Oh, Those Crazy, Hazy, (but not) Lazy Days of Summer!

(gentle reader,  I am now going to put the photos at the end of every blog.  This  means you are forced to read my carefully crafted script to know what the photos are about, and it is easier technically)

We are anything but lazy, unemployed maybe, but not lazy!  The windows are in the kitchen and livingroom now and look fabulous.  We cut down a very old apple tree that had split in a few places to improve the view from the window. 


Best of all, Brian has finished the clapboard on the lower part of the house that we hoped to finish this summer. 


We have made a template for the wood-stove hearth and have cut the concrete board.  The old chimney bricks have been cemented onto the concrete board and the rest of the footprint of the old hearth filled in with bricks. Brian has made an attractive wood frame and is, at this very moment, getting ready to pour sand in the cracks and then add the tinted (terra cotta) grout.   The wood stove will be installed next week. 


In the stud wall to fill-in where the old chimney was in the kitchen, Brian has put a half of one of the old windows, with the wonderfully wonky glass from the hand-blown glass.  In the 1700's the hand-blown glass for these windows was shipped in from Boston, in barrels filled with sawdust to protect the individual squares of glass.  The frames were made here to fit the glass squares.  This will allow light to enter the living room from the kitchen. 


The barn was cleaned out with the enthusiastic help of dear cousin Marcia (a.k.a. Mike), so there is now room to bring in the wood for the winter fires in the wood stove.


My art camp was a great success, and I have created a blog for my art news and schedules (and the odd personal rant as Brian says this blog is meant to be about the Valley House, not about me...honestly, how rude!), so please add www.thevalleyhousestudio.blogspot.com to your reading list. 

The weather is amazing, a bald eagle is roosting on a tree by the river and king birds are in the apple tree below the back door.  My birthday was celebrated with a wonderful barbeque with new friends, neighbours and family, and one of my presents was that Brian agreed to go in the canoe.  He isn't much of a water baby, but with Steph's expert hand at the helm (her summers of paddling at Banook Lake really paid off) he survived, but as you can see by the photos, didn't like it.  He did, however, like the double kayak ride this past week on the river, and says he is ready for a single kayak next time.  We are planning to go on a group kayak/canoe excursion to go loon spotting at Keji park in August.  Keji is short for...well, I can't spell it, so here's the link...it's a fantastic huge protected park in the middle of Nova Scotia.  
Keji National Park



The loon is the bird depicted on our "loonie", or one dollar coin.  It rides low in the water, and the babies ride piggyback!  Their undulating, haunting cry is a "trademark" of Canada.



We went for a picnic lunch at Kedji

The next few photos show the windows going in.

Paul and son did a fantastic job, as usual!

The last piece of clapboarding being measured before cutting.

HOORAY!  A job finished and very well done!

Brick hearth made out of the old fireplace bricks.

Here is the stud wall with the old window at the top, as seen from living room.

Clearing out the barn!

Some of the barn "treasures"!

Stephanie and I made these cupcakes for the birthday party, her coffee icing and Skor bar candy toppings were a hit!

In hysterics as we finally got Steph's head through the "horse collar" lifevest!

Steph made me wear the horsecollar, but it didn't dampen my enjoyment.

Steph and Brian coming into shore...he doesn't look too happy!

Marmalade on the wood pile

A lovely sunset at Hampton Beach, on the Bay of Fundy

ONLY 79 SLEEPS/MR. DRESSUPs UNTIL WE LEAVE ENGLAND!

When my daughters were young and anticipating an event or holiday, we used to use "sleeps" or "Mr. Dressups" as time measurements.  For those from the UK or Canadians too young to remember, there was a super Canadian kids TV show on daily that was called "Mr. Dressup". 

I used to run a home-based childcare when the girls were little, and along with the daily walk (which felt like a forced march some days, as some participants enjoyed walking more than others) there was a half-hour a day TV allowance.  In typical draconian fashion I chose the show as I watched it with them!  I enjoyed Mr. Dressup; he told great stories and illustrated them while he drew, encouraged use of the imagination and made crafts that we, in turn, would make. 

Mr. Dressup, Casey and Finnigan

There's another family link to Mr. Dressup.  In a budgeting mood, I decided to cut the eldest daughters hair.  She was, if I recall correctly, about 4 years old.  Her lovely thick, smooth straight hair proved more tricky to cut than I thought, and I actually resorted to putting a bowl on her head to use as an outline for the cut.  The resulting trim turned out to be a terrible "bowl cut" that was too short.  Even more horrifying was the fact that with her auburn hair, big brown eyes and healthy colouring, she now looked a bit like "Casey" the puppet from Mr. Dressup...and people would actually comment on the resemblance!  I never cut her hair again...well, maybe a bangs (fringe for the British population) trim now and then, but never the full cut. 

What is the point of all this?  Oh, yes, counting down to an anticipated event....our departure from England/arrival in Nova Scotia.  Brian and I are both a bit terrified at the scale of the work to be done on the Valley House, and I am praying for a teaching contract/substitute work, but we are getting more excited by the day!


Updates on the Valley House include the news that the old hot water tank and water pump (to draw water into house from artesian well) have had it, and need replacing.  I think this was done by Dave Baker (wonderful plumbing person) this past week while it was mild enough to dig down to the well.  There is a cold front there now, -7 degrees, but feels like -19 with the wind chill.  That is why we are waiting until April to go to this big, unheated, uninsulated house!  

Brian has been doing a lot of research, and has discovered the instructional videos online from the US TV show "This Old House".  He is now thinking he will blow insulation in, rather than take down the old walls.  This preserves the soundproofing that the old lathe and plaster walls provide, as well as the historic value of the house. 


So, onwards and upwards.  Our house here will be on the rental market shortly.  We have started packing and purging and flights have been booked.  Vet appointments have been made to get the paperwork sorted out for the cats, and their travel crates purchased.  Dates for farewell gatherings are starting to be written in on the calendar.  As we approach the "sunset" of our time here, I attach photos of Nova Scotia coastal summer sunset!