houses of Mahone Bay part two- outskirts

What an odd week I'm having. The "lazy, crazy, hazy days of summer" do that to me, and I slow down to a crawl. Stuff gets done, but more drawn out somehow. I really should have posted yesterday as I haven't even reached our destination yet- Second Peninsula. Here, in the meantime, are more of the quaint old houses of dear old Nova Scotia.

You want day lilies? Flying the Canadian flag to the left and that of Nova Scotia to the right, 

this house was built in the 1920's judging from its style with a wrap around verandah for shaded summer living. Glorious!

This simple house with its outstanding shed dormer has added character with its old stone path, perennial gardens and, of course, that orange door.

This little honey with its steadfast symmetry has a froggy charm- so much character.

Unusually large, I'm guessing that the back is a more recent addition. With porches on each level but the top, it looks like a house made for big family living.

Just outside of town, this quaint, refurbished fisherman's cottage lays on a narrow strip between the road and the ocean, its gardens extending to either side.

Clearly, people are anxious to live here and the modern renovations can be quite extensive.

But then you find an old charmer like this with nothing but the windows and doors updated.

Now we are more rural as we can see by the pasture to the left. The road from Mahone Bay to Lunenburg is only 10 kilometres (a little over 6 miles). Clearly some people love their privacy.

It's rare to find a coastal town as level as Mahone Bay, but here on the outskirts, the hills can get pretty steep. This old pyramid roof home, similar to ours but so much more gracious with its open porch, has stepped front lawns for easier management. It appears to have a back addition making it a rather grand home, set so high and clearly well-maintained.

This house almost appears to have had and earthen platform made for it to perch so precariously on yet another stepped hill. To keep folks from driving on the new driveway, what else? A lobster trap.

Here's a sweetie with a side addition.

This is what I like to call a captain's house though, of course, I have no idea who it was built or originally. I'm pretty sure, however, that it was built in the 1800's

I will wind up here at this barn shaped house with its shed dormer and symmetrical windows.

I love a side approach driveway that leaves an expanse of lawn in front of a home. Very classy.

And yes, I have been drawing. I hesitated to share this as it is so typical of the work from my past.

I made this on Friday during that burn out when I was feeling quite uninspired, hence the "old horse" plodding its old course, or as a onetime friend used to say, "When in stress, regress".

Well, I've since thought better of it, having added some white for contrast.

This close up shows the shine of the gold Sharpie pen I used plus the sheen of the wax pencil crayons. It was a pleasant distraction.

These lazy summer days are bringing in less viewers just at a time when my creative habit is taking off. I am so grateful to those of you who care to keep dropping by. My statistics show faithful viewers from Romania, the States (as we say here in Canada), Canada, France and Germany. It's not easy to distinguish the "bots" statistics from the truly interested sometimes. Bots are automated hits from sites that are hoping you'll link back to them. I learned my lesson after hitting a few graphic sex sites, hardly the thing I want to view over "tea and crumpets" (that's how I see myself in my sheltered little life  haha)

Do enjoy this precious day wherever you are

We are so lucky in so many ways

The trick to keeping that focus is

Conscious Presence and Gratitude.