exit 19

Exit 19 to Paradise: and I live not far from Paradise. I drove home yesterday through the rain and gloom until I crossed over the mountain to the shore. Then the sunlight came streaming through and I was home for a month..

authing food

This was yesterday's post that disappeared into a cyberspace black hole. I went to the market. Only in Canada, they say.

Cornhill

Many years ago, long before the internet I saw a small advertisement in a funky magazine for a small nursery that grew stock for short seasons. They specialised in hardy roses grown on their own root stock I ordered a John Cabot rose to grow over our fence, and in the post a bare rooted specimen arrived. It thrived and proved to be spectacular. Now I live not far from that nursery. I decided to visit it because now I have another fence to cover.
The place has expanded, has lovely gardens and this tea room. This time I have an Alexander MacKenzie rose to take home with me tomorrow.
By tomorrow evening I'll be home in Nova Scotia for a month. I shall again be far from an internet, so my postings shall be sporadic.

ice cream queries

In answer to a request of what Polar Bear Paws tasted like: well here you are: http://www.farmersdairy.ca/products.php?cat_id=4&sub_id=27&products_id=153

I shouldn't have read that! Anyway it's a vanilla ice cream with almonds and chocolate candies with caramel inside, as I remember it - I must try it again as I have been too long in icecreamless Northern Ontario which has real polar bears. When I stopped at the little place in the photo I tried "Hokey Pokey" ice cream - not nearly as good.

In the Maritimes the favourite flavour seems to be Grape Nut. I know, cereal in ice cream: you have to taste it. Millions, okay hundred of thousands, cannot be wrong! (The population is not very high.)

This store with the sign in the photo is a little more high class and is in the old train station just down my road.

ice cream cone

Meanwhile back in the Maritimes: no matter how small the place you can always buy an ice cream cone and there are usually at least twenty flavours to chose from. My favourites are ginger and polar bear paws.

Distillary District

So after church we went and hung out in the Distillary District. We had a great cup of cappucino and cruised several of the trendy shops. Then we went to the airport and I flew back to the Maritimes.

off to church

Yesterday morning I meet up with my sister and we went off to her church. An hour and a half - not too bad for the Orthodox, and they make up for it by serving a full lunch following the service. The Orthodox service feeds me in ways that I cannot comprehend.

academe

So I got to lecture in the hallowed halls of Emmanuel College in Victoria University in the University of Toronto. The walls are suitably ivyed. The statue is "The Crucified Woman". It's been in the quad for years. When it was first erected it was very controversial. Now it's been forgotten ,or perhaps people no longer care.

Toronto without graphics

I've flown to Toronto for several days as I am leading a workshop at a conference. But although I have my camera, I didn't bring the cable, so I can't download the pics. But I have lots that I haven't shown to you. Here are the buskers at last week's market in Sussex, just down the street from me. Too bad that I don't have an audio clip!

fuchsia

Two large fuchsia appeared today in cast iron pots on either side of the walk to my apartment. I had to sidle past in order not to hit them. My landlady has been having garden fun.

regional pies

In Quebec tarte au sucre is served in every diner. In Ontario there are butter tarts. But in the Maritimes coconut cream pie is on the menu of every small restaurant. This was at J.J.'s Diner and I got it with a coupon from the Welcome Wagon.

fake lighthouse

N.B. Hamptonians: this is the tourist bureau in Saint Martins.

back to the bay

I had to get back and see my bay, but from here my home is on the other side. I drove to Saint Martins, a lovely village, and I got my bay fix.

do you like Sussex?

Everywhere I've been to minister people have always asked: "Do you like ....?". If you want to stay a while there is only one answer. But everywhere has its good qualities. But what's not to like about Sussex in June? And it is a charming town.

buttercups

I walk to the church office: down the street, across the bridge over the river, around the back of the firehall, through a wooded lane and then past lawns, gardens and these buttercups on my way to work.

cowtown

Dairy farming is big business here. So, in solidarity, I joined the Co-Op. It is also my way of avoiding he big grocery chains, but I do like Loblaws, so I occasionally give in and I do have some vouchers for Sobey's - so I am not grocery pure, but I do try to bring my own bags, although I still occasionally forget. I guess my record is a bit spotty.

plotting cat

( Yes, there are girls sitting on the next door roof.) Miss Johnston could not look more innocent, but after weedling me to open the door and let her out whilst I sat on the veranda and ate my lunch, she is now waiting for her chance to slip away down the stairs. She is far too naive and just plain stupid to be given the chance, but she just doesn't realise that it is for her own good and is just biding her time before she tries to make her getaway.

welcome

This welcomed me last week, but it is still there so I photograhed it this year. Yes, this is my real name. Marguerite is my second name. I don't know who read it, but Welcome Wagon did and she arrived before the movers.

potted plant

I couldn't be without flowers any longer, so I bought a potted begonia for my veranda high up in the trees.

covered bridge

There are supposed to be more covered bridges in this county than anywhere else in the world. I think this must be true. One theory is that they were built to keep the snow load off the bridges. But if this is so, why don't they have covered bridges in Russia, or in Lower Slobovia? The other theory I heard, and to which I subscribe, is that the horses get skittish when they go over water so the bridges were built so they would not see the water below them and the entrances were built to look like barns so they would be tricked into thinking that they were entering a safe place. It is amazing how horse brains work, or not.

I went on a playday today and explored the locality. There were covered bridges around every corner.

sand cherry

I am playing catchup with my photos. This is a little sand cherry in my Nova Scotia garden. I shall be back there for the month of July when there will be other flowers in bloom. mean i am enjoying other people's gardens. I spent a pleasant evening in a vineyard today and enjoyed its delicious wine with our supper.

under the train

Walking under the freight train was my excitement for the day - besides getting my telephone and computer hooked up!

Dame's Rocket

I live by the Kennebecasis River. The walking trail along its banks begins just across the street from my apartment. The rain stopped today by the late afternoon and I went for a walk before supper. Now I'm back at another borrowed computer - but soon, very soon, I shall be up and running.

apartment

I have arrived at my new posting and have moved into my new digs. I have the second floor at the front. The bay window is my bedroom. The house was built in 1880 by a lumber baron. His wife had died in childbirth and he built this house for his brother on condition that the brother took on bringing up the motherless children. He didn't spare the wood!