It’s The Little Things…

…we delight in during a grocery run. The light near Five Islands was magical and drew us is!

Every second the light changed! So grateful for living in paradise! Happy Weekend to all!

I Get Excited…

…when I find out a friend who has lived in Parrsboro longer than we have and they have never been to a popular look-off.

My friend Robyn and I decided to get out before the weather changed. Exploring Partridge Island was the goal. Robyn had never navigated the trail up or down. I am confident in my assumption that she thoroughly enjoyed our little excursion this morning!

Looking forward to taking friends out in 2024 to explore our fabulous backyard, also know as the Cliffs of Fundy Geopark!

First Winter Hike Recap in Pictures

I started offering free hikes to Parrsboro Shore community members from January through March 2023. Building on last year’s popularity I am organizing more hikes from January through March 2024.

We kicked the season off today by circling the Five Islands Estuary Trail Loop. Six humans and one canine enjoyed nature and each other’s company.

On the drive home we were treated to this most amazing sky display at Five Islands Lighthouse Park.!

Free Winter Hikes: Interested??

Following last year’s well-received opportunity for Parrsboro Shore Community members to participate in Wednesday afternoon hikes Tide Rollers & Mudlarkers (registered and insured guiding business) has decided to once again offer FREE guided hikes from January through March in 2024.

Hike destinations, meeting times and locations will be posted to the NSWalks Parrsboro FB page every Monday. Pre-registration is recommended. Some of these hikes are pet-friendly and will be advertised as such.
The January 3rd hike will lead us around the Five Islands Provincial Park Estuary. We will meet at 12:30 pm at the Parrsboro Bandstand for a headcount and to determine carpooling groups.
Hike participation is free but a contribution toward gas expenses to drivers is encouraged.
This hike is pet friendly. This means dogs need to be leashed and under owner’s control. We practice Leave no Trace principles which requires picking up waste and carrying it out to discard at your residence.
Please pre-register by emailing Anna annahergert@me.com

Here are some images of what to expect tomorrow:

And here are some special sound effects:

Happy New Year, one and all!!

We woke up to the best news from Germany! Meet Louis, our grand-nephew, and our very own New Year’s baby in the family. He ignored all the due-date estimations and followed through on my prediction of arriving on January 1st.🎉🎉🎉

I started the year out fulfilling a promise to myself: my annual pilgrimage to Clarke Head. This year I invited some new friends and their dogs along. They have lived in the area for a bit longer than us but have not explored too many places. The wind was a bit chilly but nothing good clothing couldn’t control.

Happy New Year to everyone! Can’t wait to see what 2024 has in store. Best wishes to all, Anna

As 2023 Comes to a Close…

…the beach called for one last walk. I love New Year’s Eve in Nova Scotia. This is our fourth New Year’s Eve in Parrsboro and I am so grateful for the opportunity to visit one of many beaches on the last day of the year to let go of those things that might hold me back mentally and emotionally before the clock strikes midnight and a new year begins.

My friend Robyn and I headed to Diligent River Beach this morning to breathe in the fresh sea air, admire the view of Cape Split and be on the lookout for unexpected discoveries.

Besides fossils and breathtaking views we also picked up some more trash, the last haul for 2023.

Wishing you all a wonderful evening in preparation of welcoming 2024.

The Cliffs are Disintegrating!

The annual scheduled birthday beach clean up with friends was cancelled due to the weather forecast. When I didn’t hear back from one of my out-of-town friends I decided to head to the beach and intercept him just in case.

The road was wet! How wet?

When the pine needles begin to form patterns you know it’s been raining heavily for a while.

And as I was heading down to the beach it was surprising to see a new creek bed forming at the base of the access area.

This is one of my go-to beaches and it was a surreal experience with the tide rolling in on one side and rivers and creeks rushing off the cliffs .

Listen for the rock falling just before the end of this clip…

I managed to pick up about 10 lbs of trash before the constant mudslides and rock fall spooked me so much that I decided to call it a day.

Beach Love

When I ventured back to the car I came across this disturbing scene:

I hope that whoever enjoyed their tea or coffee and cigarillos at this picnic bench over the holidays felt it was worth it! What makes it so difficult to carry out empty cups when they managed just fine hauling them in full for 200 m? Imagine visiting friends and just dropping cigarillo buts and empty take out cups on your friends’ living room floor…

For 2024 I challenge everyone to pick up just three pieces of trash when they walk a beach, through a park or along a woodland trail. Imagine how much cleaner our natural surroundings would be by the end of next year!

Wishing you all a relaxing Friday. There are ice pellets and snow on the forecast for us! Getting my snowshoes ready…

It’s Boxing Day … and the Beach is Calling!

After so much time in the kitchen and entertaining friends for the holidays I made sure to keep Boxing Day free! My invitation to like-minded friends was well-received: I had a full vehicle of people who were yearning to breathe in some fresh air, tromp through the woods and step onto a beach that has unrivalled views!

The closer we got to the beach the fewer clouds were overhead.

We found a spot close to amazing driftwood finds away from the wind to share treats and tea I packed along.

The light was changing by the time we turned our attention to walk along the beach.

After leaning into the wind for a short stretch we headed back into the calm woods.

…and the puddles were still there😜!

We had a great time “puddle jumping” to and from Diligent River Beach. There was laughter, mud-encrusted boots, ice that wasn’t strong enough to carry us, tree branches that snapped back and all the fresh air to invigorate.

How was your Boxing Day? I hope you didn’t have to battle long line ups to return or exchange gifts!

And just like that…

…Christmas is over for another year!

We enjoyed watching our two little rascals opening their stocking gifts! They kept us entertained with their excitement, discovering a new toy, pulling on them, stealing them from each other and claiming them back.

Besides preparing a turkey dinner with all the trimmings to share with neighbours I am fixing a pair of hand-knit hiking socks. After two years of wear over many miles, countless washings it was time for some repairs. The toe area was wearing thin so I decided to dig deep into my sock yarn leftovers to locate the original yarn as well as another small ball of similar coloured yarn to replace the entire toe cap. So happy I can repair these comfortable socks. They are the best for hiking!

Hope you all had a fantastic day!

Winter Solstice Blessings

Yesterday’s glorious sunset promised a beautiful day ahead. Well, Mother Nature had a different idea. We woke up to strong winds and grey sky. Friends who had expressed interest in participating in the hike decided against battling the elements.

The fact that there is no such thing as bad weather when one has proper clothing held true again today. I had a glorious low tide ocean floor hike to Clarke Head, my absolute favourite place to venture to on a Solstice day. Here are just a few captured of the treasures I stumbled across while leaning into the wind.

Two more sleeps…

…until the guided Winter Solstice Hike to Clarke Head. At this time there are no registrations. It does not deter me. I am packing and getting ready. I recently invested in some audio visual accessories to capture video of my hike destinations. No matter whether I hike solo on Thursday or others join me at the last minute, there will be a report of the outing. Stay tuned for more “lively” posts soon!

Winter Wind!

The weather predictions are real: it has been very windy all day, a typical pre-winter day with rain and wind. I couldn’t resist stopping at First Beach on the way home from appointments. Enjoy!