A Day Threatening Rain = Museum Time

We stopped into the Fundy Geological Museum yesterday afternoon. It’s reminiscent of a mini version of the Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller, AB. It is compact but covers the local natural history in depth. I can’t wait for the grand-kids to come and visit. Dinosaurs are everywhere!!

I loved the interactive displays, especially this time-laps screen illustrating how the super-continent of Pangaea split apart. The fact that Parrsboro was once connected to Morocco is always difficult to grasp intellectually. However, these graphic images are self-explanatory.

When I taught Kindergarten eons ago we always told the story of Rock Soup… a different kind of rock soup, mind you… but this took me back! I decided to take images of the information as it might convey my personal fascination with each and every beach (and rock or pebble) I have explored thus far.

And every soup needs salt… Have you ever wondered where Windsor Salt derived its name from?

Have you heard of Eldon George? We saw him years ago on a Land & Sea episode on CBC. He was instrumental in establishing the museum while sharing his passion as a “rock hound” across the country.

A little more local history… from pre-historic times to the not so distant past!

The mighty Bay of Fundy put into perspective!

We had a fabulous time at the Fundy Geological Museum. Their gift shop has a great selection of local lore, books and even hand-crafted items. Here is the book we decided to pick up:

It’s a fantastic resource, filled with coast to coast to coast facts and information. If you come across it, you will find it as difficult to put down as we do.

Hope you enjoyed the short recap of yesterday’s excursion in images. Have a fantastic day. Best wishes, Anna

The Mystical Landscape…

Diligent River Beach at low tide close to sunset on August 20th, 2021.

The mist was rolling in shrouding the beach and adjacent cliffs in mysterious fog accompanied by a magical quiet interrupted only by distant seagull calls.

Happy Monday, everyone! Best wishes, Anna

A Walk About Parrsboro, NS

After the rain stopped it was time for a walk to stretch my legs. I realized I had not taken many pictures while exploring the town we call home. Let me make up for this today! I love the time after a good rain, everything appears so lush and clean and finding the occasional raindrop suspended from a berry is a bonus!

Not far from home I decided to turn onto Layton Street. I can see the church tower of the United Baptist Church from my kitchen window.

These shelf fungi always catch my eye and this time I made the images I had planned to create for ages. Layton Street leads onto Eastern Avenue. Turning right the road leads to Truro, I chose to turn left toward Main Street and the centre of town.

The old tree, as one approaches the intersection on Main Street, captures everyone’s attention. I love the whimsy of the mock bird houses.

Located immediately across the street are the Bandstand and a public art sculpture. The Bandstand is a popular meeting point for the locals. Every Sunday we get to enjoy a free concert while mingling with friends and meeting newcomers to the area. Any donations collected by the musical presenters go to a charity of their choice. It the perfect reason to come out and take in a weekly concert!

Parrsboro is a small town but it has its very own Tim Horton’s. I laid eyes on this coffee shop for the first time in 2008 and was really impressed by how well it fit into the town’s architecture. This is the only franchised restaurant in town. It is well supported by the locals as the only coffee take-out in town.

A few steps on we have our Ice Cream Shop which boasts long line ups when the Bandstand hosts a musical event or when Parrsboro Creative organizes the occasional Artist Pop Up Show. On a sunny day it is a popular destination as well.

I followed Lower Main Street for a short distance. From the local gas station and auto repair, the COOP Grocery Store, the Anglican Church and its hall where we have a weekly Farmer’s Market on Saturdays, the drugstore, antique store, souvenir store, Post Office, second hand clothing store, restaurants, the craft brewery and so much more are conveniently located on this main artery through town.

The arts are alive and well in our little town. Creativity has no bounds!

My errand led me onto Victoria Street past the library. Yes, we have a library and it is only about an 8 minute walk from our house.

Just a few snap shots before I return to Main Street…

…and probably the most photographed spot in town!

You can’t escape the dinosaurs in our little town. The Fundy Geological Museum is not far… just a short drive from here and down Two Islands Road after one turns left at the epitaph …

…across the bridge at the Aboiteau.

I turn left here onto Willow Street. Thanks for joining me on this short walk about town. It’s wonderful on a grey day and just imagine how brilliant the colours are on a sunny day!

And, if you are interested in a little bit of Parrsboro history, here is a link.

Wishing you all a wonderful Saturday. Best wishes, Anna

There is more to explore than beaches…

A late evening text surprised me with an impromptu invitation to join three creative women (two from Parrsboro, one from Grand Manan, NB) on a fibre expedition early the next morning. First stop, Deanne Fitzpatrick in Amherst! A place I had wanted to visit for some time and I can honestly say it is a place I will return to soon. Amherst is only about 45 minutes from Parrsboro and this shop is like candy for the knitter, crocheter and rug hooker. I found some Hundertwasser inspired, as well as alpaca- blend, sock yarns that are a dream to knit with.

Our next stop was GJDE Enterprise in Oxford, NS. Oxford is the town and central distribution centre for Wild Blueberries and other frozen foods. GJDE Enterprises is a fantastic store with a traditional, old fashioned Five-and-Dime vibe that made us all a little nostalgic. Claudia found a traditional Marble set, there were old-fashioned glass Christmas tree ornaments and board games, contemporary home decor items and so much more! I focused on the largest selection of Briggs & Little Wool I had seen since we closed our store in Calgary 20 years ago. I was so distracted that I missed taking some photos. Sorry, everyone… next time!

We continued our trip to Tatamagouche on the north shore of Cumberland County. By this time everyone was hungry and we stopped into the Chowder House on the Main Street. It was a busy place, service was a little hit and miss but the food was excellent. After this brief rest and nourished by good food some of us stopped at the hand-crafted ice cream store for dessert before we climbed back into the hot car. Here are a few images I made back in April when another friend and I went to Tatamagouche on a Farmer’s Market Saturday.

Our next stop was Lismore Sheep Farm. We made it just in time before their end of day. It’s an impressive destination, a working sheep farm with a huge barn designated to fibre enthusiasts and so many options for knitters, rug hookers, crocheters and those who are looking for fleece related products. They have wool-filled duvets, pillows, blankets, socks… so many things to choose from and reasonably priced. I focused on the yarns and was a little disappointed with the selection, but then again this may be due to our timing. Perhaps, with the restrictions relaxing slowly, they had more demand with walk in customers and were finding it difficult to keep up with supplies. I will return in the not too distant future. I did find a beautiful, hand-dyed skein in lace weight. It has already been dispatched to our daughter as a special birthday present, and I neglected to take a picture.

Soon it was time to get back into the car and try to reach our final designation on Coline’s list in Truro before closing time. Our driver did well and shaved off several minutes to get us to “Gwen’s Handmade Creations.” What a delightful place and we soon agreed that this was our favourite stop for the day! The owner, Gwen Mader, was so welcoming and as we navigated her tiny domain situated in the back of her property near the chicken run many “ooohhhs” and “aaahhhs” escaped our lips. It was hard to resist Gwen’s selections and excellent prices. I settled on some luscious spinning fibres for the colder seasons. Perhaps I will be giving it a whirl sooner than planned. We have heavy rains and a possibility of strong winds in the forecast for early next week. Tropical storm Henri is expected to make his way right up the Bay of Fundy… Here are some images from our stop at Gwen’s Handmade Creations.

And here are pictures of my personal haul (sans the skein that has been dispatched to BC already). It took little time to break into the Hunderwasser inspired sock yarn… I am working on a Fisherman’s rib cuff. That type of cuff is very stretchy and I love the ribbed texture I am able to achieve with just knit and purl stitches.

From left to right (first image): Spinning fibres from Gwen’s, a Fleece Artist lace-weight skein I plan to over-dye (from Lismore Sheep Farm) and assorted sock yarns from Deanne Fitzpatrick’s. I also picked up a set of Knitter’s Pride double pointed metal square needles (at Gwen’s) which caused me to set aside the set of ebony needles I have loved and used for 25 years… the metal needles are a dream! I highly recommend them. I did mention, Gwen’s was everyone’s favourite place. 😉

Our drive home was filled with chatter and excitement full of anticipation for new projects.

Thanks for traveling along today. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! Best wishes, Anna

When you just can’t get enough…

It describes me perfectly:

Thalassophine (n.) a lover of the sea, someone who loves the sea, ocean.

Happy Thursday, everyone. Anna

A Special Time of the Day

No matter how often I walk the beaches at sunset the light gifts me with spectacular vistas. While I adore the landscape as a whole…

…I also watch for details like these illuminated plants!

Just moments earlier they were ordinary, not worth spending much time to look at. the moment the sun positioned itself at just the right angle the rose hips were so bright that it appeared as if someone had flicked a switch and each fruit transformed into a beacon of red. At the same time the beach pea plants across all stages of development, from flower to pea pod, glowed as if spot lights were positioned perfectly to highlight their strongest features.

This large driftwood specimen appeared bathed in gold with the sun at the perfect angle near the horizon!

I cannot recall how often I have walked past this ancient log and only seen the weathered grey wood. The setting sun made all the difference at that moment, as fleeting as it was.

Looking toward East Bay the salt marsh was slowly filling up with the change of the tide. The textures and reflections drew my attention and demanded to be captured.

Distant squeals from young children as they ran in and out of the cool water on Ottawa House Beach, the rocky beach against the water looking toward Partridge Island and Cape Split against the golden horizon… I cannot decide what drew me in and held my attention more!

The sun slipped below the horizon quickly, another day came to an end but I feel fortunate that I witnessed the last light.

Thank you for dropping by today. May these magical sunset moments help you navigate the day. Happy Wednesday, Anna

Drawing Parallels

Six-and-a half years ago I had the privilege of visiting Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain. Antoni Gaudi had captured my attention during my London City&Guilds art training in early 2000. His approach of looking to nature for inspiration was nothing new. However, his innovative approach of identifying key aspects in nature, translating these and applying them in his architectural creations truly pushed the boundaries then and continue to so now.

I am always intrigued by the ancient landscape I am exploring close to home these days. Stumbling across a quote by Antoni Gaudi last week gave me reason to pause and reflect: “The great open book that one must strive to read is the book of nature: all the other books are extracted from it and contain man’s erroneous interpretations. There are two revelations: one, doctrinaire, with Morals and Religion; the other, guided by facts, enclosed in the Great Book of Nature.” – A. Gaudi

My walk at Blu Sac Road in Five Islands near Parrsboro at low tide yesterday afternoon reminded me of how important it is to not only look at the larger picture, the landscape as a whole, but to also make time and pay close attention to the individual parts.

The ancient sea bed comprised of sandstone was created by the sheer power and weight of the last ice age. Walking on these outcroppings is a humbling experience. The air was still, the tide not quite at its lowest point. The sound of a distant ATV travelling along the red cliffs drowned out the laughter of the seagulls hunting for tasty morsels left behind by the receding tide. Soon the wind and sea bird sounds was all we heard.

My proclivity to seek details on the ocean floor soon drew my attention to this section in the sandstone. Like a painting Mother Nature was presenting a moment in time with a beautifully balanced composition using tiny snails and dried sea lettuce. Colour, line quality and subtle textural nuances made me stop and take a closer look with the understanding that the next high tide will completely alter this presentation.

How about another Gaudi quote? “Paintings, through the use of pigments, and sculptures turning to forms, express existing organisms: figures, trees and fruits… describing the interiors through the exteriors. Architecture creates the organism and that is what makes it adopt a law harmonious with those of nature; those architects that do not comply with the draw doodles instead of works of art. – A Gaudi

The image above fits the quote appropriately, or vice versa… what do you think?

I am freely admitting that the sequence of images presented here constituted the highlight of yesterday’s beach exploration. I don’t know how I could have missed this during my last time here… and yet, this natural composition could have just taken place yesterday. Such is the incredible power of the changing tides in the Bay of Fundy.

Linda and I took our time during our leisurely beach saunter. Sitting on a driftwood log, sipping our water and munching on a humble snack we witnessed five majestic bald eagles taking turns between soaring high above the red cliffs taking advantage of the thermal and searching for food in the shallow waters. Filled with gratitude for what we experienced we slowly ascended the hill back to the car. Sharing such wonderful experiences with a friend truly make them more special!

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you enjoyed our amazing beach exploration. Warm wishes, Anna

Looking Closely

Whether I capture a flower or weed I move in closely to discover lines and textures, to immerse myself in the colour!

This practice has become my meditation, my mindfulness pursuit, my contemplative practice. I don’t see flowers as flowers or weeds as weeds. I relax, let go of preconceived ideas and expectations. I embrace what I see and the way it presents itself. This is a way of seeing that is free and fresh each time, this is the perception world of natural forms…

Join me, try to see the world and its parts with fresh eyes, each and every time!
Happy Monday, Anna

The Dulser…

The sea lies peaceful and vast around him, not yet sensing the heat of the day that has been predicted. The early morning mist keeps his skin cool at every step and that reminds him of why he is here.

This is his church, he shares with his companions. This is where he finds peace and solitude. He entertains himself by moving swiftly through the water, eyes downcast searching for unblemished dulse fronds. He bends, with a quick flick he detaches the fronds from the rock they have been attached to during their growing season. It ensures regrowth, he educates his companions.

The dulser moves steadily, bending, collecting, adding to the bag that is quickly bulging outward. We soon lose track of him. He has ventured out far beyond us, then turned around making a wide berth around us as he returns to the shore, bag heavy with treasure, encouraged by the turning tide.

Hope you enjoyed this Nova Scotia moment to set the tone for Sunday. Enjoy the day! Best wishes, Anna

T’is the Season…

…when the back country roads call with the promise of mushrooms.

I am getting much better with making spur of the moment decisions and when the text arrived yesterday morning if I was interested in checking “our spot” for a new crop of mushrooms I could not say no. There was nothing else on the agenda and soon we were on the road.

Our previous spot did not disappoint. All around the area Chanterelles were “glowing” and we soon filled one basket with pure deliciousness!

Learning from my friends Laura I brought along a sharp knife and a soft toothbrush to clean the mushrooms as we collected them.

It was worth the effort as once we arrived home we just weight our haul and divided it between us.

On the way home we explored some out of the way roads and discovered another fantastic spot with Chanterelles! They were even more fresh and by the time we gathered them we filled another basket half full. When we weighed them we had found 3 lbs of pure gold! They are all genuine Chanterelles and ready for preparation. I am dehydrating half of my portion and plan to prepare the rest in a cream sauce for tonight’s dinner. Mushroom season is the best. We are already planning our next excursion.

We stumbled across a number of other mushrooms but were not too sure about the varieties. We found one Boletus or King mushroom, I knew them as Steinpilz during my Childhood in Germany, you may know them as Porcini. It was partially eaten by slugs but now I know what to look for the next time! The jury is still out on the large white mushrooms we brought home to have a friend identify them as edible. White Chanterelle was mentioned but without a positive definitive identification I am not willing to chance cooking it up and serving it. More research is taking place…

Mushroom identification guides are on their way! This is a whole new area. I never thought I would be gathering mushrooms… During my childhood this was a Sunday afternoon autumnal activity with my mother and siblings and, truth be told, I wasn’t too fond of that somewhat forced activity. How times change and how we change interests. As the saying goes: “Never say never!”

Have a great weekend, everyone! Best wishes, Anna

Wild Blueberry Time!!!

When we rolled into town on October 16th last year we were really taken with the landscape surrounding Parrsboro. The rolling fields were a deep red and, upon further reading, we soon learned that this was due to the post-harvest stage of the blueberry plants. What a sight!

Excuse the poor images, please… we were on the home stretch of our trip, only a few kilometers away from our destination where were were to isolate for two weeks. Stopping was not an option as the road is not very wide and we were pulling our camper.

I have been watching the fields through the seasons and on Sunday our friend Reg pronounced that the blueberries are ripe and he would share with us his favourite spot. The area he likes is one that has not been sprayed (yes, they spray the blueberry fields…) and it is located right under a satellite tower so would not be accessible to the harvesting equipment.

The four of us spread out and within an hour had collected a good amount of berries. I was the slowest as I am a real stickler for not picking over or under-ripe berries or leaves. Makes for an easier time at home when you prepare the berries for freezing. Combined Colin and I put up about 20 cups of berries.

Another bonus for living in this area of Nova Scotia. We shall go back next week and get more berries, weather permitting. We are preparing for winter! Yikes! Can you believe I am thinking that far ahead?

Enjoy your day, everyone! Best wishes, Anna

Living Spirals…

Geometry governs the growth of many creatures, especially in the sea, where pentagonal shapes are common. The logarithmic spiral is also instrumental in the growth of of other living things (such as the fetal development of many animals), but it is most obvious where a concrete form like a shell is left behind. The spiral whorls of many seashells or the Dall sheep‘s horn are case and point.
– from “Sacred Geometry – Deciphering the Code” by Stephen Skinner, Sterling Publishing, NY. ISBN 978-1-4027-6582-7

The Many Faces of Wasson’s Bluff

This is what I get when I haven’t been to a particular beach in a while. The inspiration is limitless and I see everything with fresh eyes. As I was reviewing the images from Saturday night I realized that a few faces crept into the plethora of images I gathered. Here are a few. Look at the image at the top. Can you see the face close to the top looking down on us?

Here is my own pre-historic creature looking across… (image above) and the full alligator below.

A sleepy giant?

A face flattened by time?

Who might this be peaking around the corner?

A Cubist attempt…

From blind laughter to an upside down face…

…two friends in agreement…

…perhaps no face at all?

And just so you are not haunted by some of the more ghoulish faces I will leave you with this mysterious images of Two Islands with the incoming tide.

I hope you enjoyed today’s variation of my beach walk impressions. Have a wonderful day, Anna

Wasson’s Bluff, Part 2: Textures and Colours – Soft Edges vs. Hard Edges…

As promised, here is the next edition of Wasson’s Bluff impressions. I will not elaborate with words, instead I invite you to sit back, grab a cup of tea or coffee and enjoy the images of colour, texture, pattern, some soft edges and hard edges. Keeping it simple: Enjoy!

Wishing you a fantastic start to the week! All the best, Anna

Back to the beach: Wasson’s Bluff

Wasson’s Bluff is one of my all-time favourite beaches to explore. It’s diversity in geological formations and vistas is second to none.

It’s been a while that I have been here. We almost didn’t stop in the parking area… there were several out-of-province trucks with trailers promising some unpleasant ATV noise. I am glad we decided to park and head down to the beach anyways. We soon left the people, tinny radio music and ATVs behind. A slight breeze was blowing keeping any insects away. We headed away from Two Islands toward a section of the beach I call “Mermaid Tears Beach.”

It felt as if I had been away for months… and soon I was engrossed in the rich offerings this beach holds. I have enough for several posts. Today I will just share some of the seaweed and other treasures that caught my eye and were left behind by the tide on the ocean floor. Enjoy!

While I spent much time looking down I am always taken by the majestic vistas, especially during the early evening.

The sun was moving behind the cliffs too fast once again. It was time to turn around and head back to the car. Imagine our delight when Two Islands were shrouded in mist upon our return to the starting point.

…and behind us the sun was moving close to the horizon while illuminating the clouds with an imaginary paintbrush…

Check back tomorrow for more Wasson’s Bluff impressions. Enjoy your Sunday! Warm wishes, Anna

Summer Evening Backyard View

We have had a fair amount of rain for the last couple of days. While the landscape is lush and green I am partial to the rising mist late in the day. This is what I came home to after a beach walk the other day. I spotted the mist as I was walking toward home and headed straight down to the water’s edge…

The river was so smooth reflecting the steel grey sky perfectly…

…with just a splash of colour from the parting clouds.

May these images set the mood for your day. Warm wishes, Anna

Between Heavy Downpours…

…there was time for a quick walk after dinner. And the beach was alive with colour!

The mist was rising at Partridge Island…

…and the tide was gently rolling in.

Our arrival at the beach seemed to trigger some light rain but once here we appreciated the deserted beach and just kept walking all the way to the lichen covered point. I have no idea when it stopped raining!

Once we returned to the car the clouds had thinned and revealed some soft pastels reminding us that sunset was not far off…

…and a gull was standing guard!

I am glad I made time for this walk with Laura. The fresh sea air so easily lifts our spirits.

Wishing you a wonderful day, Anna

Evening Walk

After e few low-energy days I took the drive to Partridge Island after dinner. The beach between Partridge Island and Ottawa House is an easy one to walk, quite sheltered and pleasant when it comes to avoiding the wind as well.

Just as I was looking for a suitable parking spot my attention was drawn to East Bay where the fishing weir is located and beyond. Cape Blomidon was shrouded in a rolling fog bank all the way to Cape Split, truly magical! It captured my attention immediately and I veered off the initial path to find a parking spot for easy access to East Bay Beach.

The approach through the salt marsh is “littered” with well-weathered driftwood and some of the puddles are deep and “swim-worthy”. It’s always an adventure visiting East Bay. As soon as we stepped onto the beach we were glad to have brought jackets as the temperature was less pleasant. The wind made us keenly aware that this beach is more exposed than most in our area.

At the same time, East Beach is unique with its rugged geological formations of fragile cliffs that had substantially altered their physical appearance through accelerated erosion since we visited last time only a few short months ago. It is a haven for fossil hunters and geologists alike but caution is necessary when it comes to exploring the rocks near the cliffs.

I always admire the cottage property owners along this beach as it takes a rugged individual to endure the strong winds and significantly lower temperatures this beach presents. However, at the same time, this beach is always less busy and affords any visitor a place for solitude.

The tide was coming in with force and once we reached the seaweed-covered rocks we turned back in the direction of Partridge Island. There, in the distance Cape Blomidon had shed its mysterious mantle of fog and the strong landmark of the Minas Basin was once again fully visible before sunset.

Thank you for tagging along on my evening walk. I hope you enjoyed the images and additional information to click on, just in case you are planning a trip to our amazing area in Nova Scotia one day. Best wishes and stay safe, Anna