Solar Eclipse fun in Nova Scotia!

Solar eclipse photo sharing is the best way to get back to blogging, don’t you think?

I am going to try my darnedest to keep up with two blogs! It’s said it before, I know, but you probably don’t remember (lol) since it’s been so long!

To start things off here is a quick share of our eclipse experience yesterday.

Beginning of partial eclipse viewed with pinhole setup

Beginning of partial eclipse viewed with pinhole setup

Viewing the eclipse with a pinhole box…

We visited a friend’s place where there was a better view of the sun at this time of the day. Our home in the city would probably have had us standing in the road to view the eclipse!

My friend, Dawn, was determined to make some eclipse viewers. I am glad she did as I didn’t have any boxes to bring over that were large enough for us to stick our heads into like a pinhole camera. She found that there were no longer any big boxes at her place either but did a search and found directions using a small box. It worked wonderfully!

Small box eclipse viewing

Small box eclipse viewing

Small box eclipse viewing

Small box eclipse viewing

Small box eclipse viewer

Small box eclipse viewer

Even though we were not in the path of totality (big sad face) we were able to view a partial eclipse. It was very exciting!

Parital solar eclipse in a box

Parital solar eclipse in a box

This was about as much of the eclipse as we were able to see from Nova Scotia. I love that it looks like a crescent moon!

IMG_3411

Ending of partial solar eclipse

Ending of partial solar eclipse

It’s at times like these that we can be thankful for such easy access to other people’s photos of the solar eclipse! There are some wonderful ones circulating on Instagram. Some people used a colander to view the eclipse! What a great idea! Instead of seeing full circles of sunshine coming through the holes of the colander you see what looks like half moons. I wish I had thought of that! We also saw pictures, such as at Melissa Wiley’s blog Here in the Bonny Glen, where the shadows of trees looked like so many half moons as well. Just beautiful!!

What a wonderful world we inhabit.

Being with friends

Our oldest was beyond excited at the idea of turning twelve. He doesn’t want for much when it comes down to it and was so excited to get a new Pokémon Special Edition Pikachu card set. Even though he knew what was behind the wrapping it made him no less excited to open it. I think half the fun of birthdays is watching your children open their presents.

06oct2016_lucas-bday_19 What’s better than one Pikachu card? One small one and one really big one, of course! 06oct2016_lucas-bday_29When asked what he wanted to do for his birthday he said he would like to see a couple of good friends. Since my mother was visiting we thought it a great idea to take advantage of the wonderful weather and show her another bit of our beautiful province while the boys ran around being boys. 🙂06oct2016_lucas-bday_30Creature alert!06oct2016_lucas-bday_33Love this view! It almost looks like a tropical paradise – if it wasn’t for the big rocks (Love them!) and those conifers!
06oct2016_lucas-bday_34 06oct2016_lucas-bday_38My boys. 🙂06oct2016_lucas-bday_41 Rock-jumping-minecraft-terraria-real-life-make-belief-play on huge rocks!06oct2016_lucas-bday_43 I just love this landscape with its tide pools, low ground cover and huge boulders (reminds me of the Moors in Wuthering Heights).06oct2016_lucas-bday_48Somewhere in there are two people…
06oct2016_lucas-bday_51 06oct2016_lucas-bday_52 In the distance you can see beautiful Peggy’s Cove!06oct2016_lucas-bday_54

As evening came we enjoyed cake with both grandmothers and made our traditional family photos.

06oct2016_lucas-bday_66 06oct2016_lucas-bday_91 06oct2016_lucas-bday_89 06oct2016_lucas-bday_82 06oct2016_lucas-bday_81 Happy twelfth birthday, Mr L!06oct2016_lucas-bday_72

 

 

Solstice Strawberry Moon!

We got together with some friends on Sunday for a Father’s Day/Solstice Strawberry Moon celebration. We had a great fire and great company. The boys played soccer with the dads and the girls sat and chatted and we all laughed a lot. Eventually, it was time to go home.On the way to the car we noticed the moon rising and had to take some photos which, of course, the kids didn’t mind because when pictures start happening they know they have much more time to play!

rising moon at DsAn hour later we were in the car and on our way. But not before I made one more stop to take a quick pic. Thank goodness for phone cameras because it’s better than no camera!

rising moon on water

Our Solstice day was filled with Happy Solstice exclamations throughout the day and when we were leaving the house to visit a friend Xman found a hitchhiker on his shirt.

We let the wee one go wild and free. I just love how much the boys love even the little creatures and respect all life. ?

lacewingLater the evening with the sun still in the sky we continued the slow work of dismantling our deck. Our boys love this kind of work  helping out which thrills me because it feels good to do it together and there is such a good feeling of accomplishment from hard work.

deck workLong after the boys went to bed the moon finally showed herself. The boys were too tired to wait up because of a previous late night. They had gone to bed at 1am because Stephen wanted to play some Minecraft with the boys for Father’s Day. So after some fun playing – I am a slow learner but it’s fun! – they settled into bed at 1am and Stephen and I around 2!

I digress…So long after the boys went to bed the moon finally made her way above our trees. It was now after midnight and I almost didn’t grab my camera but knew I’d regret it since another full moon on Solstice wouldn’t happen for decades. She was as breathtaking as always and at least now I’d have a pic to show the boys. ?

21Jun2016_Solstice Strawberry Moon_01

I have to admit that there were moments on Father’s Day where great sadness entered my heart as I just lost my father in December. Many mixed feelings that will always stay with me and continue to teach me how to live and love. We did get a really nice video chat in with my step-father and mother, wishing him a Happy Father’s Day. ?

I hope you all had a wonderful Father’s Day and Solstice!! Many blessings.

Tamara

 

 

Shubie Park – new discoveries on the usual trails

We love Shubie Park! Yes, the location has a lot to do with it as it is less than a ten minute’s drive away. But every time we visit we find ourselves discovering something new. Or maybe the same things but in different ways. We often take the same trails and see the same animals but it always seems like a new experience. I love that after all of these years my boys still enjoy the paths and often veer off of them in search of new discoveries. They have great eyes for the little things and often spot the camouflaged damselfly or the tiniest slug on a rock. They still love racing sticks in the water, seeing them go in one side of a pipe and out the other. Feeding the squirrels is always a thrill and the woodpeckers never go unnoticed!

boys butterfly damselfly dragonfly back dragonfly side ducks hairy woodpecker lady slipper squirrel squirrle and l squirrle and x water

 

Polly’s Cove, Nova Scotia

We had a great time this weekend visiting Polly’s Cove with some friends. They had been before but for all the years we’ve lived here this was our first visit. We will be back again!

The boys loved jumping across the huge rocks and finding hiding spots, of which there were many.

I too, loved the rocks, always love rocks (!) but I also enjoyed seeing the different kings of plants that manage to grow in such a rough terrain. It’s just beautiful!

04Jun2016_Pollys Cove_01Pitcher plants!

04Jun2016_Pollys Cove_04 04Jun2016_Pollys Cove_06 04Jun2016_Pollys Cove_0904Jun2016_Pollys Cove_41 Look at that quartz! Wish I could take it home.04Jun2016_Pollys Cove_10 04Jun2016_Pollys Cove_16Finding hiding spots!
04Jun2016_Pollys Cove_17 04Jun2016_Pollys Cove_19It took some work but the boys managed to place this big piece of quartz (size is deceiving for the weight of rocks!) up onto this nice flat spot. They wanted to bring it home but I was not trekking up over rocks and slopes of brush to bring it home…would have been pretty cool though…so we took a picture instead!
04Jun2016_Pollys Cove_21 The trek back to the car. 04Jun2016_Pollys Cove_22 04Jun2016_Pollys Cove_25 04Jun2016_Pollys Cove_26The lighthouse in the distance is Peggy’s Cove. Beautiful spot and great view!
04Jun2016_Pollys Cove_29 A forrest of fiddleheads!04Jun2016_Pollys Cove_31 The beach of Polly’s Cove.04Jun2016_Pollys Cove_32 So many different types of plants growing in this rocky terrain. Love it!04Jun2016_Pollys Cove_35 04Jun2016_Pollys Cove_39 04Jun2016_Pollys Cove_4004Jun2016_Pollys Cove_42The boys found a caterpillar trying to cross the road on our way back to the car. We put it on a stick – no touching fuzzy caterpillars unless you know they are the non-stinging kind! – and put him/her back in the shrubs. I think this one liked seeing everything from a higher vantage point!

 

 

Wintery things

This winter has been rather mild for us here in Nova Scotia and although I am not complaining it does worry me. This is not regular winter weather for Canada. But yes, it has been cold enough to still wear our winter gear – and that’s my niece in the middle of this poster! My sister and family live across the ocean from us so this is as close as I get to my niece for now. 🙂 The boys thought it was pretty cool too. gap The days are getting longer and with the recent time change it is still light outside at 6:30. I try to not think about it actually being 5:30 ‘old time’. Hey, if this is the way for us to get up with the light and still have it light before bedtime I am all for it!

shadows We haven’t had nearly the snow of last winter (of which I dreaded would happen again!) but we have had a few snowstorms and school closures and the like. This picture shows the clouds descending upon the harbour and the beginning of a storm. Gotta say that although I am not a fan of travel in this weather, I do love the way it looks. It’s my favourite thing about winter. snowstorm coming I know the boys love all of the big flakes too! But they are also big fans of playing in the snow. After a storm they dug a hole just big enough to fit them both so they could hide from cars going by. They had initially been helping me shovel but the snow was heavy and digging in the snow was much more fun for them! And there is our huge front lawn! Ha! That’s what you get when you buy a house that is 100 years old this year: no front yard and no sidewalks – but a great view of the Halifax waterfront!snowAnd of course, with winter comes colds. We have been relatively lucky in the winter as the boys may be get a cold but nothing really bad. Below is what they like to call Ember Cidre. It’s like the Fire Cidre that I make based on Rosemary Gladstar’s recipe which is a sickness kicker for sure but is far too strong for the young ones. This recipe is similar and can be made same day. So, it not as hot as fire but it’s hot enough, thus the name Ember Cidre. 😉 Cute. It’s yummy too, with just a little kick!ember ciderWe never got sick of spotting green as the snow melted after each storm. We love our walks and spotting moss, licken and other various nature gifts is always a treat and a blessing for us. mossOne of our favourite sites in winter is the Queen Anne’s Lace and the way it folds into itself as it prepares to overwinter and then seed. queen anne seedsSquirrels! We love the squirrels at our local park and trail area. Always bringing nuts for them and seeds for the chickadees. Makes our walks that much more enjoyable too!squirrleAs for now, Monday shall bring a whopping snowstorm! I see tobogganing in our near future – that is, if we don’t get snowed in! Ha!

 

The winter brings snow play, baking and other making

bread gingerbread house salve salvessnowfall l cave x cave boys cave x weeving india

The new year has brought bread making with sprouted flour (a real hit in our home!), a gingerbread house completely made from scratch being finally finished *yay! and yum!*, and finishing up of the healing salve (and giving some away :)).

Snowfalls of late gave way to sledding and cave digging where the workout required kept them warm outside in frigid and windy temperatures!

Handiwork and project making led to quiet, focused time. I love the ‘non-sound’ of it all.

It’s been a full few weeks of lovely, wonderfully, juuuuust right moments!

 

 

throw back thursday – Pictou Lodge Resort

I have so many images that I have yet to edit and post but many of them are over a year old! I enjoy sharing our ‘goings-on’ on the blog because I love scrolling through and seeing what the year was like, what we did, where we went, and friends and family we spent time with. It’s all so wonderful for me!

I decided to create a Throw Back Thursday blog post. I am hoping this will give me incentive to edit all of those images! 

Last July we made our yearly visit to Pictou Lodge Resort. We all love the resort and look forward to the next year’s visit before the current one is over!

There is so much family that comes along that there is always someone to chat with, play with or swim with! It’s a ton of fun for kids and adults alike!

Fun playing basketball with the cousins.17Jul2015_Pictou_25 The ladder toss game is the first things the boys run to.18Jul2015_Pictou_63 These hammocks are placed throughout the resort and we just love them. It’s the perfect spot to just chill and watch family play the games.18Jul2015_Pictou_73 The boys were really keen to try the new paddle boards at the resort. Instead of standing they decided to sit on the boards and use the kayak paddles to maneuver. I think they would have stayed on them all day if they could!18Jul2015_Pictou_90 18Jul2015_Pictou_98 18Jul2015_Pictou_111 18Jul2015_Pictou_119 18Jul2015_Pictou_173 A lot of swimming was had at the salt-water pool. We laugh every time we go to the pool because it’s most often busy with just our family. One year we took a family photo and there were 97 people! 97! Wow!18Jul2015_Pictou_211 For the first time ever we saw a blue heron during our visit! We saw it fly overhead when we first arrived and I was thrilled to see it stayed around long enough for me to take some pictures of it on the beach. I swear I did not saturate the greens in this one bit. Aren’t they amazing? Love that bird too!18Jul2015_Pictou_229 You just cannot go to the beach without skipping stones!18Jul2015_Pictou_271 Finding skipping stones is hard work! 18Jul2015_Pictou_275 The boys are big into Nerf and so this cool piece of driftwood happened to make its way home with us. I think that particular stone may have too. Eventually you have so many stones and sticks around the house you forget where they came from!18Jul2015_Pictou_285 This fire pit was a new addition last year and we were all too eager to put it to the s’mores test!18Jul2015_Pictou_32418Jul2015_Pictou_331 18Jul2015_Pictou_332 There’s always at least one marshmallow that catches on fire. I’m not sure it’s all by accident, either. 😉18Jul2015_Pictou_350 These are the best vegan marshmallows. So so good!18Jul2015_Pictou_333How often do you get to play checkers like this! If you go to the Pictou Lodge home page there is a video ad where you can see us playing checkers! We had a good laugh when a relative told us about it. His kids happened to be in the pool portion of the ad. Yes, there are a lot of us. 🙂
18Jul2015_Pictou_354 The sunsets. My goodness. This one is just a hint at what you get. They can be just amazing. 17Jul2015_Pictou_47On the Saturday night a hefty portion of family get together for a sing along complete with instruments. It is now the boys’ absolute favourite part of the weekend. Plus, they get to stay up super late!
18Jul2015_Pictou_36118Jul2015_Pictou_379These orb weavers were very cool – and very busy with their dinnertime ‘guests’. 18Jul2015_Pictou_456 Goodnight Pictou Lodge. Until next year…18Jul2015_Pictou_475

Happy New Year!

We had a wonderful day yesterday, a lovely Solstice and Christmas as well.

A dear friend of mine bought us this beeswax cancel for Solstice. Every year we say what we are thankful for and look back on last year’s wish list and make another. It just goes to show the power of intention because most of our wishes from last year came true and we hadn’t even looked at the list we made last year until this Solstice!

solsticeI finally got around to finishing my fire cider (all bottled and with a kick!) and doing the third round on my bee balm glycerine. I just love the colour that the glycerine is turning!fire cidrebee balm glycI don’t do much baking. I actually hate baking. But I love this cookie press that my mother used to use to make us cookies as kids. It’s dear to my heart and quickly becoming our own tradition.

cookie pressChristmas Eve is always an exciting time and never passes without reading The Night Before Christmas from this beautiful book! night b4 xmasChristmas Day proved to be so mild that I was thrilled about not having socks on my feet! Snow is a beautiful thing but I gotta say, bare feet are pretty awesome too!xmas in sandals There are always Christmas Crackers to pop! Oui Oui!french XmanThe boys received a few games and we all had a great time with this one. Qwirkle rocks!qwirkle Even our little Gypsy received a gift. *I think she likes it!* whispered*gypsyOn the 27th we had a storm and the boys took no time in throwing on their layers and getting out there!snowsnow playCandy cane precision.candy caneWe had a wonderful new year celebration just the four of us. The boys stayed up and we rang in the new year together with some Minecraft fireworks that L made. He even made seats for us to sit in to watch the display. I can barely build and they do this! We took a screen shot in front of the banner that Xman made. Here we are in our MC skin glory!MC family portraitMC fireworksOf course today we had to toast to a wonderful new year! The boys have sparkling peach apple juice and we have mimosas. Yum! cheersI am all ready for January! I even painted a calendar for this month and plan on doing one for every month this year. They are sized to fit perfectly into my Leuchtturn1917. Love it! If you want to download a copy for yourself just hop on over to my art blogBujo PageMC fireworksHere’s to a wonderful 2016 and more posting! 🙂

Tam

Hello! It’s been too long!

Yes, I see the last time I posted over here was in July. My goodness!

Truth is that I hate editing photos and I would rather being doing other things. But, one of the main reason I have this blog is for family that lives in other places and for us, as a keepsake. So today I grabbed some photos from the past month to show what we have been up to.

I have a bunch of photos to edit from our summer vacation but they are on my big camera (my real camera as I call it!) and it’s just a matter of sitting down and editing. It’s always hard when you try to edit your own pics and decide what to show when you want to show it all! Maybe later this week–it’s only been four months after all!

We got back into the swing of lessons and some winter prep with herbal concoctions. Plus I got some time to do a bit of other things with the boys and for myself.

There are a lot of photos:

Busy with herbs. Tis the season!prep fire cidreherb infusionssmudgeLove our sunsets!sunset at Shubie Happy!boys jump shubieThe season for knitting!yarnyoga socksWe have spent many a day outside enjoying the fall weather.pixie cupsmushroomsmushroomred leafPretzel making!pretzel makingpretzelsThe Lunar Eclipse was a big deal for us. The boys stayed up late to watch. Totally worth it!
eclipsesclipse morningThe moon the morning after the eclipse.moon eclipes morningLessons!fortMore fun outside.bball stuckbballLove all of the colours!leavesTrying to catch the leaves as they fall.
catching leavesChipmunk!
chipmunkFeeding the chickadees is a favourite pastime of ours. It never gets old!feeding chickadeesWe love the hemlocks at our local park. So big and beautiful!path of trees hemlockWe went to a friend’s house and picked cranberries in her back yard! How cool is that! Thanks, Dawn! xxpicking cranberriescranberriesLove Dawn’s yard. There is always many a treasure to be found.salamanderMy bit of time to make some fun art. (more on my blog)my doodleart girlBirthday Lego making together. 🙂bday legoNew socks!pikachu socksMore outdoor fun!steve levitatingjumpHalloween fun!witchesSplatoon Inklings! I had to take a quick pic as they rushed from house to house!InklingsBrains!brainshalloween candy Who doesn’t love Pop Rocks?!pop rocksWeekday mornings. Someone always end up getting rolled up in the yoga mat – yoga sushi!xman sushilessonsMinecraft Lego table making!lego tableIt’s always a lot of fun outside. The boys loved raking the leaves and even went out to do it of their own accord. This may be why…it’s fun to bag them…or fun to play with the bag!leaf funThey also decided to whittle the hammers they made a while ago so that the handles were rounds and then filed smooth. Love this stuff.boys and wooden hammersWith all the leaves we collected I decided to frame them. I love how they look. framing leavesNighttimes consist of games of all kinds. 🙂scrabbleeye see youHome made bread. Oh man, that’s good.
challahEek! The Eyes of Cthulhu!chthulhuOne of our bridges is being completely redone without closing it down. Amazing, right? the big liftHe loves tamari almonds and loves making them almost as much!
tamari almond preptamari almondsThese are a couple of big camera pics – as in the real thing and not my phone. Love these guys.

06Nov2015_Boys and leaves_03 06Nov2015_Boys and leaves_17 06Nov2015_Boys and leaves_10Hope you’ve had just as wonderful a fall season as we have. Yesterday we got our first taste of snow. It was a quick one and nothing stayed on the ground but still exciting and beautiful.