Blue Rocks in Winter

Winter is hanging on here in Nova Scotia.

We get a warm-ish day, of + 8 degrees, followed by a day of snow and freezing conditions. This week we will have a high of 0 and a low of – 12.

I usually take my photos of Blue Rocks in the summer, but thought I’d show you how it looks just now.

The little fish houses sit amongst the blocks of ice.

And the sea moves like a bowl of thick porrage.

The lobstermen work when they can, in the open sea, and in the bays.

In the summer we launch our kayak from this little bay.

From the beach or down the ramps.

I think we’re ready for a melt and some warmer weather.

I’m looking forward to another hot, hot summer, like last year.

Lunenburg, after the Storm

This week-end we were hit by the snowstorm Nemo. The forecasters warned of 50cms of snow, starting on Friday night.

Yesterday, we received this picture from our friends, Susan and Roger, at Corkums Island. We go to this fish shack every Friday, during the summer, for TGIF (Thank God It’s Friday) for drinks and a game of boules.

Here we are on one of the Friday nights this past summer. All the dock we are sitting on was washed away, but luckily, when the tide went down, Roger managed to get his kayaks and gear from the shed. It has moved from its location and the floor is very badly damaged, but hopefully it can be moved and rebuilt.

Today, after a wild stormy night, we walked into Lunenburg. The road past our house had been ploughed, and wasn’t too bad.

The footpaths in town had been cleared, which is normally the case.

We passed the dry dock where  the Bluenose II is sitting, waiting for the installation of her rudder.

In town, the ploughs had left heaps of snow at the side of the roads.

Nothing was open – not even a coffee shop.

Few people were around.

Jenny Jib has some snow to clear tomorrow.

Some people hadn’t attempted to clear their paths, others worked with shovels,

or, as is more common, their toys.

Snow blowers are very common.

But Jeff prefers to keep fit with his shovel, so he has some work to do on our 200 yd driveway.

The prediction for the storm was much worse than the storm itself. We had blizzards every winter at Glenshee and Glen Isla, far worse than this storm which kept everyone indoors here.

White Point Resort, Rises from the Ashes.

Last week-end we decided to head to White Point. We hadn’t been there since May of this year, when I wrote about the rebuilding of the main lodge. The plan was to see if the new hotel was now complete and walk along the beach and golf course.

However, we quickly realised it was Nova Scotia Music Week, with events being held at various locations in Liverpool and here at White Point. This was not the day to see the inside of the lodge, so we walked around the building to the beach.

The new building looks just as WHW – the architects,  had shown on their video, with steps leading down to the beach. White Point beachstone was used for the foundation and pillars.

I like the rough pine siding, but am not so sure about the white siding on the top half and the white widow frames.

Perhaps the design is too tradional for me, a lover of more modern designs, but then that is what everyone was calling out for after the fire – something that still looked like the old White Point.

The setting is still amazing and the views from inside must be fantastic.

Next time we visit White Point I will get some photos of the inside.

Painted Lady and Monarch Butterflies

On a recent trip to Liverpool, we decided to take the Shore Road that leads to Western Head. The plan was to try to fish at the point near the lighthouse. That wasn’t really a possibility, but we were rewarded with the sight of a huge number of butterflies on the knapweed.

They were mainly Painted Ladies and were here by the hundreds.

They flew and settled continuously around me.

My eye was drawn to a few much larger butterflies – Monarchs. They have veins in the centre of their wings but no brown markings or spots.

It was only once I was home, that I noticed that one had  torn wings.

The Monarch butterfly is famous for its migration from Mexico to Canada and then the reverse at the end of the summer.

Will this injured butterfly manage the trip to Mexico?

How many butterflies can you spot?