Travel Memories

A friend had the joy of traveling to the Maritime Provinces of Canada this year, and she shared the joy with us through daily photos and updates. That brought back so many memories of when we took that treck ourselves... 

As you can tell from this photo-of-a-photo, it was a while ago. :-)

Twenty years ago, to be exact!

Our good-old mini-van put on hundreds of thousands of miles in service to us - loaded to the max both inside and out. But this was the only trip where it got to sport a lobster-trap on top! A head-turning sight - increasingly so the further it traveled from its home on Prince Edward Island.

We loved P.E.I. with its red soil and cliffs, lighthouses and fishing boats, farms and shores... and of course, "Anne of Green Gables!" We even read aloud that favorite by Lucy Maud Montgomery on the road.

The Bay of Fundy was also amazing with its extreme ocean tides. I don't remember any impatience with the relaxing day we spent in one harbor watching the tide come up and taking pictures of the changes every hour or so. (Yep. We grew up with cameras hanging around our necks and Dad's extra lenses, filters, lens caps, reflectors, and tripod in our hands.)

The Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia was another favorite.

That is where we learned rug-hooking.

This turned into an "authors" trip as we dipped back into the northeastern States to explore the world of Louisa May Alcott and her contemporaries.

Couldn't ask for better traveling-buddies than parents and sisters!

Knitting by Candle Light

The power went out as a storm passed through in September, and as the sun was also setting, we lit the candles and had a cosy evening with our handwork.

It is amazing how peaceful the silence can be when the power is out and those constant background noises of appliances are gone. But we were also grateful to get the power back when it was time to put Dorothy to bed!

Six Months on the Deck

Yesterday's sunshine made the 50-60 degree temperatures simply balmy once again on the deck. We have been missing our times out there these cold, windy, grey weeks of autumn.

As I look back through the photos on my tablet, it's interesting how often the deck features over the past six months.

Enjoying the deck and its flower pots from indoors in May

Dorothy relaxing on the deck in June 

Sunset view from the deck in July 

Cosy deck full of plants in August 

Gully, the cat, trying out our bed on the deck 

Making use of October sunshine to move my office to the deck

I see the deck has made it into my "gratitude journal" several times this year too. One of those gifts used by my loving Heavenly Father to bless me again and again.

September Harvest IV

As usual, our Concord grape crop was abundant. Thankfully our neighbor had time to make use of some. The rest are being appreciated by the birds!

The sweeter table-grapes are best eaten outdoors - where they are richly flavored in the sunshine, and where you can spit out the seeds at will!

September Play

Our croquet set came out for the first time in years!

 

September Harvest III

Time to make Salsa:

Dad grew lovely onions again this year. The "little" one at the right of the photo would actually be a large onion from the store. But we grow giants! The one at the left was just over 2 pounds - peeled!

Hmm... these one and a half onions will count as the 6 large onions needed for a batch of salsa.

This monstrous pepper went a long way as well.

Pot after pot after bowl of salsa sweating out with salt.

September Harvest II

Sadly, most of our cucumber crop was lost to a new kind of beetle in our area. So... no pickles this year. But we enjoyed a few for eating fresh.

I finally got around to making some kale chips for the first time.

Toss with coconut oil, sprinkle with salt and garlic powder. 

Bake until crispy, but not burnt. 

Yum!

 Peppers produced well again this year.

We made up a big batch of filling and stuffed Bell peppers to freeze.

Other varieties of peppers are now in the freezer 

- some raw and some grilled first.