Mahone Bay Scarecrow Festival

Marilyn Dancing Amongst the Pumpkins

A couple of weeks ago we went to the Scarecrow Festival in Mahone Bay. 

Now in its 17th year, the festival draws quite a crowd.  This year there were appearances by Charlie Chaplin, Marilyn Monroe, legendary rockers, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.  The Royal Family with little baby Prince George were seen amongst the crowds.

Mick

Mahone Bay has a population of 900 people, but on Festival weekend, you would think it was a thriving metropolis.  The streets were packed with visitors and the traffic was moving along at a slow crawl.  Organizers estimate that it draws 10,000 visitors over the weekend - that is just about 10% of the Provinces' population!  Nova Scotia often feels like a small town - we ran into 8 people we knew.

We are Amused!

The scarecrows are really creative.  This year there were about 100 different scarecrows.  Businesses and local residents all participate, so whatever street you walk down, there are scarecrows to be found.

The painted faces of the Queen and Prince Philip are quite good.  There were more painted faces this year than in previous years.  I have to admit that I prefer the painted or rug hooked faces to the photo transfers.

Here are a few of our favourites from 2013:

Jazz Hands

The Flying Dutchman

My all time favourite is this lovely lady.  I just love her hooked eyes and big red lips!

Rug Hooked Flapper

It was a blast.  We will definitely go again!

Say Goodnight to Rogues Delight

Perfect boating weather.

 The boating season has been fraught with mishaps and missed opportunities for us this year.  We had too many "technical difficulties".  I can count the number of times I went out on Rogues Delight on one hand!  Its a terrible shame to have a boat and not be able to use it.   

The docks are coming out on Saturday, so we pulled the boat out of the water today.   I am so glad that we were able to go for one more cruise with the Rogue on Monday.  It was the perfect boating day!

Here are a few pictures of Shelburne Harbour all dressed up in its Fall colours.  I could not resist, the colours were vivid and the waters were calm - just look at those reflections!

Reflections on the Water

A Tranquil Bay

Thanksgiving Nova Scotia Style

Happy Thanksgiving!  I hope you had a good one.

Living in Nova Scotia means that we are miles away from family, so for us Thanksgiving is more of a friends celebration.    This year we had three Thanksgiving dinners, with three different sets of friends.  It was well planned and we only had turkey once.  Three turkey dinners would be too much of a good thing!

On Sunday afternoon we hopped in Florence and headed out to one of the cottages we manage:  Red Head Beach House.

This is one of my favourite houses.  We have spent the last 3 Thanksgiving weekends at this cottage and every year the weather has been perfect.  It is so peaceful.  Miles away from everyone, overlooking a fresh water lake with ocean surf cresting in the distance.  I instantly relax the moment I walk in the door.   We had some friends join us for the evening.  The kids entertained themselves downstairs with the fuse ball and sauna, while we adults chatted around the dining room table.  I am always struck by how quiet and DARK it is.   The stars are amazing.

Red Head Beach is one of those undiscovered beaches.  It is not easy to get to, so it almost always completely deserted.  Late in the afternoon, I went for a walk with Sam and my friends' daughter.  We found some very interesting treasures washed up on the beach:  a dead fish and a couple of onions.

The light had a warm glow.  I took a couple of photos for my photography class.
 

Red Head Beach

I always sleep really well at the cottage.  It is really quiet and DARK.   The stars are amazing.   The following morning we woke up to a calm day.  A mist hung over the lake.  So pretty.

The weather was absolutely gorgeous!   Before heading home on Monday,  we went for another walk on the beach, this time the whole gang came along.  

Red Head Beach house is in the distance. This photo was taken with my phone.  You can really see the difference.

Don't tell anyone, there are wild cranberries grown close by.  We picked enough to make cranberry sauce for Christmas dinner.  Yum!  

Fall is in the Air

Hasn't the summer flown by quickly!

To mark the start of Fall, we spent the day working in the garden.  This year we grew a really good crop of weeds in our vegetable garden.   It was sad to see the beautiful raised beds we had so eagerly built a year ago overgrown with grasses and clover.  So ... we spent a few hours weeding, turning the soil and generally getting the garden ready for a fall planting of garlic bulbs.  

Planting Garlic

 We are trying three different varieties.  One I bought from a lady in Pubnico on Saturday at the Mile Long Yard Sale; another from Uncle Sid's and the third from another local gardener. 

Ready for Planting

Don't they look nice all planted in a row.

Now all we have to do is  w a i t.

Meet Florence ...

Meet Florence Rose, our beautiful 1966 Plymouth Fury.   

We purchased her on a whim in 2011.  We were chatting one night,  lamenting the loss of our original Fury who was sadly smashed by an airline bus in Toronto.  As we started scrolling through the online car trader for similar models, Florence jumped right out at us.  We hummed and we hared and then we finally succumbed to her straight lines, sparkling chrome and killer style.  With only 45,000 miles on her, she had been around, but had many more miles in her.

She is quite the Lady: original paint, chrome interior, burgundy seats, lap belts and a V8 under the hood. She is a treat to drive, charging down the road attracting appreciative nods from people who remember her from her heyday.   It is impossible for her to go by unnoticed.  All that sparkling chrome, and chest pounding base, she always "makes an entrance"

It is like taking your living room for a ride.  Over six feet wide, and 17 feet long, we could sleep in her if we had to.  She is our summer time chariot of choice.

I hope you'll hitch a ride and come along as we cruise our way through Nova Scotia.

Cheers

Helen