One of the things that we’re loving about our new house in Nova Scotia is the big, long clothesline. Temperatures are still above freezing, and lord knows the winds never stop blowing for long, and most days are sunny, so we save on electricity for the (ancient, non-green) clothes dryer, and opt for hanging out the wash.
Yesterday I finally unearthed and reconstituted our living room - the sofa, the carpet, odds and ends. There’s even a little electric fireplace in front of the coffee table. I liked it very much, if only because that room’s windows have absolutely the most amazing views of the sunrises. The big fan though was Beatrice the cat, who was all “Oh my god! I’m home! My sofa! My coffee table! My fire!”
This is a 100+ year old house, and although we love it to bits, we’re also coming to grips with the fact that like many old houses it’s pretty leaky. When the temperature drops we find ourselves staying in the kitchen, which for whatever reason is the warmest room in the house. The powder/laundry room off of the living room is the opposite. No insulation of any sort. When you place your hand on the wall you really feel how cold it is.
Deliveries to our house continue to be a mystery. I have now added “Google maps: 34 Breakwater Rd” to the delivery address everywhere, but it still can be a challenge to get drivers to bring things around to the back door (the one that everyone uses in the country) and not the front porch. And the PostMedia subsidiary that handles Amazon deliveries continues to be real problem. Maybe it will arrive, maybe it won’t. And if it doesn’t you get an email a week later from Stephanie in Toronto (!) saying that because she hadn’t heard from you she’s marking it as “delivered.”
On the other hand, we also seeing things arrive twice after we report them undelivered…
And it’s time for snow tires, real snow tires, not the three-season radials beloved of Vancouver and elsewhere. Here’s how locals describe winter driving around here:
I am from Liverpool. You will need snow tires, not all seasons. Winter weather on the South Shore is very messy and the snow tires will help with that combo of snow, ice, and rain. There is a lot of black ice too I find because the weather so often hovers around the 0 mark. Snow clearing Western Head is dependent on the province, which will focus on highways first. The municipality takes care of the former township of Liverpool, they will see a plow first. Western Head is fairly close to town though and the hospital is on the way so it will get clearer sooner than some areas. and yes, lots and lots of salt. Get your car undercoated.
And….
Maybe I haven't read deeply enough in the comments but nobody seems to have mentioned the insane freeze-thaw cycles we go through on a near weekly basis during the cold months. At the height of our winters you'll be driving on a delicious (dangerous) sandwich of old snow, thin layers of ice from aforementioned freeze-thaw cycles, and fresh snow (when applicable) that will more than likely NOT be cleared in time for your drive into work minus the highways. Truth be told the only people around here that don't get winter tires on around here are either idiots (which I'm sure you aren't please don't think I think that of you) or just too dirt poor to afford a new set of winters. If you can choke down the cost of some mid-grade winter tires right now you will actually save money in the long run by having two sets of tires. For true NS aesthetic (and to save time for future changes) it's wise to just have the bastards on some cheap steelies. If I may ask friend, are you new to NS? This is usually common knowledge around here with our standard slushtastic winters. As a rule of thumb: be overprepared, our winters are fucking moody and the roads are shitty on a good day
So, on their way from St Johns, Newfoundland are four brand new Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10 SUV studded winter tires. I’m actually on the fence as far as studded tires, but from what I’ve been told it’s worth it this year at least. Just in case. But we’ll protect our fancy aluminium rims by having the snows installed onto cheap black steelies. Like this:
The wind here is phenomenal, and aside from the occasional afternoon lull, never really stops. We’re about 300 yards from the Atlantic, and have water on three sides, so we feel the weather.
And by “feel” I mean that at 3:30 a.m. a couple of nights ago, when gusts were hitting 100 kmh, we could literally feel the house shake. First job in the morning was to go out and look for lost shingles.
The local Astor Theatre continues to be a delight, and inexplicably has a fantastic movie schedule. Later this month we’ll take the family there to see Peter Pan Jr. That will be quite a change from last month’s “Triangle of Sadness.”
Right now though, while I have the time, I’m breaking long enough to shrink wrap the window beside me which, despite being double glazed at some time in the past, is letting great gusts of cold air though. Brrr!
And finally, our French visas have been renewed, for four years, after which we can apply for French citizenship. Yes, that complicates life just a little bit!