Well, after 5 years of searching for a perfect centerpiece for the table in the lanai ( screened in covered room ) we finally found it! About a month ago at the Halifax farmer's market we saw a display of gorgeous kiln fired glass pieces.
We were particularly attracted to the trays of varying sizes. They didn't have exactly what we wanted, but said they could make it for us. The catch - we would have to drive several hours back toward Lunenburg to the town of Chester to the main showroom. Well, we did love it, but not THAT much we thought.
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| These were so adorable. I read that they can make these look like your own cat if you send them a picture! |
Well, the weeks went by and we continued to stop at nearly every craft and gift shop along the way. Often we nearly missed the small signs on the side of the road, screeching the brakes as we wildly turned into the rutted lot. We need a bumper sticker that reads " we brake for gift shops ".
Before long, we knew we lost our opportunity to finally fill that decorating void. I just hated to go home from another big trip with only a couple of refrigerator magnets as mementos! Norm just hated stopping to browse yet another gift shop.
I looked on the internet and realized this place was just an hour south of where we were now staying! Another chance! So after calling and making sure they were going to be open, ( we learned these creative types are often not in their studios or shops as advertised. ) we took another drive.
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| Sample of the work from Kiln Art in Chester, NS |
Sharon,the creator of this beautiful artwork, took the time and explained that she uses crushed stain glass, or "frit"as if it were paint. She said it was like painting with colored sand, and then it is kiln fired. Every piece is unique. I loved them all.
Thankfully my friend, Kathy, had previously gone over to our house to take a picture of our very predominant painting that sat next to the dining table, so we now knew which colors would work the best. It is amazing how you can forget what your house looks like when you are gone this long.
Norm and I finally came to a decision and ordered a lovely glass tray with the perfect colored fish swimming across it. We discussed at length what type of fish, how many, what direction they would be swimming in, types of grasses, etc. I can't wait to see how it will come out!
After we left the showroom we shared a dish of homemade ice cream at a very quaint little shop, and headed back, all a-glow from our purchase ( and of course, the ice cream ).
Friday, July 26th 2013
One huge thing I failed to mention, is that my daughter Laura, is getting married! She is expecting a baby in early November; she and her fiance Mike decided to make it official with a small but lovely ceremony on a mountain in the western part of Massachusetts! I took a couple of days helping her make some of the wedding arrangements. Oh, the internet is such a marvelous thing! All the while I was working with the other grandmothers ( Mike's mom and Laura's step-mom ) to nail down the particulars for the baby shower next month. The baby will be so lucky to have 3 sets of grandparents to spoil him/her!
Because of this sudden, but wonderful news,we need to get back to Massachusetts a couple of weeks earlier than planned. No problem, but the itinerary and reservations needed to be adjusted, and it took a bit of time.
On Friday we left Kentville and headed further west to Annapolis, Nova Scotia to our home for the next few days at Dunromin Campground in Grandville Ferry.
It seemed like a nice enough place that was conveniently located. It had what appears to be the prerequisite pool and playground and what seemed like a very popular little restaurant (none of which we used).
We quickly set up and headed into Annapolis to see Victoria Heritge Gardens. All the tour groups go here, so we hoped it would be good. After seeing Bouchart Gardens in
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| Norm found further evidence that his family was here in 1671 |
We meandered around and just by chance saw a small very old dwelling with a plaque with the list of families that were in the census of 1671, and the Belliveau family was included. That was pretty neat. We then headed across the bay to Port Royal to check out the spot where Norman's ancestors first came to this continent from France in 1644.
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| Reconstruction of Port Royal settlement that was originally built circa 1605 |
Port Royal is a reconstructed village of the first Acadian settlement that existed between 1605 and 1613, at which point it was destroyed by the British. We enjoyed the people there in period costumes who explained the history of these French settlers, and we watched demonstrations on how they made wooden bowls and roof shingles. It's always good to know, if we ever needed to build a hut in the woods, how to make the shingles! Time consuming, but not too difficult, really.
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| One of the "settlers" demonstrating how to make a wooden shingle |
Norman brought his genealogical book that lays out the entire Belliveau family from when the first one arrived in North America in 1644 up to and including his children. There are over 20,000 Belliveau's spread across America listed in the book.
Norm was disappointed to learn that the "Port Royal" referred to in his book as the port of immigration of his ancestor was not the reconstructed place we were visiting. Obviously it had been destroyed by the British thirty years earlier. What is now Annapolis Royal (back across the bay where we started today's journey) was previously called Port Royal as well. But it seemed to lack any places of historical significance worth exploring so we moved on.
Saturday July 27th 2013
We rose to a very cold, windy and drizzly day but we headed out anyway to the local farmers market. I think of the old "hunter-gatherers" of centuries past and wonder how hard it must have been for them to forage for meat' fish and berries.
We found some great local blueberries ( $3.00 qt ) and enough greens to get us by while we are in the National Park, which is our next stop.
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| Farmers Market in Annapolis, Nova Scotia |
After lunch Norm and I played golf at the Digby Pines Golf Course, which was on his list of "must plays".
It was still dreary out, but the weather forecast promised unlimited sun in the afternoon.
Well, I have to tell you. We have never played on a course with so much standing water on it! We had to keep the golf carts on the cart paths, so we had to continuously walk back and forth to our balls ( which always landed on the far side of the fairway ), sloshing through water many inches deep! It was easy to find your ball by the huge SPLASH it caused when landing!
A couple of times I found mine sitting in 6 inches of water! No extra yards gained from bouncing and rolling on this course!
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| Sprouted Beans! What a find at the farmers market! They are one of the most nutritious foods known. |
By the time we finished it was after 6:00PM so we went to dinner to sample the famous Digby Scallops,and they were fabulous. The rest of the seafood dinner was just ok, but the highlight was definitely the large, succulent scallops! Right off the boat, and perfectly cooked.
We returned to the campsite to witness "Christmas in July" and saw Santa on a golf cart driving away yelling "HO HO HO! " Several of the campers were decorated in the wintertime holiday fashion. Wierd.
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