Annapolis Valley
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Apple Picking Time in the Annapolis Valley
Updated Sept 3 2021 Now that strawberry picking season is over and blueberries will be finished before you know it-it’s apple picking time! It’s a favorite time of year for many.And why not? Enjoying the crisp clear fall air, biting into tart and juicy apple, the feeling of filling the larder for the winter…. In this post, I’m going to give you tips to make the most of this great fall activity, from the correct way to pick to choosing the best apples for cooking and for eating and finish off with a few Annapolis Valley U Picks for you to try. Full disclosure. I have picked apples. But not…
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3 Easy Trails in West Hants
Sometimes, you don’t want to struggle along a steep, rocky, long hike. Sometimes you just want a few kilometers outside in nature-I know I do, which is why I am sharing the information on these pretty easy trails in West Hants. Keep in mind, there are other great trails in West Hants, but today it’s gonna be these 3- Irishman’s Road, Smiley’s Provincial Park and the Salt Marsh Trail in Cheverie. Irishman’s Road Trail This is one of my oft used trails to take the dog walking and there are plenty of options for length. There are all well marked, but it’s best to familiarize yourself with the trail map…
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The Jodrey Trail, Blomindon Provincial Park in 2019
It’s been several decades since I hiked the Jodrey trail and all I remember about it was that it was muddy and steep. Guess what? it’s still steep. The trail climbs 190m winding through hardwood forests up, up and up! I know 190m is not much for the lot of you fit as a fiddle folk-but it is for me and it’s one of the reasons I wanted to try it again. Was it as hellish as I remembered? It wasn’t. Don’t get me wrong. The Jodrey Trail is no walk in the park. I was breathing pretty heavy way before I got to the top. But with age comes…
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Flounder Fishing in the Minas Basin
Most restaurants in Nova Scotia use haddock in their fish and chips but at home, I use flounder . My family heads out in Mid June to early July to Houston Beach (below Blomindon) to catch some for supper and some for winter provisions. Like all Bay of Fundy adventures, this one is tidal. (Find time times for Blomidon here) The plan is to wait for the tide to come in and lift us off the bottom, so with the help of a set of bicycle wheels set on an axle, we push- pull it down closer to the water line. Our crew usually tries to be there about 3…
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Hiking Up Moses Mountain
Update! Apparently someone has seen fit to remove both the flag at the trail head and the one at the top of the trail. Grr. I always pre-hike an unfamiliar trail in preparation for a guided trek, so we planned this hike on a beautiful sunny Sunday morning. This was attempt #2- we previously hiked what we thought was Moses Mountain-but nope. We are nothing if not stubborn,so today, through a somewhat circuitous route, we managed to drag ourselves to the top. How to Get There Take exit 5 from Highway 101, turn left from the off-ramp towards Windsor and then right on highway 1. Turn left onto Highway…
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Black Rock Fundy Shore Trail-A Hike Uncompleted
This blog allows me to impart information-I hope useful-to others and to report my successes and also those outings that were….let’s say less successful than I would like. A recent hike along the Black Rock Fundy Shore Trail was one of those outings. On a cool overcast May morning, we set out to do the 7.8 km Fundy Shore trail, starting from the Black Rock Community Centre. We weren’t newbies to the trail system; we’ve done shorter trails there before.But I have always wanted to do the one along the shore line. The community has done a wonderful job with trail upkeep and the Black Rock Fundy Shore trail is…
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Meandering to Meander River Falls
It was a perfect day to attempt to find the Meander River Falls-not too cold, not too hot, not raining and not icy,like the last attempt.. It was just right. Good thing too, because we spent an inordinate amount of time, while still heading in the general direction of where we thought the falls would be,climbing up and down the ravine in search of the trail.Great leg workout,though. There were sections that absolutely resembled a path where humans trod. Others I’m pretty sure were game trails…which we gamely followed. The path is clear once you step off the road, easily leading you to the falsehood that it will be that…
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Forest Lakes Trails -Hike to Cameron Lake
Don’t you love Facebook events? It’s an opportunity to find trails I would probably never know about. This was the case on a recent frosty Sunday when a couple of friends and I took advantage of a guided trail along the Forest Lakes Trail system in Ardoise. Forest Lakes is a country club with luxury seasonal and overnight housing rentals and real estate. Out of my price range ? Absolutely. No matter. The trails are open to everyone. I suspect this was a marketing maneuver to get people up close and personal with their property. And why not? But with my my less than stylish hiking gear-I was wearing my…
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Farmers Family Diner -A Restaurant Review
Farmer’s Family Diner in Aylesford is one of the places, well, you notice the sign but never have time to stop in. Well, this time we did stop in- better than making supper right? What caught our eye on the menu was the “Colossal Club Sandwich” Now, I don’t usually orders sandwiches and stuff like that in a restaurant-why would I, when I can easily make that at home? (Don’t ask me if I do make it at home.) But, well, “colossal” seemed to taunt us. We had to try it.We wanted to see if Farmer’s Family Diner can live up to it’s promise.. The club for one was about…
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10 Flower Gardens You Should Visit This Summer
Note: I would visit the Rhododendrons as soon as possible at the Kentville Research Station I scoff at the suggestion of having any kind of a green thumb-really I do. But for some strange reason, I feel compelled over the last several years to dig, plant and even-horrors! weed a bit of a flower garden. Why is this so shocking, you ask? I grew up on a farm.Need I really say anymore? But I will say more. My mother worked outside the home. My father was crippled with extreme arthritis .We gardened to sell produce and survive-long before farmer’s markets and U Picks were a staple in Nova Scotia. You…
