Thursday 1 December 2011

Friendly folks and meeting more neighbors

This is going back a couple weeks, but on Nov 11th, while Laura and I were in New Germany participating in the Remembrance Day ceremonies, following tradition we went to the local legion and were quickly embraced into the community. I have to say New Germany and area has some of the most welcoming and friendly folks I have met. We filled out or membership application, and will soon be the newest members of the New Germany Legion.

We are very happy we have decided to settle in this part of Nova Scotia.

Monday 28 November 2011

Weekend wrap up

So, I tagged out last weekend and have some venison for the freezer, I won't post pictures of that, but I will say Laura was a champ. She helped track and blood spot, and once we found the deer, she held the leg for me while I did the gutting. It's a great start for her if she is going to take to the woods next fall and try for her own deer.

More importantly, I finally had some non raccoon action on my trail cam. So far the buggers have hauled of or eaten about 200 lbs of apples, yet finally a couple days before the big 1st snow fall, these little fellas showed up.

Good to see.




Have a great week.

Monday 7 November 2011

Weekend Snapshots

Since Laura and I are pretty much only spending weekends at the Homestead, I won't have as much to post as if I was full time, had livestock or a big garden and greenhouse. However I will try to keep updates with some pics, hunting stories and etc. So, lets begin with a few of the animals. The cottage is a fun place for the animals, but it wipes them out and they always end up in the "crashed position".







Here is Laura's "Thirty Something" birthday present, ya that's right, its a Savage .243 for deer hunting next year!

Here she is mowing the lawn while I keep the dogs entertained and her beer cold.


And me and the beginning of my little orchard.

Monday 26 September 2011

The Reno's Continue

So, we got the house barn and property for a song, BUT the house was built in the 20's, there is some odd old world German building design in the house. The roof has been reshingled, I fixed up the eaves, and the new windows and doors are in. I have to do the inside trim, and fix the brutal instal of the new back door.

Also, I had an electrician in, and got an amazing quote, if his work is a good as I expect it to be, I will not have any problem recommending him. 

After the electrical is done Laura and I can get on with the reno's we want to do, like making the wood burning oven more efficient. It only currently heats the tiny kitchen and I want it to heat the majority of the house so I can severely reduce the amount of oil we are burning each winter.

My new buddy Larry burns big logs in a home heating system and has offered me his ends. This is perfect because the logs I need are much much smaller than he can use. It's a great deal.

Thursday 22 September 2011

Summer turns to fall...

I have been extrordinarliy negligent of keep this fledgling Blog updated, but with the Autumn Equinox just around the corner, specifically summer ends on Spetember 23rd at 0914 HRS. Check The Hearth page for my planned Fall Equinox Menu.

So in the past few weeks we have installed a new roof, all new windows, a new back door, took down a wall upstairs to make the second floor one big bedroom, a small guest room and bathroom. Laura mowed the meadow several times, she loves the tractor especially if I bring her beer.

We planted our small orchard, just three tree's but we have an eating apple Trent a pie and cider apple Northern Spy and a supposedly hardy Sweet Stella Cherry Tree.

I caught several Bass in our small Creek, a couple very nice Brook Trout and I bought a gold panning kit. I have found lots of fools gold, but nothing valuable..............yet!

I decided to call the beaver "Justin" (I know very original Justin Beaver), but I had to name him something that would make me less likely to feel emotionally attached just on the off chance I have to go all Soprano's on him. He might end up "sleeping with the fishes" if he makes his dam any bigger.

I also bought an air compressor, Mig welder and a few other things to make my life easier around the homestead.

Oh, and I am picking up an awesome tow behind post hole auger with 6", 9" and 12" augers and a 5.5 HP Honda motor. It will be nice to get some fencing up next spring.

Saturday 20 August 2011

First night on the homestead

Well really it's just a cottage now, but it's ours! We got the keys yesterday afternoon, then proceeded to triple Bridgewaters economic gain as we "stocked up"! Now I Need to work another two years to make up for it before I retire! Not really, but we did spend a truck load of cash (not all of which was in the tackle section of Canadian Tire).

The little creek that runs along my property line has a lot of little fish, but nothing more than about six inches, good thing the Lahave is only a couple hundred yards away. I do think I am going to have issues with Mr. Beaver. I found a newly downed tree this morning and the culprit was certain if he kept slapping his tail on the water I would go away. It's a bit frustrating because I can't afford to lose any of my precious meadow, especially since we paid extra to get it added to the property. I guess I may have to deal with the problem before the creek has no trees left, and I have no meadow left. Sorry beaver. Why can't we all just get along? Maybe I will try reasoning with him.

I did clean the wood stove, it is a Fawcett Jett model 715 it is in great condition but filthy, so it was an hour of soot, ash and crud for me. All while Laura and her posse slept! Once I pry the kitchen windows open I will spark it up. Hopefully the chimney is not too fouled.

Anyways it's a day of messing about, and checking out local markets before our first guests arrive for a fire, fishing and maybe a couple beer. I wonder if they know I have plans to put them to work?

Sunday 26 June 2011

In the begining.....


......There was "The Salt Box" house.


The Salt Box, apparently the name of this style of house, tall and skinny (unlike me) like a salt box.

This was the nickname we gave the property so we had an easy way to remember and differentiate all the properties we looked at. There was The School House, The Sheep Farm, The Salt Box, and several others. The search turned out to be an often stressful and annoyance filled process of searching for, and purchasing what we hope will be our dream "retirement" home. I use the term retirement, because we plan on turning our little acreage into as true a homestead as possible, and become as self sufficient as possible.

Laura and I have not purchased a house in about 10 years, choosing to live in military housing since we moved so often, across several provinces and commonly with only a month or two notice. Now that my military career is nearing an end, we decided it was time to find a place to settle. We love Nova Scotia, and acreages are plentiful and inexpensive..........if you're willing, and are able to put in the time, effort and cash to do some reno's. For under $100k it's possible to find your paradise. Not to many places that can be said about.

So it begins, the first things to be done you may ask? PAINT! Although the colour of the house is somewhat fitting of the name we have chosen for our slice of paradise, the green has got to go. At least on the house.  We have chosen a vibrant, rich celestial yellow with white trim for the house, barn and future outbuildings. Also all the windows and roof will be replaced, after which I can get to doing the interior reno's. Should be fun!