Stars of East Port Medway

"Stars of East Port Medway" is this year’s theme for EPM’s entry in the Annual Community Christmas Tree Competition, sponsored by the Region of Queens Municipality.

Volunteers have cut-out and painted six inch wooden stars, and delivered one to each household with the invitation to further decorate the star to represent the family.

Stars will be returned and hung on this season's tree to represent the strength and brightness of the community.

The tree is on display in front of the Community Hall, and will be lit on Saturday December 4th, following the Christmas Potluck Dinner.

Serene Sunset

We spent a nice long weekend at Ulgedook Cottage this past weekend, and enjoyed unseasonably high temperatures under bright sunshine. Quite the change from the preceding ten days, during which it rained incessantly. Rivers in the area reached flood heights, and will take a while to recede.

Activities this weekend included biking, exploring (always more to scout out), further planning for the Community Christmas Tree, an overnight visit from friends Glennie and Donna, and, of course, breakfast at the TransScotia (no better deal).

Next weekend may be our last before disconnecting the water before it freezes. We’ll continue to come down to visit the wonderful communities in Queens County during the winter, but will need to overnight in motels rather than the comfort of our beloved cottage. My thoughts about closing the cottage for winter are reflected in this sunset photo of Medway Harbour... ending yet serene.

Happy Halloween

We spent Saturday at Ulgedook Cottage, starting with an enjoyable visit with Kerry and Evelyn Chambers... yummy food, LOTS of wine, and engaging conversation. Following dinner, we went to a Halloween Party in Milton, hosted by Brian Fralic and Jamie Stewart. Many partiers, from the ghoulish to the foolish. Susan was a Naughty Nun, and I was the Mindful Monk. A wonderful event... thanks Brian (aka The Mad Hatter) and Jamie (King Kong, carrying caged Ann Darrow; regretfully, no photo).

Church Poem, by Margaret Angus

A special thanks to Margaret Angus, friend and colleague, for crafting a wonderful poem, entitled "The Church." Inspired during a two day writers retreat at Ulgedook Cottage, Margaret has captured the spiritual and communal value of the church. Susan expressed our appreciation to Margaret by saying, "This is lovely. You created pictures of warm and tender memories, capturing the history and meaning of the church from the hearts and minds of those who worshiped there. Thank you for also celebrating it's new place of peace. "

A little history

This little bit of history is compliments of Kathryn Lemieux, a former trustee of the Wesley United Church.

Old(er) Photo

We are flattered to receive an old(er) photo of the church, and will hang it appropriately on the walls of Ulgedook Cottage.

We're not sure of the age of the photo, but evidently since electricity, and before vinyl siding. Upon close examination, you can see the use of decorative shingles to enhance the exterior appearance of the church. And upon very close inspection, you can note that the windows are in need of painting (as they are again).

There's always work to do.

Continued improvements

Since April, we have thoroughly enjoyed our time at Ulgedook Cottage, mostly spent as rest and relaxation. Generally, we have averted work tasks in favor of hedonistic pursuits.

That said, there are a variety of projects that need to be addressed, sooner or later. One deferred task has been painting the floor with new porch and floor paint from Behr. We learned late last year that this paint requires a long time to dry, and we simply have not been away from the cottage long enough to provide adequate dry time between visits.

This past week has given us that chance for an extended absence, so Joel opened the paint cans and applied two coats.

Looks good, hey (the floor... not Joel)?



...and looks best with the furniture replaced.

Hurricane Earl

Yesterday, Hurricane Earl made landfall at Western Head, as a minimal hurricane, producing produced 80–120 km/h winds, and resulted in widespread power outages, fallen trees, and minor coastal flooding.

Pictured below are some of the ravaging wave action following yesterdays blows (no surfing today). Also below, is a shot of Joel taking shelter in Little Harbour, alongside the "Joel Curtiss."

Ragged...

Susan finds this humorous...

Hooked Rug Raffle

Rug hooking materials: approximately $120

Rug hooking by talented Mary Brown: countless hours

Raffle tickets: $2 each or 3 for $5

Winning the raffle for a traditional hand hooked rug of the old East Port Wesley United Church (now Ulgedook Cottage): PRICELESS!!




To be drawn on October 2nd; tickets available at East Port Medway Community Hall penny auction on August 21st.

Postscript (October 12, 2010): We are pleased to learn that the winners of the hooked rug are summer residents Rebecca Bennett and A.D. Tinkham. Congratulations!

Great beach weather

Day spent at Risser's Beach... how glorious.

Great Island preservation

Today, we attended the Volglers Cove Community Centre to celebrate the permanent conservation of Great Island, a 300-acre property off the coast from Cherry Hill. The Nova Scotia Nature Trust (NSNT) announced an agreement with the property owners to conserve the largest island ever protected on the province's mainland. "The agreement ensures the island will remain in its natural state in perpetuity, by eliminating future development, subdivision or other activities that could harm the unique coastal environments of the island. Yet it allows for continued use and enjoyment of the island," said a NSNT spokesperson.


See more about the Nova Scotia Nature Trust at:
http://www.nsnt.ca/


Afterwards, we joined others for a walk on Cherry Hill Beach.

Riding at Keji

Today we travelled inland to Kejimkujik National Park, and spent some of the day cycling some of the many trails. Shaded trails provided some relief from the scolding temperatures, although a swim in lake would have been nice too.

Church Cupcakes

What can I say... not as much as Crystal Ross, who, created these culinary delights. Crystal, and her childhood friend, Kelly Day, are passionate about fine desserts and decadent baked sweets, and have started Gateaux Rose, a business that makes "desserts that are flavourful, rich and memorable; a decadent experience to enhance and complement your special day."

See more at:

Gateaux Rose: The Challenge: Ulgedook Cottage: "I have to say, this has to be one of my favorite requests yet... Turn Ulgedook cottage into a cupcake? You've got it! I decided some research..."

Lovely hosts

We send our sincere thanks to our new friends, Susan and Cathy from Toronto, for their genuine hospitality, a scrumptious dinner, and an evening of engaging conversation, at their century old summer home in Volgers Cove. We met Susan and Cathy only a week earlier, and are happy to meet such pleasant people, but regret that they only visit for a few weeks a year. We look forward to seeing them again next year, and sharing other enjoyable experiences.

You can view and learn more about their gorgeous home at:
http://www.sprucepoint.ca/