Passage View

2019-08-31.

Looking towards Halifax from the tip of McCormacks Beach in Eastern Passage. Purdy’s Wharf, Macdonald and Mackay Bridges, Tufts Cove Power Station, and the Imperial Oil Wharves are all visible.

The provincial park features a boardwalk to the small sandy beach, and sits right near Fisherman’s Cove, where Ezra got to meet a pirate.

This was outside a little cafe called Coffee, Tea, and Sea, which, interestingly, also featured Indonesian food on the menu. Definitely have to try lunch there some time.

Red Arrows and Rainbows

2019-08-12.

Busy sky over us on August 11th: first the Red Arrows (Canadian RAF Aerobatic team, kind of like the USA’s Blue Angels) flew over Halifax for an air show.

Later in the day storm clouds and sunset aligned to form a vivid rainbow in the eastern sky.

(Someone else’s video of the air show from the waterfront.)

Friendly Neighbour Cat

2019-08-04.

While we were out for a walk by Settle Lake a neighbour’s cat came out to meet us, all affectionate and nose-bumpy.

I couldn’t help comparing her to Pandora, though this one lacked the blue and green heterochromia so distinct to our old cat, and Pandora never really went outdoors.

QE and QM2

2019-07-30.

Cunard cruise ships Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary 2 did a formation cruise together out of Halifax Harbour, so we hustled down to the South End waterfront that evening to see both ships glide past, escorted by Theodore Too.

More photos of the QE and QM2 sailaway from Halifax.

Grand Time in NS

2019-07-20.

Some shots from my parents-in-law’s visit, their first trip to Nova Scotia. It was great to have them over to see our new Canadian home, and heartwarming to see how happy Ezra was to see Grandma and Grandpa for two weeks. We took them out to see some sights: Discovery Centre, Rainbow Haven Beach, Cole Harbour Heritage Farm, Fisherman’s Cove, and Atlantic Splash Adventure.

I was especially looking forward to seeing Atlantic Splash Adventure (formerly Atlantic Playland), a classic amusement park with rides, water slides, a haunted castle, and a Go-Kart track — and soon, a roller coaster acquired from New Jersey. Here was the view from the top of their ferris wheel, Big Ellie:

More in the growing photo album of our new life in Nova Scotia, just photos from Atlantic Splash Adventure, and a video of our visit to Atlantic Splash Adventure.

Bus and Beer at YHZ

2019-07-06.

I finally rode a Halifax bus, going to the airport to fetch my parents-in-law from a flight. For some reason trying a bus system in a new city always gives me a bit more anxiety than with rail-based transit — possibly because a bus requires more human contact. In any case it was trivial to drop coins in the box and request a transfer ticket from the bus driver, then transfer to a 320 bus at Dartmouth Bridge Terminal. Extra payment is needed boarding the 320: it’s a higher fare than the regular bus.

Their flight was delayed a couple of hours, which I was actually thankful about, as I could while away the time with PokemonGO, and try my first pint of that famous Halifax beer, Alexander Keith’s, with a plate of airport-priced wings, followed by my usual Tim’s Medium Regular, for wakefulness.

More on my parents-in-law’s visit to NS.

Ezra Update: 3 Years

2019-06-30.

At three years of age, Ezra can speak in complete sentences, do simple addition, count to four in French, walk a mile unaided, rebel against authority, formulate extremely rudimentary knock-knock jokes, and is now undergoing the rite of passage that is potty training. He enjoys watching Dora and Diesel Ducy and listening to The Kiboomers.

For his birthday weekend — his first birthday in Canada! — we went to the beach, where it was finally warm enough to sunbathe. The Atlantic water was rather frigid but he still enjoyed playing at the edge of the waves.

He also received his first backpack, a shout-out to Dora, and a promise of adventures to come.

Happy birthday, kid. You’re gonna go places.

Heritage Farm

2019-06-22.

Some shots from a visit to the Cole Harbour Heritage Farm Museum, a real live farm right down the road from us, with crops and animals and a historic house and a tearoom. We saw various animals, had lunch at the tearoom, and Ezra got to play a bit with some farm toys.

The sheep were extra woolly and due for a shearing the following week.

Adult and juvenile chickens looked at me inquisitively.

Me when there are people:

More photos from Cole Harbour Heritage Farm Museum here. It’s close by, so I think we’ll be going there a lot. Admissions are by voluntary donation.

Peggy’s Cove: Fish Hash and Lobster Paste

2019-05-26.

Spent a sunny, breezy Saturday morning at Peggy’s Cove so Amy and Ezra could see the historic lighthouse for the first time (I’d already been there last November), and explore the distinctive granite outcrops along the shore (staying off the black rocks, of course).

We had lunch at the Sou’Wester, where I tried some Nova Scotia fish hash with baked beans and green tomato chow. In a corner of the gift shop, a box of tomalley was for sale. I also picked up a Nova Scotia souvenir baseball for my collection, even though baseball is barely a thing around here.

Ended the day with some Dee Dee’s ice cream and a long look at the boulder-strewn landscape.

More photos from Peggy’s Cove here.

Carnival!

2019-05-21.

East Coast Amusements opened a traveling carnival in our neighbourhood for Victoria Day weekend, complete with rides and games and carnies, so we brought Ezra over so he could experience his first funfair, including his first ride on a ferris wheel (Expo Wheel) and a roller coaster (Orient Express), plus a run through the SpiderMan-themed obstacle course and a spin on the carousel.

Ezra even won an inflatable duck from the duck pond game.

More photos from our new life in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

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