Apple Blossom Time in the Valley

It's that special time in our valley, when the orchards are beautiful in their dresses of blossoms. There is an Apple Blossom celebration this weekend, complete with princesses, a new Queen Annapolisa crowned, parades, fair grounds and lots more. People go on drives to observe the orchards in full bloom.

Yesterday, I thought I would take a little walk in the orchard to take a few pictures. I took a walking stick with me to help me along. (Good planning)

Starting out, I got a picture of  Dawn and gals setting off 

to work

This is what they are doing. All of the branches, save one have been

cut off these trees, and bud wood from another variety grafted on.

I stopped for a while to chat, (mostly to have a rest), then continued on.

I was feeling pretty good, and carried on to the end of this orchard.

This is the end of the one block looking toward another

section that goes further along. About this point, I figured I had

better turn around, as legs were starting to get weak and

going back would be uphill.

Oh Oh! Up hill! There would be a whole lot of 'rest stops'

before I got back to the girls. It is close to 1/3 mile from

the road to the end of this block. It felt like 3 miles by the

time I got back to the house.

Stopped by the pond going down and coming back to check out

tadpoles, but I didn't see our resident muskrats (2).

By this time I was beginning to wonder whether I had bitten off more than

I could chew, so to speak. Legs burning, and leaning more and more on

my stick buddy, I carried on.

Taking pictures was a great excuse to rest my legs.

Finally I was almost to the road.

Tired? Yes. Sore? Yes. Feeling accomplished? Yes.

I wasn't sure I could do it, but I managed. I'm a little slower today,

but am planning my next walk to another pond, a little

further away in another block. There is a beaver there who has

been chawing on some trees.

In the meantime, I am trying to do a bit of work around the house, and am

slowly but surely getting weeding and whacking done.

I'll end this post with a picture of the blossoms on the flowering crab 

on our front lawn. Bees are humming around it, of course....

....and a view of the orchard from the road facing the North Mountain..

Have a great weekend!

What a Weekend!

This past weekend, I was busier than I have been in a very long time. Now weary and a little sore, I know that I wouldn't have changed it for all the world.

Saturday, H came to pick me up and take me to Ironwood. I haven't been there for quite a while. The day was dreary, wet and very cold, but it didn't put a damper on my enjoyment. H & R's farm is such an amazing place, and I just wanted to soak it all in. Lambs, lambs and more lambs, and a few piggies thrown in for good measure, we slip-slapped through the rain to visit all the woolly creatures, and I couldn't get enough. When we got really cold, we nipped into the greenhouse, where the furnace was on for the plants. I took a lot of pictures, and will share a few of them.

Then, from the farm we went to Windsor, meeting up with Dawn and girls, and Eva, first to enjoy supper, and then to see "Drum", a wonderful show tracing the history of Nova Scotia, through the Mic Mac, the Acadians, the wars, and the deportation, and the settlement of the Loyalists and the black settlements.  Drumming played a main part in the whole program, along with music, singing and dance, and it was absolutely a fantastic evening. To top it all off the Nova Scotia Mass Choir sang for a half hour before Drum began. If you ever get a chance to hear them, they are super. They sang on CBC Radio one time with Meesha Brueggergosman a wonderful Canadian Soprano.
I was so wound up by the time I got home, and even though I was tired, I could not get to sleep for hours.
I actually slept in Sunday morning until 9am. Usually I'm up between 6-7 most days. I think I played alright in Church, at least no one complained.

Ironwood Farm

This is a little spring lamb, a little over a day old,

and still penned in with her mother, who isn't sure

she want to let the little one drink.

This little one is a couple of days old

One of my favourites, born Jan-Feb. You can see

how fast they grow

More of the winter lambs. They loved to be scratched

under their ears, and I could have done it all day. They 

have been weaned.

These are younger ones, not yet weaned, so are out

in the field with their mommas.

I took lots of pictures of the piggies, but they weren't

very co-operative. Liked the colour on this one. They are

pretty big.

This is a look from the pasture back toward the house and barns.

One of the greenhouses

And then.......on Sunday.....

Graduation pictures in the orchard......

With Gowns 

...and without

The photographer took around 500 pictures of R and C, along with siblings and parents. It
brought a tear to my old eyes to see these two young people at this very exciting and important time of their lives. So lovely. (The chair was a prop)

This is why the chair was in the orchard.

R wanted the view of the orchard and

the valley and mountain behind

The blossoms were not in full bloom but were beginning

And so I had a busy but absolutely

wonderful weekend.

Tiring, perhaps, but so worth it.

Sun and blue sky....Nice

Ahhhhh..... it's an absolutely beautiful day today, and I have been outside a few times this morning working in the little garden. There is so much of what I call quack grass, though I'm sure it has a proper name. It has roots that run all over the place, and when I am lucky I can pull up more than a foot of the stuff. That's when I am lucky. Most of the time it is one or two at a time. But gradually I am getting the garden spiffy, though my body needs a bit of a rest afterwards. Work a half hour, rest a half hour. That's the rule for fibro, but I get so engaged that I forget. It makes me sore but also gives me a feeling of accomplishment.

The Captain has gone off to the camp for a couple of days, and I laugh at myself when I check the clock to see what time it is.......I don't have to get lunch ready, or supper or whatever. I am not on the clock......nice! I even have bread on the go, though the bread maker is doing all the work. My goodness, I am so full of energy today I don't know what to do with myself. It is only noon!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now it is Monday, Victoria Day in Canada, and it is another lovely day, after rain yesterday. The weekend was a little busy, and I didn't get any outdoor work done. I have done a bit this morning, but I swear that if you pull a weed and turn around three times, and look, there is another one to take its place. It a little hard on the old neck and back but......you know, gotta keep going. 

This branch had to be cut off unfortunately. We are

having the house painted and it's too close to the wall.

.Getting there slowly but surely ......

The blossoms are blowing off. They don't last too long

especially when it is windy

These little beauties come up now every year.

I really like them.

I am so thankful that Spring has finally arrived. There is nothing like a time outside to

lift one's spirits, unless it is a time spent with special friends, and lots of hugs to go

around. 

Perhaps.....

Perhaps it is time to start blogging again. The urge has moved me to tap the keys and write. I have been doing a lot of thinking during the last few weeks, and my poor little brain is quite tired. Perhaps taking those floating words, and writing them down will give my brain a rest.

Yesterday was Mother's Day, and I enjoyed a wonderful time with my girls. We went out to lunch at a little restaurant called The Naked Crepe. Delicious! Filling! I love spending time with my two daughters and two granddaughters. They are such a blessing to me.

I have decided that I really need to concentrate on them, on my blessings, and not think about what could be if things were different. I have been looking at old photos of D and H, and then R and L. It is hard to believe that all those years have passed. I must have done something right to have such beautiful and loving daughters, to see them now as grown women, each with their own special gifts and personalities.

When you get to be my age, and  look back, sometimes I think, I should have done things differently, and I question decisions I made, and yet I know that I did my best at the time in each circumstance, with what I knew. You can't second guess yourself, and you can't change things now, you just have to keep moving forward. Life throws you a lot of curves, and you just have to get around them and look for the straight way ahead.

I am still missing, and will for a long time, my little Sadie. I still expect to see her sitting there beside me. But I am better, and smile when I look back at pictures of her adventures.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spring has finally arrived...

The first bud on the magnolia tree.....

.....and more buds and blooms

I have spent some time painting rocks. When I don't want to think about other things

I paint. Black and white seemed to have been a theme.......

I do not know what I am going to do with these, but

painting them is good for the soul.

And.......

as I was going through some old pictures, I came across this one,

To explain, I used to do puppet shows and above is my puppet Floyd. He is

weird looking but I had a lot of fun with him entertaining children and

older folk. I put the photo on fb and was amazed at how many people remembered him

from their childhood. I look quite a bit younger of course, since this is about 25+ years ago.......

This picture was from our local paper....they must have done some sort of write up,

but I can't quite remember why. I used to go to the schools and libraries so maybe it

was about that. Or, perhaps it was about the fun baby shower my friends had for me, 

so that Floyd would have some clothes. What a riot. What a fun time.

It was long, long ago.......

Enough for today............

It is good to be back.......

Perhaps I will be more regular in my postings....

Perhaps.......

Remembering...

Sadie

                She was a sweetheart, a precious little fir ball, with great big eyes, a punched in nose and a bark that sounded like a duck’s quack. She was so precious, so special. Now she has left me and travelled to the rainbow bridge. I like that picture. It gives me comfort. I can see her, holding her tail high across her back, and her ears flowing with the wind. Not too much wind mind you. She wasn’t all that fond of big winds, or thunder storms, or wet snow, or wet ground and grass.

                She was so small when I got her that she could almost sit in my hand.  On her first trip to the vet, I discovered that she had a hole in the top of her head, and it never did close all the way. She got all her shots every year and stayed healthy. Then, last year she was diagnosed with heart disease. She managed quite well for about ten months, but then things began to go wrong, and after some seizures, little or no appetite, a diet of baby food and gradual weakening, she finally lost her fight, and died on Tuesday, April 14^th.

                I had made that awful decision to have her euthanized at 4pm on that Tuesday, but after a terrible night, I knew she was just suffering too much, and called the vet first thing in the morning and arranged to take her in for 9am. D drove me and Sadie cuddled in my arms, was quiet but looking around. As we were going into the examination room, Sadie took matters into her own paws, and died gently in my arms. The vet said that she was gone. That final few seconds was peaceful. It was like Sadie had saved me from the final decision to put her to sleep. I was able to spend some time with her, and then gave her over to the vet. She was wrapped in her little green blanket. She was gone. Dawn drove me home and I thought I could not face the house, but of course I had to. I was totally empty, and found the day long and lonely. The sorrow I felt was immense. My little pal, my little girl, and my best friend for eleven years had left me alone.

                And yet, as I write this, she is still everywhere. She always followed me around, so that she could be in the same room with me. When she wanted something she would scratch her little paw on my leg to get my attention. She sat almost under my feet while I was cooking or doing dishes. She wanted to go out with me every time I opened the door. She knew my routine and would move ahead of me especially at night when it was time for bed. So, everywhere I go, everything I do, it seems she is still there.

                Of course, over the week that has gone by since she died, I have been thinking a lot about her, her little quirks, her methods of getting my attention and the different things she did that were funny. She was a very nosey dog, who liked to sit on my desk and look out the window. If she saw the school bus or a car slowing down she immediately wanted down to see who it was, or to greet the granddaughters when they came to the door from the bus. She watched the neighbours across the street, and seemed to know their car and truck. When she was coming in from being outside, she always looked across the road first, before entering. I’m not sure what she was looking for, but she always did it.

                Sadie loved to go to Halifax and see her special friends. I always called it her Spa Vacation. Whenever I had to go away she would stay with her city cousins and what a time she had. She was smaller than they were, but she didn’t seem to recognize that. This was especially noticeable when she was just a few months old, and as big as a button. I have pictures of her jumping on the Tibbies, rolling around and just having a great time.  Jerry and Simba put up with her. Oh, she enjoyed it so much, and was totally spoiled by E and D, her hosts.  I have pictures of them, but they were taken before I got a digital camera, and laptop. I found a couple of pictures of her with hj and I having a lunch on a bench in Point Pleasant Park. She was so tiny, and sat up on the bench sharing our lunch. She thought she was a big city dog, and was always eager to go on walks with E & D and the Tibbies.

                Sadie liked to walk around the back yard with me, checking everything out. There were such interesting odours, and sounds. She especially liked it when I gave her her lead and she could run ahead of me. “Come on Bonnie, there is something really neat over here.” When I worked in the garden she would help by scratching in the dirt, sometimes right where I had planted. She looked so proud of herself. Then, she’d find some shade and lay down, having done her best. She watched the birds and chipmunks with interest, but no desire to chase. However if she saw a cat from the window she would stare and stare and sometimes even ‘quack’ at it.

                The orchard was another place she liked to go. The grandchildren and Sadie and I would have nice walks there. She also liked going down to see the pickers in the fall. She ran and then panted and looked like she was laughing. Here, she was the big orchard dog. And of course, a trip to the orchard also had to include an inspection of the barn, another place she was fond of.

                It seems to me that her favourite time of year was when the hay was being cut. She was oh so keen on watching the tractors and would sit on the porch and watch. Sometimes the parked car would get in her way and she would have to find just the right place to see the tractors. When L parked the tractors in the back yard, Sadie checked them out, sniffing all around them. I remember when she would first see the big bales of hay, she would bark at them. I’d let her go and sniff around them, and then put her up on one. She would sit there as long as I would let her. When L would get off the tractor to come and see Sadie, sometimes I would let her off her leash and she would tear off for the hay field and him. L was one of a very few men that she liked and always looked forward to seeing him, and especially when he picked her up, while he was having a coffee with the Captain, and give her a good scratching and her ‘massage’ for the week.

                Sadie had the longest hair for a Japanese Spaniel or Chin as her breed is called. It would grow so fast and when she would lay flat on the floor she looked like an oversized black and white slipper. Her hair was everywhere, when she shed, but what could I do? Clothes brushes were a necessary item, so at least most of it could be removed from whatever I was wearing. She really was not a fan of having a bath, and would shiver like it was the end of the world as she knew it. She wouldn’t bark like other dogs, when she wanted out. It was important that I pay attention to her. She would sit and stare at me until I noticed her, then she would run to the back door. If I didn’t move immediately, she would run back to me, looks me in the eyes, than run to the door again. When she wanted up on the desk to look out the window, she would stand staring up at the desk until I picked her up and put her where she could see.

For most of her last year, Sadie was unable to do the things she enjoyed. Trips to the orchard were few, and most times I ended up carrying her. At least she had one last haying season. And she still watched what was going on out the window.

                Words that would describe Sadie are many. She was companion, friend, confident, steadfast, my shadow, patient sometimes, impatient at others, fussy (about food), stubborn, loveable, sensitive, silly, adventurous, curious and many more.

                She was a will always be remembered as a very special part of my life. She gave me so much and she didn’t even know it. I know I will never have another little friend like her. My sweet little Sadie.

Not the best picture but you can see the size she was

Just a little Sadie look.

Sadie

Sadie

January 7, 2004 - April 14, 2015

April 7th - Really?

I just want to share a few pictures, so that you can enjoy with me this beautiful Spring day.
Can you see the seagulls flying around the lighthouse, and the pleasure boats in the water?
This photo is compliments of the Nova Scotia Webcam, and is of our famous Peggy's Cove Lighthouse.

Below you will see the delightful scenery taken from my windows.

The buds are starting to burst forth on the magnolia

And here the road has been washed clean with a lovely white strip down the middle

for decoration. D has redone the barn roof in white,

and the deer, rabbits and pheasants are enjoying their feed of fresh, green grass.

Of course it is necessary to close your eyes, and imagine these sights,

which is what I am doing, because I will not believe what my open

eyes are seeing.

Think Green

Think Green