The Days Between

A winter storm arrived on Sunday morning.  In less than three hours, there was already a significant accumulation of snow, which continued to fall on Monday.  We set about digging ourselves out.

The snow on our side deck was quite deep.

Although this photo does not give a good perspective, it took about twenty minutes just to clear my car of the accumulated snow.

The house looks lie it did when we first viewed it last winter, although there is a lot more snow in the garden.

The plough had been down our street a couple of times, so the road was fairly clear and we were surprised when they came round to empty the green bins!

I love the beauty of the trees in winter, devoid of leave and dusted with snow.  After an hour of digging, I was ready to head indoors to dry out.  Thankfully, we have a small plough to tackle the larger part of the drive and only have to dig out the entrances and less accessible areas.

There is more snow in the forecast during the next few days, so we may not be finished yet.

Christmas Day Walk

Christmas Day was so mild and bright that it was far too good an opportunity to miss going for a walk and what better place to walk than the beach?

It was a beautiful day and we set out with eager anticipation of fresh air, exercise and sunshine.

Our only companion on the beach was this seagull.  

The sand stretched out in both directions.  We did not venture further than this point, as the channel was quite deep and fast moving.

This view along the beach shows how deserted it was on Christmas Day.  We had our walk before our Christmas dinner, as we had guests coming later in the afternoon.

The action of the waves carves and smooths the rocks.

The distant shore in this photograph is Cape Breton Island.

It was a refreshing change to escape for a while and enjoy the beauty of nature and the glorious weather.  It certainly gave us an appetite for Christmas dinner.

A Warm Christmas Welcome

I have been gone far longer than I intended, but it has been a very busy month.  Christmas Eve is upon us and I still haven't wrapped the presents, but I suppose Christmas will be here in a few hours ~ ready or not.  So feel free to drop by and wish us a Merry Christmas.

The tree is more or less done, though it took almost two weeks to find the time to decorate it.  We went and chose a tree together this year and selected a Fraser Fir, which is a beauty.

Our kitchen looks slightly different this year, as I'm limited in what I can hang, due to lack of window space in our new home.  There was room for this little festive display in the dining area.

And this sweet little nativity scene is a new addition to our tree.  So all that remains, aside from wrapping the presents, laying the table and some baking is to listen to the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols as the festivities begin.

Wishing you all a peaceful and joyous Christmas with those you love.

Christmas In Sherbrooke Village

Yesterday afternoon, we visited Sherbrooke Village.  It was cold but the sun shone for the short time that we wandered around after we had a Victorian afternoon tea.

Santa's laundry was drying on the line outside his workshop.

It looks like he arrived by boat as this one was nearby, complete with Christmas tree.

The old houses were all decked out for Christmas.  It looks magical after dark with all the lights, but we didn't manage to visit for the lights ceremony this year.

The icy wind coming off the Ocean meant that we cut our visit short.  After tea and a brief walk around, we headed for home, but it was a pleasant afternoon out.

The end of November marks the end of the NaBloPoMo challenge.  I haven't managed to post every day this month, though I did my best.  This is the first year that I've participated in the challenge, but failed to complete it.  Sometimes, life gets in the way of blogging.

Thought For The Day - Part Four

Advent

This Advent moon shines cold and clear,
These Advent nights are long;

Our lamps have burned year after year

And still their flame is strong.

Christina Rossetti

WI Fruitcake

I love fruitcake, so when I discovered this recipe to mark the Centenary of the Women's Institute, I had to try it.  

The cake was delicious - we had cut into it even before it was completely cooled.  I took this photo whilst it was hot out of the oven - it didn't last long!

Transplanting

We have been busy trying to tidy up the garden before the onset of winter, but time is rapidly running out.  One of the jobs was to move this holly bush, which was so close to the drive that it was going to be damaged in the event of heavy snowfall and ploughing.  It is now located closer to the house and seems quite perky after the soil was prepared with the addition of lots of compost.

Bulb planting has been underway for the last few weeks.  English Bluebells were the first bulbs to go in and are planted under the maple tree in the front garden.  There are still many daffodil bulbs to get in before the ground freezes, so I'm hoping to have them in by the end of this week.