Bad, Bad Blogger!!

You know how you go into something with the best intentions, and things just almost immediately go pear-shaped. Well, that is pretty much what happened with this blog. I really did mean to share my enthusiasm and exuberance about my new locale with you on a regular basis, and then life got in the way, things got topsy-turvy, and the poor blog became very quickly, sadly neglected. But, I'm here to make amends. From here, I do truly mean to keep some sort of account of all the things to love about Halifax... well, the HRM really.

So, to bring you up to speed....

We bought a house. (Kinda explains all the topsy-turviness, doesn't it?) While it is not exactly in Halifax, it is still within the HRM. We are very fortunate to find ourselves a short and easy commute to work, all the urban charms of Halifax-proper, and to beaches and parks.

The last couple months have been spent making our house a proper home. Lots of little projects in the works. And now that spring is upon us, lots of hopes and dreams for the outdoors. I consider myself very fortunate. The previous owners seem to have had quiet green thumbs, and an apparent passion for gardening. As the weather turned warmed, and then cooler, and cold, and then warmer again, I have seen a vast transformation in the pockets of gardens tucked around the property. There are shoots and sprouts bursting through the cold soil - more everyday. Every morning I peer into the beds to see if anything new has decided to emerge, and hope that finally something will reveal its secret identity to me.

Yesterday, we went to the Halifax Home Show. Local gardening expert, Niki Jabour hosted a seminar on vegetable gardening in Nova Scotia. And, well, let's just say that my head is full to bursting with hopes and dreams for my own future gardens. Not knowing what to expect in the beds this year, I have committed myself to a summer of container gardening. I can reassess the situation as the season progresses. What really stunned me however, was the idea that Nova Scotia's climate is actually amenable to year-round vegetable gardening! Oh my!! Already I have projects in mind for my husband as plans for cold frames, and mini greenhouses crowd my head.

I must google Halifax Seed and make an excursion!

In the meantime, I have started from seed a selection lettuces, tomatoes, beans, peas, cucumbers, and Swiss chard. Morning glories have been added for a little charmed, decorative effect at the back of the property. This is my progress so far:

Mesclun planted less than a week ago.

Celebrating one Month!

My word how time does fly!

I can not believe that we have now been in our new home for a full month. So much has happened... except here on my poor blog. So let me catch things up a bit more fully over the next couple days.

Meanwhile, in a nutshell....
Sailors, beer, steaks, treks, beaches, and a giant spine!

Arrival

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.