Just over a month ago… we went back to our home in Nova Scotia to prepare for the move. As I write these few lines… there is just one week left before our big MOVE!
This will be my last Maritime Post, before we start living our beautiful dream!
Life there is beautiful, but it’s not always peaceful and sunny in Nova Scotia. We got to experience it… sooner than expected. Here’s how we “survived” our first Hurricane/Post-Tropical Storm LEE!
September 14… 10:17 AM
A system preceding Lee’s arrival… that followed us throughout our journey.
September 14… 2:00 PM
Beautiful stormy skies… and wind turbines waving to us!
September 15… 12:00 PM
The monster approaches and the path becomes clearer…
September 15… 1:30 PM
The seas are getting bigger…
Septembre 15… 3:00 PM
A little lunch… just before the storm. The last day of Season 2023, for Jane & John, owners of the Broad Cove Cafe. Our new favorite Cafe! A charming place where we are greeted by our first name (on our second visit). It’s John who tells us about our lovely neighbors, whom we haven’t had the pleasure of meeting yet. Before heading home, we decide to go and say hello to Lois & Karl and we are not disappointed, they are wonderful! We also meet Kim & Larry, our equally charming neighbors. We are so grateful!
Thanks to these beautiful encounters, our worries got transformed into immense gratitude.
September 15… 5:40 PM
Septembre 15… 6:20 PM
Furniture is safely stored… The generator still doesn’t work… But we have our ‘Storm Chips’. With a heart filled by our welcoming neighbours and a bathtub filled with water (for toilet purposes), we are ready! Well… not quite ready… A non-functioning generator, a wood stove with plenty of wood, and a gas stove… but no matches!!! It’s a learning curve… but it’s no time to venture out on the roads… So we stay put. It’s not too cold, we sleep in warm beds (almost), and the fridge is full of ice. We can do this!
I should not forget to mention our friends Sharon & Guy and Anita & Terry that are keeping an eye on us!
Septembre 15… 11:59 PM
It’s been a long day and it’s time to go to sleep. A few hours later, in the middle of the night, the power went out!
September 16… 7:20 AM
We wake up to hawling winds and a raging ocean. The waves crash with such force that the break waters can no longer stop the angry sea.
September 16… 8:20 AM
At the strongest point of the storm, wind gusts of 100 to 120 km/h were recorded.
Septembre 16… 9:00 AM
We go out to rescue our flag and our little lighthouse, blown away by a gust of wind.
September 16… 9:00 AM
September 16… 11:00 AM
September 16… 12:00 PM
Lee changes course. Phew!!! We’re starting to catch our breath. But the waves are still gigantic and causing a lot of damage along the shores. The high tide and the slowly advancing storm are literally creating the perfect storm!
September 16… 12:40 PM
September 16… 7:00 PM
Waves are finally calming down…
September 17… 9:00 AM
Quiet morning… It’s time to go assess the damage. A broken branch, about ten asphalt shingles blown away, windows covered with a mixture of dirt and salt. Considering… we did pretty well!
September 17… 1:30 PM
It’s time to get dressed and head out to buy what is needed to fix the generator and a few bags of ice. Entering the Bridgewater’s Home Hardware, we are happy to find a heart warming spirit of solidarity. The store is normally closed on Sundays, but they decided to open for their customers in need of generators and other supplies… We are greeted with big smiles and hot coffee!
In Mahone Bay, the Mateus Bistro is generously offering free takeout meals. Generosity, Support, and Community.
September 17… 7:20 PM
The sun is setting in all its beauty… the waves have returned to their normal rhythm. The weather will be beautiful again tomorrow.
September 17… 8:00 PM
Two days later… The power was still out! We decided to stay the night at the hotel. We were craving for a hot meal and a warm shower. In the parking we found all the trucks for the many power line workers. To our surprise, the restaurant was filled with retired Hydro-Québec employees who were coming in support to the subcontractors for Nova Scotia Power. They were even more surprised to hear that we were from Quebec, that we were preparing to move to Nova Scotia and that I myself… used to work for Hydro-Québec. We would like to express our gratitude to all these women and men who worked tirelessly to restore power!
September 18… 11:00 AM
A quick stop at The Barn in Bridgewater. You can never have enough scones!
a ”Cute” message for the geeks, and myself 🙂
September 18… 1:00 PM
Little ”furry” creatures !
The power of the waves that can move huge buoys and take away, part of the shores…
September 19… 7:00 PM
The gentle skies returned and our deers came out of hiding…
Another bright and colorful morning!
September 22… 6:40 AM
September 22… 7:20 AM
22 septembre… 6:00 PM
We took time to visit our beloved Hirtle’s Beach and see the damage caused by the storm. The sand was gone and replaced with rocks, pushed by the force of the waves. The long grass, with the warm autumn colors, was now a sad carpet of dried seaweed. The beach will take time to recover… but it will!
September 22… 6:00 PM
September 23… 7:00 AM
Our ”Vie en rose”…
Our bedroom view… Happiness!
The power outage lasted for 4 days. But it was not going to stop us. We painted, installated, and assembled IKEA furniture… to the sound of gentle waves.
Nothing was going stop us from welcoming our first guests, Anita & Terry, Sharon & Guy with the adorable Lilly!!! Our lovely guests who brought us dinner! A wonderful moment with our new friends!
Just before returning to our other home, we also had the pleasure of welcoming our new neighbors for our first “Happy Hour”. Kim & Larry, Lois & Karl, and Peter, Holly & Sue. A group of lovely neighbors that we are looking forward to meet again!
September 24… 6:30 AM
One last amazing sunrise… to bring back in our suitcases!
September 24… 7:00 AM
