Perfect!

"Don't let perfect be the enemy of good."

I've had several false starts on a second installment of this blog.  I first remember hearing the saying above about 15 or so years ago from a colleague. It describes me well. So here we go with a hodgepodge round-up of our travels and impressions over our first week in the Maritimes.

PART I

The people are very friendly and helpful.  The roads are in poor shape (except the main highways).  We're here about two weeks too soon, as many things are not open yet and the weather is generally chilly and windy, and often wet.  However, the upside to being here now is unfettered (mind you, at your own risk) access to the Hopewell Rocks and other lookouts, capes, lighthouses, and such...oh and lobster is in season and we're told this is when they are the tastiest...yum.

One very prominent aspect of our trip has been seafood. In fact, finding 'the best' seafood chowder has become an almost daily occupation. Everybody we met seems to have their favorite place and every place claims the title. We've tried many so far and the thing is, they've all been great - not one I'd throw back. 1st place for me though, goes to Dr. Garland Brooks' lobster bisque (yes, I know, not technically a chowder).

Lobster rolls, scallops, fish cakes, crab cakes, and mussels are also starting to come out of our ears, so much so that Trudy and I shared a clubhouse sandwich (gasp) for dinner last night. OK, Trudy did have scallops as an appetizer. We are slowly coming to terms with the East Coast pronunciation of scallops, i.e.'skullops' as opposed to 'skalips' from the West Coast. Trudy is doing better than I; osmosis me thinks.

Ian (L) & Angus (R)

On a more practical note, we had a nice visit to Halifax, the highlight of which was dinner and great conversation with Angus, an old high school friend from Ottawa, and his partner Garland, and their British bulldog Jemma in their beautiful, historic home.

It's amazing to me that 41 years have gone by since then and even more amazing to hear Angus' story between then and now - I had almost no idea!  That said, Angus seems to have really found a home in Halifax.

Noon Gun Crew - No Lives Were Lost!

One of the must-see things in Halifax is the Citadel. We spent several hours there walking the ramparts and exploring the inside of the fortress.  We took a tour of the guardhouse and other aspects of 'fort' life.  A particularly interesting part was witnessing the firing of the noon gun.

Shard from ship's hull found
3 km from explosion

Theodore!

The Maritime Museum turned out to be a great thing to do on a soggy day. 

There were lots of exhibits on the the maritime history of the area, including the Bluenose I and II, the Halifax Explosion, and the Titanic.  

Outside the Acadia lay at berth (but not open to the public)

I finally learned how to tell a schooner from a bark (barque) and just what the heck a frigate really is!  It's far more complicated than I knew!

Bonus - Theodore Tugboat and some of his friends were also on display!  

Our plans to take in local music were sidetracked by our need to cheer on the Jets at a local watering hole. We left Halifax a day sooner than originally planned to take advantage of good weather to visit Peggy's Cove and Lunenburg.




 End of Part I....stay tuned for Part II

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Who Knew?

Who knew preparing a house for sale after 31+ years would be so much work!?  We literally and figuratively are at Wits End.

Trudy and I have not been collectors of kitsch, not even borderline hoarders, so it is amazing just how much stuff we've accumulated over the years....and amazing how many little 'to do' list items there are when you start looking....maybe we shouldn't have looked!

One thing's for sure, we should have started this process a year ago, not six weeks ago!

Our frenetic and frustrating task is not without its quirky, funny moments: I clean up the garage and workshop, Trudy sees the open space as a good place to store packed boxes or put stuff she's not sure whether to keep, pack, donate, or toss.  I'm sure I'm just as guilty of the same sin - or other ones.  U

Preparing to move is akin to wallpapering together - highly not recommended.  Lots of stressful decisions, some which have to be deferred until nerves are calmed and sensibilities return.  Neither Trudy or I are particularly sentimental about things - our memories are good enough for us.  Thank goodness for that, otherwise we would be in even worse shape.  Still, there are some very hard decisions.

All of this is, of course, part of our plan for the next couple of years. Many of our friends wonder if we're serious about having no fixed address - we've asked ourselves that question over and over again and the answer has unwaveringly been 'yes'. Frankly, we're tired of the upkeep of a big house. We're not avid gardeners, carpenters, or anything else that would tie us to a property. We are avid travellers and lovers of music and culture in general, so it makes perfect sense to us to sell and go travelling for a couple of years.

Of course, I have to retire first. In that regard I'm wrapping up a couple of projects and tying up some loose ends at Carte with an expectation of being done at the end of the summer or maybe September.

But at this very moment Trudy and I are in the skies over New Hampshire on our way to Halifax to start a 3 week visit to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland - a sampler trip, if you will, for future, much longer, exploration of the Maritimes. Stay tuned.....

Bluto & Fifi