My husband and I have recently left Moncton, (prior to that,Toronto) and are setting up camp in Nova Scotia. Moving here has been my dream for ten years, and I am so glad that it has come true at long last.
What a welcome we had, too. I just love arriving someplace new in June. The world seems at its most perfectly vibrant, with leaves newly burst forth and buds exploding into bloom at a dizzying pace. It seems as if the world is suddenly in a state of constant, frenzied renewal. There is a "now you see me, now you don't" aspect to every landscape; a perpetual fresh persepective on the same scene.
Fitting then that the first weekend that we had in the city, I awoke bright and early to head the the Brewery Farmer's Market. The oldest indoor farmer's market in North America, it currently is housed within the Keith's Brewery building. The first of the season's abundance was on offer. I left with a tote brimming with sugary-sweet baby carrots, deep ruby beets, blushing radishes, and pucker-up-tart rhubarb. And bread, oh, only the biggest fool would walk the halls of this glorious market and boast that they are "off carbs".
After stowing the heavily laden tote in my car (where it was resting quietly, enjoying "free weekend parking" - remember, I am from Toronto where this is completely unheard of!), I took myself for a slow, appreciative stroll through Halifax's Public Gardens. This is a truly magnificent place to rest awhile. The garden officially opened in 1867, and retains all the Victorian charm of that era. Footpaths wind around small still ponds; small stone bridges curve graceful over a small stream; benches are conveniently placed in just the right spot that you may stop and truly smell the roses, or azaleas, or hibiscus, poppies, lilacs, and whatever earthly delights await me as the seasons progess.
I breathe a deep happy sigh, everytime it occurs to me that after those ten long years of waiting for this move, I have finally arrived. I can't wait to discover what life has in store here.
