Go Outside With the Nova Scotia to Boston Christmas Tree

Photo published with permission of Nova Scotia Come to Life

During my teen years we lived in north end Halifax, Nova Scotia, in the centre of the area that was destroyed by the explosion that occured when two ships collided in the harbour on Dec 6 1917. I remember the stories the older folks used to tell of that event. They were horrific. I also remember them speaking very fondly of Boston, a city that was very quick to come to our aid after the explosion, sending much needed supplies and money. The people of Halifax and all of Nova Scotia have never forgotten this kindness.

Today, as a lasting symbol of our appreciation for this much needed assistance, the province sends a Christmas tree to Boston each year. The tree is selected with great care by a person whose job it is to travel around the province and find the perfect tree and ask the owner of the property the tree is on to donate it.

This year the tree came from the property of Floyd and Elaine Shatford of Fox Point which is not far from where I live.The day it was cut was a great occasion and an opportunity for all the local school children to go outside for the morning, see it chopped down and learn the story of the explosion and why we send a tree to Boston each year. A living history lesson. You can see a video of the occasion on the Nova Scotia Come to Life blog

The photo above shows the Shatfords and their grandson Josh Shatford reaction as the tree lights up in Boston on December 3rd.

December Views

As a footnote: We have a dining room table made of chestnut. It must have been made in Nova Scotia during the period when chestnut tree groves were common and obviously, not long after the explosion. A piece on the underside of the table that cannot be seen is made of part of an old crate that has stamped on it: Massachusetts - Halifax Relief c/o Fred Parsons, Nova Scotia. If anyone knows more about this we would love to hear it.

Rose Hips in December

Wild roses grow in abundance in Nova Scotia. They seem to love the mild climate and ocean air. In the late spring, early summer the air is filled with their scent. In the fall their beauty continues when they produce seed pods called rose hips. In the winter months the gorgeous red colour brightens my morning walks.

I am now gathering some of them to use in a wreath for our front door and in flower arrangements in the house. A few fir branches and the rose hips make beautiful, long lasting table arrangements. I usually add a pine cone or two as well.

The picture above was taken by my nephew Paul. He did a great job don't you think?

December Views

December Picnic

It is a beautiful day in our area today. A great chance for one last hike in the forest before the snow flies. And one more picnic.

I like to keep the food simple: hot soup, cheddar cheese, bread of some type and an energy cookie.

Each person takes a backpack, even the little ones. I pack the soup in individual thermoses, add a spoon, the pre-cut cheese, biscuits and cookies, all wrapped in a cloth napkin and drop them into each backpack.

This recipe for Super Immunity Soup from Susie the Foodie is rapidly becoming a family favourite and will definitely keep you warm on a chilly day.

Plain old Canadian tea biscuits are great with this soup and are very simple to make:

Tea Biscuits

Ingredients:
3 cups sifted flour
2 tbsp baking powder
34 tsp salt
2 tbsp white sugar
1/3 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups milk

Method:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Cut in the shortening with a pastry cutter to a fine meal. Make a well in the centre and add milk. Stir well.

Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead 10 times. you may need to add more flour if dough is too sticky. Roll or pat out to 1/2" thick and cut with a floured cutter.

Place about 1" apart on a greased cookie sheet and bake in preheated oven 15 to 18 minutes until nice and brown.

Go Outside and have a great picnic before the weather gets too cold.

December Views

Build a Snowman

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Going outside to build a snowman is a great family activity. I suggest keeping a snowman-making kit in the closet so "good" hats, mitts, etc. do not get seconded to dress the creation: The kit could contain:

• Hat, a secondhand clothing shop may be your best option here. We actually make snow women as women's hats are easier to find.
  
• A colourful scarf.
  
• As coal is hard to come by these days large buttons are great for eyes.
  
• for the nose, a carrot from the refrigerator works best.
  
• A good, curvy twig makes a great mouth. More twigs are used for arms.
• An old pair of mitts for hands.
  
• Small, round stones from the seaside make great buttons.

We are still awaiting the first "real" snowstorm of the season here so the wooden one above will have to do until then.. Or we may head to the beach and make one from sand like the one above right that was made on an Australian beach.

December Views

After a December Storm

The night before last we had a storm called a Sou'easter. They are usually vicious storms that occur when one weather front (cold) meets another (warm) over our seacoast. The wind came up and the snow started about supper time, the rain at midnight, by morning it was clear and the snow was gone, and by noon the sun was out. This photo was taken late morning by my nephew, Paul, an amateur photographer who is now good enough to offer his services to the public.

December Views

Christmas Decor

I remember tromping through the woods in rural Nova Scotia with my dad, brother and sisters looking for the ideal Christmas tree. We did not put our tree up until 1 or 2 days before Christmas and it was quite an event. First we spent days making ornaments. Then the walk through the woods with dad to find the perfect tree. We learned a lot about the various tree species on these treks and usually ended up with a tree we considered perfect. We also picked branches with red berries, some fir branches and some young shoots from maple trees to fill planters, window boxes and make a garland for the fireplace mantle.

After living for 45 years in urban centres where such excursions are not easily possible we are now back in rural Nova Scotia with two acres of land. We do not have any trees suitable for a Christmas tree yet (hurricane Jaun destroyed them all) but we do have lots of small trees, branches, berries and maple shoots suitable for planters and window boxes. So we spent the day outside on our property, gathering the greenery and decorating the outside of the house. The picture above is of a planter on our deck. It is great to get outside and relive these wonderful childhood memories.

December Views

Would You do This Job?

There are lots of great jobs that involve working outside. In my opinion lobster fishing is not one of them. The lobster fishing season opens in our area on Dec 1 and lasts until May 31st. Trouble is, from early January to mid April the water in the bay is very cold and the lobster head to deep water and don't move very much, making them impossible to trap. Additionally a good part of the bay usually freezes over sometime in January making fishing impossible. So basically the season runs for the month of December and again in April and May. Not lot of time to earn a living. That is why, no matter what the weather, we see the lobster boats on the bay in December. I took the picture above on a blustery, gray day, not far from Peggy's Cove. The ocean was very rough and the boat was very close to the famous Peggy's Cove rocks. I love the ocean but there is no way you would find me doing this.

December Views