deep draughts

"Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in. I drink at it; but while I drink I see the sandy bottom and detect how shallow it is. Its thin current slides away, but eternity remains. I would drink deeper; fish in the sky, whose bottom is pebbly with stars. I cannot count one. I know not the first letter of the alphabet. I have always been regretting that I was not as wise as the day I was born."

~ Henry David Thoreau, Chapter 2: "Where I Lived, and What I Lived for," Walden

There is so much to mull over on a birthday, no? I spent the latter part of the (Thursday) evening decorating the house a little for my birthday party, which will be tonight (Friday), and now the house is silent and I find myself unprepared for sleep. I am wide awake in a quiet house: TSO is at another house dogsitting and RugbyGirl is upstairs sleeping; even Bravo our cat is lurking around trying to find some entertainment in this waking time for us both.

At a little after midnight I rang in another birthday, celebrating with a glass of wine and a cigarette on our back porch, and found myself being mindful and thankful for so many things; thinking too of the passage of time and those we meet and sometimes take along with us on this journey. I sat outside on this dark night listening to the Farm noises around our home: the rushing water over stones and sandy stream bed; the gentle shifting of plant life with each hushed breath of the wind; the rustling of undergrowth as night creatures skittered about in search of dinner or adventures. In all of this I breathed such a sigh of contentment. Contentment for our sleepy community; its little successes and even its sometimes harsh reminders of the hard work we do; contentment for the ability to live in such a beautiful, bucolic place, where we can all feel so overwhelmingly sheltered and held and yet feel so safe and cozy and right in ourselves. And most of all, I thought of all the wonderful people I have had and still have in my life. So, I find myself on this, another birthday, the last of my twenties before I roll into those unknown thirties, really grateful.

all I want for my birthday

is this poster. HA HA HA!

ok, I'll stop bragging

It was gorgeous--PEI and Nova Scotia, I mean. Here are the last two pictures I wanted to share. The first is the Bay of Fundy, somewhere outside Alma, Nova Scotia. The second is in that same area, but is a view of the winding, uphill stretch of the Bay of Fundy Scenic Drive. It was such a beautiful road to be on to watch the sunset!

unrecognizable miracle

dying is fine) but Death   

?o 

baby 

i  

wouldn't like  

Death if Death 

were good: for  

when (instead of stopping to think) you  

begin to feel of it, dying 

's miraculous 

why? be  

cause dying is  

perfectly natural; perfectly 

putting 

it mildly lively (but  

Death  is strictly 

scientific 

& artificial &  

evil & legal)  we thank thee 

god 

almighty for dying 

(forgive us, o life! the sin of Death

e.e. cummings

Last week we watched as the 2nd anniversary of my 

Dad's death--two years!? Really? Where has the time 

gone--came and went and it was hard and there 

were tears and sadness, but also laughter and funny 

memories too. That's good. Death, like art, should 

imitate life sometimes, no? So, thought I would share 

this lovely e.e. cummings poem, as he is one of my 

favorites, and always has such insightful ways to make 

me think.

incommunicado

I have been so bad about writing and posting a couple more vacation trips, I attribute that to a few reasons:

• Everyone at the Farm has been sick, so I have been avoiding the germ ridden community computers (although now they have hand sanitizers) when at all possible
• My laptop could not hold the damn signal at the general store or library in town the other day so I gave up trying
• I have been in a funky mood and thought some time sans blogging might be good for me

But, good news! GREAT NEWS dear friends! We finally finally finally, after TSO struggling with stupid Verizon for over a month, have gotten our email which means our phone (through Vonage) will be working too. I realized two things during this time: 1. I have never felt so homesick before, since it felt so hard to actually talk to people, Facebook and emailing aside; an actual voice really does make all the difference. 2. While I have never had any problems with Verizon as far as my cell phone service has gone for the past whatever many years, they have been a total pain the ass to deal with out here in Sticksville, USA. I almost regretted even mentioning their name at all in this blog because they will now totally get ads posted on my page, but I would advise, dear readers, that if you live in a remote place Verizon will totally give you the run around and be a huge pain.

That is my service announcement for the day.

along the coast; the road home

And so as all travels must, ours came to an end Sunday morning, arriving back to the Farm at 4:30am after about 18 hours in the car on Saturday/Sunday. TSO suggested as we drive along the coast we try and go see the Hopewell Rocks; the huge rocks that at low tide stand as flower pots protruding from the sea, and at high tide are flower pots whose bottoms are covered by 50 feet or so of water. We got to the little town of Alma, where there is an entry to the Park, but were unable to find it, trying to follow these lighthouse signs, which we finally figured out weren't infact leading us to a lighthouse on the coast, but rather mark the Fundy Drive, the route that follows the coast. (Yes, it took us all day to figure this out--I just kept thinking that there were lighthouses tucked away out of our sight!!)

We were dissapointed to have missed the Hopewell Rocks, getting so close and not finding them, but I felt a little better today after looking at the website and realizing that the Park was already closed by the time we got there anyway. At least the drive all along the coast out to Moncton was AMAZING! There were some particularly gorgeous spots along the drive where the view was gorgeous and breathtaking, and as I told TSO, maybe the drive out there was also so that we could catch the awe inspiring sunset over the mountainous road back to New Brunswick.

Doing some reading today about the Hopewell Rocks, I felt I should share this cool little info:

• The tides at Hopewell Rocks "result from a combination of the gravitational force of the moon and the particular dimensions of the Bay of Fundy. Together, these factors influence the mighty tides of Fundy, creating the highest tides in the world."
• "At the Hopewell Rocks, sea levels rise, on average, between 32 and 46 feet (10 and 14 metres). The highest tide recorded was in the upper reaches of the bay (near Burnt Coat Head in Nova Scotia) where the tides can rise and fall over 50 feet (16 meters) in extreme circumstances. This is the average height of a four story apartment building.
  To compare, elsewhere in the world, an average tidal range is about 3 feet (one metre) or less."
• "This area was once a dry rift valley, but after the Ice Age, the valley filled with water, creating the Bay of Fundy. While rain and ice continue to erode from the top, the daily tidal action wears away at the bases of the cliffs and rock formations. One can clearly see how high the tides rise by looking at the narrow curved bases of the formations."
• "The native Mi'kmaq, who first knew the tides of the Bay of Fundy better than any, acknowledged and honoured this uniqueness by creating and passing on colourful legends to explain its mysteries. In ancient times, there were unfortunate Mi'kmaq who were enslaved by angry Whales living in the Bay. There came a time when some tried to escape their captors. They managed to flee as far as the beach, but were captured by the angry Whales, and turned to stone. Their images remain today, encased in rock."

This info was found at the above Hopewell Rocks link. Cool site. I feel like a bad Librarian for not researching Nova Scotia and PEI better before we went, but it felt kinda fun to fly by the seat of our pants on this vacation. PEI and Nova Scotia were beautiful, and I would like to go back and see those Hopewell Rocks one day, especially as they weren't too far away from the Farm!

More pics from the trip to follow...

change of itinerary

Last night I copied down directions (from Mapquest) to get us home from Truro, NS, where we were supposed to see the Bay of Fundy. And see it there we did. It was dissapointing--a ghetto view from behind a motel. So, TSO suggested we keep driving and head towards the towns that run alongside the Bay of Fundy. This has provided us with some breathtaking views and helped us find Mo's in Five Islands, NS. We are eating their awesome chowder (with fish, clams and scallops caught locally) and BLTs. SO GOOD! Come here if you are ever in the area!

We are going to change our route a little and once we cross back into Maine, head for the coast and follow it down which should allow us to see the Bay of Fundy on the Maine side.

It is beautiful here, even with the misting rain and though I am longing to sleep in my own bed, I love Nova Scotia. *sigh* So lovely here.

Peggy's Cove, NS

1. The SwissAir #111 crash memorial

2.-4. Peggy's Cove

Today TSO and I headed towards Peggy's Cove, stopping just outside the town to look at the Whalesback Memorial for the SwissAir flight #111, which crashed in 1998. It is amazing to look out at the ocean and think that this once held the wreckage of a plane crash, since as we looked out all we could see was beautiful, diamond-like sparkling waters.

Peggy's Cove is one of those absolutely lovely places that I fancy I will come across one day if ever I lose myself and magically pop out in a new world, sort of like Ewan MacGregor's character in Big Fish. I was more than just a bit surprised, however, that this scenic, little fishing town was so swarming with tourists so late in the season. Maybe it was that today was a particularly warm, sunny day in the midst of many cool and rainy days? I asked TSO where all the town people were hiding out, as it seemed all we saw were tourist--I definitely felt like Dorothy in Oz before the munchkins made their appearance! I will let these pics speak to the beauty of Peggy's Cove. Also, here are some cool facts we learned today from signs around town:

• Fish caught in this area tend to be of these varieties: Haddock, Herring, Cod, Pollock, Sole, Halibut, Tuna, Mackeral and Swordfish
• Occasionally leatherback turtles are scene in the Cove during the summer
• The gorgeous lighthouse also serves as the Post Office during the summer
• Lobsters are caught in traps with "kitchens" and "bedrooms." The food is kept in the "kitchen," and when they are done eating the bait the lobsters try and escape through the "bedroom," where they get trapped!
• In the early 1900s fisherman dynamited big rocks in the Cove making it more navigable. The big chunks of rocks blown away were towed away at higher tides by two ships towing the rocks along with huge chains
• Nowadays, fisherman in the area buy their nets, but most still know how to repair them by using a braiding needle and the lock knot sheet bend

Tomorrow TSO and I take leave of the Halifax area (and camping in the cold--last night was cold, though it stayed about 50 degrees Farenheit in our tent!) and head for the Bay of Fundy, which I think we will be seeing around the Truro area. Then from the Bay of Fundy we head home to MA.

woot to the Chief from Nova Scotia

"The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 is to be awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. The Committee has attached special importance to Obama's vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons.

Obama has as President created a new climate in international politics. Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play. Dialogue and negotiations are preferred as instruments for resolving even the most difficult international conflicts. The vision of a world free from nuclear arms has powerfully stimulated disarmament and arms control negotiations. Thanks to Obama's initiative, the USA is now playing a more constructive role in meeting the great climatic challenges the world is confronting. Democracy and human rights are to be strengthened.

Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future. His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population.

For 108 years, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has sought to stimulate precisely that international policy and those attitudes for which Obama is now the world's leading spokesman. The Committee endorses Obama's appeal that "Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges."
~ Oslo, October 9, 2009 This article and pictures found here.

While I think there were more worthy opponents for the Nobel Peace Prize, I am still very proud of Obama. This means you have much to live up to Mr. President!

NY TIMES Article here.

NPR Article here.

Pics of PEI and Nova Scotia

Pics:

One of the ocean views from Prince Edward Island.

Ferrying away from the Island.
One of the bizarre signs found in Canada...wtf?

TSO putting our tent together. Home for the next two nights!

camping...kinda

So, we're doing it. TSO and I are camping...kinda..."car camping," as M & N called it this past weekend. I mean is it real camping if you are simultaneously rubbing your cold nose, facebooking and writing a blog? Ok...umm...maybe not 100% real camping; but we are sleeping outside, in a tent that M & N let us borrow, in mummy bags which TSO provided, and we cooked over a fire: a tasty dinner of well done hotdogs and foil wrapped and roasted sweet corn and baked potatoes and slices of cheese. TSO made the comment of, "and we both work in kitchens!" but I was proud of our meal. It was better than the alternative: eating vinegar packets which I made TSO save from our ferry ride earlier this afternoon, "just in case of emergencies!"

This morning S took us to see the ocean before we left the lovely little town of Cardigan, PEI. The visit was per my request, as I heard so many good things of the ocean vistas of the island. It was cold and windy and a little rainy but gorgeous; there is something so intoxicating about the ocean: such fury which I have always been both in awe of and scared of too.

After S pointed us in the right direction, TSO and I were headed to catch the Wood Island Ferry to Nova Scotia. It was my first time on a ferry so I can only imagine the goofy grin I had on my face as I pulled my little Saturn aboard the ship and parked it on one of the lower decks behind a row of cars with license plates reading both the likes of Nova Scotia and Ohio. I goggled at everything and was pleased as punch to wander the different decks. For our lunch TSO and I shared poutine with our entrees--definitely something to try next time you find yourself in Nova Scotia.Then after lunch I stood on the deck enjoying the cold air and salt water smell of the ocean. I swear I must have been a sailor or Ahab in a former life; there is something so cradling and rocking in the ocean; a familiarity that is so comforting. Maybe it comes from the salt water in my blood, generations of sailors in my family...who knows, eh? (Canadian lingo, in case you were wondering).

After driving around in Nova Scotia, from Caribou to Dartmouth (where we got a little turned around), we finally came into Halifax. I am not sure what I was expecting, but this is not it. Or I don't think that I saw the Halifax I was expecting to see, at least not yet. Maybe our travels tomorrow may show me something exciting there? If we make it back there at all. I was telling TSO that I read of Peggy's Cove and would love to go and see this idyllic fishing village which is only 45 minutes away.

Well, it is holding at around 51 degrees in the tent, dropping from 52 degrees Farenheit. I know this because TSO has told me the tent temperature about 3 times now. Cold is cold and it's chilly in here, so I should sign off for now and get into my mummy bag.

three if by sea

Saw this picture and story on the front page of H & S's paper this morning, cool since we saw the three docked ships yesterday in Charlottetown:

Guardian photo by Brian McInnis
Thousands cruise into capital's port
LAURA YORKE
The Guardian

"A chilly and overcast day couldn’t dampen the spirits of the thousands of tourists that roamed the waterfront of Charlottetown Wednesday.
The Costa Atlantica, The Norwegian Jewel and the Maasdam docked at port while over 6,000 map-toting passengers, dwarfed by the monstrous vessels, set about their day’s itinerary.
This was the first time Charlottetown has had three cruise ships docked at the same time, said John Cudmore, CEO of Tourism Charlottetown and the P.E.I. Convention Partnership.
The three ships travel around the same areas and it just so happened that they were all headed for P.E.I. at the same time, he said. Including crew, almost 9,000 people were scheduled on the boats..." For the full story, click here.

P.E.I., eh?

The house is quiet. H, S and their daughter E are sleeping and TSO is now reading some depressing Flannery O'Connor book. Wanted to mention what we've done so far, though yesterday and today have been very low key.

Yesterday we drove from Massachusetts--leaving at 2am--to Cardigan, Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.), home of my friends H&S (and no, not home of those wonderful sweaters, don't worry I asked) . The roadtrip was fairly uneventful; there was no moose sightings, though signs in both Maine and New Brunswick had us on the lookout. It also must be said that in New Brunswick there is a sign on either side of the highway telling you to be on the lookout for moose in both French and English--TSO suggested that we look for moose speaking both languages, which is a great segue into the bizarreness that are road signs throughout New Brunswick and P.E.I. Reading said signs has been entertaining and I have made it my job on this trip to come up with the odd scenarios that these signs must be speaking about, as they can't feasibly mean anything reasonable. My favorite is the sign of a person next to a person on a bicycle next to an unmanned snowmobile. I think that the very-tired-at-the-time TSO was less entertained then me when I said that we "must be on the lookout for pedestrians being chased by stick figures on bikes being chased by unmanned snowmobiles." These things seem very funny after 3 hours of sleep and 14 hours in the car!

Last night after my friends arrived home and dinner had been eaten, we spent the evening chatting; talking about life at the Farm, people we (H, S and I) used to know through our old church, the state of politics in both the U.S.A. and Canada, etc. This morning--much rested--was spent driving around to a few points of interest with S; taking us through Cardigan and into Charlottetown, which H said is the largest city on the island and the capital of P.E.I. While in Charlottetown we were able to meet up with H for lunch and see the mall development project his engineering firm is working on; as well as to go to the Charlottetown Library for a bit. I love checking out other libraries.

Dinner and chatting again tonight, then saying goodbye to H as we headed to bed, since he is leaving for work before we wake up in the morning. And then tomorrow TSO and I are off for the next leg of the roadtripping journey. We head east to the ferry which will take us across to Nova Scotia and eventually continue heading south to the Halifax area and to my first (mis)adventures with camping. Wish me luck.

Oh, and this picture is of Mt. Kathadin in Maine. TSO and I stopped at a lookout--gorgeous!

P.E.I.

We made it.

T.S.O and I arrived yesterday afternoon to Prince Edward Island where we are staying with my friends H & S. Don't want to write much now as we are leaving them tomorrow to head--by ferry--to Nova Scotia, so should spend some time chatting and not in front of my laptop.

The 14.5 hr. drive up was beautiful; Maine is definitely vibrantly entering fall, as P.E.I. is slowly gathering momentum in their color change.

More soon...hopefully writing tomorrow from Nova Scotia! And will post picutres too.

joining the 21st century...against my will

The Farm joined Facebook.

Weird.

I was kinda digging our slight annonymity in the tech world.

Ah well, nothing last forever.

Seems strange to think that our old school Farm would ever make strides toward that kind of technology when so many things here change so slowly, and also since so many staff members here are of the "old guard," and refuse to get familiar with things like email.

Hmmm...I don't like it.

been a long time

TSO and I are taking a road trip/vacation of sorts--what?! A real roadtrip/vacation! I mean, I think so. Right?

• Going to a foreign country: Canada. Check.
• People who speak a different language: Canadian, eh? Check.
  
• Sightseeing: check.
• Carrying cameras and taking pictures of...things: Check.
  

Sounds good enough for me.

My friends' Hockey Guy and Wife (who I met while in undergrad) live on Hockey Guy's native island: Prince Edwards Island (PEI) and had thrown out a "come and visit some time, you'd love it," invite some time ago, so all of a sudden it sounded good and WHAM...I was going...kinda. The flights started at $700, so I thought if I could only find someone to go with me to help with the driving (it is about 13.5 hrs), I could go that route. It wasn't too much arm twisting (I hope...?) before roomie TSO agreed.

So, now...we are leaving in less than a week and have made some tenative plans of staying with Hockey Guy and Wife for a couple of nights, then moving on to the Halifax area for a couple of nights of camping. Totally excited about the camping, as I've never really camped before--weird, overnight Girl Scout "tenting out," in a mildewy tent in someones back field SOOO aside. Also, hoping to drive past the Bay of Fundy on our way back to the States.

This all sounds perfect.

• Time away from work: Check.
• Time away from home: Check.
• Hanging out with friends: Check.
• Seeing PEI and Nova Scotia, which I hear are gorgeous. Check.

The picture, found here, is of the Bay of Fundy.