March and April

March and April... months where I want it to be summer so badly. Every day when the sun is beating down on the car I am in I can almost imagine its hot outside, until I go outside.

The landscape is full of leftover snow, dead grass and is brown and sage green and grey. The trees are still lacking leaves or buds and even the evergreens look done with it all.
Snow flurries swirl around on the road. The air is biting cold still, and damp. The wind chill is not so bad as January but for some reason its too much to deal with now.

Its hard to imagine this province in the summer when the air is buzzing with crickets and birds and the highway shimmers with heat and surrounding trees are every colour green imaginable. Its hard to imagine that nature will ever be that vibrant again.

It sucking the enthusiasm right out of me... I really find these two months very very hard.

Scenic beach scenes

I love scenic photos. This is one I took when we were in AMI. I love it.

Taken with an android phone, no filter

6th Canniversary

It was our 6th Canniversary on March 12th. I partly cannot believe that 6 years has gone by and I partly feel like I have always lived here as its home to us. This is our normal.
People often ask me if we get to go home often and I always think, yes, every day. This is home.
I am really glad we feel that way because I honestly think that perspective helped in our settling in.

I was trying to figure out whats changed about me, from the UK me to the NS me and some of it is to do with growing older and some of it is to do with being immersed in this culture. Its easier to make a list so here goes:

• I am more open to helping people, strangers, friends, whoever needs it, if I can. I have always been helpful but used to hold back for fear of my offer of help being slapped down.
• I am less tolerant of some UK-isms that I see mainly on FB than I used to be. The term "jog on" is one that springs to mind that I dont care for.
• I dont seek the city life. Halifax is a small city and it has all I need. I have come to realise that whats taken from granted in the SE of England and thats not here isnt something I ever think about.
• Country music - love it.
• Animals - we had a cat and I didnt ever envisage my life with another horse. Now we have 2 dogs, 1 cat, 1 horse and another kitten on the way.
• A filter - in the UK filters are for the most part undetectable unless you are at work. In fact most people are prouder of their lack of filter than concerned by their level of rudeness. My filter is still developing but I am more aware of being considered rude than the whole 35 years I lived in England.
• Work life - I now use a variety of different terminology that I had never had on my radar before. Sadly I have dropped many British terms.
• Road trips - before moving to NS a three hour drive to Wales was only considered once a year due to the distance, now New York (13 hours away) is totally feasible and done successfully.
• Snow. I will drive in most road conditions now. I draw the line at lack of visibility but snow and ice on the road doesnt stop me.
• Size of house. Our 2500 square foot house blew me away initially, now its normal
• Pool and hot tub - considered something for the wealthy in my old English circles, these are completely for the average person where we live now.
• Big trucks, 18 wheelers carting logs up the highway - yep all normal.
• The coffee here - love it, drive with it, buy it for road trips, have it for breakfast.

Friday

On a plus point

• Its Friday and only a couple of hours away from being the weekend.
• Its daylight either end of the working day. Makes a huge difference to how I feel in the morning.
• I should soon see what impact a possible tax refund will make on our post holiday credit card debt.

On a low point (because there are always a few of them right :-) )

• Its freezing every single weekend. Of course. Its not during the week when I am at work but every weekend it goes there. Minus 25 windchill forecast for tomorrow so no riding for me, I like the skin on my face.
• To find out potential tax refund status I have to file said taxes, this weekend.

HAPPY FRIDAY Y'ALL!

Florida 2017 trip

So we did it, we went down South and we didnt go near the Florida Keys, not once. The purpose was to broaden our horizons by checking out the gulf cost. We started our time in Orlando and ended it there with the beach in between.
It was hard, and it was an expensive trip too which makes me sigh heavily as we are now in a period of austerity once more...

We went to Bahama Bay for 4 days, Anna Maria Island (hereon known as AMI) for a week and back to Bahama Bay for 4 days.
Bahama Bay highlights were me braving the Harry Potter ride at Universal (I faced the fear), Lily showing a really funny and sassy side which I adored, that wet ride that I forget the name of that we all got drenched on, getting to swim lengths every morning in a warm and peaceful pool and mermaid tales for the girls.
We went to Kennedy Space centre which was incredible and emotional for us all, especially seeing Atlantis.

AMI - well, what to say.
Pros: It had stunning sea colours at all times of the day with white white sand. The cottage we rented was adorable. I had some great walks with Chloe in the evening and some lovely walks by myself in the morning. I read alot. The restaurants serve really high end food there.

Cons: No snorkeling at all ( I still havent gotten over it frankly), loads of traffic and I mean loads, a sense of claustraphobia due to the intense traffic of vehicle and people variety and the closed in feel due to the width of the island and the proximity to the mainland.
Long restaurant waits due to the overpopulation of snotty seniors there.
Undertows in the ocean meaning the girls couldnt swim in the sea at all.
A cold pool at the rental and a cold hottub ( whats the point?!)

So for all of us, definately me, its a strong pull back to the Keys where bar t-shirts are worn everywhere and all you really need on top of one of those are shorts, snorkels, flipflops and a tattoo... I like the more laid back realness of it all..... I like snorkeling in warm, calm, shallow seas....

Oh and another lesson learned is that we no longer require a 14 day break, it was just too long away from everyday life. (And too darn expensive)

Some photos: