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Nova Scotia Day 7

Our final full day in Nova Scotia was spent just savouring the beach house and spending the afternoon at a place called "Carter's Beach". Heavenly... this beach was gorgeous. The water was clear and VERY cold with floating jelly fish here and there and a bazillion sand dollars. The sand was white and soft and stretched out for miles. We followed the 'locals' directions and found a private spot on the beach that you reach by walking through sand dunes from a side road. Meg puttered around on the beach and just loved playing in the sand. She was in her element! Keaton, Chloe and I went for a long walk down the beach and ran into some local boys that taught us how to catch baby eels as they came in with the tide... it was fun! We found lots of baby crabs and crawfish too. Keaton took them back to Meg and she spent over an hour just chasing the crabs up and down the beach. She would squeal in surprise every time they scurried away.

 
 
 

 

...and then back to the beach house we went to pack up for the long drive home.

My last photo of our vacation was taken at sunrise on Day 8 - while the rest of the house was still sleeping. What a sight! We will miss Nova Scotia and hope to go back again in a few years.

 

Nova Scotia Day 6

We really wanted to check out Halifax and Peggy's Cove wasn't far from it really, so we made both stops in one day. We set out early and got to Peggy's Cove around 1030a.m. I think. I was mostly struck by how busy it was. Bus after busload of tourists were being driven up to the top area of the site where the light house and gift shop stood. If you can get past that, it really is a breathtaking lookout spot and the light house is a must-see atop the rocky terrain. We were warned by several people to keep the kids close as there had been many drownings from people underestimating how far down the rocks they could safely go - swept out to sea, yikes!  So, Meg was in her stroller the entire time and we did the entire tourist thing in about 45 minutes... including washroom breaks. I guess it is a must see but it didn't do much for me personally.

 
 
 

Next we headed into Halifax. What a beautiful waterfront city! After taking forever to find a parking lot that wasn't full... we headed to the waterfront walkway where a busker's festival was taking place. It was super busy but exciting and there was so much to do and see. The kids really liked it. We had lunch right beside the water at an outdoor terrace at Salty's and then walked the wooden boardwalk along the water. The kids saw a kiosk for the "Waxmen" which basically meant for $8 they could 'cast' their hand in wax and colour it and take it home. They loved doing their hands and have them displayed in their bedrooms.

 
 
 
 

Lastly, our day ended with a delicious and authentic lobster supper at a place called "The Shore Club". It has been open forever and is basically a big hall with long tables. Nothing fancy but so tasty. They offer 3 different sized lobsters and then you get all-you-can-eat salad bar (including oysters) comes with it, and dessert. It was so good. Keaton ordered his very own lobster... Chloe opted for oysters and a grilled cheese sandwich!

 
 

Nova Scotia Day 5

Another beach day in the beautiful Nova Scotia sunshine! We spent the morning at Crescent beach and the afternoon wandering the shores at Bruce Island. We were so excited to find a bunch of Sand dollars... I've only ever found them broken up on the shore before. The kids brought some back to the beach house and played with their sea shells in the afternoon.

Chloe found a day of sunshine and surf to be very exhausting. I think we all did!

What's new pussy cat?!

Well, never say never. We love cats but Shaune and I have said for almost a decade now that we would never have another cat. What we didn't count on was just how much our Chloe loves cats and animals in general. She has asked several times for a cat but the answer was easily and always "NO!". But destiny was on her side the other night I guess when she found a stray kitten hanging out at my parents house. She instantly assumed we would let her have it because it needed a home but we were pretty adamant that he wasn't coming home with us. My mom gave him shelter for the night and set about trying to find him a home.

Chloe cried and cried and cried. She desperately wanted this little kitten and after much debate, the next day Shaune and I decided she was old enough to take some responsibility on (read: litter box!) and have her own kitten. Luca joined our family last night and has already found a spot on my heart. I forgot how much I liked cats. He is using his litter box like a pro and even though he is super tiny - he can run up and down our stairs like the little terror he is bound to become!

My mom surprised her with him after school yesterday, bringing him down with a red bow on him. Chloe's face said it all and then she said "I get to KEEP him?!" She could barely go to school today and leave her new Luca the cat. He will most definetly be loved. Keaton is loving the cuddles and Meg follows the kitten around all day saying "Here kitty kitty!". Very cute! Henry the dog is not sure what to think. He is so big and hyper that I've been very careful the few times we've introduced them. I think it will be a slow process. I don't think Henry would hurt Luca but I'm not taking any chances. We are taking baby steps and Henry will I'm sure grow to love having Luca around to hang out with.

Welcome to the crazy Lightfoot house Luca... I hope you are ready for us.

Nova Scotia Day 4

Day tripping was our plan for the day. We mapped out a nice scenic route to take to Lunenberg and it was a great drive along the Lighthouse route in through little fishing villages and past beautiful beaches. We stopped in Lehave and I quickly ran into the Lehave bakery while we waited on the ferry that would take us to the other side of the water. The bakery had such delicious pastries and herb cheddar buns... we ate them as we drove the rest of the way into Lunenberg.

 
Lunenberg was just a really nice place. I loved the waterside restaurants and bars - there was so much to see and it was nice to be around some people after many days of relaxing in solitude at the beach house. We drove right down to the waterfront and started the day at the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic. The kids (Keaton in particular) loved the indoor fish tanks with all the different types of fish that 'live' in the Atlantic ocean. We toured some working fishing boats and saw some massive whale bones. The kids enjoyed the touch tank most of all. We walked the streets a bit and had a fantastic lunch at a place overlooking the harbour called "Grandbanker Seafood Bar & Grill"... delicious!

 

After Lunenberg we made another little trip farther to Mahone Bay. It was a picturesque upscale town on the water with lots of heritage homes and beautiful shops. Chloe had her eye on the ice cream shop and then we walked the streets a bit before heading back to 'our temporary home on the water'.

Nova Scotia Day 3

We had a relaxing day mostly hanging out at the house and at the waters edge. At low tide we made the exciting 'trip across the ocean' ...walking a sandbar that is revealed at low tide to the island. The island is called "Bruce Island" and it was a fun place to trek across and discover so many sandshells and crabs, etc. The kids loved it over there and were in their glory, shouting and running to us with every new discovery they found.

In the photo below, the kids introduced themselves to some locals at our beach and were then taught how to catch eels (baby ones) with their hands! Thrilling?! Ick!

 

Later that afternoon we headed into Lockeport village (a few minutes away) and the kids tried their fishing poles out at the wharf. They were told they might get lucky and catch a mackerel but luck wasn't on their side. We had supper at the White Gull and then headed 'home'.

The sun was setting and we decided to drive past where our house was and see where the road led to. There was ocean on both sides of this 'tip' of Lockeport and the road literally led to the end of the map on our GPS. At the end of the dead end road it was just land and a couple walking trails and all you could see from 3 sides was ocean. It was beautiful so we got out and took a quick hike to see if we could spot any seals. Night came quickly but it was a little peace of heaven as we walked this completely deserted area of Lockeport.

 

 

That time again already?

The summer flew by. I feel like I blinked and it was over. We had a great summer and today marks the beginning of 'back to school' for the kids. Meg is bored but will probably learn to enjoy some peace and quiet during the day time...and some extra time with just mommy.

Chloe has been counting down the days til' school for a while now. She was excited to start Grade 2. She had many (!) outfits to choose from but this cute dress from her Nana Lightfoot was most certainly her first choice. She was glad it was chilly enough this morning to wear long sleeves! She is growing up so fast - sigh. I know she'll have a great day getting reacquainted with all the kids on the playground.

Keaton was less thrilled to start the "get up earlier than 10am" routine this morning. He was nervous to start Grade 5. He is in a Grade 5/6 split this year and will most certainly be the youngest in his grade. I'm sure he'll do fine though and I hope he comes home with a big smile on his face.

It will be nice falling back into the routine of school but I am not looking forward to homework, lunches and making sure they are out the door with their teeth brushed every morning. Summer is over... just like THAT.

Nova Scotia Day 2

I'm going to divide our trip posts up into days since I took so many photos and want to document most of them.

Our first night quickly turned into our 2nd day in Nova Scotia. I woke up early before everyone and walked out into the bright kitchen/living space and just marvelled in the water. Did I mention I'm a water girl? I love water - pool, bath, lake, river, ocean... but most especially ocean. Sometimes I wonder why we don't just pack it up and move to the ocean - probably the cost of real estate!

We spent our day getting to know the area and we drove into Shelburne. Shelburne is the closest 'bigger' village with restaurants, groceries and a really nice waterfront. We took the kids to lunch at a place called "The Sea Dog" and had a fantastic lunch.

Groceries in this area of Nova Scotia are expensive in comparison to here in Ontario (so is gas for that matter). We picked up our groceries for the week and bought ourselves a 2 lb lobster to enjoy later that day. Shaune cooked the poor guy while I made my homemade alfredo... we enjoyed lobster linguine alfredo out on the side deck overlooking the water.

The ocean breeze is chilly at night. The kids talked daddy into a bonfire on the beach at the house. We started out with some driftwood and eventually Shaune pulled a big tree trunk covered in seaweed onto the fire and that kept us warm. Shaune and I enjoyed some Pinot Grigio while Keaton did acrobats in the water and Chloe puttered around on the beach... Meg following closely behind her.

 
 
  
 
 

A trip to remember

After much debate and decision making we made the choice to finally venture to East Coast Canada for our summer vacation this year. We considered Disney and some other options but with Meg still very much a baby... we thought a mellow beach vacation might be best. We were right... the vacation was amazing and we loved our spot we rented in Lockeport. It was sort of off the beaten path and we felt like a family that had the whole ocean to ourselves at times. The 'cottage' is owned by a woman who grew up in the area but lives now in California. She has staff to maintain the house and host the guests and everything was immaculate and quaint as can be. The property itself was the highlight of our trip, all on the ocean with views from every window... it felt like we were in our own little world - we only had to see other people when we chose to.

We made a few road trips but always found ourselves just yearning to get back to the house and relax. The kids loved it as much as we did. It was a trip we will never forget.

The drive was very long. We left our house at around 8pm Thursday, August 5th and drove through the night... through Ontario and into Quebec, til we reached my wonderful friend Tara's house in Grand Falls New Brunswick early morning on Friday. She and her family were wonderful hosts and she even offered to watch the kids so Shaune and I could catch a nap after driving all night. She is amazing! The kids had fun getting to know her son Noah better and it was a nice break in the drive. We spent the night and then were up bright and early on Saturday to continue on to our final destination.

When we finally made it to the beach house it was so exciting. We were blown away by the views and so excited to see the ocean and the sweet house we'd stay in for the week. We were all going a little stir crazy from the long drive that day and jumped out of the truck... running around checking everything out. The kids were screaming they were so thrilled to be this close to the ocean and all the wonders it holds.

We had no groceries and it was already supper by the time we unpacked the truck so we headed in to Lockeport for a quick bite for supper... and so began our love affair with fried fish (haddock) and chips. Chloe ordered this almost every meal we ordered out - it was so good. We drove around Lockeport for a few minutes and even found a Mystery Machine van at a garage... we just had to get some photos with it. Scooby-dooby-doo!

The rest of the evening was spent unpacking, relishing in our surroundings and the kids were entranced by the waters edge and finding crabs and other critters.

Our first sight of the ocean as we come down the long driveway to the house:

 

...and that was our first day in Nova Scotia. Many (many!) more photos to come.
  
   
 
 
 
 

Bean Bake 2010

Another year, another Bean Bake. It is one of the highlights of our summer each year and the kids count down the days til they can be back 'north' with their cousins and aunts and uncles and our big extended family. We drove directly from Toronto to Boulter so that we could be there to kick off the long weekend on Thursday night. Keaton and Chloe just couldn't wait for it all to start. We had a great weekend. Keaton got to go fishing with cousin Joel and Chloe got to play with her buddy, Taylor. Meg loved it too but was glad to be home at the end of the long weekend...she really is a homebody and happiest right here.

So, I barely picked up my camera til Sunday. But it was a beautiful day at the horseshoe tourney/beach day with the family and I couldn't resist some photos... especially of all the kids playing together and loving the water and sand.

Special thanks to Charlie and Aunt Betty for hosting another wonderful family event... I can't imagine summer without the Bean Bake.