Kelly Date July 26, 2009

I don't know about you, but I'm starting to think someone pulled a switch and put in a new time piece....one that goes much faster than the last one used. This past week has gone by so fast, I find myself at the tail end of July feeling as though I have yet to do half the things I thought I might once I arrived here in Wolfville!

Admittedly, it has rained a lot this past week and I have been busy setting to work on a couple of projects at Acadia so I won't be too hard on myself about how many times I actually got out of town. The two projects I'm currently involved with are the development of an online survey and a journal article I was asked to co-author with my supervisor, John Colton. Both are very interesting projects and I guess this past week has been taken up learning new and wonderful things. I realize this might sound a little boring, but it most certainly isn't!

While I didn't manage to get out of town I did find the local swimming hole which is wonderful. I can ride my bike there and Mr. Finnigan and I made it there twice this past week. Once to swim and once to take some pictures. There are actually two ponds - one designated for swimming and the other for fishing/walking. I discovered this because of all the strange looks from the few people fishing on the bank. Apparently, if one is approaching the pond from the lower trail there is no signage to this effect so in my ignorance I picked the nicest pond and jumped in lol. Opps!

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My other short excursions were to explore some of the local gardens in the area and one of the B&B's. Victoria's Old Historic Inn is really quite gorgeous and I couldn't help but poke my head in the door and ask if I could take some photos. The garden picture is from the Mayor's house, which is particularly beautiful. I didn't get to meet the mayor, but his partner was happy to show me around the place. Apparently, they have lots of time for gardening. Wow!

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And, last but not least Mr. Finnigan met a new buddy and had a blast playing while I chatted with the owner, Jean. I have also included a couple of pictures of the Lumsden Park Pond which is another very popular place to swim and picnic. I took Mr. Finnigan in the kayak across the pond and did some exploring on the far side. It's a particularly nice area with just a few cottages and homes at the water's edge.

My plan for the upcoming week is to get out of town this coming week and explore some of the communities to the south of Wolfville. There are dozens of them and most can be found right along the coast and the Bay of Fundy. I'm looking forward to find a nice stretch of beach with a small restaurant where I can kick back. Sounds like fun.....

Kelly Date July 19, 2009

Hello Everyone!

I can't believe almost a week has gone by already! The time has gone by fast, but I did manage to get out and about a bit more. I have gone on several walks around the community and visited several of the smaller towns in the area and met some amazing people! I even managed to get lost a couple more times lol. Best of all I managed to get over to Halifax to take in the Tall Ships Festival.

However, before sharing my adventures with you, I wanted to show you two pictures from Anne who was happy to share her two pooches with us; Fraser, a black lab/great dane mix and Kaylee a yellow lab. They are 6 and 7 years old respectively and both dogs were adopted and have found a wonderful home with Ann Marie and Arnold.

On one of my adventures, I found a beautiful pond very near where I'm staying and took a few pictures of one of the many ducks there. I also met a lovely lady who lives near the pond, Doreen. She and I have visited a couple of times since then and she has shared some of here stories with me about Wolfville and her life here.

I also met a family at the local park the next day who had a young daughter, Zofya, who fell in love with Mr. Finnigan and I took several pictures while she wandered around showing her new puppy all the sights. The picture to the right is one of Zofya walking Mr. Finningan toward the fountain and pond by his leash. All fun and games until it was time to leave and she started wailing at the loss of her new found friend. In the end I had to make my escape with some haste lol.

The trip to Halifax for the Tall Ships Festival was a lot of fun other than the fact that it poured rain the whole time I was there. I had intended on staying overnight camping, but it was so wet I couldn't manage it as we were too wet to dry out any time soon. I managed to get a few pictures, but my plans to stay for the fireworks were a bust as they were cancelled due to rain, rain, and more rain lol.

From what I could tell, Halifax is quite nice with the old buildings, grand harbor, parks, huge trees, and many shops and eateries. I didn't actually get to see too much given the weather, but this will make a fine excuse to return as soon as possible. Maybe Tuesday as the boats will still be there and maybe I can get some better pictures. The boats are really quite cool to see as you can get up close. It doesn't cost much to board either so you can tour around inside as well.

Contest Update: I can now confirm that John from Wolfville is the winner of the framed print and will be selecting one of the pictures from the blog as his prize. Congratulations John!

Until next Sunday, this is Kelly signing off from Wolfville, Nova Scotia......

Kelly Date July 13, 2009m'

Greetings from Wolfville, Nova Scotia!

It's been relatively quiet the past two days so thought I would leave off the blogging and simply enjoy the scenery. Admittedly, I was being somewhat lazy but I really didn't have that much going on.

I did end up going to the local Saturday market though and was surprised at the number of people and booths to be seen. They even had live music which I thought was great fun! People, kids, dogs, sellers, and buyers - all seemingly quite content with the morning sun, the smiling faces, and of course great food to be consumed in quantity. There were several barbeques grilling up the best bratwurst and hot dogs to be had. I took this one picture of the 'dogs' piled high and ready to go. The aroma and sight was totally mouthwatering but I did manage to abstain lol.

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After that I took Mr Finnigan for a bike ride out onto the dikes and took a great picture of Blomidon (below). From the dikes you can see the variations between the two points of reference - grassland - to ochre mud - to water - mud banks - to water - to the peninsula. I thought it turned out very nice. I love the colors. After that I did some wandering to find some nice wine for dinner and found a great 'stuff for sale' type place to scrounge around in. I didn't buy anything but it was fun to poke about and see what was there. They did have a nice garden though as you can see from the pictures of the front gate.

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For the most part my weekend was quiet and other than some reading, a couple of walks, and a dinner at my supervisor's place things were pretty slow. I have a feeling it will get busier come the start of school.

As a result, I've been thinking of reducing the number of blogs I have been doing weekly. To date, I've pretty much done one per day, but things are quieter now and until school starts up I'm thinking of doing one blog per week and see how that goes. Right now I think Sunday is the best day to update everyone about my week and provide a hint of what's to come. Hopefully, this meets with everyone's approval and you continue to enjoy reading about my adventures!

Kelly Date July 10, 2009

I have officially completed a full week here in Acadia!

I don't count last Thursday as it was a late arrival for me. Well a whole week finds me just fine and enjoying the summer sun. Actually, I spent most of the morning at the 'office' reading and undertaking the torturous task of setting up systems access. Two days, six people, and four buildings later I now have wireless internet, printing capability, and email access at Acadia. This huge lol ! ! !

The rest of the afternoon was spent hunting for that perfect picture and I found a great canvas at Grande Pre. A beautiful community with dusty back roads, long beaches, and cottages by the dozens. I stopped at one particularly lovely home and asked permission to take some pictures of their garden. They agreed and I wandered around the garden with Mr. Finnigan in tow. I thought they turned out quite well and thanks to Vincent for allowing me some time in his garden.

I also found this fabulous old church, St. Charles, which was erected in honor of an earlier Acadian church that was built on the site before they were forced out of the province. It really is a very beautiful place with extensive gardens. The place was closing as it was getting late, but one of the caretakers let me into the church to look around. Huge, blue and violet stained glass windows depicting old acadian scenes grace the front of the church and color is amazing - different hues and tones made for a gorgeous picture.

It's Friday in big old Wolfville and I'm at home lol. Home is a good place to be as I always tell my daughters. Well, I wouldn't consider this home exactly, but its warm and safe and I'm doing well one week in to my next adventure. I'm wondering what week two will bring my way....

It was beautiful out today! Sunny and warm and dry. Not too hot, not too cold - you know the kind of day.....p e r f e c t!

And, I was up at 7:30 as planned and got busy organizing my room, showered, changed, and headed for my new office. How cool is that lol. I sorted, filed, cleaned, put up some family pictures, greeted the comers and goers, and took some photos of the front steps of the 'Rec Hall' as I call it. This is a seriously old building but beautiful with a mass of vines that drape it on all sides. The front of the building is particularly pretty and the front steps leading to the hall seem quite grand in all their green finery. Here are a couple of the pics from the day for your consideration....you can see me in the reflection of the second.

So with that done I headed downtown for some more coffee but was delayed as I got too hungry and went home instead for some cereal - yes I eat cereal for lunch lol. Works for me - fast and easy. After that I took the time to unload all my boats off the car into Doreen's very empty garage. I hadn't realized she had one, but she had called the landlord to make sure it was okay for me to store some items and apparently it was not a problem. So my car is looking more like a car rather than a rolling recreation closet. I can actually see out my rear and side windows again. Yes!

After that I did manage to go for coffee, but by then it was late so could easily justify an upgrade to red wine, sat in the sunshine reading my book on Aboriginal Tourism and tried my best to focus on the text. What can I say it was soooo nice out! Back home again, I gave Mr Finnigan a bath as he was looking decidedly unkempt what with being sick and all.

All things considered I did manage to get a lot done today and even had time for an early evening nap. You gotta love naps! Make sure to have a great day tomorrow. I plan to be up early and at my office asap. Gawd, what a keener lol. I think the flowers below are Tiger Lillys??? Can anyone confirm this for me? I only saw them once when I was a child and I'm curious.

Kelly Date July 8, 2009

Hello Fellow Bloggers!

Okay, well I didn't quite make it to Black Lake today. I had good intentions believe me but my future roomy called and needed a ride so I helped her out. She's leaving on a holiday tomorrow so was desperate to get her hair done before visiting her family. What's a girl to do, so I took her to Windsor and had a great opportunity to see a bit more of Nova Scotia. The upside is that I was able to drop off some of my gear at her place which was great help to me.

Mr. Finnigan has not been well. Normally he is a lovable, happy, cuddly little dog but he got an ear infection recently and has been fighting a bit of infection. I took him to the vet to get him examined and some drops for his ears to the tune of $138.00, but the vet said he was in excellent shape otherwise and thought he was a great dog. Well, I'd have to agree with that as he has been the best companion not just this past month but ever since I got him as a pup in Whitehorse, Yukon. That is where I'm from originally. I've included a particularly cute picture of him in the blog that was taken in Port Alberni, British Columbia where I was working at the time.

If anyone has a picture of their dog/cat/pet they would like to share, please send it to me and I'll post in on the blog with a brief description.

So here's to our wonderful pets who are happy to see us every time we come home, who cuddle us when we are sick, and love us unconditionally. Mr. Finnigan!

I will hopefully get to Black Lake tomorrow but it is doubtful as I have an engagement to attend tomorrow evening celebrating 'Nunavut Day'. Never been to one so wouldn't want to miss it. I'll keep you posted.

Contest Update: By my calculation the 'follower' furthest from Nanaimo, British Columbia actually lives in Wolfville. 'John' is our unofficial winner and I will be advising him next Friday (July 17th) if I've not heard a 'nay' from someone who might live further away that I'm not aware of. So if you have been following and think you live further away from Nanaimo than John in Wolfville, you have until the 16th to let me know.

Kelly Date July 7, 2009

Hello from Wolfville, Nova Scotia......

Well this has been a great day for me overall. I had a chance to meet with most of the faculty and staff from the department over coffee this morning and spent some time with John going over the requirements for the grad program. I have a better idea now of what I'll be doing. So far I have to take four courses this fall as follows:

1) research methodologies

2) placed practicum

3) leisure studies

4) one of my choosing

In addition I have to sign up for thesis studies but that is an ongoing thing until I'm finished my grad studies. So I'll be quite busy this fall but confident that I can work through this. I guess I'll need to decide on my thesis/research project by January and prepare a research proposal for approval by committee and then get to it. After I've collected the information and/or done the work I need to do (between early spring and summer), I write up my research and submit it to the committee again at which point I will have to defend my findings. Yes, all this is confusing to follow at first, but I'm starting to get it now that I've been through it a few times.

So that was my morning, but better yet I was able to find accommodation for this coming September with Doreen who is an absolute dear. She wants to go canoeing lol. This might be a bit of a challenge but I'll work on it. She needs some help with cooking a few meals each week, rides to doctor's appointments and to get groceries once a week. Other than that we can just hang out. She's learning how to use the computer and has lots of questions. I figure I can show her how to do a few things until she gets the hang of it. But I'm really happy with the arrangements and I think we'll get along just fine. The apartment is huge and my room is very spacious with hardwood floors and huge old windows with small panes of glass. I really like the place and I'm so please to have found it. It's also only about a block and a half from my little office so I won't have to pay for parking as it is an easy walk rain or snow.

I managed to take the photos of the Cornwallis River/Valley earlier this evening. Mr. Finnigan and I sat on the edge of the road waiting for the sun to go down and were rewarded for our patience. I also took a few of the 'ochre mud' on the river banks. The tide was going out so the river was flowing back to the Bay of Fundy leaving behind these huge banks of mud. The patterns etched into the 'back tide' are quite beautiful. Tomorrow I'll get a few more things sorted around such as vehicle insurance, but hopefully make it up to the Black Lake to get some pictures. Of course this depends greatly on my ability to find the Black Lake so you'll have to wait and see if I have any success.

Contest Update: I've had to send a couple of emails to find out the names of towns people live in so I can accurately determine the number of miles. So I can't announce the winner just yet. I'll keep you posted though.

Kelly signing off from Wolfville, Nova Scotia.

First Week in Wolfville, Nova Scotia

Me and my new hair doo! A nearby pasture.

Well, this will be my first full week in Wolfville and so far things are going well. I met my supervisor, John Colton, today for the first time and he took me for a drive around the area to show me some of the sights. He took me several places including 'Mosquito Point', the 'Ridge', and the 'North Mountain' just east of Wolfville. He also showed me a series of fresh water lakes and dams where I can kayak or swim on nicer days.

We also talked about school and some of the work opportunities available to me this summer if I should be so inclined. (I am.) We spoke briefly about my interests in regard to research projects and I shared that my preference is in the area of Sustainable/Aboriginal Tourism and/or Sustainable Ecotourism. My impression so far is that I will be quite busy this coming September, but it will fun to find a thesis/project that I can get started with. John has some ideas that we can discuss and we'll see what happens.

I have a lot of questions still but felt that our first meeting went very well. Oh, he also set up a time where I'll be able to meet several other faculty members at a coffee meet-n-greet tomorrow morning which will be nice. Another fun thing is that I was invited for 'wine and dessert' at another of the faculty's homes - Susan and John, and was treated to a wonderful glass of wine and fresh, still warm from the oven, blueberry cobbler. Ok, I will repeat that ----- fresh, still warm from the oven blueberry cobbler. As a Yukon girl this was a rare treat - one I'd never actually had before and better yet there was ice cream on top. I should have taken pictures lol. Wow! Seriously they can adopt me. My apologies for not having a picture but it disappeared so quickly I didn't have the time to get the camera. :)

Oh, and one other good bit - I have an interview with an elderly lady in town tomorrow who is looking for a roomy. Her name is Doreen and she would like some company and someone to take meals with two or three times a week. I'm hoping this works out well and we hit it off as that will solve my 'relocation' problems just like that!

Note: I was informed by Sandra from LaCrosse, Wisconsin that my 'Eagle' featured in the blog dated June 21/22nd was in fact a 'Turkey Vulture'. This of course highlights my lack of knowledge of our winged friends but thanks for Sandra and Sonny for letting me know. I still think it was a great picture!

Note: I have yet to figure out who has won the 'framed picture' but I will get on that tomorrow. Once I figure out who that lucky person is I will let everyone know to make sure there are no 'naysayers' about the distance and the winner can pick the photo of their choice from those on the blog site to have framed and sent to them. I'll keep you posted.

This will be a great week here in Wolfville, Nova Scotia.

Kelly Date July 5, 2009

I had such a great day today.  I'm actually feeling more rested and starting to get a few things done.  I spent most of the morning working on photos and then took Mr. Finnigan for a walk down the road to three of the closest fruit stands.  I would have to admit I've never lived quite so close to a fruit stand before and I'm like'n it lol. 

I picked up some strawberries of course and had myself a little Strawberry Festival all of my own along with some fresh snap peas.  I took the picture of the fruit of someone else's labour ha.  I also included a picture of one of the u-picks just across from the farmer's market.  Mr. Finnigan and I sat down on the edge of the roadway to take the pictures.  It was so nice outside we kinda just wandered around taking in the sights. 

     

After that we drove out to Kentville which is a wonderful town just south of here.  

It is especially pretty with timeless homes, meandering streets with massive lawns, and a river that runs through the middle of town.  I also stopped at local Vineyard 'Muir Murray' and took the following picture of the Blomidon Peninsula.  This the view from the vineyard. 

The rest of the night Mr. Finnigan and I spent hanging out watching "The Lord of the Rings" and doing the blog.  Well that's what I did anyway; apparently Mr. Finningan had a long nap on his mind lol.  

Tomorrow is Monday and I'm hoping to touch base with John Colton so I can get a better idea of what is ahead for me.  I'm also hoping a few people will be contacting me about a place to stay.  I have other things to do as well, but they are rather boring so I will spare you the details. 

Here's hoping you have a great day!

Exploring Wolfville

Old School Gas Pump

My second day in Wolfville was much more laid back and relaxed which I enjoyed immensely.  I still feel a bit like I've been on some big race and haven't quite gotten on the track.  I spent the morning catching up on some paperwork and the afternoon handing out 'situation wanted' type ads so I can hopefully find a place to stay this September.  I'll have to wait and see what happens.

Statue in Garden

Mr. Finnigan and I wandered around downtown being quite lazy and got some ice cream at a local stand - $3.00 for a large double scoop.  I don't know where you're from but to me that's a screamin deal.

It was very hot out as well so we hightailed it back to the apartment to watch tv.  Yes, I know I should be doing something more like hiking, exploring, and climbing mountains but 'I'm just not that in to it' lol.

Local Pub Singer

I have a feeling it will take a couple more down days to get sufficiently bored to get up and outta here to do these things.  I guess my focus right now is to just lay low and get myself sorted around and everything out of my car.  I do have rather a lot of stuff in the car and so far I've managed to withdraw only minimal deposits lol.  Oh well, its all fun and I am doing well.  Mr. Finnigan as well is having fun and sleeping a lot.  

I'm not sure what tomorrow will bring but I'm up for any eventuality....well maybe not any.  Should be fun!

Kelly Date July 3, 2009

Well, my first day in Wolfville went very well all things considered.  I was still quite tired but did manage to get out and pick up a few groceries and items for my new digs.  I even managed to get my hair done.  Would you believe I received a cut and color for the mere sum of $65.00.  I'm still in shock lol.  Some things are definitely a little less expensive.  Karen took me for a drive to New Minas which is just down the road and the place where most of the major services are available such as CanTire, Sobeys, Walmart etc.  There are at least five fruit stands within a mile of here and I can't wait to stop by - there are two within easy walking distance and I'll be up for that tomorrow.  

    

I ended up going for a walk later that evening and spent some time getting a few pictures which I've included for you.  I found a lovely garden near here and asked permission to take some photos. The gentleman who answered the door was very nice and made a few suggestions but did point out a few sections of the garden I might be interested in.  I also ended up in a small outdoor restaurant listening to live music and enjoying the evening air.  All in all it was a great day and I managed to get a number of things accomplished.  Well not much really but I am feeling a bit more relaxed.  Tomorrow is another day....

Kelly Date July 2, 2009

I made it! I made it! I made it!  Gawd what a long drive.  I'm finding it rather surreal actually and I'm sure it will take me a bit of time to get sorted around and my bearings.  I started at 5:30a.m. and drove from just west of Fredericton to Wolfville which isn't too far really, but of course I had to detour twice to do the scenic route and take some photos.  The first was to Shediac on the coast of New Brunswick to dip my feet in the water of the Atlantic Ocean.  Well, it was actually the Northumberland Strait but close enough for me.  See picture to the right as it was my first view of the east coast and made me smile profusely lol. 

The second detour was to do the 'Sunshine Trail' along the border of NB and NS and follows the coastline all the way down and around to Wolfville.  These areas are very picturesque - it seems everyone had a Canadian flag out and the lawns were all cut which I find not at all rural BC'ish. I found the drive to be quite beautiful and the coastline is spectacular - my first view of the Bay of Fundy was amazing - the tide was obviously 'out' and the earth was a wonderful ochre color of red.  The roads are cool as well and they are named such things as the 'Old Mill Rd.' and 'Green Lane' and there is even a 'Kelly Road'.  So I will have to go there and see that ha.  I stopped at a small place to eat along the way and ordered the seafood chowder.  All I can say is 'Wow' - it was very good.

 

My first impression of Wolfville is that it is a very quaint, lovely little town.  The main street/highway runs right through the middle and it is lined with little shops, restaurants, pubs, and various establishments in amongst some of the most interesting and beautiful old school homes I've ever seen.  I will be out in force tomorrow to get some pictures. I have since met Karen, my new roommate, had the grand tour of the area, and eaten at one of the local pubs.  

Would have to say it is good to be here, but I'm am very much missing my 'space' in BC.  Leaving there was so hard and it will take a bit of time to sort myself around.  To all my family and friends and special people in my life I send my love, hugs, and kisses. 

I have decided to continue to blog my adventures and next up it seems would be to get myself established here in Wolfville and begin the process of obtaining my masters.  It should be fun so stay tuned for more of "From Here to Acadia".  

Driving Driving Driving Driving Driving

Well, Canada Day was spent driving, and driving, and driving, and driving lol.  I left Arnold and Ann Marie's around 10:30 (yes, a bit late ha) but once on the road I actually managed to get out of Montreal with relatively little stress thanks to Arnold's most excellent direction giving.  (Thanks again to both of them for making my short stay in Montreal so memorable!) However, I did miss one turn when on the mainland and ended up in a little community called Richellou (sp?).  What a great place and very picturesque and slow of pace.  I stopped only once to get some freshly picked strawberries at a roadside u-pick.  A total of $6.00's provided me with good eats all day long lol.  Wow, they taste so much better than store bought.  Amazing.  

The rest of the day was rather uneventful but I would have to note that the area of Quebec just before you get to New Brunswick is really quite beautiful.  Around the area of Rue de Loop (sp?).  There are rolling hills and farms and picturesque towns in valley's etc etc etc.  I didn't get any pictures as it was raining and I wanted to keep pushing to make Edmonston at the very least.  I did that and better and ended up staying at Bath, NB last night - about 40 miles north/west of Fredericton.

I'm feeling rather excited that tomorrow should be my last day on the road en-route to Wolfville, but also somewhat hesitant at all the new challenges that lay before me.  I have a long list of things to do once there such as a place to stay, school, work, people, places and I'm sure a hundred other things I've not thought of.  Oh well, I plan to plant my toes in the Atlantic Ocean today for the first time ever.  Never thought I'd do that in my lifetime so there's the thing lol.  Another first for Ms. Kelly.  Mr. Finnigan is well, but looking rather tired of the car and his co-pilot location beside me.  

Overall we had a great day.  Sorry there are no pics, but will have some up tomorrow.

Next Stop:  Wolfville, Nova Scotia (Oh yea!)

Daily Distance: 782 kilometers.

Montreal w/ Arnold and Ann Marie / June 30, 2009

Montreal is amazing!  Arnold, Ann Marie and myself spent the day exploring and enjoying the sights.  We started out at the harbor where the Cirque de Soleil shows regularly, had lunch in the Old City, and toured around various parts of the city by car.  Wherever we went we were greeted by beautiful buildings, busy crowds, quaint old homes, old churches, and smiles.  My favorites are the doors of the old buildings as they are so colorful and each has a uniqueness to it that makes them standout.

One of the nicest places was St. Joseph's Oratory. The three of us were wandering around and an elderly gentleman came up to speak with us as I had smiled and said hello.  Turns out he is an artist who recently painted some murals in the church and he kindly advised us where we could take some nice pictures and suggested we visit the small chapel down the hill from where we were standing.  He also said that his murals were in the main entrance to the museum and we could tell which were his by the 'wings of the angels as they were yellow'.  We ended up taking his advice and took some great photos.  

I ended up taking one photo of the artist in the chapel that I thought was particularly nice.  If I'm not mistaken his name is 'Bergeron' and our thanks to him for helping us out. 

We had a great day and returned back to Beaconsfield quite tired out.  The rest of the evening was spent watching tv and chatting.  Such a nice day!  Tomorrow I'm off again to Nova Scotia.  It will take about 14 hours to do the last leg but should work out fine.  Might have to do it in two days depending on how far I get the 1st day.  

Next Stop:  Edmonston, New Brunswick

Daily Distance:  Zero