April 11, 2008 - spring at last!
April 11, 2008 - Spring flowers on Lawrence St
Thank goodness for crocuses after a long winter
March 29, 2008 - Snow once again - it looks pretty, but 4" of snow is more than we want at this point
View looking directly out my front door
Okay, enough is enough!
These garden chairs have sat through every storm, waiting to be used once again
The first brave crocuses
Westmount park near my neighbourhood
We have had snow every week this winter
Teddy's daily walk
The best windowbox
Every year this person makes the most wonderful windowboxes on the front of their house. I love the exuberant mix of colour and shape in this planter
The other windowbox
This one is on the left side of the house
Both windowboxes
Every time I see this house, I smile - thank you for the lovely flowers, whoever lives here
Brown eyed susans and cosmos
A happy mix of lovely summer flowers on John Street, Halifax
Bright red geraniums
These lush geraniums brighten up the house, which could do with a coat of paint
Brown eyed susans and phlox
This homeowner has planted the flowers on the little strip of property belonging to the city - what a delight
Another view of the previous flower bed
A well kept front bed
This house is well loved as the front garden shows - this one is on Clifton Street in Halifax
A fantastic display of nasturtiums
Kingsport Beach
Miles of beach and no one but me and Teddy - this beach is about 60 miles north of Halifax
The Minas Basin
This part of the world gets the highest tides due to the shape of the land. The Bay of Fundy (of which the Minas Basin forms an offshoot) is narrow and funnel shaped. Tides which are normally 3' elsewhere, rise here to 52'. This beach literally disappears, so you have to know the tide timetable. .
When I go here for an outing, I always check the tide charts to be sure that the tide is at least half way down. You wouldn't want to be caught at high tide as there is no place to go and climbing those sand cliffs would be impossible.
What's this? you ask
The foot prints left by periwinkles - little sea creatures that scurry over the wet sand
Red sand
The beach is red sand that doesn't really dry out; you have to walk in special beach shoes or go barefoot.
The shoreline
The whole shoreline consists of these sandy cliffs; at the top, little birds have made holes in the sand and you can see them fly in and out.
At high tide, the water will be right up at the top of this outcrop.
Cottages on the bluffs
Every year the sand cliffs erode more and more; many cottages have had to be moved further inland
Cape Blomidon in the distance
A well known landmark in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia
"Something truly amazing is happening in the Bay of Fundy. Here the tides are so extraordinary, they have earned the reputation as a world-renowned natural phenomenon. The highest tides on earth fill the Bay with over one hundred billion tons of seawater. Waters as high as a four-storey building brimming with diverse marine life. Only hours later, you can walk on the seabed at low tide. What makes this ecological wonder so unique is that it happens twice a day, everyday...It is said that the province actually bends under the weight." (quoted from Nova Scotia Tourism site)
Teddy
- part Shepherd, Lab, and Husky
He's cute, isn't he?
- aka my exercise program
For more information on the interesting high tides of the Bay of Fundy, here is a site that you might like to visit: Fundy Tides
The Commons
Like the city of Boston, Halifax has a Commons right in the centre of the city. This large area is actually two areas, divided by a street. This one is wide open grass with several baseball diamonds on it, and on the weekends, there are several games in progress.
The other section has a large play area for children and an area set aside for skateboarders.
Halifax Commons
Here you can see the pitcher's areas (one in the distance) - sorry for the garbage can, I didn't notice it when I took the photo.
Another view of the Commons
This water fountain is in the middle of the Commons. Many dog owners bring their dogs here to run free, as no one objects as long as the owners pick up and the dogs don't run near the games.
Another view of the Commons
In the distance, the high rise on the left is the Holiday Inn, plus an office building next to it, and that is an apartment building on the right. In this photo, you can see two baseball fields.
Painted houses
Most of the houses in the older part of Halifax are wooden and are brightly painted to help cope with the cloudy weather we get. Well, these ones aren't so bright on second thought, but many are.
Older homes in Halifax
This part of the city is quite old and the houses are built right on the street, with no yards. They might have a small back yard if one at all. Bright paint is a necessity. This one has a throughway right through the house to the back. This would have dated from the days of horses and buggies. Many of the downtown streets are very narrow and can't be widened as houses and buildings were constructed right at the street's edge. Note how the street is dipping down, as Halifax is built on rising land and all streets lead down to the harbour.
Painted row houses on Falkland Street
Halifax wooden houses mean good business for paint stores and painting contractors, as the houses need annual touching up and complete re-painting every 4-5 years. There is very little brick in the older part of the city, as wood was much more plentiful and brick was too expensive.
Freshly painted houses
The old homes bring out the artist in many people and you can see the wonderful colour combinations. This corner house was painted last year and the colours were chosen with care for a pleasing result.
More painted houses
I love the colours that you can see on one street. This shot shows the interesting angles of the houses one behind the other. When you get a lot of cloudy days, you need this colour to keep life cheerful.
Rhododendrons on my street
Rhodies grow amazingly well in Halifax. This is one of the finest I have seen, although it was at its peak last week. The public gardens have dozens of these bushes and some are over 20 feet tall. An amazing sight in the spring.
I stood on one corner and, from where I stood, I could count 7 large rhododendron bushes all in magnificent blossom.
Rhododendrons on my street
This is a smaller rhododendron but with a fantastic red blossom. The damp, rainy weather of Nova Scotia makes this an ideal place for rhodendrons to grow.
A stand of irises
I love irises and these caught my eye. So leaning over the fence, I snapped a photo. Hope the home owner didn't see me.
Looking down a street near my house
Halifax is known as the "city of trees". There are many trees close to 100 years old, and we save them if at all possible. This means trimming branches near the power lines, and the results can be strange shapes, but cutting down the tree is the last resort.
Standing at my house and looking up the street
The very tall elms, maples, and lindens form a canopy over the street. Despite all my complaints about our wicked winter weather, I really would not want to live anywhere else. Who would with such a view outside my front door?
Teddy at Kingsport Beach