Monday, April 30, 2012

Best Birthday Ever… she said

And I tend to think the same. Everything worked out, the cake, the little gathering we had and Bea was sure overwhelmed by all the Congrats she received from blog-land. The day was adjourned with a nice meal down-town Lubec.

Well then, it was after dark, another late guest arrived. He was neither invited nor expected. He came when we were both in the sitting room. At first he threw his shadow around. Actually that’s how we noticed him. When looking up we saw he was doing circles in the room. He went along the walls, but avoided any collision with a piece of furniture and he didn’t make a single noise. His GPS is based on ultrasound. Yes – it was a little bat!  We haven’t got the faintest idea how he came into the house. No window was open or any door. Did he cower behind the  cupboard or bookcase?
Little brown batHow to get this guy out into nature again? It was dark outside and when we opened the window  he was passing it without sensing the way out. We shut of the lights in the room. He was still circling but slowly loosing altitude. Then I got the “bright” idea to put a light outside on the porch. Yep, I used the solar light we bought in Quartzsite. When i got inside again our guest had found back to his freedom again. We could close the window and crank up the furnace a tad cause it was blustering cold outside.
 
When a new day dawned I felt tired like after a night with little sleep. I may have been dreaming a lot, that kinda wears me down and when morning comes I’m hesitant to get up. But it is my “job” to let Molly out and you can bet the ranch on it that she wants that every morning. I dared to look at the outside thermometer and what I saw made me shiver even more. It showed –2C. Now, that means
F R O S T. Molly came back from her morning business pretty quick and I let her go back up the stairs to cuddle back on her soft doggy-bed.

So you get the picture: What shoulda’ been a spring day was like a day in early march. It was the “Winter-Jacket-and-Long-Johns-Blues” again.

We had a extended chat with a long time friend from Norway. They consider to come to Canada this summer. Wouldn’t that be nice?
Later another SKYPE-chat ran up with a cousin of mine, currently visiting in Germany, but going back to Norway tomorrow. What a blessing it is that we have a thing like SKYPE these days. It sure makes it a lot easier (and cheaper) to keep in contact with the folks “over there”.

It was first during the late afternoon that the cold Northerner died down, and it was getting warmer. We did a nice walk through the neighbourhood, went down to the beach. What we found there you will read about tomorrow, I think.

Thanks for visiting with us!

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Thankee, thankee

Thank you all for your kind birthday greetings! I appreciate it very much. I had a ball!

And Happy Birthday to Kathy, who shares the same date!

We had friends over for coffee.
And - see the anticipation!
A peek into the fridge tonight revealed a sad view.
Not much leftover for tomorrow!

A Birthday on a beautiful clear Day

 

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Not 50 anymore
not 60 yet

…but so young!

Love

your “Hubby

Yes, that’s right the Mrs. has her birthday today! And what we are gonna do today? We will be having guests for coffee and try to eat a bit of this cake:

DSC_0050Later we will go to Frank’s Dockside Restaurant in Lubec,ME. By the way, the sun is out today and that triggered a little photo safari along the western shore this morning. Enjoy the pics.

 

Mulholland Lighthouse at the “Narrows”

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North Road Wharf

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The boat in this picture is from Norway. They have special equipment onboard and are able to treat the farmed salmon against parasites

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Town of Eastport, ME

 

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                         Two historical houses along North Road

 

Thanks for visiting!

Saturday, April 28, 2012

We woke up to more storm

 We are sure getting a taste of what it means to live at the coast. Western winds were blowing all day and before the sun peeked out it was so cold that I had to put on Long Johns, a sweater and the thick winter jacket, and yet it felt like I was outside in shorts and T-shirt.
But after lunch I had had enough of sitting around in the recliner. Bea reminded me that if I wanted to have another bread from Martha’s Bakery (Sunporch Industries)   I should go over to Lubec. (The link will get you to my earlier posting about Martha and her bakery) So I did that right after lunch. The American CBP-officer asked me whether I had been away for a while and that he hadn’t seen me all winter. I confirmed that and he wished me a Good Day. That’s how border crossings between two neighbours ought to be. 

After frequenting my recliner for two days I felt so restless that I finally put on my working clothes and started garden work. There are still lots of rocks and roots to remove from our raspberry clearing so I had a real work-out. I kept going until I felt exhausted. And anyway, it was almost coffee time. Yesterday Bea had made apple crisp and there was a nice chunk of that left over. In anticipation of that I also got some whipping cream from the store.
With the apple crisp warmed in the stove, “decorated” with some whipped up cream and a nice cup of coffee life was good.
It sure provided enough energy for a nice walk through the Provincial Park. Molly was all fired up for it too. The wind was still blowing from the west, but now the sun was out and a deep blue sky tempted for a walk-about. The Herring Cove Prov. Park is on the east side of the island and offers nice protection from the strong westerly wind.
Consequently, it felt a lot warmer there. A beautiful path meanders from the RV-Park through the forest, providing access to the beach.

There was still a nice swell running in from the ocean, but the wind was blowing off-shore and we could sit down in the warm sand listening to the everlasting play of the waves. While we were quietly enjoying the scenery Molly was behind us in the grass, looking for something she could eat.
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We were sitting there for quite a while, but of  course, since Molly hadn’t found anything edible, she got bored. I can tell when she thinks it’s time to move on.

So we did. Walked the same nice path back.
It sure turned out to be a nice afternoon.

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From a neighbour we got a book about how a farmer can make tools and farm gadgets himself. The book itself is from 1996, but it has some funny things in it which would have made it a treasure some 60-70 years earlier. Just look at the pictures and you’ll understand. It hit me that the advice given herein would be still very valuable if electric power should disappear for ever.

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Thanks for spending some time here!

Friday, April 27, 2012

Boy, did it rain again today!


A miserable Friday is finally coming to an end. It has been raining most of the day, and it was cold and stormy weather as well. We have probably run up a nice heating bill again.
Molly was feeling bored as the walks we did with her grew rather short.
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So what else could we do than doing computer research. Bea was reading up on gardening, while I looked into various business issues.
Bea and I got a few shots through the window  where a squirrel and birds having fun with each other at the birdfeeder. Luckily we have not seen any coons here. They would bring those feeders down in no time. And our squirrels are of a small species.

For entertainment I have chosen a short video you might enjoy.


The video is in German. But here is a short translation:
Daughter asks her dad: " How is your new I-Pad that we gave you for your birthday?
" Are these Apps working good for you?"
Dad: "Yeah, just fine. - What apps?"


Watch what he uses as kitchen tool.



I really hope the weekend will be a little better again.

Thanks

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Trailer Trash and a drive to Saint John

You have probably seen this before. Never-the-less it is still mind-boggling, at least to me. This is a European Motor Home, probably on the basis of a Mercedes Bus. The price was said to be “only” 825,000 British Pounds Sterling, whatever that is in poor Dollars.

And if you are sick of paying property taxes this might be for you, even if you wouldn’t be able to join “frugal-RV-travel”.

I want to be trailer trash.  They did not cause the problems that our country faces today.  They did not get mortgages they couldn't afford.  They did not run banks to the ground with greed.  They did not use investors for their personal benefit.  They don't even belong to the unions that ask too much of their companies.  
I'm tired of paying mortgage bills, utility bills, and property taxes.
I want to live more simply, pack up the dogs, and move into a travel-trailer.
I don't mind being called 'trailer trash', but I wanted to get your opinion. 

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What  do you think about my decision?

 

Of course we can’t have such day-dreaming here. Instead I got up at 5:30am (ouch) and started preparations to make the drive to Saint John. Bea had a med. appointment out there and it is a 150 minutes drive. Most times we have the camera with us, so also today.

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Above: View from Friars Bay (Campobello) to Eastport, ME

Below: View from International Bridge to Lubec, ME

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The drive was uneventful but we sure enjoyed a blue sky and the very nice views from the highway across the water.

City of Saint John

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Contrasting in Saint John

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Historical King Street

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City Hall – and they have a clock outside so

the “workers” know when to go home.

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City People waiting for …what?

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Bea got out again after 45minutes at the most and then it was my turn. I had an appointment with our lovely authorities on the 14th floor of the Saint John City Hall. By the way did you know what City Hall is in French? Well I’m shocked to tell you that they name it “Hotel De Ville”.   And what a Hotel that is. My rough estimates are that there must be about 1000 people working there. They have their own fast-food joint inside, making sure that the employees, who are always short on time don’t have to plunge into city traffic for finding something gullible to eat. I bet nobody takes a lunch package from home these days. Likewise there is a bank inside and the police head quarters.

From the 14th floor I had a sweeping view over Saint John Harbour and most of the city to the South. If I would work there I would pull the curtains, otherwise I’d just be sitting admiring the view. Maybe that’s why there are so many people in the building. Some admire the view, and some just try to work.

Sorry for being a bit sarcastic tonight, but I just can’t take it so well, that there are actually so many people on the payroll, doing absolutely nothing productive.

Even though it was sunny, a cold wind was blowing through the city. Amazingly we have seen quite a few people in shorts. Those are probably born in a cold and snowy winter outside in the woods and have survived it all. With other words REAL CANADIANS!

 

Thanks for coming along!