I’ve had this new house for a year, and done a lot to make it bearable, but there’s a lot still to do. It’s a good thing I’m stubborn. I posted a few before pictures under, “Barnesville.”

Henderson Falls

Depending on rainfall, this is spectacular,,, or not.  ^_^

Sussex Balloon Fair and The Albert County Fair

I went to a couple of fairs this year,,,, they were wonderful, but it was cloudy and overcast at Sussex, so few of my pictures of that were any good at all.

Labour Day Weekend

Wendy and I went over to Hopewell Rocks, and then we joined Ngaire, Peter and Michael and went to Nova Scotia to see the Mastodon Park, a point halfway between the north pole and the equator.

Summer 2012

I got more projects completed this summer than I have any year since I retired, and I had lots of company, so it’s been a great year.

Wendy was here for a couple of weeks, and helped get the first coat of paint on my dingy beige house,,,,,, it’s now sparkling white.

My friend Kathy’s husband Rick not only lent me their ladder, he bopped on up the thing and painted all the roof peaks, a chore I really was not looking forward to doing.

July 2012 Alana and her family finally visit Canada.

Alana, Jesse, CJ and Dee camped along the  way, stopped at Niagara Falls, and some of the Church’s historical sites along the way.

Then Jesse and CJ went to Boy Scout camp in Maine for a week, and finally  spent a few days in Kars before heading back to visit with Wendy, and then on to DC.

Alana and Dee spent the week Jesse and CJ were in camp, here in Kars, and Wendy came up for a couple of days somewhere in there.

It was a great holiday.

Still working on the deck.

Christmas 2011

I’m trying to get an extension built to the deck before winter weather sets in with a vengence. (Which should be any day now.)

I’ve really gotten quite a bit done if you consider that I’ve only owned this house 10 months. I’ve built a half wall dividing the kitchen from the living room, installed a dishwasher, painted about half the inside rooms, replaced and built a platform for the woodstove, and had the electric panel replaced with breakers, adding dedicated breakers for the major appliances.

You can see how the inside of the house turned out by clicking on the, “Kars, New Brunswick,” heading.

I spent American Thanksgiving in Maine with Wendy, and a few of the pictures above are of her place, all ready for the holidays, done under the watchful eye of her neighbour, Mr. Eagle..

Almost ready for Christmas 2010

Long Harbour has become home to a future nickel processing plant, and is turning into a bustling metropolis.

My dormer window, which once provided background music composed of the tide running on the beach below and the wind in the trees, now provides the steady beep beep beep of heavy equipment rolling over the hills.

The cave for my hermit’s soul has become a gold fish bowl.

My realtor has found a buyer for my house, and the escrow is scheduled to close on 5 January 2011.

I’m hoping to settle about two to three thousand kilometres west of here, within a couple of hours of the border with the United States. Of course, I’m also hoping to have lots of company when I get there, as I’m guessing I’ll be living just past the halfway point between Ontario and the ferry to Newfoundland,,,,,, a good spot to stop eh?

That area will eliminate the need for an extra four days traveling over and back from the island, a particularly difficult problem for my American friends and family.

All will be welcome. As they say here on the island, “Come and set a spell.”

Donna visits the island.

This has been a wonderful vacation. Donna and I went out to Gander to see their concert, with Rita and her sisters and their husbands.

The Masterless Men and Shanneyganock were featured performers.

We stopped and visited with Belle Jane and Diane before coming back.

We went to the Regatta on Wednesday, drove over to the Falls, and the Nature Park one day, and then spent the weekend in Bannerman Park at the Folk Festival. It was awesome. Great music, good food, and lots of chocolate from the Newfoundland Chocolate Company.

It was worth the drive to town just to see Brent’s face when we told him he was related to Ann,,,,,, ah the horror of it all.

We went on a whale-watching tour, and saw lots of birds, and more fog than we needed, but alas no whales.

We went over to Bunyan’s Cove to visit Barbara and her grandsons, and went off to see the Trinity Festival.

It was a great vacation summer, the best since I retired,,,,,,