in having a pint. Strongbow for me!



As we made our way home, Reg drove over Citadel Hill so we could get an arial view of the city, overlooking the harbour and even Dartmouth on the other side.



The next morning was time for Jamie to go home, so sad. Again, beautiful sunny weather and she even made it home right before a big thunderstorm. Since she left, we have had mostly stormy, dark and miserable weather. So symbolic, so true. We had the most amazing visit together and I miss her terribly. This is the hardest part of the visit, saying good-bye.

My Electronic Scrapbook: Jamie Visits Nova Scotia - Conrad's Beach and Lawrencetown Beach Spring of 2011

You may recall that last summer my friends took me to a secret beach called Conrad's Beach. My husband was away at the time so having an opportunity for me to share this treasure with him and my sister Jamie was just too perfect. It was freezing though! That long walk up to the beach was biting. I can not imagine how cold it gets there in the winter when it is snowy and the sun has disappeared.



Jamie looks more elegant than I do as my face gets windburned from the air off the Atlantic Ocean. Damn, it was cold!



We walked down the long windy path back to the car and made our way towards MacDonald House in Lawrencetown.



The tea room was closed!!! We were so looking forward to a warm brew of something while overlooking the water. Thankfully the house itself, not the restaurant, was open so we could use the facilities. We also took the opportunity to take a look at the view.



Now is this parasurfing? I can never remember. All I know is, this person is crazy!



What a stunning view though and such a gorgeous day, even though the cold was kicking my butt. Isn't Jamie the cutest?!



A little farther down the road and you get Lawrencetown Beach, home to big waves and surfer dudes. Oh and lots of rocks. Because of hurricanes, the beach has been completely stripped of every grain of sand.



I saw a lone surf board but there were people in the water. I know, in-sane!



I do not know how they do it, honestly. Holy crap!



Making the best of a situation, someone created art out of all the abandoned stones on the beach.



I could not help but reflect and think that my life here is similar, that I am getting stripped to the bone and treading on rocky, unsteady ground. I wonder when I will ever feel grounded again...

My Electronic Scrapbook: Jamie Visits Nova Scotia - Lunenburg Spring of 2011

Lunenburg is where I wanted to live when we moved to Nova Scotia. It is artistic, has so much history and character... there is no other place like it anywhere. So of course we had to take Jamie when she came to visit!



Just like Peggy's, the town was getting a makeover, preparing for tourist season which apparently does not begin in April.



It begins in May. So many stores and restaurants were closed and there were just as many completely empty!



We had a blast shopping and I bought lots of new props for my foodie photos which was exciting. There are so many treasures in Lunenburg! The best of them was finding out we could go see the Bluenose being reconstructed!



We donned hard hats and safety glasses and went to investigate this world heritage happening. I mean the Bluenose is the sailing ship on our Canadian dime after all! We absolutely had to check it out!



Under a massive white tent you find the bare bones of the famous tall ship undergoing reconstruction. It was absolutely amazing to see this friendly wooden monster being put together plank-by-plank.



It truly was a once in a lifetime opportunity to see her at this stage, a mere skeleton.



For a donation you could bring home a piece of the Bluenose II which of course, we did!



Just up the street we found someone working on these two little boats as well. Lunenburg is all about making sailing vessels.



Truly a stunning day in such a special place that we will all treasure. We got to shop, eat and see history in the making right before our eyes. A perfect day in Lunenburg!

My Electronic Scrapbook: Jamie Visits Nova Scotia - Spring of 2011

What a nice change of pace to electronically scrapbook current memories! Even better than that, I get to share some stories about Nova Scotia with my sister Jamie! In just a few days we tried to explore the province together as much as possible.



Our first full day together we stopped by the gas station to fill up and Reg picked up some Skittles for the next few days worth of travel. This is our traditional travelling treat: Skittles.



We decided Jamie just had to see Peggy's Cove right away. She had always wanted to go so our first day travelling together we drove out to the edge of the ocean on a bright but freezing day. I mean, it was FREEZING!



As we walked up towards the lighthouse I could not get over how blue the water was. It made me realize that normally when we visit this famous spot it is almost always dark and moody, the sky reflected in the water. Not this day, it was the richest, darkest blue.



We had to get that quintessential tourist photo of Jamie and the lighthouse. Note that there are no other people in the background of these photos. It was so cold, there were very few crazy people out there in the cold wind with us. We got this far and I just could not take the cold anymore, I had to go inside and warm up.



The gift shop is covered in classic touristy treats but they were out of lobster chips! I still want to try those. The shop was undergoing renovations while we were there and upstairs appeared to be closed but they let us go up there and browse. We had lunch at the Sou'Wester Restaurant which overlooks the ocean.



Reg said that you can really tell Jamie and I are sisters in this photo and I agree!



We both ordered the French Onion Soup which was good but their seafood chowder is also fantastic. We finished our food and warmed up a bit and tried once again to get past the lighthouse and a little closer to the ocean.



Peggy's is notoriously treacherous so we made sure to stay well away from the wet rocks and here I am taking what I thought was a secret photo of Jamie which made her laugh. I did get closer to the water but our stay was quite limited. The cold was searing my body with pain but we had a great visit with the fiercely cold Atlantic Ocean. It was worth it though, so amazing to have this entire space to ourselves.

That was our first real adventure with Jamie while she visited with us!