how nowOur Christmas tree features a couple of locally-themed laser-engraved ornaments from Kismet, a shop in Eastern Passage #Halifax #NovaScotia
Speaking of Christmas trees, if you're not from #Halifax you need to know about Woody, the animatronic tree at Mic Mac Mall in Dartmouth #NovaScotia: https://youtu.be/oz11ojmLL-g (one of Woody's first utterances upon waking is of course a land acknowledgement)
Wake up woody 2022
Just got a few cm of snow overnight but Smoky’s enjoying it and leaving little paw prints on the deck.
Don Connolly's #Halifax, 1985, via Betamax King: https://youtu.be/Yw1p4h9DHFM
CBHT - Don Connolly's Halifax 1985 (Nova Scotia)
Scenes from the #Halifax waterfront earlier today. Cold, some snow flurries, most stuff closed, but kid had fun at the submarine playground by the Maritime Museum.
Sad to see Palladium, old Greek family diner on #ColeHarbour road, is now up for sale, I had my first breakfast after moving to #Halifax there: https://www.viewpoint.ca/cutsheet/202401205/2
942 Cole Harbour Road, Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia - For Sale $1,995,000 - ViewPoint.ca
View the MLS listing For Sale at 942 Cole Harbour Road, Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia on ViewPoint.ca (MLS No. 202401205). We provide full property details and photos for this and all other MLS listings in Nova Scotia. The subject property is improved with a 6526 square foot single level commercial building that is currently subdivided into two separate retail spaces. The Palladium Restaurant premises located on the right hand side of the building contains 4166 square feet. The second unit on the left hand side is...
#NovaScotia groundhog Shubenacadie Sam did not see her shadow, predicting an early Spring -- the same day the forecast calls for four days of continuous snow. https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/shubenacadie-sam-predicts-an-early-spring-on-groundhog-day-1.6752750 (also scroll down for Barrington NS's Lucy the Lobster)
Some wintry shots from a walk around McCormacks Beach, Eastern Passage, #NovaScotia yesterday while it was sunny. Never seen the tide so low at the Passage.
Today is #NovaScotia Heritage Day, and the 2024 Heritage Day is dedicated to Wililam Hall: https://heritageday.novascotia.ca/content/2024-honouree-william-hall
2024 Honouree: William Hall | Nova Scotia Heritage Day
William Hall was the son of formerly enslaved parents, Jacob and Lucy who fled Maryland during the War of 1812 as refugees and settled in Nova Scotia. Jacob found work in a shipyard in Summerville, where Hall was born in 1827. The family later bought a farm in Horton Bluff, where he also attended school. As a young man, Hall worked in shipyards in Hantsport for several years,
8mm film of Truro #NovaScotia in the early 1970s: https://youtu.be/GmCozcCdO_k
-- via https://redd.it/1avpg2j
-- via https://redd.it/1avpg2j
Truro, Nova Scotia Early 1970s 8mm Film
Unhoused person describes conditions at the #Halifax Forum shelter, reasons why living rough in a tent might be preferable to some: https://old.reddit.com/r/halifax/comments/1b6byee/is_the_forum_really_that_bad_my_experience/
In Aug 2021 a robbery suspect fleeing police in #DartmouthNS jumped into Little Albro Lake. Police commandeered a paddle board, pedal boat, and a canoe to apprehend him as he struggled. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/robbery-suspect-police-officers-dartmouth-lake-1.6156112
Was reminded of this because last night another suspect attempted to flee police by jumping in another Dartmouth lake: https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/news/2024/rcmp-charge-man-numerous-offences
I guess it's Dartmouth, the City of Lakes, you run in any direction far enough you're gonna end up in one
Aerial timelapses of Armdale Rotary in #Halifax:
• https://youtu.be/4iUpJWq1ilM
• https://youtu.be/rh7mHENhAkw
• https://youtu.be/4iUpJWq1ilM
• https://youtu.be/rh7mHENhAkw
Armdale rotary hyperlaspe
Lovely DJI Mini 2 aerial views around the Old Lawrencetown Road Trail in #ColeHarbour #NovaScotia: https://youtu.be/ChlTg_bHrb0
Beautiful Small Waterway on the Old Lawrencetown Road Walking and Cycling Trail - DJI Mini 2, 4K UHD
Spent Easter Sunday afternoon walking along Rainbow Haven Beach and skipping stones into the Atlantic. #NovaScotia
#NovaScotia Tourism video on Pictou County pizza, the pizza with the brown sauce: https://youtu.be/AUInauT80mc
Pictou County Style Pizza
Went to the #NovaScotia Museum of Natural History in #Halifax today and saw Gus the Tortoise out for a walk in the garden since it was a warm sunny afternoon. (Under a museum naturalist's watchful eye of course) -- Gus is now over 100 years old: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/gus-natural-history-museum-100-nova-scotia-1.6550209
The Bedford Petroglyphs, two symbols carved into rocks near Bedford Basin, spiritually important to the Mi'kmaq: https://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/dfhd/page_nhs_eng.aspx?id=827&i=87344
Per historian Steve Angelides, that hill is called Wejkwapeniaq in Mi'kmaq, "the coming of the dawn": https://www.sackvillerivers.ns.ca/post/the-legend-of-the-petroglyph-at-bedford-basin
Misty/foggy/windy out on the #Halifax Common as the remnants of Storm Debby pass north of us.
Stormy low pressure area passing just south of #NovaScotia so today has been a bunch of wind and rain. #NSwx
Some shots from "Inflate-a-Palooza," the inflatables festival out on Garrison Grounds by the Citadel in #Halifax a couple weekends back: https://www.flickr.com/photos/brownpau/albums/72177720320167620 -- kid got to enjoy a buncha bouncy castles and slides #inflation
Inflate-a-Palooza
Visiting he Inflatables festival at Halifax Garrison Grounds.
Hey from Mackormacks Beach, Eastern Passage, #NovaScotia. You can just barely see #Halifax and the bridges in the distance, and a big boxy freighter unloading cars at the Autoport.
Did Julian forget his drink? No, impossible. (Seen at corner of Hollis and Sackville, Downtown #Halifax)
Comparing an old aerial photo of the Mic Mac Rotary in #DartmouthNS with a current Google Maps capture; it looks like the original arc of the rotary is kinda preserved in the off-ramp to Waverley/Prince Albert Rd. I can only imagine how awful the Circ would be if the rotary were still there today. #Halifax #NovaScotia
Took a little hike down Tanner's Eastern Passage Trail, #NovaScotia. Part of the trail is on a rocky beach over a stinky layer of dried seaweed and kelp, but just past that there's a lovely sedimentary formation. (Not sure if it counts as "flysch.")
A bit farther along, at the trail's end, yet more rocky beach, and then the vast Atlantic. From here the view is due south; if one were to swim from here they would eventually reach the Caribbean and Venezuela.
Bedrock Geology Map of the #Halifax Area: https://novascotia.ca/natr/meb/data/mg/ofm/pdf/ofm_2014-010_d440_dp.pdf -- and more bedrock geology maps of #NovaScotia: https://novascotia.ca/natr/meb/geoscience-online/interactive-bedrock-geo-map.asp
If you're in Canada doing the poppy thing for Remembrance Day and the stabby attachment pin annoys you, they sell a black butterfly centre pin for an extra dollar or two: https://www.poppystore.ca/black-poppy-centre-pin-poppy-not-included-300570 -- ask your elderly Legion dude at the store about it.
The Legion's online Poppy store also sells this incredibly classy neon-style poppy LED light so you can Remember™ at hundreds of lumens: https://www.poppystore.ca/poppy-2/led-poppy-light-with-base-300778
Some shots from around #Halifax Point Pleasant Park over the weekend: https://www.flickr.com/photos/brownpau/albums/72177720322281037
Point Pleasant Park, Halifax
Explore this photo album by Paulo O on Flickr!
Was back in #Halifax Point Pleasant Park Saturday and the winter sky over the Atlantic was right out of a JMW Turner painting: https://www.flickr.com/photos/brownpau/54191585409/in/album-72177720322281037
Point Pleasant Park, Halifax
Beaverton on Woody, the animatronic Christmas tree at Mic Mac Mall in Dartmouth #NovaScotia: https://www.thebeaverton.com/2021/12/nova-scotian-mall-insists-giant-tree-will-only-eat-3-to-4-kids-max-this-christmas/
Nova Scotian mall insists giant tree will only eat "3 to 4 kids, max" this Christmas
DARTMOUTH, NS - With international media picking up the story of “the creepiest Christmas tree of 2021”, administrators at Mic Mac Mall have assured shoppers that Woody will consume no more than 4 children this holiday shopping season.
Theodore Too, iconic Halifax tugboat that was sold to a new owner in Ontario, partially sank in shallow water off its dock and had to be refloated. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/theodore-tugboat-safely-righted-1.7415557
Theodore Too lives: N.S.-built tugboat named after TV series 'righted' after partial sinking in Ontario | CBC News
Theodore Too, the 65-foot replica tugboat that was built in Nova Scotia and named after a years-long TV series, has been refloated in St. Catharines, Ont., after partially sinking this week, according to the boat's owner.
Donate your discarded Christmas trees to Hope for Wildlife in Seaforth #NovaScotia before Jan 1st, to provide wild rescue animals with some natural winter shelter, climbing opportunities, and porcupine nibblies: https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/more/hope-for-wildlife-gives-second-life-to-christmas-trees-1.7159022
Did a short hike on Friday and got this nice view of Bissett Lake, all wintry and iced over. #ColeHarbour #NovaScotia
Nice view of #DartmouthNS and a fair weather sky seen from the bloodwork clinic this morning. #NovaScotia
Freezing rain overnight left everything under an inch-thick layer of hard, smooth ice. It was also recycling pickup day with 30-65 km/h winds so everyone's recyling bags slid festively down the street. I strapped cleats to my boots and spent the afternoon chipping at the driveway with a metal spade till my hands hurt. Even more freezing rain coming Sunday. #NSwx
Quick winter visit to #Halifax Citadel. No admission in the off-peak season, you can just walk in. Not much to do or see; the museum and indoor interpretive displays and ramparts are all closed, but they still fire the noon gun every day and there's a nice panorama from the viewing deck on the Hill. (This was before the ice storm, it's probably too perilous to walk around there now.)
Whew, ice buildup from second sleet-and-freezing-rain-storm was not quite so bad, softer and easier to scrape off the driveway and deck. Getting an aluminum shovel helped too -- better for scraping ice than standard plastic shovel.
Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1926(HD)
What it feels like to go inside Peggy's Cove lighthouse
Bridgewalk yesterday, so we walked back and forth across the Macdonald Bridge over #Halifax Harbour -- dream come true for me, a lifelong suspension bridge fan.
More photos from the #Halifax Bridgewalk: https://flickr.com/photos/brownpau/albums/72177720328329821/ -- I took my NEX3N with VCLECF1 lens along to get some fisheye shots.
Halifax Bridgewalk 2025
Walking across the Angus Macdonald Bridge, closed to vehicular traffic for an afternoon during the Natal Day long weekend. Halifax, Nova Scotia, August 2025.
I really like how this one turned out, pointing my camera straight up between a couple of bridge suspender cables: https://flickr.com/photos/brownpau/54717496266/in/album-72177720328329821 #Halifax
Halifax Bridgewalk 2025
Stewiacke #NovaScotia parks and trails: https://www.stewiacke.net/trails.html -- been meaning to check out Mastodon Ridge and the adjacent river trail sometime. Stewiacke is notable for being right around 45º latitude, halfway between equator and north pole. (Although technically the real halfway point is about 16km north due to earth's shape)
Got this nice little #Halifax Ferry fridge magnet at Argyle Art Gallery on Barrington; illustration by Samantha Mills: https://www.etsy.com/shop/baysidebysam/
Harley the cougar at Shubenacadie Wildlife Park has died: https://www.instagram.com/p/DPGmzZigQfn/ -- I had just photographed her a month ago: https://flic.kr/p/2rpkT4G #NovaScotia
Shubenacadie Wildlife Park on Instagram: "We at the park are extremely saddened to announce the passing of our cougar, Harley. She came to us in December of 2021 from Two Rivers Wildlife Park. At the time of her passing she would have been around 15 years old. She came to us with a chronic eye condition called Corneal opacity, which made her eyes appear foggy, and slightly affected her vision. But that didn't stop her from always being very active and full of personality. She loved to run, jump, climb, sleep, and meow loudly at staff members and tour groups that stopped to say hello to her. Earlier this year her health began to take a turn as she was getting older. With some treatments her condition stabilized for most of the summer months, but in the past few weeks her health started to deteriorate again. She passed quietly on the morning of September 19th, laying in one of her favourite spots beneath her tree. If you have any photos or memories of Harley from her time with us here at the park we invite you to share them in the comments to help us keep her memory alive 💕"
320 likes, 8 comments - shubenacadiewildlifepark on September 27, 2025: "We at the park are extremely saddened to announce the passing of our cougar, Harley. She came to us in December of 2021 from Two Rivers Wildlife Park. At the time of her passing she would have been around 15 years old. She came to us with a chronic eye condition called Corneal opacity, which made her eyes appear foggy, and slightly affected her vision. But that didn't stop her from always being very active and full of personality. She loved to run, jump, climb, sleep, and meow loudly at staff members and tour groups that stopped to say hello to her. Earlier this year her health began to take a turn as she was getting older. With some treatments her condition stabilized for most of the summer months, but in the past few weeks her health started to deteriorate again. She passed quietly on the morning of September 19th, laying in one of her favourite spots beneath her tree. If you have any photos or memories of Harley from her time with us here at the park we invite you to share them in the comments to help us keep her memory alive 💕".
Todiay I learned that there are 24-32 Volvo car bodies sitting at the bottom of Bedford Basin in #Halifax, #NovaScotia, dumped there in 1969 or the 1980s due to insufficient paperwork or water damage, depending on which story you read about it: https://jalopnik.com/there-are-still-at-least-24-volvos-submerged-in-a-canad-1649377938
CBC #NovaScotia feature on Gateway Meat Market, a discount grocery in our #Halifax neighbourhood: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_Ly5-CC1b8
This store sells groceries for a fraction of the price. Here's how they do it
Richard Eriksson@brownpau Snow-covered landscapes now all remind me of that episode of Severance (which I think by now you’ve seen).
@sillygwailo The Dieter Eagan National Forest has massive coverage
vnangia@brownpau Even with the .1-.25” max we get here I find that a matlock is immensely helpful. For an inch? Easy work with one.
@vnangia I have wished for a pickaxe-like tool more than once this winter, but they also sell specialized ice chopper/scraper tools at the hardware stores, pretty much a sharp steel chisel on a shovel handle: https://kent.ca/en/7-ice-chopper-1026226
oh yes (sickos mode)