Land & Sea

So where is it that I'm moving? What does it look like? How far from the Northumberland Strait(referred to as the 'ocean' by most people) am I? The town of Pictou is located on a gently sloping hill that overlooks Pictou Harbour which empties into the Northumberland Strait. Just beyond the harbour is Prince Edward Island which you can easily see on a clear day.

If I turn right out of my driveway and walk 40 feet and look right again I can see Pictou Harbour. My house is located at the top of the hill so I better have good winter tires! I think I'm about 800 metres from the water proper but the town sits between me and the harbour.

I was in Nova Scotia in the fall of 2008 right at Thanksgiving which is the prime time of the year to visit because of the colors. It was the end of the tourist season and there were lots of tourist shops still open but not bustling.

Some of the buildings were built from the stone ballasts used in the Ship Hector which brought the Scottish settlers to Pictou in the late 1700's. Those buildings still stand. How's THAT for preserving your past? (Calgary? Hmm? Hmm?)

The Ship Hector was rebuilt and now sits at dock at the Hector Quays( pronounced 'keys') Museum where you can go aboard and explore the replica of the ship that made the journey across the ocean over 200 years ago. Hard to believe in this day and age that almost 200 people would have lived on that tiny ship for weeks on end. It's actually not as big as it looks.

The wharf itself is really cute - it's a pity that the view across the Harbour is spoiled by the paper mill - there was talk when I was there that the mill is being shut down much to everyone's joy since the smell of the pulp is pretty potent some days. I didn't mind it too much which I suppose is a blessing.

Some of the town on hill up from the Harbour. The buildings in the foreground are mostly businesses with the homes sitting behind at the top of the hill.

I'll post some pictures of the beaches and the surrounding area next time. The colors ... spectacular and must be seen with your own eyes to believe.

Under One Roof

I have been lazy updating what with the puppies and all. Now that I am no longer employed I have OODLES of time to devote to this blog and various other pursuits such as raising puppies, packing and planning a cross country adventure.

My parents have been checking on the house for me for the last few weeks to make sure it's okay. So far so good.

The most pressing two things when I get there are a fence and the roof re-shingling ... oh and the appliances of which there are absolutely none. The most important of those is a fridge!

Must remember to call the company doing the roof to book a date this summer. I'm going to ask that they install a chimney vent so that I can put the woodstove of my dreams in the livingroom. The roof is in rough shape - it probably needed doing about 5 years ago.

Fortunately it shows little to no damage inside so it's a simple re-shingle. There was a section which had been repaired at some point where newer wood is evident but it was a good patch job and is holding up well.

Also, the back half needs a vent installed to allow the attic to breathe and prevent moisture build up. You can see where the lack of ventilation has caused this piece of wood to rot - it will get replaced and I'll put up fascia instead of painting it.

There is the overhang which I want to extend at some point to the edges of the deck but as it stands right now the wood braces just need replacing and a coat of white paint to match the rest of the trim.

In all the roof will be the most major repair made and I'm told will only take the roofers a couple days to do. A blessing when it comes to home renovations!

Bathroom Diva

This is the bathroom right now. Calm down.

The toilet has been 'sealed' to stop potential buyers from using the toilet since the water is off. Trust me - after working in construction for the last few years you DO have to tape it and seal it to stop people from ignoring the sign.

My big plan is to prime the crap out of that hideous pepto color and paint it a very soft blue. My current bathroom is a rubber ducky theme and I want to carry that through to the new house. I have purchased a large new mirror to go over the medicine cabinet, an over the toilet cabinet and I intend to eventually replace that teeny tiny pedestal sink with something more suitable for the space.

Ultimately the bathroom will be mostly white with soft blue walls and little duckies swimming everywhere. So cute.