Mellow Yellow Monday # 11

Having no power for a few days makes you appreciate things a little more, like nature's beauty and my entry for mellow yellow mondays. http://mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.com/

Scenic Sunday a day late

Just got our power back after Irene swept through, so here is my entry to scenic sunday. It is a picture of the setting sun on Douglas Harbour on Grand Lake     http://scenicsunday.blogspot.com/

Tubing the Nashwaak

Saturday, Wendy and I went with a group to " tube " the Nashwaak River. We met  everyone at the new fire hall in Durham Bridge and drove the four kilometers up Hwy 628 to Taymouth Ventures & Tubing http://www.taymouthventures.com/. We were greeted by friendly staff and quickly made our arrangements. For some it was cooler tubes and for others it was an upgrade to the luxury tubes. We decided on the 3 1/2 hours float and the owner Marty Stewart drove us and our tubes upriver to a secluded starting point. The river looked beautiful, gently flowing by and we were informed that the water temperature was 72 Fahrenheit. To my brain, 72 sounded fairly warm but my butt came to the reliasation that 72 is in fact quite chilly. After 5 minutes in the water, the temperature was the farthest thing from my mind as I was mesmerized by the beautiful scenery. We stopped several times to regroup and lounge on the banks and it was nearly 5 hours later that we were climbing the stairs to finish our run. Everyone had a great time and I would highly recommend this activity for both family fun and great value.

This week's random shots

These are some random shots from the past two weeks, The first picture is a cut (hole left behind by strip mining). Once they have removed all the coal the water pumps are turned off and the "cut" fills with spring water. Not all are this color, but there are many examples of this around Minto. I have posted pictures of this old Dodge before, but I was out for a walk in the woods and could not walk by without snapping a few shots. How long it sat before I found it is anyone"s guess, but I have been visiting this truck for more than 35 years. I had to post the funny pics of the baby budgies. The mother hen had 6 eggs and 4 have hatched, all a few days apart. Perhaps, this is where the term " spread eagled " comes from.

Sky Watch Fridays # 5

here is one of the sunset over Eastport, Maine and my entry into skywatch fridays  http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Mellow Yellow Monday # 10

My entry to mellow yellow mondays   http://mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.com/

Kayaking the Causeway

Wendy and I couldn't refuse an offer to help our cousins Todd and Tanya break in their new kayaks. We even knew the perfect place to go, the causeway right behind our house. The causeway is the point where Newcastle stream meets Grand Lake. Normally the current in the river makes it to difficult to go upstream but the unusually high water level of Grand Lake this year makes it a lazy kayakers paradise.

Cornhill Nursery

It really was a busy week as we also squeezed in a visit to the artisan fair at Cornhill nursery http://www.cornhillnursery.com/. We got a glass of wine at the Cedar Cafe, under the grape vine canopy and roamed the grounds visiting artists and enjoying the lovely gardens.

Blueberries and Turkey

Wendy and I went picking blueberries this week The wild blueberry crop is very poor this year. Our favourite location was sprayed with pesticide by IRVING, killing all the berry plants and everything else except the trees that they want. We saw the turkey while out for a drive on the Post Rd to Chipman. I never really thought of them as complimentary products before but .....

Covered Bridge

This past weekend Wendy and I visited the Oldfield covered bridge. It is located in Newtown, on Hwy 890 between Sussex and Petitcodiac. This bridge was constructed in 1910 and spans 98' across Smith Creek. There are still approximately 70 covered bridges left in New Brunswick. For a good list of the bridges visit http://www.dalejtravis.com/cblist/cbnb.htm or visit this beautiful site for lots of beautiful pictures of most of the bridges. http://nbcoveredbridges.blogspot.com/