~ Part #1 to Part #12 ~

July 25, 2011

Part #12: Summer Visitors in Pictures

We are thoroughly enjoying our first summer season here, as the small adventures continue.

Though we can see the Bay of Fundy from our property, it's not accessible from here.
The nearest beach area is about 2 miles (2½ km) away along the shore road.
We ventured out, exploring a walk to this beach on our Canada Day.
There were lots of lupine and daisies and other wild flowers to look at, plus a dead squished porcupine...and then the ocean.

We found a nice area to sit to have a snack and some homemade iced tea.
There were dozens of empty crab shells and purple Iris to look at, plus New Brunswick across the bay and birds fishing to see.
As it was hot, sitting and relaxing after the long walk was all I wanted to do.

After a while we both heard some rustling in the grass to the right of me and saw a squirrel trying to sneak up on me at a fast skulk.
I, of course, jumped up and screamed when he was just inches away from me, and Brad thought the squirrel had jumped onto me, as he saw it suddenly 2 feet in the air.
Not feeling the hit, I'm guessing the squirrel got scared of my movement and jumped straight up.
He landed in the grass behind us and we didn't see him again, but did see some evidence that he lived in the tree directly behind us, and that he eats the Iris bulbs.

We had a good laugh about this event, as it's not the first time a small animal has come directly toward me and made me scream.
One time there was a field mouse (the kind that has a extra long tail and hops) that hopped up our basement stairs, going right past Brad and headed directly at me, changing directions only inches away from me.
Since mice in my house make me shriek, I often wondered if that one knew that about me, and didn't feel I was a threat.

It was a wonderful day finishing with a huge feast of fresh scallops Brad bought in town from the 'fish guy' the day before.
They're caught around Digby...and they are delicious!

The plan is to go back to that beach soon, as there are wonderful tide pools and caves for us to explore.

I have a few pictures to share with you, which shows the different levels of water in our brook.

This one with rushing water was taken in May, after having some good rain.

Look at how it changes after a few months.

There are more animal stories from around our house for you, which make our life so much fun :)

~Snakes
We've had several incidents with snakes, which in general I don't mind.
I did get a fright from one, early one morning.
After the bat visited last month, I continue to look in that corner when passing through the mudroom, to see if it has come back.
A snake greeted me from up there, as he was making his way into the room, through a small opening.
He must have climbed up to the roof on the Wisteria that grows up the outer wall of that room.
Not rushing off, it took a bit of prodding to get him to back out and leave, though he found crack to slide into where the room is attached to the main house.
I didn't mind this, as I know I've seen a mouse go in there.

They like to sun themselves in our paths, so we often have them getting out of our way as we walk.

And this one was quite comfortable hiding under a tarp, even after he got exposed.

~Hummingbirds

They continue to come to the feeder, with 'laser' fights a regular thing, as they claim territory to it...and now it needs refilling quite often!
This hangs outside the large window of our main room for regular viewing.

~Mouse
Late one night Brad saw large moths at the window, being attracted to the light.
Then he heard what sounded like something climbing the screen, and when he shined a light on it, saw a mouse scrambling down the window screen.
His best guess is that it was trying to catch the moths!

~Bunnies
There are a few stories about these guys, as they continue to appear around the house.

One afternoon while working outside, Brad had a rabbit chase going on around him for a few hours.
It must have been a mating afternoon, as they didn't care how close he was, with the male brushing his arm as it ran by him once.

This young bunny has appeared a few times, too.
The first time I spotted him was so cute, as he was sitting next to a stump that was placed as a stepping stool to the hummingbird feeder.
He looked like he was sitting at a bunny size table.
He sure loves his dandelion leaves, and bites them off at the base of the leaf and then chews and chews until he's eaten the whole thing.

~Squirrel
Yes...the one I first mentioned last month.
He's determined to live under our house, now that the skunk has gone!
We caught him in the mudroom one day checking it out.
This past week he's been around 'digging' a lot.
The other day after going outside to see where he thinks he can get under this time, we found him at the side of the house.

He stayed there looking back at Brad, the whole time it took me to run in and get the camera.
This picture was taken and then he dashed back under the logs (as is his routine).
Brad lifts the logs until he 'pops' out and runs under some bushes near by.

The day after, as we were on the other side of the house, near the mudroom door, this same bold critter ran right past Brads leg and into another pile of logs in the corner.
Brad lifted the logs away expecting him to be under them, and he wasn't.
He then poked his head out of a hole he had succeeded in making that we hadn't known about.
And then he left again, as if all was as it should be.
I guess he didn't realize we would close this one up too.

We have to start thinking smaller, as he sees potential in tinier holes then the skunk could.
So until the hardware cloth job is completely done, we are adding more rocks to places, and hopefully he will run out of places to try.

~I'm enjoying seeing a Cedar Waxwing who's been visiting...A first for us.

More insect notes:

~We had a wonderful evening watching the fireflies twinkling in the fairy dance across our yard.

~There was a large family of ants that made their nest in a few cardboard boxes that were stacked together in our garage...That was interesting taking it apart!

~The paper wasps have stopped trying to make nests in our mudroom, thanks to a great tip I received from Diana (((big hugs))).
You puff out small paper bag and hang it from a string.
As these wasps are territorial, they assume that another paper wasp already has a nest.

~We now have mud wasps making their mud cocoons in the mudroom instead, but these guys have no interest in stinging us....and do not notice if you remove these at night.

And the roses...

The white roses have come and mostly gone, but they were lovely and fragrant while here.

You can see the bush behind me in this picture.
This is the day Brad took a new online picture for me.
Those are my great new rubber boots that I wear a lot around the property!

We also have a few bushes of these roses.

And bunches and bunches of Wild Rose bushes!!

I make sure I go out daily to smell the roses!

~The wild raspberries that were blooming have become a yummy daily snack.
I love how they taste when they've been warmed by the sun!

And finally, I have to mention how much I am enjoying sleeping with the window open!
We rarely had temperatures warm enough to want to open the window and endure the no-see-ums that would enter our screens, in northern British Columbia.

Enjoy your season!

You can read further updates on my Facebook page and on Twitter.

Benita Skinner
Victoriana Quilt Designs

~~~

June 15, 2011

Part #11: Glimpses, Surprises, Lessons & Firsts

Our month has been progressive, with glimpses, surprises, lessons and firsts that kept most days interesting.

~Shortly after my last post I had a few mornings where I was hearing some animal poke around the outside of our house early in the morning.
I couldn't see what it was through the windows...and I was half expecting it to be the skunk again.
It turned out to be a squirrel, who made checking out our house part of it's routine, until it saw me watching it.
The squirrels here are much shyer than the black squirrels we knew from Ontario and the aggressive little red squirrels that always lived behind our house in British Columbia and loudly made it known, when you walked through their territory, that you were not welcome to linger.

~We spotted our first deer (we had only seen tracks up to now) crossing our laneway.
It didn't last long, but this one fleeting moment was very fun for us!

~The rabbit has continued to hang around our home, and we have been getting occasional sightings.
And the other day on our walk to get the mail, it burst out of the bushes as we walked by and we got to watch it hop away from us, which was actually the longest look we had of it.

~The hummingbird feeder is up and has already attracted many colourful visitors. They also love the lilac bushes that are close by.

~Brad added the first birdseed to the feeder since the snow was gone.
Missing the Chickadees, it was a way for us to see what other birds were around.
This one act got us two sightings. One was a pair of American Goldfinch which neither of us had seen before.
And early in the morning, noticing the small door of the feeder was broken I looked closer and spotted the culprit, a raccoon, who had managed to climb the pole, scatter the seeds onto the ground and was eating what he could find among the ground cover.
He was a little nervous, as it being first light, he should have been heading home.
I got to watch this cute, bundle of fuzz eat this snack for about 5 minutes before he trotted away.
He was the softest looking raccoon and had these beige ear tips, which I hadn't seen before.

~I have found a hole-in-the-ground area (I'm always thinking every hole I see is an animal home!) where a garter snake was sunning himself...and now we keep checking back hoping to spot him again.

~The bat showed up again in the same spot he slept last fall. It was just for one day...long enough for Brad to see him.
I don't think he liked that Brad was brave enough to poke the plastic that he was on the other side of...which perhaps is why he didn't come back.

More floral surprises...I have some pictures for you!

The trilliums turned out to be Red Trilliums...Another first for us.

This 'bubble gum' bush is one we don't know, but it sure smells like bubble gum, which is why we called it that.

We knew about our Apple tree, but were surprised by a second one plus Brad found an old Apple tree hidden within the forest.

A 'jungle' plant that had gotten somewhat out of control through the years no one lived here, turned out to be Wisteria!

The Lady Slippers were a treasure to find in a special area of the forest, close to our brook....Now referred to as 'The Orchid Station' (for those who were fans of Lost).

We have so many rose bushes, I'm excited about the promises of roses yet to come.

Insects continue to be part of our life.

~The glorious butterflies that are around have been adding lovely colour to the air.

~We don't know where they have hatched from (we don't have a pond), but we are lucky to have dozens of dragonflies that seem to keep the mosquitoes, blackflies and noseeums to a minimum.

~The June Bugs clunking against the windows at night, when our light is on.

~Ants...coming into the house in several places, plus they found a box they liked in the garage.
Brad has been sealing up cracks they've come in through and leaving them 'borax mixed in some molasses' treats to take back to the queen.
It made us happy to find this eco-friendly ant killer, as 'army' is the best way to describe them.
[Molasses can also be substituted with any sweet liquid, like corn syrup]

~I found the beginning of a paper wasp nest in the mudroom, which does not have a screen in the window (yet).
Of course Brad took it down, waiting for the wasp to leave first.

~Slugs are in super abundance here, and have already been an issue with the vegetable seedlings.
Another good reason to get some Guinea Hens.

And some miscellany notes...

~It's the time of year we don't run the woodstove much...Which makes it extra cozy when we do.

~Something knocked over one of the Ground Cherry pots, and dug out all of the soil.
We wonder if it was our skunk who did that?
And the lesson we've learnt is that a wire fence around the food gardens would be worth the effort and expense...in the long run.

~After a rare sunny afternoon a few weeks ago, a fog literally 'rolled' in.
You could see it push it's way across the yard until we were under a thick blanket.

~On our latest forest walk I loved all the new green bits that were sprouting out of every evergreen, moss and lichen.

~We now have a portable shower (black jug that heats in the sun, and has a shower nozzle).
I'll leave you with a visual...Me outside, in rubber boots, jeans & a t-shirt, bent over washing my hair.
I love the stream of running water to rinse my long hair, which is something I didn't realize I missed!

I hope you are continuing to enjoy my floral and fauna tales.

You can read further updates on my Facebook page and on Twitter.

Benita Skinner
Victoriana Quilt Designs

~~~

May 17, 2011

Part #10: May Discoveries

A few more wonders & whines to report within this post...

There was the afternoon a porcupine ate his way across our yard and he wasn't bothered by us standing around watching him!

The skunk soap opera continues...She's one stubborn skunk!
The night after my last post I accidentally spotted our skunk trotting away (not the usual casual la-de-da walk), and though the flour we sprinkled on the ground at the opening had no footprints in it (what we were using it to see if she left), Brad blocked it back up and for many days we heard nothing...not her wanting to come back in or scratching the board.
I wondered if her 'running' was a sign that she was feeling she escaped from us and did she think we were going to pounce on her if she left?

Then a few weeks later, when we had a large rain, we suddenly had skunk spray smelling up our mudroom again.
After doing an extra close inspection I found a secret hole she had made. It was dug from the underside of the house so she must have created it before she left...and now she was back!

Brad covered the ground and hole with hardware cloth (a tight grid of metal netting), hoping she was away, and the next morning we spotted her trying hard to dig her way back in, so we felt that we finally had won this war with her.

Of course just when we thought we won the war, and the skunk had moved on...we found out it really only meant she found a new way in. Lesson learned.
She had dug her way in through the smallest open ground that wasn't covered with a rock or anything else we've used, and was hidden under a log.

The plan, as time permits, is to put hardware cloth around the whole house, hoping to keep out all the small critters permanently.
As of this morning, I think we have a skunk free zone under our house...though what do I know?

We also have been battling ticks...which was quite an adjustment for us!
There was suddenly a large number of ticks in several stages of life invading our clothing and hanging onto the door frame into the mudroom, waiting to latch on.
We were feeling quite discouraged about our new home for a few days...not wanting to venture too far outdoors, as walking through the forest would surely cover us in more ticks.
It was not just the Lyme disease possibilities, but the 'ick' factor of how they burrow in.

Then we had a beautiful sunny warm spring afternoon (that's been rare around here since I posted last...with weeks of clouds and rain) and we both decided we would endure the tick invasion and go for a nature walk.
We even sat for a while on my new 'sit rock', which is a great place to observe quietly in the middle of our forest.
What we discovered was neither of us picked up any ticks from our walk, and we didn't spot any until we got back to the home site.
After some research we think we have figured out that with the rodents we had last year, we must have had an extra amount hatch.
We have learnt to do some things differently than we have before, and we are no longer feeling invaded by them, and are even considering some Guinea Hens, to take care of the extra population around the home site!

There's been some wonderful sights to see and sounds to listen to...
~I love the Robins singing every dawn and dusk.
~The peepers (frogs) who's chorus sounds to say spring has arrived....another first for us!
~The cute rabbit that I spotted through the window...It was smaller than I expected.
~There have been some lovely floral surprises here since the crocuses...Daffodils, Jonquils, Grape Hyacinth, bunches of Violets, a Lilac Bush is coming into bloom soon, Forsythia bush and some other flowering shrubs I haven't identified.
And writing this made me remember that we need to go back to a forest area we explored on a walk...where there are some Trilliums that will have opened their flowers by now.

I love wildflowers and even some of the planted finds poking through last years growth.
I don't care if they aren't edible...They feed my heart!

Brad is more into the plants we can eat, which works out great for us :)
Though with all the time it's taking to get the extras around here done, and the fact that our local town has a great Farmer's Market each Friday, he's decided to grow a small amount of our favourites this year, prepare to plant fruit trees in the fall, and leave the large garden until next year.

This big city girl is finding joy in the forest.
I hope you get to find some wonder in a forest or park near you!

You can read further updates on my Facebook page and on Twitter.

Benita Skinner
Victoriana Quilt Designs

~~~

April 19, 2011

Part #9: Baby the Eaglet

Watching eagles through webcams can be an amazingly spiritual experience as you follow the hard working family through several seasons as they struggle to raise their young.
Sometimes it's heart-wrenching, watching a crow come scoop an egg, or a baby eaglet die for no apparent reason, or fall from the nest.
Your heart is invested in them as you watch and whatever happens to them, happens to your heart.
It's the only 'reality tv' worth watching :)

A few years ago, the pair I have watched for several seasons now, had three eggs hatch.

This is the story about Baby, the youngest one of the bunch, who hatched a full week after the older two.

His parents are so caring and hard working.
They sit on their nest (the same one they have used for years...with repairs done each year), in turns until the eggs hatch, and then they both take care of the young, bringing in food to feed them...sometimes these animals are alive, and it's a bit 'real'. And sometimes you watch the rodent jump over the edge hoping to survive the fall back down to the ground. Of course the webcam stays where it is and you don't really know how that works out, unless the parent swoops back down and comes back with it.

In early spring the first two eggs hatched within a few days of each other, with the older 'brother' taking dominance of the siblings. He gets fed first, and if the others try, well they get pecked down. The younger must stay in the submissive posture with their head down, or their action is taken as butting into the order of things.
The second 'sister' doesn't like it, but she gets to claim dominance over the youngest, and as they both have a week of growth on Baby, they get their way and eat before him.

Brother is not so mean about it...he just gets his food first, and that's the way it is. But sister can be brutal in her treatment of Baby, picking him up in her beak, poking at him...to the point of having me yell at the computer screen for the parent to stop it. I didn't think Baby would survive the attack!
Even with all of that, Baby did learn where to sit to be able to sneak an occasional morsel ahead of them.

It's amazing watching the progress of the eaglets growth, starting from fuzzy little grey puffs with big black eyes, who can barely keep their head up.
They get bigger before your eyes and within a few weeks begin getting dark feathers poking through their grey fuzz, until they are covered entirely in dark feathers....all this before the summer is done, and they fly.

The parents need to do almost everything for a while, from feeding them, to keeping them warm and dry under their wings...for hours if that's how long it rains for.
Going to the bathroom is instinctual, as the eaglets raise their backsides towards the edge of the nest and 'squirt' it out beyond.
Sometimes the camera lens can be covered for the rest of the season when they hit it!

They also need to keep a keen eye out, so that another bird of prey doesn't come down and swoop up one of their eaglets as dinner for their young.
I've seen them keep a seagull wing at the edge of the nest for a while, and I wondered what it could be used for.
It was 'taken' by another bird, and I think this 'diversion' kept the eaglets safe.

Baby too was on guard one time...It was so cute. The older siblings were sleeping, and baby looked up when a small bird visitor was hunting around for bugs in the nest, and Baby squawked at him "Get lost, go away". The bird seemed to know there was nothing further Baby could do about it, but he had made the perching parent aware of it.

The way they are fed changes over time, from small bits of meat pulled off the fish, rodent or bird that is brought in....One at a time, over and over until all the young are fed.
You can see their gullets fill up and get quite large, when there is plenty.
And then it starts over again, in a few hours.
These parents are so good at hunting, they usually have bits of several kinds of food along the edges of the nest to have available for the next meal.

One day, when the dad, who isn't quite as patient as mom, brought in a live fish, Baby got excited because he hadn't been fed yet and the older two were sated.
None of the eaglets were feeding themselves yet at this point.
Dad did not feed Baby, for some reason, but stood there with the fish wriggling between them.
Baby screamed at him "Feed Me", but to no avail....and then he went and perched above the nest.
Baby didn't keep screaming for long...He started poking at the wriggling fish that was not much smaller than himself.

He tried over and over to grab a hunk of flesh out of the fish, and kept going for many minutes, until he succeeded!
It was amazing!!
His older siblings, who were quite a bit more advanced in age than him hadn't even started trying to feed themselves, and now baby had learnt this important skill ahead of them. You couldn't help but cheer him on as he kept going until he was fed...and very, very tired.

As they grew I watched them learning each day....
~They learnt to stand and walk without their legs bending...Baby hadn't even mastered that yet when he first fed himself, which made the feat tougher.
~Picked up nest sticks and moved them to a better place, is something they did when looking for amusement.
~Attacking a stick, pretending its prey was another.
~Baby was extra fun one day as he checked out his own shadow.
~They began to stand still for long periods of time along the edge of the nest and watched beyond.
~As their wings became feathered they began flapping them, building up their muscles towards the day they would fledge.
~When they get better at this they get some rise and lift off the nest.
~This brought them out on the limbs of the branches beyond the nest, perching on watch.

Then one day, as Baby took his first hop to an outer branch, his sister bounced so close beside him it knocked him off the branch, and then all we saw as the two remaining eaglets look down, and watched him fall.

This was a heart wrenching moment...Baby...Was he dead? Alive?

I won't leave you in the suspense I was in, as I waited to know what became of him.
He had landed on a lower branch of a tree close by and after being stunned for a while slowly hopped his way up to the top of the tree and the nest again.
His parents must have encouraged him and kept him fed...of course all of that not in view of the camera.
[It was reported to those watching by the person who installs the camera.]
It took Baby 9 days to get back in the nest!

It must have felt so safe, as he slept and recuperated for a few days before progressing again.

I'm happy to report, despite his trials he fledged, and I'll never forget him!

Be sure to check in on one if you get a chance.

Benita Skinner
Victoriana Quilt Designs

~~~

April 14, 2011

Part #8: More Spring Tales

We've been enjoying our spring here in Nova Scotia.

Brad tapped a couple of our Maple trees and now we have a half cup of maple syrup!
He didn't begin collecting as early as he should of, and only got the sap one night before the temperatures were too high for a good flow...but in that one night, he collected 2 litres of sap, that he reduced into maple syrup on our woodstove, which was also great because no 'extra' energy was needed to do this.

We also treated ourselves to a night in town, for our Anniversary, staying at the same motel that I had lived at for a few weeks when I arrived.
This allowed us to enjoy dinner out, but we also got a kick out of doing some things we don't have at home.

Like doing the laundry that had piled up through the winter...It turns out doing laundry by hand in the winter, without running water is not as fun as you might imagine :)

We also thought that a shower would be the 'bomb', but the motel's water pressure was too strong, and the chlorine in the water totally dried out our skin.
This made us thankful for our natural stream water at home.
We do have a plan for setting up a hot shower here, but we need a few more additions to our system first...Like a hot water tank that will be heated with our extra dumped electricity that gets collected, and a shower that works without 'running' water.
In the meantime I am enjoying my baths.

It didnt' occur to us how cold our house would be when we got back home.
The woodstove took 4 hours to get it toasty again!

We've been exploring the different parts of the forest, and on one of our walks we came across a small snake, who didn't feel the need to get too far away from us.
Brad was able to stroke him, and while we stood there looking around in the area, he raised his cute head and watched us quite intently....It was wonderful to connect with him.

I didn't expect to be writing too much more about our skunk, but gosh-darn, if she didn't get back in under the house!
Not through any of her traditional doors/holes, but through a small opening in the mudroom that connects to the house.
One afternoon a few weeks ago Brad left the mudroom door open (to let the flies who wintered there out), while he went to collect sticks (our starter fuel for the woodstove) and within 10 minutes of his leaving I heard a noise in the mudroom and just thought that he had come back because he forgot something...but no...it was her!
From under the house she has tried to establish her old openings, but I made the exterior a fortress, if you recall.
We have had a few days that she has sprayed out of frustration.

We started opening the mudroom door for sections of time, hoping she would go back outside through there....even removing a board so she had easier access.
This involved one of us sitting by the bedroom window, hoping to spot her so the door could be closed before she came back.
We did it for sections of time...a half an hour, an hour and one night Brad sat for 3 hours, being quiet hoping she'd leave.
That didn't work at all. There was never any sign she went back into the mudroom.

What was she eating?, we wondered...and found out they eat mice...which we know of at least one under there...

So finally yesterday my husband undid one of her old 'doors' which we hope she will leave through.
She does has a sense of cleanliness, as she has been using that door area as a bathroom pile.
I wrote most of this update while sitting at the window watching for her to go...so we could board it right up again, and prevent her from coming back.
I have read that they have their litters in May, so we really want her to do that somewhere else, or we will have her family until August!

I'll have to keep you posted, as she hadn't left by the time I gave up watching at 10pm last night...

You can read further updates on my Facebook page and on Twitter.

Thanks for all the feedback and kind thoughts...I'm so glad to know you are continuing to enjoy reading about my adventure!

Benita Skinner
Victoriana Quilt Designs

~~~

March 29, 2011

Part #7: Signs of Spring

We've really enjoyed this first winter here in our new home, which was two months shorter then we had been used to for the last 10 years in northern British Columbia.

The solar panels worked great, even on cloudy days we got some power from them.
They did need to be cleared when they were covered in snow, which Brad bravely took on by climbing on the roof.

We had a weird 5 minute thunderstorm once when the weather changed...never had one of those in the middle of winter.

Exploring the forest and trying to figure out the many different animal tracks we came across was extra enjoyable because this was our private forest these creatures chose to live in.
We also got to see some remnants of the coyote dinners in the form of a bed of grouse feathers and a skunk foot...No, it's not the same skunk....and we know this because she has made several stops back at the house trying to get back under, and has such an attitude that she leaves a burst of skunk spray to let us know she's been there.
She found a hole into one of our small outer buildings...but was away long enough for us to cover it up with some rocks.

Brad started adding bird seed to the feeder that was left here and we got to watch quite a collection of chickadees and one nuthatch all winter, plus even a mouse would pop out of the snow on the warmer days to snack.

We've learnt to live together in a much smaller space and do alot of 'dancing around each other'.

Brad also started to visit the local Farmer's Market and getting us yummy local scallops and other foods we've enjoyed.

We now have had some first signs of spring.

~These delicate crocuses came up a few weeks ago.

~We chose which area will be turned into our garden.

~We've ordered some rubber boots.

~When Brad pulled out his hikers, which were stored in the mudroom, he found a stash of sunflower seeds, which we deduced was from the mouse, who was visiting the bird feeder, and living under the house which gave it access to the mudroom.
It was funny to think that Brad takes the seeds from in the house out through the mudroom, around the house...to find them back in the mudroom.

~The flies, ladybugs and spiders have come awake, and we have had many waking up in our house...including the spider I discovered hanging from my hair...Eek! is all that is required to describe what happened next :)

~The electric bike is out and is getting prepared to get on the road.

~The owl has come back and we enjoy stepping outside at sunset to listen for him ~>Hoot....Hoot-Hoot-Hoot!

You can read further updates on my Facebook page and on Twitter.

Thanks again for your continued interest!

Benita Skinner
Victoriana Quilt Designs

Included in the 'Birds in Spring' April 4th Newsletter:

I hope you are enjoying your change of season as much as I am.
I just went down the laneway to put out our garbage & recycling [Yes...we are lucky to have pick-up of both. Compost is picked up too, if we wanted...but that is 'precious gold' that will be used for our own garden.], and thoroughly enjoyed listening to the morning chorus of birds.

We saw our first robin of the season (he's the biggest robin I've ever seen!) on the weekend, and heard his mate just in the forest.
It was interesting to watch the robin learn that when my husband splits a log and leaves it there on the ground, there is a good feast of insects nestled inside, for it to enjoy.

And I've begun checking in on my favourite pair of eagles online, as they are already sitting on their eggs.

Be sure to check out the next part of the Seasonally Spring...with the cutest little chick sitting in a nest :)

~~~

February 15, 2011

Part #6: Sharing Some Pictures

There isn't much new this time, but I do have a few pictures to share with you...

You can see our wind turbine with this view up our laneway....after our first large 'Winter Wonderland' storm.

We are enjoying the good strong winds that has kept us in electricity, when the clouds keep the sun away from our solar panels for days at a time.

Keeping warm is only an issue when the temperature gets real cold, which hasn't happened too often this winter.
Most nights we can get the house 'hot' and this will coast us until morning when it's cooled down, but not freezing in the house.
On the coldest nights, Brad has stayed up keeping the stove going for us, trading off with me, knowing I get up very early.
Even then, we had a layer of ice on the water in our hand-washing bowl that we have in our bathroom.
We could also see our breath in this room that is the farthest away from our wood stove.

We have such pretty sunsets here, with the salmon orange being a very strong colour.
And sometimes in the morning I'm awed by the fluffy cotton candy pink clouds floating in the pale blue sky!

We love taking forest walks looking at the interesting animal tracks.
This picture is from one we took in January...You might recognize it as my current picture for my 'about me' page.
'Airing me out' is what Brad has started to call it, after I read the February Susan Branch's Willard, where she mentions that her husband Joe calls taking Susan out as 'airings'.

While we walked yesterday we learned that the thick snow in the trees can come down like rain when the temperature rises.
I had the hood of my coat up to keep dry...and was taken by surprise once when a heavy snowball size clump of snow hit me in the back of the head.

My husband hauls our water from the stream, which is a 15 minute walk...when there is no snow.
Knowing how much extra water is needed to treat me to a bubble bath, I'm regularly reminded just how much my husband loves me!

Appreciating the simple things is keeping me happy :)

You can read further updates on my Facebook page and on Twitter, as I post bits there.

Until next time!

Benita Skinner
Victoriana Quilt Designs

~~~

January 23, 2011

Part #5: Back Together

I'm wholly inspired to write this next part...not knowing I was going to until a few minutes ago.

Working on my computer this morning I looked up and out of the window, in the early morning pale blue sky I glimpsed a glowing white moon.
Cotton ball clouds slowly floating by, gave the three dimensional perspective of how far away this lovely pearl was...just hanging further out there in our solar system.
It stopped me, stunned by the beauty, and I was thankful for the opportunity to see it, as it only lasted a few minutes, disappearing as the sun rose further.

It was just too inspiring not to write about it, so while I'm doing that, and knowing it's been a while since I posted the next update, here's what's new.

My husband has now joined me, after 4 months apart, and we have been enjoying being back together, living the life we dreamed about, for many years.

One of the first things we did was take a walk to the back of the property, to our stream.
I was saving this for his arrival, not wanting to view this lovely place without him.
The ground there is covered in many different mosses and lichens which makes the spongy walk interesting.

The rushing water was stronger than we had known it to be and there was such an energy to the place.
I look forward to hand sewing there during the hot days of summer :)
It's unlike the waterways we have closer to the house. After any good rain they make a peaceful trickling sound, which gives you a completely different feeling.
I'm hoping to have a screened gazebo built by one of these waterways, which has many rose bushes close to it, as a different place to sew...in the rain, and away from the bugs, which is something I've always wanted a large verandah for.

Winter finally set in here, and we are receiving more snow than rain.
This has allowed us to see in greater detail all the animals about....by viewing their tracks.
I had heard a coyote howling before, but now we have seen his tracks on our laneway a few times, and I like that he's not interested in the area around the house.
His respecting our space makes me happy to share our land with him.
Deer are around and I also like that they have a safe place to live.
The skunk did come to check if she could move back into her old home a few times, but must have hunkered down somewhere else for the winter, as there has been no sign of her here for weeks.
We've seen grouse tracks and have 'flushed' them a few times on our walks.
There have been a lot of rabbit tracks, which have been fun to see, and raccoon prints, too.
The small critters have been around when it's not too cold....making the most interesting prints in the snow.

Now that my husband has taken over the daily chores that you can't get around, like finding and bringing in the wood, composting, and the cooking, I've had much more time to design and sew.
There has been a few adjustments on how I go about that...
-I have to visit my fabric collection in the garage.
-Having to hold off on large ironing sessions, when I'm dying to dive into a new design, has been an exercise in patience...And then the fun of justifying dropping everything else to iron my fabric when the sun comes out and shines, giving us a big boost in solar power!

A few more of my newest discoveries...
-When the ground freezes the water from the ground freezes up in straight icicles of varying height, and it makes the rocks look like they are shrinking into the ground.
-The lights I see out on the Bay of Fundy in the middle of the night are fishing boats. I never knew they fished in the middle of the night, or when it was so cold!
-The wind here can be too powerful for a turbine.
-My creativity is enhanced by our new life.

You can read further updates on my Facebook page and on Twitter, as I post bits there.

Until next time!

Benita Skinner
Victoriana Quilt Designs

~~~

November 22 , 2010

Part #4: Getting Ready for Winter

I didn’t expect to be writing this next part so soon.
I mean what more can I say about the routine of living off grid, without boring you.
My life has not been boring :)

I’ve had a wonderful collection of large birds to view, including an eagle, blue heron, falcon, a possible hawk (I just saw it’s tail feathers/wings for a second) and turkey vulture.

I’ve seen three different sets of deer tracks this past week, and I’m thrilled to be able to give them a sanctuary, during hunting season.

I was able to live up to the challenge of not turning on the generator we have for emergencies, when the power was really low, due to a biblical 4-day pour a few weeks ago, when I still didn’t have my wind turbine back up.
I actually turned all the power off for a day, as the equipment that converts the raw power from the solar panels to useable electricity (inverter) even takes power.
It was actually a little fun, as I knew it was temporary, until the sun came out the following day.
I was able to make a good cup of coffee on the woodstove.
I worked in the daytime, saving any pressing until I had power again.
I found that I couldn’t sew using candlelight. How did the pioneer women do that?

I’ve been busy making arrangements to prepare our life for our first winter here.
These tasks include buying and stacking a cord of wood (not quite done the stacking part), and arranging for some straw to help cover the compost, as the grass I’ve been using will soon be blanketed in snow.

Of course I’ve been preparing the house, too, as best as I can to keep the winter cold out.
This last task is not complete (the rest is being left for my husband when he gets here), as when a brisk wind blows the house still cools off pretty quick.

The part that was a surprise to me was the animals that wanted to make my house their home for the winter, too.
It’s not that I was naive enough to think I wouldn’t have something try, after all I arrived to a well lived-in house (Part #2…if you missed it).
It was the quantity that took me by surprise.

I’ve spent a great deal of my time discouraging these critters.
I’ve explained (with lots of noise) that living in my human domain would not be a good experience and that they should go live in the forest where they belong.

It began with a raccoon.
I knew he was around as my food compost had become a source of food for him, and we battled over that.
The boards covering it, even with several heavy items on top were not enough to discourage him.
I purchased stretch cords and rigged up one across (until I could purchase more eye screws).
This made him push the boards through the cord.
Adding two more stretch cords didn’t help either as he bent and broke the corners of the boards and still got in.
I finally have it blocked from him after using a round board and the stretch cords.
He’s tried to remove it without success, as is evident with his muddy prints all over it.

He also took a tour of my roof one evening.
It was fun to hear his confident stroll across the top of the house, but knowing he could get into nothing but no-good, with my new solar panels, I wanted to discourage him.
I wasn’t brave enough to run outside to scare him, as it was already dark.
I turned my radio on full blast and his confident walk stopped, he listened for a few seconds and then dashed across the roof back where he came from.

I haven’t actually seen this guy, but he’s been the easy part.
And I’m very glad I have such a creative mind, as I’ve needed it to figure out how to deal with these critters.

There have been many mice giving the walls a once over as a possible home, too.
I don’t really care if they live under my house, as long as I don’t have to hear them and they don’t have access to the inside of my home.
But these walls are way to thin to feel comfortable with them there, and the first time I encountered a visit was by being woken up with a mouse inches away, behind my head, working it’s way up between the walls.
I’ve gone over the outside of the house as best I can to close off any tiny holes, but they are still getting in…and then being scared back out by me…many nights now in a row, as the temperature has been down to freezing.
And how do I ‘scare them’ you ask?
I bang the walls and yell “go live somewhere else” and it eventually sends them back out from where they came.

Thankfully none of the mice have made it into my house.
I did however have a baby mole get into the bathroom through the bathtub drain.
He got himself through the screen, but couldn’t get back out.
The sight of him in my house made me shriek (I freaked out the poor thing!)
He kept bouncing up and down trying to get out of the tub.
My basket of laundry, which was in the tub, was almost a launch for him.
I removed it and put in a live mousetrap, which he was too small to trigger, but he used it to get up on to try to bounce out.
Without going into my history with mice (let’s just leave it at I don’t do rodents well…cartoon lady screaming on the chair would be the visual), dealing with this mole was a challenge for me.
I got a bowl from the kitchen and after much encouragement from myself, I was able to avoid him jumping up on my arm and got him covered.
You would think it would be easy from there to get a cardboard under the bowl to remove him.
But I just couldn’t get that part done.
I phoned the local guy who originally did the removal of the nests, plus other repair work for me.
He was due to come out to do a little extra work, but not that day.
I asked if he could come that morning or afternoon, but he was already at another job.
He then heard in my voice the stress I was under and asked what was wrong and when I told him about this mole in the tub, he came right over to remove it.
It was such a relief for me, and then I felt so silly that the tiny 2" baby could scare me that much.

One afternoon I heard some noises coming from the wall between the bathroom and the woodshed.
I went outside to see if I could see what was getting busy there.
Out from below the floor of the woodshed popped a squirrel.
I hadn’t seen any here yet, and these Nova Scotian squirrels are different from the large black or grey squirrels and little red western squirrels I’m used to.
This one was proportionally the same size as the large ones but dwarfed.
I asked him if he intended to make that his home for the winter, and said I didn’t think that would be a good idea, because I didn’t want it and I was bigger than him.
He rushed back under the floor and gave me a telling-off from there.
He moved on thankfully after that.

You would think that I would be done, but I’ve saved the biggest challenge to tell you about last.
A skunk lived under this house last year, which gave it access to the mudroom.
There were three entryways that she had created and I covered up, when I first got here.
Well…that very skunk wanted to repeat the arrangement this year and the battles lasted for weeks.
I knew it was her because she knew exactly where her entries were, and dug new ones beside two of them.
I would temporarily discourage her with the noise method when I would hear her digging, but she was quite stubborn about it as she knew she was here first.
My husband thought it might be interesting to listen to her comings and goings over the winter, but twice she sprayed under the house, which drifted upward, and made that option intolerable.
My problem is that I under estimated her abilities.
I noticed that she left at dusk, so after preparing the mixture to really close off the hole she was using (the others were covered), I waiting at the window to watch her leave.
When she did, I rushed outside, poured the rocks and earth, covered it with a board and rock and then dashed back in the house.
My adrenalin was through the roof, my fingers all tingly and I could hear my heart beating, just like Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’.
To my surprise she was back within a minute of me getting back to the window…and not a happy skunk!
She went around the house looking for another entry, did try again through the bathroom floor but as the rooms are not attached under the house she finally left…being further discouraged with my noise routine.
That only kept her out until later that night, as she was able to move the heavy terracotta pot that covered the original hole at the front of the house.
We had a bit of a warm spell and she luckily didn’t stay more then a night and I was able to properly cover that one back up…and then I went around making it ‘Fortress Benita’, using all the big logs and rocks I could find to go around the house so she wouldn’t be able to get back in.
The third opening that she was ignoring, I had covered with a board and some logs. It was a hole through the wall of the house, not dug under the chicken wire/skirt that surrounded the house, and again underestimating her.

The night that big rain began she got herself in that hole.
Because I now knew she didn’t leave for more then a few minutes at dusk, it was harder to get the courage to block her out.
I finally decided that I would watch for her through the living room window, and if I saw her go past that window I would have time to do a rush job until the next day when I could use a metal screen to properly block the hole.
I had a huge stack of heavy logs ready, and even my garden statue.

When I saw her walk by, part of me went “Shoot, now I have to do this!”, but only for a second as I knew I didn’t have any time to waste.
Of course my adrenaline went crazy again, but I was able to get out there, block the hole with the wood and get back inside with seconds to spare.
She got back quickly and then left right away, but came back within a half hour.
I could hear her trying to move the logs.
I looked out the mudroom window at her and when she saw me she sprayed the wall between us and the odour instantly came through the door.
I ran inside, but now blocked from the only window I could easily watch her from.

Several times throughout the night I woke up to hear her banging the logs and even the statue sounded like it fell over against the house, and in my sleepiness I imagined she was getting close to making it back in.
At first light the next morning I went out to re-pile the logs, so she couldn’t get back in and to my surprise she hadn’t moved a single log!
I got the screening nailed to the opening and re-piled the logs and statue for extra security.

Since then, she has left me several skunk poops on the paths where I walk around the house, but thus far I am still skunk free.

As I started with…My life has not been boring!

You can read further updates on my Facebook page and on Twitter, as I post bits there.

Until I have more…
Thanks for your continued interest!

Benita Skinner
Victoriana Quilt Designs

~~~

October 14, 2010

Part #3: Moving In

After 11 days of staying in the motel, the mover arrived and unloaded our 'downsized' household goods into both our tiny new home (480 sq. ft.) and into a canvas garage I had installed.

And for the first bunch of weeks I spent a lot of my time learning how to live this new simple life.
There is no running water.
Someone delivers the bottles for now, but we do intend to add a cistern system that will store harvested rainwater later on.
And for the first while I also didn't have enough electricity or a working wood stove to just heat buckets of water, so my sponge baths and hair washes were on the 'cool' side.

I found out that the propane refrigerator and stove that we were going to use temporarily shouldn't be used, so I had to scramble to find a small energy efficient electric fridge, and I'm still waiting for it to be delivered...which makes 'eating' a tough go, as I haven't been able to keep anything that needs to be refrigerated.
I'm also waiting for a hot plate, which will allow me the pasta I enjoy!

They did get my wind turbine up and running giving me our full system.
This allowed the use of more electricity, but there is limited good food you can make in the microwave that hasn't been refrigerated.
And after a few weeks of many gusty days, the turbine broke...so I'm back to half power from the solar panels temporarily again.

You can see that I've be 'roughing it', without my husband and some of the 'comforts' I've been used to.
But I'm in the most glorious new place and I still Love It!
And it must be good for me as I've already begun quilting and creating again.

I've enjoyed discovering the smaller sized animals around here, like the tiny toad I see almost daily, and the snakes that rush out of my path as I take my walk down the laneway to check on the mail.
And the muddy foot prints along the bottom edge of the new garage made me suspect I had a resident skunk, and was able to confirm it when I spotted him rooting in a pile of plant clippings I had started across the yard.
A little bat that stayed in the wall of my mudroom for a few weeks has now moved on.
As well, the owl hooting just as it got dark on my third night was much fun, and I'm sure I heard a male deer out further behind the house, where I've yet to explore.

Because of the extra hot week when I arrived, I received a wonderful white rose bloom as a welcome present on a bush close to the house.
This made me look around and discover that I have dozens of different rosebushes to look forward to next year :)

This life has made me more in tune with nature, as a lot depends on it.
Here's some of my new impressions:
-I'm learning the best days to wash laundry, timing the sunny-windy days with heating the water up on the wood stove.
The enjoyment of the fresh smell laundry has from hanging it outside is naturally wonderful!
-I thought I'd collect rain water in pails to wash the laundry, but it does not necessarily make it usable, as every one I have out there ends up with something floating in it, from leaves and bugs, to a poor drowned mouse.
-I was amazed to hear a very strong rain fall in the distance, and like a train I could hear it was coming my way. I dashed and made it into the house just as it began pouring down overhead. I've heard wind like that when it blows through a forest, but never rain before.
-The clouds here move in layers, and can be going in different directions.
The clouds in Ontario and British Columbia where I've lived before don't do this, and was an interesting new discovery for me one evening while watching the sunset.

There was much we were pre-prepared for, like using products (shampoo, dish soap, etc.) that are completely natural, as they get drained onto our land, and we wouldn't want to contaminate it with the synthetics so many products contain.
The toilet paper and paper towels we compost contain no bleach, so the soil we will add to the garden will be better quality.

The colour change I was looking forward to has begun and using the stove is now a daily occurrence.
There are still new jobs that need doing and I'm sure many more to come.
Know that I am enjoying creatively looking at new ways to do tasks I've taken for granted my whole life, which also makes me look forward to seeing what new creative quilt patterns get sparked from this new life here!

Thanks again for your interest...

You can read further updates on my Facebook page and on Twitter, as I will post when I can.

Benita Skinner
Victoriana Quilt Designs

~~~

September 22, 2010

Part #2: The Arrival

I love my new picturesque town!
My arrival in Middleton, Nova Scotia coincided with a week of sunny hot days that unexpectedly extended summer.

After a good nights sleep I woke early and headed out for a walk through my town on a quest for a yummy coffee from Tim Horton's.
The Main Street is lined with a large variety of old deciduous trees.
This excites me as I have missed the beautiful autumn colours during my years in British Columbia...No maples there!
[There are 'red' trees, but 'dead reds', the pine beetle killed trees, don't count.]
I hadn't seen this much variety in trees (chestnut, oak, several maples, willows, birch, beech) since my childhood.

There are also wonderful old houses with the gingerbread detailing that I love, and the street names are quite pleasingly traditional with King, Queen & School Streets crossing my path.
And then, as if the bow on the package, my destination was just past the most wonderful rosebush hedge…Glorious just knowing each of those rose hips was a 'scentuous' rose this past summer.

A little later I phoned the local taxi.
I was lucky that Middleton has a taxi service, which I found as part of my arrangements for things I would need, before I left British Columbia.
May I say that I am blessed to have met Sam, and his wife Doris, who have been so welcoming and incredibly helpful to me! (((big hugs)))
And as a bonus, they own "King Size Pizza" and Doris makes the most delicious pizza...which means I didn't have to wait too long to have another :)

Sam drove me up to our property...which had not been lived in for two years.
Beyond the gate lay the driveway, a mere path through the forest, which was quite overgrown.
Sam did not want to leave me alone, and we 'discussed' that I wanted to be left there.
He was quite concerned, but I was not afraid of the forest, as the animals I could encounter don't seem to be scary next to the grizzly bears & cougars that are in the forests from where I just moved.
"I'm a strong independent woman, Sam!" I told him.
After convincing him that Brad would be on the cell phone with me the whole way, and arranging for him to come back for me in two hours, he reluctantly drove off.

I walked up to the house with the grass above my knees, and when I got to my front door I had to climb through plants that were up to my chest...with large black spiders on them.
This began my unnerving, as I opened the door to the mudroom and found plastic jugs scattered around.
I said to my husband, "You didn't leave this like this".
I slowly made my way through the room, avoiding many webs, and when I went into the main part of the house I again noticed items askew, which was new, since my husband visited the property two years before.
Making my way through the kitchen...expecting 'something' to spring out at me at any moment, I entered the bedroom to find a comforter had been pulled out of a cupboard, and the stuffing removed from a corner.
This was more evidence something had taken up residence in my new home.
As I stated...I'm not scared of the animals in the forest, but in my 'safe' place, were they would feel trapped by me, I wasn't enjoying myself.
I didn't go through to the bathroom, as the webs across the door were too much for me to handle.
There was a small window in the bedroom that had two screens and plastic slats across.
The animal had chewed through 3 of the slats and the screens to break in.
From the height and size of the hole I was guessing squirrel, though that didn’t explain the feathers on the floor.
On my way back out of the house I noticed a large nest in the bookcase.

In addition to my discovery, I had left my motel with a not-fully-charged cell phone (newbie mistake), and as I was outside still talking to my husband, I was notified I was loosing my battery.
I told Brad to phone Sam and have him come get me when he could, instead of waiting another hour, and just as I said his number I lost contact.
Here I was a 'Strong Independent Woman' scared out of my new home by a small animal, who I have no problem with outdoors!
I walked back down my driveway to wait, laughing at myself.

By the time I was picked up I was enlivened again by how lovely it is here.
I watched the Bay of Fundy from the road, and had about a dozen lovely Yellow Warblers (a new bird for me) feed from the tree I was standing under, coming close enough to see in full detail.
It was magical!

The next week was full of people coming to the property to work on making it our home.
I had a guy go through the house and remove the three nests he found, making sure there were no critters (dead or alive) left in the house.
He then helped me clean out the house of the items left behind and did some repairs.

The solar panels were installed, with the wind turbine needing a few weeks to complete.
This gave me partial electricity, through six plugs in the main room.

There seemed to be always something new to solve or some other job to hire someone for.
With delays being a regular thing, I took on Sam's phrase "It all takes time."
Going with the flow does make it easier on the stress level.

I also found out that the mover broke down in Edmonton, so there would be few extra days before my items would arrive.

And at the end of my first week there was my first hurricane to experience.
The Bay of Fundy was the 'path' expected, when I went to sleep the night before, but a weather system from Quebec nudged the hurricane slightly over and we got a few 'bucket' pours and then misty rain and winds for the rest of the day.
There was a sigh of relief from the local farmers, as some of the crops were not yet harvested!
I enjoyed listening to the Nova Scotia CBC Radio for their great coverage from people around the province, and how it was affecting them.

It cleared up for a bit in the afternoon, and I needed to get to the mall in the next town. A stronger cell phone was required out at our home, and the coming week was again busy with people at the house, so Saturday afternoon was my best time to go.
[They have an incredible public transit system here.
The buses run every two hours and go from town to town for only $3.50 (including transfers)!]
As I waited for the bus the winds picked up and it started to rain again.
When I got on the bus a few people gave me strange looks, and commented about being caught in the rain.
As I walked through the mall, I received some other looks, but didn't pay much attention...I was on a mission to get the phone and catch the next bus back.
The cutie sales girl was happy to talk with me and sell me the phone, and I didn't get anything 'strange' from her.
Why am I you telling these details?
When I got back to the motel and went into the bathroom I knew why...My hair was all wacked-out, and all I can say is I'm just happy there is no picture evidence, like Nick Nolte's!
Too funny!!

I'll be reporting further next time...

You can read more updates on my Facebook page and on Twitter, as I will post when I can.

Thanks for all the feedback and kind thoughts...I'm so glad to know you enjoy reading about this adventure!

Benita Skinner
Victoriana Quilt Designs

~~~

September 5, 2010

Part #1: The Train

It was decided it would work best if I went ahead of my husband to set up our new home, while he completed what needed doing in Tumbler Ridge.

With packing taking place up until the day I left, the last few weeks in my northern British Columbia home was a whirlwind.
The movers would be coming to the house the day after I started on the road.

The first leg of the trip was having a local resident drive me to the nearest town Chetwynd to catch a bus.
[My husband and I have not owned a car for 9 years, as it's a short bike ride to town, and Brad has been getting all of our needs with his bicycle year round (spiky tires make it a safe ride in winter).
We did have to occasionally pay someone local to drive us out of town. The government doesn't have any kind of bus/train service for residents to get out of town.]

I boarded a bus in Chetwynd that would take me to Prince George.
I have never seen a grizzly bear during my years hiking the forest where we lived, and I was hoping to spot one before leaving grizzly country, while I was travelling.
And all I can report about that is there was a large grizzly bear who ran across the highway and up the hill on my side of the bus...and for some reason, though looking out the window during the whole trip, I missed it!
I heard about it after it happened, and I'm still not sure how I didn't see him?

I stayed overnight in Prince George and enjoyed the first yummy take-out pizza I had in 9 years.

My train trip began the next morning travelling to Jasper National Park, where I would catch the cross-country train in two days.
This leg of the trip, going deeper into the Rocky Mountains, with the glorious Mount Robson, the largest mountain in the Rockies, had such magnificent views to look at along the way.

My two days in Jasper was lovely, with my favourite part being my morning coffee while watching the sunrise over the majestic mountains....Inspiringly Beautiful!!

The next leg of the train trip I treated myself to a cabin for one, and this was a terrific trip, with all my delicious meals included and a bed/room with a large window all to myself.
I spotted a lot of deer, including a sweet baby who was very curious about the train; a odd-looking donkey who was beige with brown circles around his eyes.
What made it even odder was that he just stood there watching the train and seemed to have endless forest around him, with no visible farm or home in sight!
I also got to see a pair of caribou with their full antlers, a bison farm, a baby black bear climbing up a tree, many beaver dams and the glorious orange full moon over Saskatchewan, during the whole night.

This leg of the trip was two and a half days and I then arrived in Toronto to change trains to Montreal in the morning, where I would catch a train later that day to my new province, Nova Scotia.
I also had a cabin for this last part of the train trip so I could get a good night sleep in a bed....and enjoy a very delicious lobster sandwich for lunch!

May I say that everyone should take a train trip across Canada as a great way to see this wonderful diverse country.
Thank you Via Rail for taking such good care of me!!!

I also met such wonderful people during this trip and Thank You All for making my trip so memorable.

I arrived in Halifax early in the evening of my 8th day of travelling in time to take my final bus to my new town of Middleton....in the Heart of the Annapolis Valley.

We purchased our home with no electricity or running water. We have a company set up to install solar panels & a wind turbine for our electricity...and then our satellite internet will be installed.

Until the house gets 'wired' my time on the internet will be sporadic...so answering emails will take longer than usual.

You can read more updates on my Facebook page and on Twitter, as I will post when I can.

Thanks for all the kind words & thoughts about my adventure!

Stay tuned for Part #2....

Benita Skinner
Victoriana Quilt Designs

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