Merry Christmas

I hope everyone enjoyed a very Merry Christmas surrounded by loved ones making memories.

This year was very different for me, but, surprisingly (please take no offence to that mom and dad) it was lovely. This was the first year in 21 that I was not with my children. There were moments of tears, though much less than I thought there would be. There was great company, love you mom and dad, and great food! With no children around, my fun was watching Dixie open and swiftly destroy her presents with such glee I had to laugh. I received some beautiful gifts and some very thoughtful gifts, and felt very lucky to have such a wonderful family both near and far thinking of me.


Christmas day we spent hiking and running outside with the dog and chickens. We had a beautiful bonfire. By the looks of the pile of wood we need to have another one!!
We gathered rosehips to make a jelly from a new Nova Scotia traditional cookbook I got - thank you Kathy and Phil! We had a delicious supper with a store bought ham and scalloped potatoes and squash, both from our garden. I know that is common place for some people to be eating all winter from their cold cellar, but I am still revelling in the joy of eating my own produce in December.

Many phone calls to different family members and our day was complete. There will definitely be years that I will go back to Ontario for the holidays, but it is nice to know if I choose to stay, I had three invitations to spend the day with different people and their families. I absolutely love to kindness, friendliness, and open doors of Nova Scotians!

Now we gear up for our New Year's celebration.....

Winter Solstice

I want to thank everyone who was a part of our Winter Solstice Evening yesterday.

A lot of great friends came out on very short notice to enjoy some chilli, pate (thank you Diane) chocolates, cookies and wine.

This was step one in new traditions column and while it certainly checked that box, I was very grateful to everyone for allowing my parents to see what wonderful friends I have been fortunate to surround myself with here. To let them see with their own eyes that I will be ok, because even though they are not always here, and even though Zoe has returned to Ontario for school, I am not alone.

I had such a great time and was very impressed by the artistic ability that surrounded us last night. And yes, that includes your campfire singing Deanna!

Thank you again to everyone who helped make this kick off to my holiday season a success.

On a sadder note, Zoe left this afternoon for her next adventure. I am sad. I love her. I will miss her. I wish her all the success on this next phase of her life. I hope she accomplishes everything she sets out to do.

Just a Quick One Tonight

Similar to Southern Ontario - we have also had snow this week. The schools were closed on Wednesday and Thursday was scary with black ice. By yesterday it was all melted! We have had rain and rain and rain. Our poor basement is soooo wet!! However, I did get one of the most beautiful pictures I have ever taken when the snow stopped falling and the black clouds cleared at sunset.

Zoe and I are spending most of our spare time right now preparing for my parents arrival on Tuesday and for Zoe's departure on Sunday. I am trying to keep a smile on my face and be supportive and encouraging, but the closer we get to her leaving, the harder that is. I believe I have mentioned in an earlier post, she is returning to Ontario for six months where she has the opportunity to graduate high school, while earning college credits! There is no way I would hold her back from an education, but I am really going to miss my girl💕

It's Starting To Feel A Lot Like Christmas

The first weekend in December has traditionally been our time to decorate. This year was no different. We got the tree up and the decorations out. There are still some urns to create and an old window frame I want to decorate with live branches and berries, but for the most part, we are festive! (Charlie has found his new winter bed! Nothing better than a fur tree skirt!)

This week has felt all around like the start of the holiday season. First with decorating, then my first Christmas party, then the Annapolis Royal Farmers & Traders Christmas Market (which we attended last year and loved again - yum fudge and yay local seeds!), and rounded out with a short session of family Christmas photos.

Dixie absolutely loves the cold and this snow-crazy dog even broke ice to swim in our pond this weekend?!?!

I have been on the phone a number of times with mom and dad. They are going to come spend Christmas with me since I won't be going back to Ontario this year. We are talking about new traditions and deciding how we want this year to look. I am excited, but do find I'm having a hard time allowing myself to think outside the normal traditions that have existed my whole life.

Chicken update: our roosters have reached maturity and are being rather aggressive with our ladies. I have found myself on more than one occasion feeling like a chaperone at a high school dance! I feel there may be some hard decisions in my future...to rooster or not to rooster that is the question.

The Barn

The barn has been and will continue to be a long spanning massive overhaul kind of job. It is amazingly big, fantastic original bones, lots of character. However, it has had two additions that are both rotting. It has a roof that lost some metal sheets during the hurricane from the front and a roof on the back that was pieced together with cut scraps of metal. The interior has had one loft cut out and a section of the floor lifted. So lots to do before we can build stalls and bring in more animals.

As I have discussed before, we have had an exterior wall framed in now. In the spring I will be board and battening it. We left the rotted addition up as a sort of wind block protection. It may not last the winter and if it blows over, well it saves me the trouble of dropping it! The loft has been rebuilt , two new windows installed and two more windows repaired. And finally this past week the big news....

The roof is finished!!

The gentleman who came to do the job had quite the challenge. He had to rebuild eaves, remove shingles, reduce drooping, place strapping, lay 18' long metal sheets, and I am probably missing a lot of other details he had to take care of in order to leave us with a roof that would protect our structure and animals for years to come! I love going outside and hearing the birds and the trees and the waves, and not the flapping clanging loosening metal roofing!

The next step will be the one section that has no floor. I will begin the framing and once I get some more hemlock cut, I will lay that. The plan for this winter, is to allow the chickens to roam inside the barn. It still allows them some freedom on those cold, windy, rainy, snowy days while offering them some protection. And since the wall isn't finished yet, if the sun does come out, they have easy access to foraging.