For a while now our Lieutenant Governors have been doing a good job of opening Government House to all Nova Scotians. This afternoon was an excellent example, the annual Garden Party.  It has been happening for over 100 years, but until the last decade or so it was an invitation-only event. Now the LG and his wife "are… Read More

Have you been noticing all the rhododendrons blooming in front yards and back gardens?  We are coming to the end of the prime bloom season so now is the time to acknowledge their bright patches of over the top colour (don't make me remind you of the unbearable whiteness). We saw these specimens yesterday at the… Read More

Shelburne was an instant community (like Halifax and Louisbourg). One day it was wilderness and suddenly it had 10,000 residents and was the largest town in the east.  Of course this was in the 1780s,  when Loyalists left the revolting colonies to the south, and the town has never been as big since. For me the creation… Read More

Last weekend we were in Yarmouth. On the last few visits we've walked the Collins Heritage Conservation District to marvel at the big Victorian homes so this time it was interesting to take note of more modern architecture. Yarmouth is a special place and if you have never spent any time there you should make an… Read More

We have spend the last few days travelling in the southwest of the province.  Our goal was the NS Association of Garden Clubs convention in Yarmouth but we took our time going and coming. I will probably have some things to say about the communities we spent a little time in, but this post is… Read More

On Saturday I was transfixed when I opened Twitter and saw an amazing image of  of a team of oxen plowing a green field with the harbour and Halifax in the background. "So cool!" tweeted Mental Health NS and I agree. The oxen, Lion and Bright of course,  were there to break ground for the… Read More

In the Saturday Globe and Mail, the one section I'm sure to look at is Style (nicer paper).  A couple of weeks ago it was exciting to see a beautiful fly swatter on the cover. The story was about slow goods-top quality everyday objects that come with a story: the flap of the fly swatter is English bridle leather and… Read More

Do you have iron bridge experiences? Single lane, shakes when a vehicle crosses, transparent in the landscape. In the mid 70s I learned that the various styles of bridge trusses have names and started taking more notice and occasionally snapping a picture. Last evening I was reminded of these bridges when Small History NS tweeted an 1886 advertisement… Read More

Recently I wrote a blog about the charms of Annapolis Royal.  Some of you would be interested in what brought us to this tiny perfect town because it demonstrates how thoughtfully planned events can help our local economies. We are home gardeners and have been aware that for the past few years the Rare and Unusual Plant Sale has happened in Annapolis… Read More

Imagine my surprise to read in Halifax Examiner that editor Tim Bousquet feels that "any place with a horse fountain is all right by me." He had just discovered the famous horse trough in Milton (Yarmouth).  It felt like Tim had been reading my mail because the Yarmouth horse troughs were on my list of blog… Read More