You should go...

...to Shubenacadie Wildlife Park and visit the many interesting birds and animals that call the park home. I would have had more pictures but the batteries died. Go figure.

Blueberry blossoms and Sheep Attack

I know it's been a while. A busy while. Class trips, knitting, working more hours because one of the bosses is away, knitting, taking care of my off-spring and chores, knitting, laundry, dodging black flies, knitting, picking rocks from my garden, laundry, dodging black flies... Is it just me or an I repeating myself?

On a positive note, it will be a fantastic year for blueberries. Two years ago, my husband bush hogged approximately 15 acres of fields. Last year, the fields were in recovery. Looks like we have achieved our goal. Pays to be patient if I am going to do things as earth-friendly and organic as possible.

This is for Lene. I know how she enjoys gore.

This past Tuesday I finally got the gumption to start shearing my sheep. I've been putting it off because memories of last year's shearing were entirely too fresh. Needless to say, this year didn't start off any better. After languishing in the barn for a few days (read: hiding from black flies), my woolly buddies were quite eager to get back out into the pasture. The moment I unlocked the gate, they started shoving past me and only at the very last I managed to swing my leg up to stop their progress which earned me a karate chop by an annoyed Dawn. I grabbed her fleece and hung on for all I was worth. How I got the gate locked again, I haven't a clue. Once she realized I wasn't giving in, she just lay there, faking indifference while I snipped away her precious fleece. She wasn't so easy going when it came time for me to flip her up on her rear end to deal with the belly and later clip her hind quarters. Good grief! For all the kicking and carrying on, I thought I was up again a wrestler four times my size!! But...

...I WON!!! I present you: one nekkid sheep. (three more to go, but never mind that now. I am still enjoying my victory)

I use the old fashioned shears so she suffered the odd nick around the legs, but overall, I believe wholeheartedly that I was the one worse for wear. Every single muscle in my body ached for a very looooong three days. And not so much as a thank you from the sheep for removing that hot, woolly coat!

If you'll excuse me, I shall go contemplate shearing another sheep...First, I think I will knit some to inspire myself.

Favourites

Will I sound like a horrible monster if I say that reading and knitting rank higher on my list of favourites than my kids and husband and family? Especially this particular night when the kids were less than cooperative with bed-time routines and especially when the husband is being a lot less easy to live with now that he is trying to quit smoking (again!)?? I love them all dearly, but they sure have their moments. That is not to say that you don't get bad moments with knitting or a lousy book selection. But you can toss those for other, better ones at your whim.

Not too long ago, a friend sent this to me:

I will go out on a limb here and say that maybe, just maybe, the girl that said "NO!" lived quite happily ever after as well!

A Bit of Halifax

Joseph Howe and St. Mary's Basilica in the background. The Basilica, beautiful and grand inside and out, is where I was married.








Public Gardens on Spring Garden Road, a favourite of mine:

Though terribly devastated by Hurricane Juan, it's starting to recover.

The Knitting Gene

Two weeks ago, my daughter had a day off while the new primary kids got to spend a day in school. We played, we laughed, we KNIT. Yup, proof positive that she wasn't switched at birth (and maybe that she kind of looks like me). I probably don't have to say just how cool I think this is!

Last week the black flies made their first appearance in all their glory (and my misery). Last night I picked the first tick off my neck. I'm filled to the brim with warm fuzzies at all these firsts... not to mention Benadryl.