Air so clean...the view so clear...

It's late August (already!) but not too late to take a look around and enjoy a peaceful setting.

Barring unknown complications, our future cottage will be built here at COTTAGE COUNTRY near Windsor, Nova Scotia. (Falls Lake, near Vaughan, NS.)

The lake was so clear.

The brook so placid where it flows under the resort's bridge.

The bull-rushes at the front of my property so plentiful and standing so strong.

The ducks so serene in the pristine lake.

Yes... it is a good thing to take a breath, look around, and appreciate the wonderful nature that defines Nova Scotia.

Photos (c) M. Stewart 2009

Do not disturb the grass...

The Band Stand in the Halifax Public Gardens. This is a lovely, formal garden touted as being a Victorian Garden... it is indeed lovely, but very uptight. The signs prohibit dogs (even on leash), no running, no walking or sitting on grass (there is one congested area where one can lay down or kids can play), no music, and not even a jog is allowed. One could not confuse this garden with New York's Central Park nor Vancouver's Stanley Park.

The Public Gardens is also closed for the winter, rather than having its paths cleared so people might enjoy a brisk walk through the park. Now, the intention to keep the park pristine is laudable, but Halifax (the city I was raised in and recently returned to after three decades) with its myriad regulations, does have a nanny state complex, protecting citizens and the grass from outlanders and interlopers.

(photo c M. Stewart, Aug 2009)