Nova Scotia

So, something we did last year - we went out east!  My first time ever, and hopefully not my last.

We went with the usual crew, Dodie, Myles, Carl, and Irene.  Travelling with this bunch is always easy and fun.  The guys shared the driving, while we ladies did our best with the navigation (not always completely successfully, but what's a tour without a few unintentional side-trips?).

Kind of unnverving, but just a truck being towed ahead of us.

We made an overnight stop in Edmundston on our way, as doing the whole trip in one day was just too taxing. The Quality Inn has a decent room price and a nice little pub/restaurant, with at least one amazing waitress.  Because it was our anniversary, Iain and I got the non-shared room.

 One thing about our group:  we are all likely to get up early and get going, so we have time for intentional side-trips as well.  We stopped in Nackawic to see the World's Largest Axe!

I made Dodie pose for this picture of her trying to grab the world's largest axe!  It didn't come off just right, though.

No stop is complete without a snack - Robin's Donuts provided yummy nourishment.

We finally arrived at the cottage in Bass River, N.S.  The cottage belongs to a family from Renfrew, friends of Dodie, who were kind enough to rent it to us for a week.  It's a lovely spot on the northeast shore of Cobequid Bay, which is inland from the Minas Basin.

The tide is out, which means there is lots of mud!

Here is a nice shot of the cottage.  The deck is perfect for martinis and relaxing!

The cottage is a family retreat, and you can see that some serious rock collecting has gone on over the years.

We actually did have very nice indoor plumbing, so this is just for fun.

Missing Onyx

It's hard to lose our friends.  We didn't have Onyx all that long, in people years; he came to live with us in 2010, when our friend Wendy passed suddenly.  He has been a joy to have here.  The house is empty without him, even though three cats still prowl the place; his personality filled any room he was in.  This picture really captures him in a typical stance, watching for something to happen that he could be involved in.

He was in his twelfth year, but one couldn't think of him as a senior cat - he was simply too lively and playful.  I guess it's not a bad age, but we certainly didn't expect to lose him yet.  So long, dear friend.  Thanks for all the snuggles.