Day 137 - Happy Halloween!

Pumpkin carving by my friend Shelly.

Day 136 - Brrrr

Brrrr. Chilly this morning. Window scraping brought to you by the Chubb Card.

Day 135 - Sunrise George's Island

This morning before work I took another stroll along the waterfront. This time of year is perfect timing for sunrise. Not too early, not too late.

Day 134 - Sunrise Pier 21

I enjoyed my first morning coffee watching the sun come up near Pier 21 on the Halifax Waterfront.

Day 133 - The church that was built in a day

This small chapel on the corner of South and South Park is know locally as the "church that was built in a day" for the reason that it was entirely built on August 31, 1843, thanks to nearly 2,000 volunteers who gathered to erect the chapel. Formally known as Our Lady of Sorrows Chapel, this chapel is located in Holy Cross Cemetery, Halifax's first Catholic cemetery. Why they decided to construct this chapel in a day? Who knows. But you can read an accounting of the construction here.

Day 132 - Door

The painted door by the Black Market looks like ugly 70s wrapping paper. But it appeals to me in an odd way. Maybe I received a birthday present when I was five that had this pattern.

Day 131 - The Ladybug returns

On Sunday morning, the day of my aunt's funeral, there were lady bugs everywhere. They were on our clothes, in the girls hair, on the cars, on windows. At first I was annoyed but then realized, they are typically considered a sign of trust, good fortune and love. They are a symbol of the soul and in some divinities play the role of messengers of god. So it was lovely and fitting to see their abundance on this day.

Day 130 - Reducing flyers and junk mail

Junk mail drives me nuts. I know some people like their flyers and all, but come on. Nearly half the stuff never gets opened and only around one fifth gets recycled. To me it is an unnecessary waste of Canada's boreal forest.

The problem is, how to make it stop? My method involved telling the kid who threw the stuff on my step to stop and he did. Other ideas are welcome. Do the 'no flyer' signs actually work? Should we be lobbying for a 'do not junk' list similar to the 'do not call' registry? Personally I think that lowering the demand for printing by limiting prints to only those who want them in the first place makes sense.

Day 129 - Mysterious gravestone carving Old Burying Ground

This is a carving of a gravestone in the Old Burying Ground. The engraving is quite unique and difficult to place. Two symbols are familiar - the hourglass counts down the passage of time while the skeleton represents death. But the person with the crazy hair blowing the ancient long horn that sits atop the head of a sitting figure...what is up with that? Announcing the arrival of death? Was the person buried here a musician? It is a bit of a head scratcher. I am not sure what style the carving is but it is very much out of place amongst the rest of the graves in the cemetery. Anyhow, off to New Glasgow for the weekend, will not be posting again until Monday.

Day 128 - Front nine mulligan

I didn't pick up the camera today so I'm calling a mulligan. This is a shot that I took a few weeks ago, which was second fiddle at the time but has grown on me. Will try and get out again after this weekend.

Day 127 - In loving memory

Today was a sad day for me. My aunt Melda MacGregor passed away this morning. I have such fond memories of her growing up. She taught me there is nothing that can't be achieved when someone believes in you, laugh often and love much, and always keep your family close. She was a special woman and will be dearly missed.

Day 126 - Peggy's Cove revisited

I took another drive out to Peggy's Cove tonight. There was more action in the clouds this time around and hardly anyone there, which made for an enjoyable, relaxing shoot.

Day 125 - Me

I didn't have anything inspirational to shoot today so I resorted to the old mirror shot stand by.

Day 124 - Ducks in heart-shaped pond

Enjoyed a nice walk in Hemlock Ravine today. There were nice fall colours and soothing sounds of a babbling brook along the ravine. The walk is so much more calming than the dogs gone wild madness of Point Pleasant Park.

The pond was originally the hangout of Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent and his mistress, Madame de St. Laurent, who lived at Prince's Lodge from 1794 to 1800. The pond was reshaped into a heart when the Duke's grandson, Prince Arthur, visited Halifax in 1869.

Day 123 - Nocturne

Nocturne was a blend of art, theater, busking, learning and plenty of head scratching. Regardless of your tastes there was something of interest at every turn. It was certainly good to see Barrington Street filled with people for a change.

Day 122 - First day turning on the heat

Day 121 - Fall Leaf

Day 120 - Fenwick

On my way to a meeting today I grabbed this quick shot of Fenwick Towers with my Iphone. I shot it again later over lunch with my 5D but the lighting had changed and I did not like it as much. So I went with the camera phone pic. Huh.

Day 119 - Pumpkins for sale

Thanksgiving is over, next up Halloween. I am not a very good pumpkin carver myself but if anyone thinks they've got the magic touch for a gruesome, scary design I would love to photograph your completed work for Halloween. DM me if you come up with a masterpiece.

Day 118 - Shubie Tree

This tree outside Shubenacadie is one of the most famous trees in the province. I've driven past it along the highway many times and decided to finally stop and take a pic.

Day 117 - Black Point

We spent Thanksgiving weekend at Black Point outside New Glasgow. This point has always been a source of peace for me and it was nice to see the return of the sun.

Day 116 - Thanksgiving Preparation, St. John's Cathedral

To get out of the rain I checked out the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. The oldest Parish in Canada, this church has plenty of treasures hidden within and a rich history. I arrived Saturday morning to congregation volunteers preparing the church for Thanksgiving service. The ladies and gentlemen of the church took turns showing me around while I snapped photos.

Day 115 - Cape Spear

After our conference finished I hitched a ride out to Cape Spear. It was so windy and raining so hard I barely made it out of the car.

Day 114 - Row houses along hillside

The City of St. John's offers many colourful wooden row houses built along the hillside.

Day 113 - Quidi Vidi

Quidi Vidi is a small fishing village that offers a pretty walk around and chance to check out the Quidi Vidi Brewing Company.

Day 112 - Yard Art, Junk or Protest?

Some houses in St. John's display such odd decorating choices you have to wonder: is it art? Or junk? Is the occupant extending a middle finger in some manner of protest?

Day 111 - Outer Battery, St. John's

I had a great week in St. John's although the weather was miserable. Breaks in hard rain and fog were rare. On my arrival day I managed to check out the Outer Battery and the initial part of the Northhead Trail. This walk reveals houses carved into the steep slopes of Signal Hill, unique folk yard art and people hanging out their windows, sipping coffee, watching tourists pass. I heard the city provides funding to local residents to compensate for the flow of tourists crawling over their property though I have no confirmation of this. Some properties are well kept, others are in disrepair and still others are downright whimsical. Regardless, walking along Fort Waldegrave Path and Battery Road for the first time is a surreal experience you will not soon forget.

Day 110 - Northumberland Links Day 2

Although it rained most of the day elsewhere in NS it was relatively dry at Northumberland Links. This is the old boat on the par 3 fourth hole, their signature hole.

Day 109 - Northumberland Links day 1

I had a nice weekend golfing at Northumberland Links outside Pugwash. We stayed at Cambra Sands in Malagash, which has really nice (newish) cottages. Sun, golf and cold beer... a fantastic Saturday.

Day 108 - Apples in fence

Day 107 - Java Blend coffee roaster

The thing I like about locally owned businesses is that they are always happy to open their doors and share their business story; pride of ownership shines through. Java Blend is a a locally owned coffee roaster/cafe on North Street dedicated to excellence in coffee. When I asked manager James Dikaios (pictured) how long he has worked in the coffee business he shrugged his shoulders and said "I've been hanging around this place since I was a kid". James showed me their roaster, gave me his take on what makes a good cup of java, and let me sample his signature espresso. They use a blend for their espresso called the "K2 Signature." It is described on their site as "possessing a balance of creamy, honeyed body and fine acidity in the finish."