and so it goes...

Here I am, back in Labrador, full of stories and thoughts and like how I feel about all the bags and boxes that surround me - overwhelmed with where to begin. How to unpack the last two months and the transition between one home and another. For I certainly learned by going away that this home is very important to me too.

It has been two months since I blogged - shortly after arriving in Prospect Bay, NS, and that was the only post I made. Why?. I'm going to give you the speed version of life in Prospect Bay for two months.

In two months the fella and I renovated one side of our duplex (okay, he did it all) and organized the other side - the one we lived in - so we could rent both of them out. It seemed a massive job. It was a massive job. On the renovation side we turned a miserable mean dark house into a light and spacious one. The carpet was ripped out, new floors put in, every surface painted and painted and painted (the previous tenants went in for dark red, navy, forest green, deep orange and yellow). The bathroom was completely gutted, new tub, toilet put in - tiled around the tub, new vanity built, new mirror - the works. The people who rented it love it - and so they should! On our side we'd done lots of that work the year before when we'd come back from the house we built and sold. It was a worse disaster but we made it quite nice. But now I had to sort, pack, toss, giveaway so that we could rent it only minimally furnished and not loaded down with our art, books, and curios. It got done. The whole thing and I am immensely pleased. We have a property manager and both sides are rented to people who seem quite nice. We will have money coming in for both sides which will make our living in Labrador a better proposition.

As to summer and friends and family - we saw all the kids, my two plus their partners, my step-kids and their partners, and my four grandchildren. We saw lots of friends but not enough of them and not for long enough. I didn't have a vehicle and I could hardly stop the fella from his work so he could cart me around to cavort about so we mostly had dinners in or out with pals. We saw one movie, went to a Korean restaurant twice - once just the two of us and once with pals, ate lots of fish and chips. Other than that? We didn't get out the bay in a canoe (one is here and the other needs work). Ron did go sailing with his kids and I swam twice! (which is very very minimal for me)  I went to Chester with the babes for a sleep-over and to Merigomish with K. to see our bestus buddy there. We heard live music in Chester one night but didn't go to the Jazz Festival or to see any concerts. I went to the market once!!!

All in all, I'm fine with it. Next summer we'll rent some little cottage and have nothing to do but see folks - this summer was for something else.

And you know what? I did pine for Labrador. I will unpack all that that means in the next few posts. I think it is beauty and simplicity. After packing and repacking, unpacking and storing - I have very little regard for 'stuff'.

Today is chilly but yesterday it was 29 degrees (84.2 Fahrenheit) and I packed up my market bag with a Iqat throw to lie on, a towel, my book, my sketchbook, pencil and paints, a small thermous of mint lime drink and a granola bar. I walked out my front door in my suit in my barefeet and onto the beach. I swam (the only adult in the water) and lounged and read and drew and sipped and had a very nice summer vacation - thank you very much!

Here are some photos of the two day trip home (yep 2000 klics (1,243 miles) in two days!)

 Manic 5 - a place, a dam, a great name...

 not so good icecream in Quebec! gah!

 I did about forty bridge photos - here is one...

North Quebec on our way to Lab City

 Blough River, where I went for a dip...yes, I did.
                                                                    and another river in Labrador

entering sanity ...