Best wishes to you all for 2017!!

Happy 

New 

Year!

Seasons Greetings!

                            

Christmas Memories

It's amazing how things trigger certain memories.  I find that my biggest trigger is definitely smells.  Some of my most treasured memories of Christmas flood back to me when I smell a spicy fruitcake being baked.

Yesterday, for the first time in about five years, I made a boiled raisin cake.  That was one of my mom's favorites and she baked them often, not only at Christmas.

This Christmas will mark the four year anniversary since we lost our mother, on December 27.  I didn't make cakes that Christmas, or any Christmas since, but yesterday I was overwhelmed with the urge to pull out mom's old cookbooks and do some "Christmas baking".

Her cookbooks were all well-used and she loved to clip recipes from newspapers and magazines, and tape them inside the covers of all of her cookbooks, wherever she could find space!

 

I mixed up the Cherry Cake recipe, and baked it in two 6 inch round pans.........

and the famous Boiled Raisin Cake........

I then performed the ultimate "no-no" in mom's books, and cut it as soon as it cooled.  Mom always made her cakes weeks before Christmas and let them age in beautiful old tins, wrapped in waxed paper.  I just couldn't wait.

It's beginning to smell a lot like Christmas!!!

CHEERS

:)

November Supermoon over Flatrock

I didn't have my tripod, but I just couldn't resist taking a couple of snaps of this spectacular moon and how it reflected on the Atlantic ocean in Flatrock tonight.......

Cheers

:)

Night sky over Flatrock

We had another fabulous Fall day here in our neck of the woods. 

I couldn't wait to get out for a walk after supper. 

The evening sky was so pretty, I snapped a few shots.......

Cheers

:)

Fall stroll out to Fort Amherst

Believe it or not, this was my first trip out to Fort Amherst.  I have looked at it

so many times from Signal Hill, always thinking I have to take a drive out 

over the south side of the harbor and walk up to see the lighthouse. 

It was really nice to get to see Signal Hill from Fort Amherst.......

The site is just breath-taking.  

There are some homes there--right up on the hill, to your right, as 

you walk up to the lighthouse.  As I huffed and puffed up the steady slope to the 

site, I saw a beautiful elderly lady, her husband (I assumed)

descending a very long, steep set of steps from a house. 

They were getting into their vehicle as I walked by.  

We chatted and I asked how long they lived there.  

The lady replied that she was born there and had lived there her entire life!  

I asked about the steep steps and the high winds....she laughed and said you get used to it.  

Here are a couple shots of the lighthouse site from the parking area......

Once I got up to lighthouse site, it was well worth the trek.  

It was a lovely fall day with a soft breeze.

Here is another shot of Cabot Tower, on Signal Hill, from Fort Amherst.

Below is a photo of the winch that was used to hoist 

materials to build the lighthouse.

 There was a very interesting story-board on the site as well...

It is amazing, to just turn around when you are standing on this site, to see this----the most 

outer edge of St. John's harbor...

Cheers

:)

St. John's harbour

Last Sunday morning, we decided to take a walk in the downtown area of St. John's. 

We started our stroll about on the south side, as I wanted to get some shots of 

the narrows and the city.  

Well, guess what---it started to rain! 

I did manage to get a few pictures of the narrows before we had to take cover in the truck...........

As we started to drive back in towards the city, the rain held a little.

 Such a pretty mix of the colors on the old row houses, with the majestic Basilica as a backdrop.

 

I wonder what people think as they see the city for the first time, from the deck of one 

of the many cruise ships that come in here every year.  

Cheers

:)

Pickling time again!!

This year was awesome for growing,both in the greenhouse and outside.  

After last summer, I guess it wouldn't take much to impress us.  

On a serious note though, we had a great summer.

Hubby tried several plants in the outside beds.  

He had a great success with the yellow and green beans.....

We LOVE dill beans!!  I posted my recipe and a few photos back in April 2012.  

Click here to view that post and get recipe.

If you like dill, this recipe is awesome.

 

These beans stay crunchy and are great as a snack, as part of an appetizer tray or a side 

with your favorite meal....YUMMY!!

Cheers

:)

First trip to Mad Rock!!

Yesterday, we met up with a group of our friends in Spaniard's Bay, and drove over to an area known as Mad Rock.  I had actually only just learned of the area, so we planned a day trip, to check it out.

The whole area is breath-taking, but when we got right out to the coast and could see the rugged shoreline, it was obvious why it is called Mad Rock----Just Beautiful!!!!

The large birds are cormorants.
They are a coastal bird and nest in colonies along the rugged shoreline.

Batter late than Never!

Every morning, I get up a little earlier than required, so I can enjoy a big mug of coffee while checking the forecast, local news, and check in on my favorite Blogs.  This morning, I noticed that John at The AC is On, had mentioned that Thursday was Good Fences Day,on Blogger.

So I scrambled to pull up a few of my many fence photos.  Anyone who has been following my blog will know that I love fences, so here's just a few.........

Have a great weekend!!

:)