What I Did on My Summer Vacation (part 3)

After East Chezzetcook we went to Martinique. No silly, it's another beach in NS just a short drive away. It is a wonderful, long, sandy beach with lots of smooth pebbles to pick up. It was nearly empty too. This is a spot I will definitely come back to.

Wednesday, July 18

It was another beautiful day and since rain was forecast for Thursday we did a bit of spinning and then set out with a picnic lunch and headed for Clam Harbour. A pleasant 30-40 minute hike along the half dozen or so beaches and past wetlands and through woodlands and we arrived at the Devil's Oven. Sarah has some good photos over at her blog too. The water rushing into this deep crevice makes a loud booming sound, very much like the slamming of an oven door.

We found a good spot for our picnic (potato salad, salmon salad, and iced tea with mint and lemon) and then relaxed and admired the scenery. Some napped. Some knit.

Eventually we headed back to the car, stopping at one of the little crescent beaches where brave Leslie actually went for a swim. The next little beach had a lookout. Can you see him? I really need to get a camera with more zoom.

Thursday, July 19

My birthday dawned wet and misty. Breakfast was delicious scrambled eggs with fresh young puffballs that we found in the lawn the day before. Yum!

As we were finishing breakfast, The Guys arrived to do some rock work on the waterfront edge of Leslie's property.

It was fun to watch them. The Digger Guy perched precariously at the top of the bank.

The Big Guy was lucky to have some exposed rocks to stand on out in the water. From there he used hand signals to direct Digger Guy.

I'm pretty sure that last one meant "Just a hair to your left.". Or maybe it was "!@#$% bugs!".

Lucky for you (or there would be more pictures of digging) it started to rain and mosquitoes were eating me so I went off to the studio to spin up the pile of fibre I had carded the evening before. You can see it on the white chair behind me. It included some lovely, long silver New Zealand wool, mohair, and dog hair. There was also some merino roving and a batt that Leslie had prepared of white wool and bright metallic threads (hanging on the back of the chair). It was a full day of spinning. We also had a little fire in the wood stove to warm the place up a bit. It was great.

After a busy day of spinning we took our pre-dinner refreshments down the new rock steps to the new landing. Apparently I didn't take a photograph, possibly because I had a glass of champagne in one hand and a plate of nachos in my lap. I did, however manage to get a picture of a gull that wished me a very happy birthday and then happily ate every single nacho crumb that floated her way.

Birthday Gull

We then returned to the house where Leslie prepared the best birthday supper I've ever had. There were big, fresh - as in gathered only a few hours earlier from just across the bay - scallops. Pan seared with a light sauce that had just a hint of sherry. So. Succulent. A big thank you went to Leslie's neighbour Darren for those. And then there was dessert! Leslie made a fresh strawberry birthday pie. It had my favourite graham cracker crust and a cream cheesy layer at the bottom. Delicious it was.

Birthday Girl

The evening was passed happily knitting and chatting. Yes, I do still knit. Look.

The speckled socks are Koigu P701107, knit on 2.25 mm Crystal Palace bamboo dpns. I decided I liked the faux cuff appearance of the "wrong" side of the picot hem and wrapped-and-turned before picking up the edge so that it would end up on the right side. The little sock was made from the leftovers of the skein used to make the first big sock. There was plenty since I made the leg of the sock just long enough to come above my Chuck Taylor hi-tops. The little sock and second Koigu sock were knit during this trip to NS and the Opal (1432-16) sock was begun. The second one is on the needles and up to the gusset decreases. Yes, socks is all I've been up to as they make good travel and no-brainer vacation knitting.

Friday, July 20

I have no pictures from this day because I spent the whole day plying the stuff I spun the day before, and struggling to spin the merino. Tricky stuff that.

Saturday, July 21

For breakfast we had a reprise of the delicious pancakes we had had earlier in the week - spelt with wild strawberries and feta cheese (and maple syrup, of course). Sorry, all gobbled up with nary a picture taken. Then it was off to the studio for the final photo documentation. Here we are with the week's production.

And here is a better look (not too close) at my stuff, 403 g (14.2 oz) in total.

No, of course I didn't label them. But to the best of my recollection these were spun roughly in order from bottom right to top left. The bottom row is all wool of various sorts. In the top row the green (actually a green and white marl) is mohair; the plain pink and pink and grey marl are dog hair (so soft, like angora); the white and yellow is the wool/metallic plied with a strand of yellow mercerized cotton; and the dark brown is the merino.

And then it was time to go. Sarah kindly drove me to the train station in Halifax and on the way there I kindly navigated us to L.K. Yarns, mecca of all things Fleece Artist and Handmaiden. I managed to come away with only this sock yarn which was on sale!

Hmm. Red yarn. Whatever will I do with it?

And finally, a few fitting sunset photos taken from the train on the way back from the best birthday vacation ever yet.

Going,

going,

gone.