It's hot!

It's too hot to sleep so here I am at my computer where there is a cool spot. I know it's hot everywhere in Canada at the moment, I'm not complaining - just not sleeping!
It's hot for the dogs too & they don't understand that when we shut them indoors it's to help keep them cool. Last night we took them down to the pond for a swim, but that water is a bit murky and I thought about going to the bay with them and we could all swim - the bay water is cccold, but being tired I only thought about it!
This week was our wedding anniversary. It is almost like an a milestone of being in Nova Scotia too, as we moved over here after our wedding. We were contemplating all that we have done since we got here and the list is quite impressive!
I think the best thing we have done is to make this property look so attractive. Phil has done a marvelous job of marking out walking trails, they are inviting and we were trimming back some tree limbs the other day and I was so thrilled to see how pretty it looked. There are quite a few trails now, some in woodland, some are just grassy paths, so it is possible to walk for some time around the property. I think we both feel a pleasure in sharing the property with all who wish to visit. we encourage them to visit the trails - the more feet on the trails, the less weeds!
Another thing we have done is develop our chicken family. We are currently building a new chicken house - well it's more like a palace! This will be the girls dorm, there will be no roosters allowed in this lovely house! The girls are needing a quiet space, and they deserve it! The house is waiting the roof to be put on - we are waiting for the tin to come, then they will go in. Meanwhile we have about 40 youngsters who are going out into a run tomorrow. We are still working on distinguishing gender with them as we only want to keep the girls, so that 40 will be reduced drastically. We give our roosters away. We can't bring ourselves to eat them! We have seen them as babies!
We are now able to have B&B guests, and we are running the Barn as a cafe. That's more for fun though as it wouldn't make much money. I'm loving doing it, but in the month it has been open I have discovered new dexterity problems. So, I just work around them as best I can.

After work we sit out on our deck and marvel at where we are. It feels like we are on holiday as we sit and look at the trees, and the dogs, cats & chickens come and join us. We are in heaven on earth!

Well, after 3 years of working at it we are now a licensed B&B establishment in Nova Scotia. It hasn't exactly been 3 years of hard slog. While I was working it was on the back burner and we were slowly pulling the house together, Phil realized that he didn't feel comfortable doing the B&B himself while I was at work. Now I'm not able to work we have pushed forward with the plan.
Tourism is one of Nova Scotia's main industries but like everything at the moment, it's struggling a bit. But forever the optimist, I believe it will pick up again. With the B&B now able to function and the cafe beginning to flourish our life is moving in a direction which can only be described as an adventure!
The cafe is open 7 days a week as we don't know which day isn't busy (well Mondays look like they may be a closing day). We plan to be open 7 days a week for the summer. Sounds onerous? Not a bit! The adrenalin rush as customers walk through the door is unreal, and then there are calls to reserve tables! Yes, really! The first time we got that call, my first comment was, 'Really?'
I was at my doc today for my regular arthur itis check up & we had the discussion about how although I'm unable to do nursing tasks - I have no grip & recently I've lost the ability to pick up small things with my right thumb & fore finger - I can still cook. There are a few tasks I have difficulty with such as opening bottles & cans, but I have help at hand for those moments. Knowing the progression of my loss of dexterity we both concluded that it is important for me to do things while I still can - and thus be happy! It is taking me time to lose the guilt complex of doing something I enjoy and not working. It's hard to be a nurse when my pain is greater than my patients! Guests are not patients and it won't be my job to worry about their problems, our job is to provide the best comfort and meet those needs.