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Thursday, July 24, 2014

Lady's Mantle





Lady's Mantle 
(Alchemilla mollis)

A cloak of tiny chartreuse stars
wraps round, downy grey-green leaves
bejeweled by rain.
Alchemy,
beauty's miracle.

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Deer are Nibbling my Hostas


The white tail deer explore the yard and nibble our hostas like salad greens.  They prefer the smaller white and pale green plants.  Why can't they eat the gout weed?  It has the same coloration.  

I had healthy hosta plants, now I have chewed stems. And they've moved on to the less favoured all-green hostas.  

These deer are no longer endearing visitors. They've become pests who are stripping the gardens.

Do you have any suggestions?


Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Daylily 2014

Daylilies bloom.
  
Over-the-top luscious; 
they throw everything they have 
into their brief lives.  

How wise.



Friday, July 18, 2014

Clematis Vines in Bloom 2014













The clematis vines are in bloom on trellises around the house; profuse blooms, nodding riots of colour.


Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Big Tancook Island, Nova Scotia...more


We had frequent visitors at the cottage we rented 
on Big Tancook Island.
The neighbour's cat...


the neighbour's hens...


each wandered through exploring
and ignoring us.



This is the view from the cottage 
on Southeast Cove, Big Tancook Island.
The first piece of land, the darkest to the left is
the other curve of Southeast Cove.
Behind that is the tip of Little Tancook Island
and behind that again
is Blandford on the mainland.
On clear nights, 
we could see the light at Peggy's Cove
sweeping the sea.



This is the evening sky 
on our last day at the cottage.
There the night sky was free 
from light pollution so the stars
were visible, incredible,
overwhelming. 

There was so much more to do and see
than we had time to explore,
both on the island and in the Chester area.
  
We'll have to return.

I'm hoping 
soon.

Words in coloured text will take you to another site 
with additional information, if you click on them.
I've written so much lately about the cottage and the Tancooks 
that people have asked if I was advertising for them.  The answer is no.
I've received nothing for the writing.
I enjoyed the island so much, it is difficult to stop talking about it.
Go, see for yourself.

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Foxgloves in my Garden






Whenever foxgloves grow in my garden,
I think of my childhood.

They were fairy hats,
or dresses for tiny folk.

They were signs of magic, 
always a surprise,
always welcome.

Mysterious.

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Climbing Roses in Bloom








Everything feels rosy today.  

The climbing roses are in full bloom
and I get to spend hours with my writing group.

What could be better?

Friday, July 11, 2014

Southeast Cove, Big Tancook Island, NS


we watched this boat sail across Southeast Cove 
and moor.


It stayed for several days and nights.
We wondered if it belonged to one of
the many summer residents on the island
or to someone visiting, like us.

The island in the background is Ironbound Island
the third Tancook Island.  

This view is the one we enjoyed 
throughout our vacation in the rental cottage

Words in coloured text will take you to another site with additional information, if you click on them.

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Peonies in our Yard 2014


The peonies in our yard this year bloomed later
than usual but were worth the wait.






We enjoyed their beauty while it lasted.

After Tropical Storm Arthur went through
with its heavy winds and rain, 
there was nothing left but
petal confetti.  And yet, it too offered
loveliness.


I'm not complaining about a bit of plant destruction, 
especially compared to what happened 
across much of our province
because of Arthur.

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Sunrise on Big Tancook Island NS



We spent five days on Big Tancook Island to celebrate
Gary's special birthday this year.  This is the 5 am view 
from our bedroom window, birthday sunrise.



The colours of the southeast cove 
and the morning sky warmed
and changed like melting crayons.

Our time on Big Tancook Island 
and our birthday celebrations 
were peaceful, full of delight
and laughter.

Big Tancook Island is the ultimate get-away, 
providing opportunities to shed the unnecessary
burdens of life and to simply be,
fully alive, and aware of the natural world.

Gary says it made a birthday he will never forget.

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Spectrum Beaver SS Ultralight, Big Tancook Island, NS




The first morning in our rental cottage
on Big Tancook Island, our breakfast was
interrupted by strange sounds.




When we went to the deck to check it out,
we saw a Spectrum Beaver SS ultralight
aircraft taxiing out on the southeast cove.



The pilot (neighbour Neil's son) spent some time
getting the feel of the plane before
going out further into the bay,
turning...



heading back towards the cove and shallower waters
while picking up speed.


He gained enough speed that he was able to lift off,



higher,



then higher, before descending


and heading back to the dock for a consultation 
with watching family.



He sat and floated while talking things over,


then he tried the water again.
When that didn't work, he returned a second time.




The family helped hook the plane to
the bucket of a second-hand
island vehicle which


they leveraged to remove the ultralight from the water.

We talked to Neil's son later in the day.
He had scared himself slightly 
with going airborne, his family as well.
He had plans to remove the pontoons
(which he had bought separately
and attached to the ultralight), to move 
them back further on the plane... 
or perhaps even to sell it.

After watching and worrying from the dock,
selling was an idea his father liked very much.

*The home-built Spectrum Beaver SS
(single seat) is similar to the RX-28,
but powered by a 40hp (30KW) Rotax 447
engine and a wing derived from RX550 Plus
design, with additional ribs.

Words in coloured text will take you to another site
 with additional information, if you click on them.

Monday, July 7, 2014

Big Tancook Island NS, Animals and Birds


Our first night on Big Tancook Island, we watched this eagle soar and float over the shoreline, hunting for food in the out-going tides.


The neighbour had chickens running free 
around his yard and sometimes, 
they came over into ours to visit.


This young deer had unusual markings and seemed always 
to be by herself, at the edge of the graveyards and fields.


This deer had many fast-moving companions 
but stopped long enough for me to capture her photo.


The cat-tail marsh was full of red-winged blackbirds.
They searched the lawns for food 
and returned to the cat-tail marsh to feed babies,
hidden in cup-shaped nests made of rushes.


And one herring gull made it his business...


to patrol the roof edge, whenever we barbecued.
We shooed him away many times, as we cooked.


Diving ducks floated in circles on the out-going tides,
disappearing under the water for food.  
I wasn't able to get close enough
to identify them.



On calm evenings, we watched and heard loons, 
at the water's edge.  The evening light looked like stripes 
on the water's surface.

Big Tancook Island, off the coast of Chester in Nova Scotia, has white-tail deer, muskrats, mice, rabbits, snakes and many birds. Walking the trails or the shorelines, we were often rewarded with encounters with the natural world.

It was a pleasure visiting Big Tancook Island, a beautiful, peaceful place of heart's ease.

For more information about the Big Tancook Island area, click here.