Water

Halifax is in need of water !!!!!

An intense forest fire is ongoing in the Halifax area as I am typing this post. Halifax is the capital city of our province and is also the biggest city in the province. We live 300 km from there but we often go to Halifax for medical appointments, hospitals, shopping, meetings, visit family and friends, entertainment, etc. Halifax is very familiar to us and when we see such heartbreaking images it hits home.

A few images I took tonight coming back from a tea run at the local Tim's.



I've done some light spring cleaning in our home so I think it's just right that I should do the same with myself. Here are four things I'm doing for myself for the month of May :

1. Eat healthy
2. Exercise
3. Plenty of rest
4. Practice gratitude


May everyone be blessed with good health and let's practice gratitude.

Tug boat and the outdoors

This is the shipyard where my son works as an electrician. Yesterday, this bigger than normal tug boat steamed into the harbour to settle in for a few days for some much needed repairs.


Onto some backyard news - below you will find two newly renovated raised beds. The biggest one is also the oldest one of the 9 beds we have for planting veggies. The two we replaced this year are from cement blocks - they should last many, many years. Each year we will replace a couple until all are made from cement blocks. Why did'nt I think of cement blocks before now. Wood only last a few years and here we were replacing wood with more wood.

Our son and his friend each bought a motorcycle for this summer and over the weekend they set up this portable shed to store their bikes in. The big test will be when we get one of our gusty wind...

If only internet would permit viewers to scratch and smell... these flowers smell so heavenly.

Hope everyone had a good Monday. Mine was a wee bit long but hey, already Tuesday tomorrow.

Sprouts

Today was the day to plant our potatoes. After we had breakfast I asked Dave if he would go in the basement (cold cellar) and get the onion bag that had the potatoe seeds we had saved from last Fall's crop. We had not been in the cold cellar all Winter. As Dave was coming up the basement stairs, I had my back to the opened door I heard him say ''Vic, I think your potatoes sprouted a bit during the Winter''. I turn around and see this...

... well yes, sprouted they did. We sure had a laugh from seeing these very long sprouts. After I snapped off the sprouts, I cut up the potatoes and left them to dry for the afternoon. I planted them in the soil after supper tonight.

What joy ! gardening season has begun.

Earth Day

Happy Earth Day to everyone out there !

Tradition has it around our home that on this special day we head outside and pick-up garbage in our small rural village. We did this when the kids were young and Dave and I still do it. Dave and I both have colds but we will head outside after supper and pick at least one bag full of debris from the ditch, trail, swamp, etc.

I must add here that I celebrate Mother Earth each and every day but everyone needs one special day that should be recognized... right !

Another project

What have we gotten ourselves into this time !!!!! Our field out back is wide-open but our property surrounding our home is covered with a lot of trees. So last week we decided to trim the hedge that divides us and our neighbour. That hedge was planted 20 years ago so most of it has turned into actual trees. We are lumberjacks for a while. Dave is getting a lot of help from our son. You know, those young fellas with big popeye arms.

And to make things a little more interesting, our chainsaw decided to act up on us and call it quits. We have to take it in for a few minor repairs. It'll give us a break from lumbering.

Last count - we cut 12 hedges and we still have about 10 to cut.

Not bad for a day's work but I think I'll keep my day job.

Annual Egg Hunt 2009

This year marked our 5th anniversary for the Annual Maillet Family Easter Egg Hunt, hosted every year by these two wonderful human beings - my brother and SIL Joey and Darlene.

Here they are discussing final details before giving out the rules.

My brother's title for the Hunt is ''the rule master'' and here he is holding the protected rule book a few minutes before the start of the Hunt.

For the first year - we were rained-out...

... but it did'nt stop us from heading outside and search for eggs.

So much fun ! everyone in the family looks forward to this every year.

The eggs were hidden everywheres.... even in the wood pile.

Kitchen discussions are the best.

Ginette and André at the Hunt.

After the egg hunt Ginette invited her maid-of-honor over to our home to try on her dress and talk wedding stuff.

Hope everyone had a good weekend, whatever the celebration.

An excellent Good Friday

This was the best, most beautiful Good Friday (weather wise) I've seen in a very long time. Warm, calm and sunny - oh what joy ! Dave and I spent most of the morning and afternoon outside cleaning the grounds while waiting for our daugher and her fiancé (and Puss) to arrive from New Brunswick.


Here's Puss, looking very tired after the five hour car ride.

Traditions run deep

There is a tradition in our area that has been going strong for the past 40 years. It's the Annual Clare Canoe Trip which takes place every year during Easter Weekend. It started off small 40 years ago but boy did it ever grow into a big event and a very popular local attraction. The run takes two days, going down rivers and lakes in-land. Early Good Friday morning over 300 canoes set out this year. And now there are just as many four-wheelers that do the run along side the lakes and rivers. At certain check points thousands of spectators gather to watch the canoes go by. If you check this video you'll see what I'm talking about. In other words, it's a big party !!!!!

Here, Luc and his friend Sylvain are getting all their gear ready to set out Friday morning, after I had fed them a hardy breakfast.

Foggy

My head is in a fog. Yup, I went and got myself a head cold big time. Today was mostly spent undercovers and drinking warm chai. I hope I'm up to going to work tomorrow. It's a four day week and my agenda is already full with meetings. Ha, nothing like transcribing notes with a foggy head... Although, looking at these pictures makes me feel better !


Wishing everyone a good start of the week tomorrow.

Sunny with clouds

Weather forecast for today was for sun and clouds and they were right, we got mostly clouds this morning and this afternoon it was mostly sunny. Dave and I decided to take advantage of the sunny part of the forecast and head for a nice walk on the shore. Here is what our walk looked like...