Today in Port Mouton -- Living off the Land

So, I was out foraging a bit yesterday. There are many many Amalanchier trees/bushes along the side of the road. Of course, I discover them while walking Andy. Nothing like a walk with the dog to help you see the world. You may know them by other names. Serviceberry. Saskatoon Berry. Juneberry. I'm going with Saskatoon Berry. The local population doesn't seem to know about them. So they don't have a name for them...

So I picked about 3 quarts (and am so glad that I was wearing insect repellent -- the mosquitoes were like a fog around me). All picked from one tree. Not to worry -- I left tons for the birds. I couldn't reach them, lol.

Then I sorted the berries....

and crushed the juicy ones.

And I put the less juicy ones in pans.

 

So I will have dried saskatoon berries! (taste like almonds)

And lots of jam! I was worried about all of those seeds. But I had some of the jam on toast, and the seeds aren't an issue at all. The jam is VERY sweet, but I can cut the sweetness by adding stewed rhubarb. (once the jar is opened).

 My neighbours brought over a bunch of rhubarb (mine isn't doing so well, while theirs is a gigantic patch :). So I made rhubarb concentrate -- a simple rhubarb syrup -- when mixed with Sprite it makes *the best punch ever*).  Left over from the concentrate is a whole pile of stewed rhubarb. So I froze it in little containers.

 

And look what are ripening now! Raspberries! I'm going to freeze these as I pick them so I will have enough for jam. I think that 2015 is the year of the jam.  (Ha! it is the Chinese year of the Ram. Ram, jam :)

Port Mouton in the Winter

Some people go away to the seaside in the winter. They usually go south :) Where it is warm. I go east. Where is is not warm.
But our house in Port Mouton is very cozy. Very hygge.
We spent a glorious week there.

Here we are on Day 2 -- at Carters Beach
(please click on these photos -- they look so much better when they are large!)

 (can you see that little cape islander? it is coming in from hauling lobsters!)

Our little bit of festive decor :)

We woke up one morning and the frost looked so beautiful. I ran outside in my pajamas to take these shots!  The pond. Hence "Pond House" or Pond Cottage (what do you think of Pond Cottage?)

If you want to see more of the fantastic beaches in the area, please go to Sara Harley's blog and visit her videos of the 12 Beaches of Christmas (you will have to scroll down a bit to find them at the end of 2014). They are all within a short drive of  us. And they all look (and sound) so different.

Next up : one more post about Nova Scotia -- and then onto some art! Yes, I still make art. I don't just collect art supplies.

Rowing on the Pond

It took all summer to get the rowboat on the pond. I didn't even get to row in it this year!
But Mr. B took my mom out on the last night that we were there.
That's the "pond" .  I would call it a lake :) But it is tidal (through the dyke adjacent to our property).

Isn't it beautiful?

For those of you who have asked where it is -- it is in Port Mouton, Nova Scotia. (claim to fame = Carters Beach)
A few miles "south" of Liverpool.
Or about 45 minutes south of Lunenburg , or an hour and a half south of Halifax :)

Arthur

That would be Hurricane Arthur - Tropical Storm Arthur - Post Tropical Storm Arthur - paid us a visit out here in the maritimes. We're on the South Shore - the southeast side of Nova Scotia , and we weren't hit as bad as the west side -- and New Brunswick.
 
However -- we woke up on Saturday morning with no power, so we've been puttering around waiting for the power to come back on. Back in Toronto, I have a gas stove -- so if the power goes off, I can still cook. Here.... Nothing. Severe caffeine withdrawal! At least chips and dip don't need cooking...... 

Here is my attempt at heating water over a candle (hey, it worked!)

And wow! That is some wind! I don't know how the leaves stay on the trees!
The rose petals have ALL  blow off of my rose bushes. Humph. My peonies are horizontal!!!
 
I didn't want to get into big painting projects until Mr. B had left, so I couldn't begin painting ( upcoming -- the living room ceiling and walls, then the mud porch)
 
So I've been reading. I just finished The Book Thief ( ripped m heart out!! - can't believe that this is a children's book!) now I'm onto Shauna Singh Baldwin's - The Tiger Claw -- set at the end of WWII. I'm only 27 pages in, so,not sure if it's as good as What the Body Remembers.

I'm also finishing ( knitting) a pair of socks and am about to start a new pair.
 
We've begun a new tradition here. Happy Hour! Snacks and libations on the sun porch! 

*** we finally got our power back at noon on Sunday ***
 

Bye for now, Nova Scotia

I didn't blog half as much this summer as I thought I would. Too much time up the ladders! Many people asked me if I had time to enjoy myself. Yes! All that time up on the ladders (outside) allowed me to be out in the beautiful seaside weather -- and to enjoy the fabulous views. I did finish painting pretty much all of the outside siding (except for the very top few feet of the peaks). The trim will be finished next year.

 

 

(almost done)

 (view from our front lawn)

 Mr B came back to NS in mid August and the Lovely Miss L and Mr Z came for a (too brief) visit. The day after they arrived my parents came! So my last few weeks in Nova Scotia were happily spent with family....

Reflections on the summer...

That Atlantic water is darn cold!  I didn't swim once! Next summer I WILL try to swim in the pond.

I'm sorry that I didn't get to spend more time getting to know the neighbours :( Next year, I will be a better neighbour :)

Tradespeople are SCARCE. Nothing got finished. Not. one. thing :) Sheesh.

I bought a little homemade rowboat at the end of the summer (actually, my mom went and finagled the final transaction). It was built by a man named... Squirrely.... I can't wait to buy oars next year and row it around the pond!!! We are having LOTS of fun coming up with a name. It is currently brown because it was made for duck hunting :) I'm not keeping it brown, because the only name that comes to mind for a brown boat is The Poop Deck....

My mom also found lots of furniture for me that I haven't even seen yet! (thanks mom)

And my dad did SO MUCH WORK. He wasn't supposed to. He completely cleaned the basement out (Z helped too!)... and tore the rotting front porch off and did so many other things after I left.... including shutting down the place for the winter. (thanks dad)

I'm really missing the Privateers Bounty flavour of ice cream..... (A black licorice ribbon, a sea salt caramel swirl and crunchy toffee pieces in rich vanilla ice cream).I wish that I could have brought home a gallon :)


But now I'm back in Toronto (aka The Centre of the Universe) again :)
Back to school has been great. My class is full of interesting characters this year! They'll keep me on my toes. Unfortunately, I came down with a cold last weekend, so I'm not in top form. And extra-unfortunately, I've been summoned for Jury Duty later this week. Ugh.

But for now I'm still dreaming of walking on the beach, while the water swirls around my toes....

 

And I'm singing this song......
(please click here go to Sara Harley's Blog to sing along with the G3s)