dusk in hall's harbour

Hi again. Still culling photos from our quasi holiday with my friend Connie on her week's visit in early November. I say quasi because it really was a working holiday for Connie who had committed herself to helping us wade through old financial stuff that had paralyzed Wally and me.

One Sunday evening, we stole her away for a trip up over the North Mountain and down to Hall's Harbour, a trip that only takes us about 20 minutes.

The light was low, the tide was low, and the road was closed where we stopped on this quiet night.

Looking across the harbour you get a feel for the steep slope of the North Mountain

as it comes down to the Bay of Fundy.

A sailor's knot for a boat tied well below the pier.

We strike out across the pebbled inlet, Wally already walking back before I've begun to make it out.

Intrepid explorer that I am (ha ha) I wobble my way out along the shallow stream of outflowing tide, 

looking up at the pier on the opposite side.

At the end of it you can see the last bit of sunlight in the west,

and then it's gone, setting over New Brunswick.

Ahead of me, to the north across the bay is the other side of Nova Scotia.

To my right, some little houses lining the shore with their stairs to the beach.

Despite the brightening of this photo, it has become almost too dark to see, lights coming on automatically in the dusk. Connie and I head back up the shifting pebbles, careful not to fall. It's getting tricky.

A little boat on a trailer on the other pier that we cannot access tonight.

A parting shot of Connie on the curve down to the docks where the road was closed.

I think she enjoyed it though it was reminiscent of her world back in Ontario on Lake Huron.

Just as we were leaving, a little fishing boat was wending its way home.

And with that, my pictures of our first week of November are over. Connie left on the 7th, working up to the last minute to help us through a small mountain of paperwork, then gone like Santa Claus, into the dark Canadian sky. Of course we've talked many times since, but the visit, well, she was most welcome.

Friends. The embodiment of kindness.

Still, let us remember that the closest friend we have is ourselves, the one who keeps us on track.

Starting with that initiative we can make a better world for ourselves.

with peace in our hearts, releasing the troubles of the mind, we-

like a little fishing boat-

wend our way home

last friday in august

Friday from my little part of the world.

Nothing much has changed, though Wally is working like crazy organizing cars for the flight squadrons, crew and support staff who are performing at the air show in Greenwood this weekend.

Wally has free tickets but I won't join him as it truly is his thing and not mine.

a crystal and beach stones on a window sill

Muji watches me take the picture.

Then it's off to the front porch to check the mail. Yes, we still get home delivery here. Sweet.

The lilies are spent in the lily garden but the mallow keeps blooming.

Muji has been waiting for me to come in 

and then he hears Babu clunking around in the kitchen.

Could he be cleaning up?

Muji was once an outdoor cat and the world outside continues to hold great fascination for him.

He continues trying to make The Great Escape through the bathroom closet, kitchen cupboards and the basement door. Some things never change. 

This is where I left off this morning at the kitchen table.

My ancient box of Eagle Prismacolor coloured pencils is getting a good workout these days.

The Jane Davenport set lays to the left. It is also useful for its unusual colours.

I don't usually use a mechanical pencil but I've bee working on a sketch of Botticelli's Venus and finding this fine graphite easier to work with, easier to rub out with that school grade eraser that has worked amazingly well for me on the cheap paper of my little sketchbook.

a bunny sketch in Derwent Black pencil with that marvelous "light green" Prismacolor that fairly glows in the background

and that picture I showed you as a work in progress 2 days ago, now complete.

Done in coloured pencils with some fine Pitt pen outlining.

I played with a similar fantasy background in the fox picture I showed you earlier this week.

It's a fun way to fill in the background but this time I had to subdue it with sepia pencil because it competed with my main characters- hence the extra outlining as well to help bring the characters forward. I have no purpose in having them petition the cat with open bags. I call it Collecting.

The weekend is upon us. So is cooler weather. I hope yours is pleasantly spent.

in peace and presence my friends