ENDURING WINTER - WAITING FOR SPRING

Last Friday we had a little of everything - we woke up to snow which later in the morning became heavy, but by later in the afternoon we had passed through sleet and settled on drizzling rain and a wind from the southeast.
By bedtime, the wind had backed around to the northwest and was howling in off the Bay of Fundy. Saturday morning dawned very cold but with the wind gradually lessening. The high winds had coincided with high tide and the phase of the moon which means a higher tide than usual, and the damage to facilities at the harbour here was extensive.
Compare this photo with the one I posted in my last post - the view that sunny summer day was taken from the same level as the structures in the photo above are built on - the ripped off shingles were caused by large items such as a small shed and the small craft mooring pontoons which were in their winter storage positions nearby being thrown against them. The buildings are seasonally used storage for the Lobster Pound Restaurant and a building used as a Gallery for artists. It would appear the Lobster Pound itself and the Restaurant and washroom buildings must have had water in them too, and their raised septic bed had damage.
There was as well some erosion damage to seaside embankments on which homes are located. This points up very clearly the peril coastal communities the world round will face in the future due to rising sea levels coupled with increasing intensity of weather systems affecting us.

The weekend was intensely cold, at a consistent minus 18 celsius but the biggest factor in enduring that cold in an old uninsulated house like mine is the wind factor and that was variable settling down a little Saturday only to start to rise again Sunday evening and peak last night before settling again.
I did my usual thing - wandered around with a supply of left over quilt batting strips and a butter knife, tucking batting into all the drafty cracks I found, and keeping doors to the outside and to unheated parts of my house covered with heavy drapes. Both days I was a sight to behold with a knitted cap tied under my chin and two layers of clothing topped by a nordic fleece dressing gown - yikes - thank goodness no one was out and about visiting and thank goodness I didn't have a chimney fire - what a sight to behold! But today, it is rising to a balmy minus 11 and some gentle snow is sifting down out there and snow heralds warmer weather!

Have spent my time searching the internet and writing ideas down for improving my old 1820's house for next year. The old house has at best a layer of birchbark under a layer of shingles and many of the windows really need replacing, but so does my bathroom floor and that must come first.
I'm looking at another woodburning stove and have found something I just love - it is a compact oven cooktop and is small, sleek and nicely designed and engineered - it would be compatible with my old kitchen and could be installed in front of the bricked up fireplace and bake oven combo. It is manufactured in Vermont so I have sent an email to see if it is possible to buy in Nova Scotia.


I also have been checking out a new site that my daughter has launched as a Kindle book lending  exchange now that Amazon has allowed lending to take place. Check it out at http://www.kindlelendingclub.com/   - if you already have a Kindle or are considering buying one, borrowing books makes a lot of sense - even if you can't finish it in the allotted two week span, then you will know if it is a book you'd like to buy and can go ahead and purchase it from Amazon instead. I've put the link on my Blogs and Website sidebar, so go check it out.

It's now finally warm enough in the house to be able to attack the hand applique I'm doing, so I must go now and first bring in more wood; and second spend a few hours at quiltmaking.
Cheers everyone - winter will be over soon!
Keep warm!   Janet

ON THE VERGE OF ANOTHER YEAR

 Wintry Greetings from my tiny community of Hall's Harbour, which is located about 12 miles due north of Kentville, Nova Scotia on the Fundy Coast. If you follow highway 359 out from Kentville as far north as it goes, this is the scene on entering the Harbour. This photo was taken last summer when the wharf under the bright red Fish House Museum was being restored and raised due to rising ocean waters and the damage that had been done in previous storms. We are fortunate that this construction took place when it did or the last two severe storms and tidal surges could have done a lot of damage.
You can see from the height of the wharf, that high tide is about thirty five feet above the Harbour's floor, which is exposed at low tide, and has only a tiny stream running through to the ocean.

In the winter, the store is closed for the season, as the proprietor is a "snowbird" and spends her winters in Florida. Life here in the winter is very quiet, the community hall and the historical society building are both closed to conserve costly fuel and lower operating expenses, and the community's C@psite and official clerical seat for the many community organizations moves over to the firehall, which must be heated at all times to assure the continuity of fire and first responder service. The small rural church down the road from me continues its regular schedule of services on Sunday mornings and the occasional hymn sing as well, but mothballs it's second, smaller  church on the east road and uses only the lovely 1840's structure over here on the west road. Several of the "year round" residents have taken to wintering in town or in Florida, and the seasonal residents aren't seen until spring either.

Over time, many of the younger residents have left for the city, other parts of Canada, and in the case of my daughter and her family, to Europe. Many of the houses now contain one or two aging people at the most but it is heartening to see several younger families raising their kids here, and a few young single people still around too. We all keep an eye out for each other and get through the winter and welcome spring with a sense of relief.

Before I go back to taking inventory of the vintage quilt kits I offer for sale on http://www.novascotiaquilts.com/

I want to share this sweet vintage New Year's card with you, and also

I want to remind you that my friend Mich at Redkettle.com is hosting a GIVEAWAY on his blog. Got to http://redkettle.wordpress.com/2010/12/19/the-huron-carol-a-special-christmas-feature/ and leave a comment in order to be entered for a chance to win. The giveaway will be drawn at midnight December 31 - that's tomorrow!!!

Until tomorrow - enjoy your evening, stay safe and stay warm.

Hugs from Janet!!!

QUILTS AT THE HARBOUR 12th ANNUAL SHOW AND SALE

An overview of the  Sepember 2009 show

It's that time again!!! The last weekend in September is reserved for the Quilts at the Harbour Quilt Show and Sale and it's hard to believe that we are coming up for our 12th show!
This coming weekend:
WHEN: Saturday Sept 25th from 10AM until 5PM and Sunday Sept 26 from Noon until 5PM
WHERE: West Hall's Harbour United Baptist Church, 885 West Hall's Harbour Road - follow the road around through the Harbour, past the Lobster Pound and on up the hill on the paved road - the church is on the right hand side facing toward Sullivan Road coming in from the west.
WHAT: Quilts and Quilted items, gently used tables for quilters, bakesale table and free light refreshments
              In addition, an opportunity to view a small heritage country church and cemetery dating to the   
             1840's - original furnishings intact
HOW MUCH: freewill offering. All proceeds will benefit the church

Come and bring your friends - a great opportunity for Christmas shopping and for quilters to get new ideas. Buy local and buy hand made!!!!! Green is the trend these days.
                   
See you there!!!!!

Fall and Winter Open Hours

It's time to switch over to my fall and winter open hours for Hall's Harbour Quilt Studio - this year Thanksgiving crept up on me and I didn't notice it coming until last week!! At any rate, I am now open only on Holidays and weekends with the exception of later this month during the National Springer Field Trials which this year are being hosted by the Nova Scotia and PEI Springer Field Trial Clubs and will be taking place on the farm land back of my studio/home here on the West Hall's Harbour Road. The farm land was originally attached to the home lot on which my 1820's home was built. An interesting event for dog lovers and an excellent and green use for this beautiful land. Come out and watch for a while.

And drop in on me - I will be open!!

I plan to be open on the weekends until Christmas at least and later if road conditions remain good. Maybe we will be lucky and have an open winter, meanwhile I'm stacking wood!! It pays to be prepared.

Waiting for the show!!!

After doing all the publicity we can, we now have to wait patiently for next weekend to see if we will be a success. Grace and I have delivered and posted posters and flyers, exhorted friends and acquaintences to show quilts and have gone through our caches of books, notions, fabric and patterns to see what we can put on the new-to-you table. Our friends the Bernina Lady - Jeanne Huntley, and Gayle and Glenice at the friendly fabric store (Avonport Discount) will have all sorts of goodies to look at as well as purchase and I'm going to go to Avonport this week to drop off my faithful 35 year old Bernina for servicing and pick up Jeanne's publicity brochures and the pieces she and friends wish to display. Suzanne and her mother Myrtle will be bringing armloads of their yummy quilts, as will many other quilters from near and far.

Now, all we need is for lots of people to come out - and it's the best time of year to go for a run in the country - the weather is great, the leaves are turning and the tourist attractions and great restaurants are less crowded now. So do take a run out and see us next weekend at the West Hall's Harbour United Baptist Church - the church dates to the 1840's and little has been changed in that time - lovely faux-grained and cream enamelled pews, and other lovely church furnishings. We will be at the church on Saturday Sept 29, 2007 from 10AM until 5PM and on Sunday September 30, 2007 from Noon until 5PM. To reach Hall's Harbour, take #359 north out of Kentville and go until you reach the Bay of Fundy. Go through the village, past the Lobster Pound and on up the hill two kms on the paved road until you reach the church - a white building on your right at the corner of the Sullivan Road. We will have a bright red white and blue OPEN banner outside. Admission is by freewill offering, the yummy refreshments are free and there will be a bake table and a Quilter's gently used table in addition to all the lovely quilts.

We hope to see you there, and maybe we'll even get some bus tours - we had a large group from Newfoundland several years aho.