an old-time summer day

The solstice has come and gone, all so fast somehow. Still, summer stretches out before us, and we intend to make the most of it. Yesterday we took another day trip out to Stewiack and back home along the eastern coast of the Minas Basin. My pictures are in no particular order today, except to tell a pastoral story...

This wonderful abandoned farm lays along the eastern shore of Minas Basin where so many houses are for sale. Too far from the "action", it requires a certain amount of self-reliance

 to live in so lonely a place.

So many of my pictures are taken from a moving vehicle hence the blurriness, but I find the composition of this one interesting.

Old farms are carved out of the heavily wooded countryside of Middle Stewiack.

 

We interrupted this lovely threesome during their midday munch.

 

Many of you may already know of my fascination with cows. They are truly exotic to me.

Such a massive, generally docile animal, they fascinate me.

 

This girl, in particular, was my companion for the few minutes spent with her.

 

She was curious about me too.

 

I felt so lucky to spend this little bit of time with her.

The fields of this area feel special somehow.

 

There is so much beauty upon closer inspection

 

an abandoned church in a hayfield

 

 

a barn, now a garage

 

a bench over-looking the Minas Basin at the Anthony Picnic Park

 

a magnificent Buttercup Meadow at the same park

 

In Upper Stewiack there is a little historical museum where vignettes of daily life, such as this kitchen, so cute it could be in a doll's house, are displayed throughout.  Wally got great help finding the location of his old Uncle Tom's wooded acreage. They even printed up some pictures of Uncle Tom for Wally. What a coup!

Great graphics on the old oven door from the kitchen above.

 

An old school photo, one of many in the collection, from 1951.

Isn't it great how the photographer made sure to put the boys with the striped shirts together in front!

 

and another from much earlier times

 

a school textbook

and my greatest score: the chance to photograph a collection of old children's playing cards.

 

I just love the wear and tear, the wrinkles and foxing, a term for the oxidation on paper.

 

and just as much I love the defacing of the pictures, coloured in and written on by little hands

These pen and ink reproductions are very much of their time and remind me of John Tenniel's illustrations for Alice in Wonderland

"where are your spectacles?" someone has written in pencil

 

Peace and Contentment.

 

There are so many more pictures to share with you. Perhaps another day.

Til then, please find time to commune with nature in your own way. You won't regret it.