Road trip

Helping Grandpa with the compost pile

 To suggest we went on a "road trip" this past week is actually kind of hilarious, as I feel like we have been in the middle of one crazy epic ongoing road trip since we left the Cape.  But on Wednesday, we packed up yet again, and left the farm for the sparkling shores of Nova Scotia.

Juniper and Dory

En route to Halifax, we made a very important pit stop in Sackville, NB, where Juniper had just spent the last couple of days with her aunt and uncle, Theresa and Scott. By all accounts, she had a whale of a time, and despite being incredibly trepidatious at first, she became fast friends with Theresa and Scott's new dog, Dory. We arrived just in time for lunch, and Juniper had spent the morning helping Theresa prepare food and setting up a restaurant, complete with handmade placemats, name tags, and a menu.

Carefully bringing out the food

Menu

The gang, reunited

To say our trip to Nova Scotia was a whirlwind is an understatement. We were there for only three full days, and it was so completely full of visits and appointments, there was no down time whatsoever. We didn't even get to tell some people that we would have dearly loved to see that we were there, let alone get the chance to poke around downtown Halifax.  Here are some of the things I managed to snap pictures of:

Our hosts!  Carroll and Stephen were so very gracious to host us while we were there, and had a house full of toys and good food and comfort. They also had the added bonus of a ridiculously cute granddaughter, Emmalyn, who would often stop by for some playtime. Both kids LOVED having a new playmate around.

Carroll and the kids

Stephen and Linden discussing life

Emmalyn, always full of smiles!

Thursday, (the morning after we landed in Halifax), we got up bright and early (so bright and early that I actually had to wake Juniper up), and headed for the Annapolis Valley for the day.  I had booked appointments for both kids with a fabulous osteopath who works in Kingsport, and then we met our dear friends Zsofi and Will, and their twins Eva and Sylvie, for a day of fun in and around the Valley.  

Revelling in the slime and sludge, post appointment

We spent morning in Wolfville, and then headed to a place called Ross Farms, which I had shockingly never been to.  It is a living museum of sorts - a farm preserved as it would have been back in the 1800s/early1900s, complete with people tending to the chores and animals and other daily tasks.  It was pretty fascinating, and a fabulous place for the kids to run around and explore.  Everyone was plum tuckered out by that evening!

Happy to be back with her buds

Eva, Sylvie, Juniper and Linden 

Posing in front of some echinacea post-lunch

Walking down some old train tracks in Wolfville

Flax drying at Ross Farms (I got to see the whole process of turning flax into linen, which was SO cool)

Visiting the GINORMOUS pigs.  Notice Juniper plugging her nose. 

One of the favourite stops: the old school house

Juniper trying out the tablet and graphite stick

Linden contemplating the old ways

Helping with some chores

Having spent a week on the farm, Linden figured he was the expert on all things hay-related, and moved some around this field a bit

Linden, Sylvie and Eva, carefully carrying feed for the geese and the ducks

Group shot before we parted ways

Other than our day in the Valley, the rest of our time in Halifax was spent flitting from one place to the next, visiting as many people as we could. This included, happily, all of Juniper's Halifax buddies, who she still counts among her best friends, two whole years later.

Juniper and Cheri (who runs the daycare Juniper used to go to)

The old gang! (and one new friend) l-r, back to front: Calla, Juniper, Ewan, Patrick, Aven, Linden, Jack

Juniper and Bella (with Linden photobombing in the back)

And that is all I can manage to post this morning! We are now back in Fredericton, and will be here until we head back home later this week.  We will be celebrating my mom's 65th birthday this evening, and there will no doubt be some other grand adventures before we go, so stay tuned!

Farm Life

The Richards Family Farmstead

This week, we have been lucky enough to have hunkered down at the Richards farm. Nestled along the St. John River, this farm has been in Clark's family for over 200 years, settled by loyalist Charles Richards in 1783. It changed hands again only relatively recently, when Bill and Barb (Clark's dad and stepmother) took it over from Clark's grandmother.  Though it is not being farmed as extensively as it was in previous years, Bill (in his "retirement"), (and with help from Barb) has taken to haying the fields, maintaining a large woodlot, and growing all sorts of delectable treats in a bountiful garden. It is truly one of the mostly beautiful, peaceful spots I have ever been.  It is also, as you will see, a very good spot to take photos!  

Playing in the fields of clover.

First things first, however.  Before we left Fredericton, we had yet another little birthday celebration for Juniper.  I had kind of thought that we were visiting New Brunswick late enough in the summer (and had celebrated thoroughly enough before we left), that there wouldn't be any real birthday celebrations once we got here. Clearly I was mistaken. Apparently, Juniper had called Deborah (Clark's mom) before we ever left the Cape, and put in a very specific order for a cake and a dinner when we got there.  Liz (Clark's sister), took on the cake, and Deborah and Yvon hosted the dinner.  In retrospect, it would have felt a little strange to not have a had at least a wee party in Fredericton.  Juniper knew what she was doing.

Liz (the talented cake creator), and Juniper pose before cutting into the cake

Juniper felt she was old enough to be in charge of doling out the cake pieces.  She took the job very seriously.

The next day, we packed up and headed off to the farm! Here are some highlights from the last week that we've been here:

Treasure Island:

Clark was telling Juniper months ago about the one of the particularly exciting bits of history from area around the farm: pirate treasure!  As legend has it, the infamous Captain William Kidd (1645-1701), buried some of his vast amounts of gold on Rocky Island - a small little piece of land directly across the river from the farm. There have been many people who have dug for fortunes on the island over the years - enough that it is still pock-marked by large holes.

A few weeks ago, Juniper informed Grandpa that she wanted to go look for it, and suggested that the reason no one had found the treasure was because they didn't have a map that had an X on it. Sound logic, right? When we arrived at the Farm, Grandpa produced an "old" map that he said he had found in the attic, detailing a trail leading from the beach on Rocky Island, with a clearly marked X and instructions to look under the "old pine tree".  The result?  We piled into the boat, equipped with the ancient map and a picnic, and became bonafide treasure hunters!

Linden securing the boat

Double-checking the details of the treasure map

The X!

Treasure box: Complete with a feather, an old skull (Dinosaur, Juniper speculated), ancient coins (pennies and nickels from the 1960s), an ancient letter opener, and a piece of paper that stated "Property of Captain Kidd, 1695"

An old treasure pit -- the island has pits like this scattered everywhere

Examining her loot back on board the boat

Garden Goodness:
One of the very best parts of the farm for Juniper (and the rest of us!) is the garden.  It is truly a treat this time of year, just bursting with vegetables for every meal of the day.  Juniper in particular, however, considers it her job to be a part of each harvest, and is super keen to put together salads, wash the veggies, and do whatever other garden vegetable-related jobs that need to happen.

Picking beans...

... and showing off the result!

Linden likes to pick the carrots (or whatever he deems to be carrots, including an entire bean bush, once)

The "tractor trike", used for transporting the various harvests

Friday in Saint John:
Friday was a rainy day on the farm, so we decided to head into town, hitting up the NB museum (which happened to be free, in celebration of Acadian Day!), Market Square, and wrapped it all up with a trip to the Nature Park.

Playing really big checkers at the museum 

The beach is still fun, even on rainy days!

Running down the Irving Nature Park boardwalk

Posing with Grandpa

Engrossed by the salt marsh water

Close-up cutie

I thought about photoshopping out that huge forehead bug-bite, but that is all a part of summer, I suppose!

Contemplating the joys of a beautiful hiking trail and a perfectly-size walking stick

Evening Family Photo Shoot:

After a fabulous family dinner on Saturday, the evening light in the field was just too good to pass up, so we headed out to take advantage by shooting some photos in the clover.

It was a bit windy, which kept the mosquitos away at least. Also, this was right before Linden took off running -- you can see he is poised and ready to bolt. (l-r: Theresa, Tara, Liz, Grandma (Barb), Grandpa (Bill), Brad, Clark). And Juniper and Linden in front, of course.

Siblings!

Spinning with Aunt Theresa

On Grandpa's lap

I just HAD to get him up on the woodpile for a shot.  He was a little more trepidatious than I had imagined!

Running through the windy fields

A fun game of some sort

Flying!

Lying down for a rest

More running through the fields.  It is endlessly entertaining, clearly

Miscellaneous Farm Fun:

There are currently no animals on the Richards farm, but it is only a short trip to go visit some other farms!

Juniper spent most of this little trip with her nose plugged :)

Tractor driving -- a favourite pass time

Seriously, though - is there anything better than being in the driver's seat of a real live tractor?

Reflections

Kite flying with Uncle Brad

Did you know kite flying could be this fun? It certainly can be, at least  on a windy day, in a field, with a stunt kite

Helping Clark re-launch the kite

Juniper's fancy new cash register from Grandma and Grandpa. It takes credit cards!

Looking for the perfect skipping rock

Pondering the calmness of the river before eating smores

More pondering

Hand-building with Saint John River clay

Scattered discard bricks from the old brick yard, made with the same clay.

Bonfire treats!

Off to the races!

A visit with Great-Grammy Betty

Testing Juniper's new weather station

Juniper helping Grandpa (a retired meteorologist, of course) with his new weather station

Playing in the sand pile on a rainy day

Hay wagon rides!

Headed to the barn with a full load

Airplanes in the clover

The beautiful St. John River...

... and the fun of swimming in it!

"over here, Linden!"

So... enough photos for one week?  If you made it this far, congratulations! Juniper left yesterday for a little solo visit with Theresa and Scott, and we are going to pick her up on Wednesday en route to Halifax, and then it is back to Fredericton.  I therefore anticipate a whole lot of photos and stories next week as well.  Stay tuned!