Lobster... Mmmmmmmm

Nova Scotia is beautiful!

I'm settling into Middleton, and so far I really like it here. The ocean is about a 5 minute drive west, and the coast is amazing - rocky beaches, sheer cliffs, and huge waves.

Beach near Margaretsville

The houses here are neat - there are many, many 100 year old homes that have been kept up beautifully over the years. There are also some unique ones...

I don't think Baywatch was filmed here

Dad and Lorie's 8 dogs held up well through their 7 day drive across Canada. I flew into Halifax on November 30, and met up with them December 1st. One of the dogs, Feather, started peeing on the floor to protest all the change, but as you can see, he's settled in now. :)

Feather likes to sneak onto the easy chair at night

My cat flew with me in the cabin. I gave her Rescue Remedy to keep her calm, and it worked really well. I gave it to her the night before the flight, and she purred for two hours straight!

On Sunday we had our first lobster. They just sell them on the side of the road - Nova Scotia's version of berry stands. $5 bucks a pound!

Yummy!

When I think of Christmas, I feel disoriented and a little homesick. I'm thankful to have Dad and Lorie. I miss being around family and friends during this season. So keep in touch! And have a wonderful Christmas season!

A storm blew the ocean spray far from shore

Moving to Nova Scotia

It's official - I'm moving to Nova Scotia at the end of November. I'm pretty blown away at where life has taken me these last few months. Laid off from work 3 months ago to moving from coast to coast this winter. I'm very excited, though sad to leave family and long-time friends.

I went out to the east coast a couple of months ago to help my step-mom house hunt, and was blown away by the beauty of the area. I learned that no matter where you are in Nova Scotia, you're no more than 30 km from the ocean!

Beautiful fall Nova Scotia pics here.

I'm holding off till the end of November so I can finish my photography course. My assignment this week, should I choose to accept it:

• Depth of field - 4 pictures of the same thing. First, the closest part must be in focus while the rest is blurred. Then the middle in focus, then the farthest point. Finally, a shot of the whole thing in focus.
• Shutter speed - motion shots. Capture something moving and 'freeze' it, capture something else moving and blurred.

These two assignments were tough! I went to different locations throughout the week, and did not get it right. Finally at 3pm the day of my class, I was running around my yard desperately trying to get it right. And yay! I finally did! I've posted them along with a few happy mistakes. :)

16 Years of Unconditional Love

My mom and I had to put our cat Data to sleep yesterday after 16 great years. It's been a difficult weekend. My dad and I picked him up as a kitten when I was 16 years old. While we were driving home, we got stuck in traffic for an hour on the Alex Fraser bridge. I cuddled the poor, scared little kitten, and by the time we finally made it home, Data was bonded to me for life!

I held Data again yesterday as he fell asleep for the final time. Mom and I petted him and told him how much we loved him until he was gone.

There's a lot of emotion tied in with his leaving. Data was one of the last ties to my childhood. He was part of the family before my parents divorced, before I became a Christian, and the dark years of my late teens and early 20's. No matter how long I was away, Data would greet me with total adoration when I went to my Mom's place. He never forgot me, and he was as much my kitten yesterday as he was 16 years ago.

Aside from sadness, the overwheming feeling that I have is gratefulness. Data loved me unabashedly and unconditionally for 16 years. I'm incredibly blessed.

I love you Data. I look forward to seeing you again, in a place where neither of us feel pain.

My Favorite Photos from 2006

These are some of my favorites of the photos I took in 2006. Enjoy!

The Best Birthday Gift Ever

I had a wonderful birthday today, full of presents and phone calls from family. When I had a minute, I Googled January 3, and found out that many famous people were born on this date, including J.R.R. Tolkien and Mel Gibson.


Their greatness, however, pales in comparison to the greatest man in history to share my birthday - my grandfather. He was an influential man. He was vice-president of BA Oil, which became Gulf, then Petro-Canada. At Christmas, he received cards from former Prime Ministers and other heads of state. He was retired before his youngest son, my father, graduated high school.


Of course, I cared about none of these things when I was a little girl. I thought he was cool because he beat me at Rummy, took me to Shriners Christmas parties, and smoked a pipe.

Every year on January 3rd, he would phone me up and tell me that he was my birthday present, and I was his. What a gift - from my earliest days, I knew I was dearly loved! Grandpa has been gone for 10 years now, but he continues to be my greatest gift.

Grandpa holding me on my first birthday