And we're back....

We arrived home yesterday afternoon - all my rug hooking supplies arrived safe and sound. Despite having a hardwood frame in my suitcase, it was not over weight. May I just say the Halifax airport has some of the best airport security I've ever seen - beats the pants out of Toronto.

First you have to go through a check in where they ask you if you have any liquids, aerosols or gels in your bag over 100ml. Of course, I answered no because I didn't have any - then it's through the xray machines where my birkenstocks caused some debate because they were going to make the alarm ring - they didn't. Then my carry on went through and it gets handed off to a security guy who looks me straight in the eye and says - Do you understand the rules? Do you understand that you cannot have any liquids, aerosols or gels over 100ml in your bag?

Of course, I understand the rules - there isn't anything like that in there? I say, with a touch of impatience.

Again he says, do you understand that you cannot have any liquids, aerosols or gelss over 100ml in your bag?

Yes! There isn't anything like that in there.

He goes about pulling out all the laptop, cell phone and ipod cords and then reaches in and pulls out my make up bag - and what do you think was in that bag? Shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, mousse and toothpaste - all of which go against the rules. I could have died - I completely forgot they were in there. Going to Nova Scotia they were packed in our checked our bags but coming home because of all the stuff I bought, it wouldn't fit. He looked at me all satisfied with himself and I said - I'm menopausal, I can hardly remember my own name sometimes so you can't expect me to remember what I put in my bag 2 hours ago. I then had to hand over all the offending items so I came home with no shampoo, no conditioner, no body lotion, no mousse and no toothpaste. However, my pointy sticks used for knitting didn't even raise an eyebrow. Not that I could have done much damage with bamboo needles. Lesson learned!

Peggy's Cove

Yesterday we drove to Peggy's Cove - we left Lunenburg with the weather all sunny and warm and found fog and cold when we arrived. Our first stop was the Memorial for Swiss Air Flight 111. It was so amazing - such a wonderful tribute to those that died and those that worked tirelessly to help.
Then it was on the Peggy's Cove - such a beautiful place. I've never seen anything like it. Here is the lighthouse which houses the post office - the only post office in the world in a lighthouse.
The lighthouse is completely surrounded by all these rocks which are actually glacial deposits. There's also a sign that says many sight seers have lost their lives to carelessness while wondering around on them. I didn't go too close.



I did go hooking - lots of fun! And one of my commenters knows me very well - there will be some rug hooking beginner kits coming to Pick Up Sticks!

I've been cheating.....

on my knitting - which you will see later in this post but first..... We are enjoying a wonderful week on the east coast in Nova Scotia. We've survived Hurricane Bill, which was actually a kind of non event where we are staying.


Here's my dad and Emma preparing for the storm - we had lots of wind and rain but not much else. By 3pm it was basically over for us although other parts of NS were hit much harder.

Yesterday we went for a drive to Annapolis Valley, primarily to go to Gaspereau Valley Fibers which is a fantastic yarn shop/farm. The shop is in a beautifully restored barn and we even got to meet the sheep that provide the fleece for their own line of yarn.

This is Willy who is by the far the friendliest on the farm and also provided for the knitting gifts I purchased.

Then we stopped for lunch at the Grand Pre Winery. It's absolutely spectacular and the lunch was excellent. We sat outside under the Pergola which is a wonderful flagstone patio covered by grape arbors.

And so now to the cheating.....well, um....I happened to wander into to a rug hooking studio in Mahone Bay called Emcompassing Designs and was extremely taken with everything in there.

Here is Christine (the owner) and Bonnie cutting the wool for the rug that I chose. I've also ordered a kit of Mahone Bay showing the Three Churches.

And this ....well this is my progress so far. I have to say I'm quite taken with this new craft.

And the cheating continues because tonight I'm going to the Hooking Night at the shop.
:)

There's Been Some Knitting...

Festivus Wrap from Sunflower Designs - 6 balls of Noro Silk Garden Lite.
Byzantine Wrap - again Sunflower Designs - 6 balls of Noro Silk Garden Lite. You can either use one color or two colors - I chose to use 2.
New purchase -Gateway Netbook with mobile internet. Now I can check email, read blogs, find yarn shops no matter where I am.

If you are wondering about the short, pointed comments, it's because I've been at this for hours. First I tried to write the post with Windows LiveWriter but it wouldn't publish the pictures - then I was trying to figure out how to adjust my picture size but it still wouldn't publish. Then I discovered that you can blog with Picasa - which is what I'm doing now - if this doesn't publish I'm done for today!

That was some storm.....

last night we must have been hit with the edge of a tornado because it was wild around here!

When everything settled - this is what we were left with:

We were blocked in and the road was impassable. It took until around 10 am this morning for the region to send tree removers - apparently, we were the least of the problems.

There was some chick who sat for 45 minutes, flapping her arms and complaining while the tree was being cut apart - she lives 2 driveways over - in all that time, she could have gone around, been home, had lunch and walked back to check on the progress. Another guy tried to drive past while one of the guys was in a cherry picker cutting the higher branches - he gave the workers the finger when he got yelled at to turn around. Another woman driving a big Beemer jumped out of the car in her tennis outfit and proceeded to walk right over to where there were falling branches from the chain saw to complain that she couldn't get through. Honestly.....some people - as if it's the tree removers fault that a tree was blown over and blocked the road. Patience, people, patience! We were the one whol couldn't get out of the driveway (Greg, Jeremy & Andy couldn't go to work lost and one doctor's appointment got cancelled) - we just waited patiently, offered cold drinks (it was stinking hot!), had fun with the kids watching all the goings on.

At least the horses enjoyed all that water! :)

There's been a bit of knitting, mostly preparing for the Knitter's Frolic in September in Kitchener - we will have two possibly three new sock yarns and tons of wonderful projects to highlight some of our best yarns!