Chit-Chat and Chinwags: October 2011

So here we are 5 weeks in the house. Settled in? Huh, where do I start. This is a little different for us this time. Most of our life ( excluding the Mexico blip ) we have had a business to run and this is what we thought we might do this time. However, we thought we would take a break and Stephen would get a job. (!) Just to ring the changes. You know what we're like? Yes, you probably spotted the emphasis on Stephen and not me in the 'getting a job' department ?

Garden view.

He's been joking for awhile now about not really being bothered about what he does. The days of striving for a career are gone he says and Stephen has never been a prestige kind of person so it looks like anything goes. Never the less job hunting again is a little daunting.It's been awhile, a long while. I think his best passing remark was that he would apply as a greeter at Walmart or maybe a job in Home depot. You might laugh? However I do have to say that I did draw the line at the Walmart greeter. Call it the snob in me? Yes it's the snob in me. Things have certainly changed since we (The Royal We ) last looked for a job. Looking for a job is definitely on line these days. You send in your C.V. ( Resume) on line and wait. In general employers don't even send out an electronic message to say that they have even received your application.You just have to wait until the closing date and hope you hear something.It's mind boggling just tapping in to these job search places. Theres monsterjobs.com or wowjobs.com, careerbeacon or jobpress so many yet they make it so frustrating.Whatever happened to good old fashioned job centres? Those nice places where you had a friendly chat ,to an actual ' person ' no kidding. This is the way it is I guess.

Oh, and don't be quick to laugh at the Home Depot job either. Apparently these jobs are much sort after. We spoke to one chap the other day who as it happens was from England originally, been here 34 years. He had owned his own businesses in the past and said that it was the best thing he ever did. He says ' I walk out of here on an evening and before I'm in my car work is forgotten' and' I earn more now than when I had my own business , plus I get paid for talking to people all day'. Maybe there's more to this type of job than meets the eye. Mmmm, 'Curiouser and Curiouser' cried Alice!

In the meantime.............

Yes we saw this snowblower advertised on Kijiji so we though we had better be prepared in plenty of time and seeing as I have seen snow falling already,none too soon methinks? It was interesting getting it home I might add.We still have the yellow banana ( not for much longer I hope) and I think that the 'banana' is probably not much bigger than the snowblower let alone how much this thing weighed. The whole of the car almost touched the ground when the snowblower was finally maneuvered into the back through the rear door. What a trip home that was. We couldn't even get it out of the car we had to get a neighbour to help. One way of meeting your neighbour I guess. Haven't seen him since mind or anyone else for that matter.

The 'garden' next. We have had some deliciously warm Autumnal days. Well, maybe not the last few days when it was absolutely chucking it down with rain but prior to that yes pretty nice.

Me cutting back something.
The land here is wet and boggy.I
haven't a clue what to do with it.
Come on English gardening gene kick in.

Now?....... neither of us are gardeners. My friend Jonna thinks that I must have the English Gardener gene lurking in me somewhere and I don't like to quash her well intended thoughts about me but ..... let me put it this way I am desperately
trying to cultivate the gene but as of yet
it's just not kicking in. I do actually like being in the fresh air but I'm more of a dig it out, cut it down kind of gardener myself. I like a messy garden the kind that looks like nature just took over and did a grand job. I am guessing that it doesn't happen that way and it all takes time and patience.Time I have. Patience? Er not so much.

Did I say already that there isn't any 'garden' as such.There is a grass mound which we affectionately call the burial mound because, well, that's what it looks like.It is actually where the septic field is so there isn't much we can do with it except leave it and mow it. We don't have a lawn mower at present so the grass is rather long.It will be covered in snow soon so who cares right? The rest is trees. Lots of trees. No shortage of a Christmas tree this year. We have christmas trees coming out of our Ying Yang.

Timbeeeeeerrrr.

We have been having great fun with the chain
saw. Lots of dead trees close to the house that need to come down. Some a little too close. Stephen 'Youtubed 'chopping down a tree which was informative but it's a little scarey the first time you do it. Was the cut in the right place? would it actually fall in the right direction? We had our fingers crossed on more than one occasion but it was great. We loved it.

Mount Uniacke Estate.

We have also been discovering the local area. I know I keep saying this but Nova Scotia really is beautiful. Mount Uniacke Estate is on our doorstep and have been back to visit a few times now.

It is an expansive country estate once owned by Irish born Attorney General Richard John Uniacke ( 1753- 1830 ) Built on the old stage coach road from Halifax to Windsor and was once a testimony to John Uniacke's wealth and personal achievement. The grounds of the estate were designed in the English landscape Garden style which was popular in the 1800s. A key feature of this style being the uninterrupted views which was unrivalled in it's day.

Martha lake

There are numerous trails on the estate and I think our aim is to cover them all ( several times no doubt) and of course the fact that there is a Tea Shop on site is a bonus. What's better than tea ( or coffee!) and pie after an energetic hike.