Gone east and back

A long over due post! last heard from in Phoenix and since then we've been to Halifax to visit family. In the two weeks between times I stained and varnished our spiffy new front door and Jim installed it, we got Xmas lights up and presents wrapped to take east with us, and still managed to see some friends.

The view from our bedroom/sitting room at Paul and Sue's house on Hubley Mill Lake. It's in Upper Tantallon just outside Halifax. The properrty is beautiful and the house is beginning to be after a lot of money, blood, sweat and tears.  

 And the reason for the visit:

1. Paul and Jim enjoying a moment together.
2. Jillian sneaking snacks after being told she'd had enough.
3. The senior citizens: Jim's brother Pete and his wife Betty in the foreground. There are always lots of laughs when those two are in the room.
4. Rachel at not quite 7 is our 'dancing queen'.
5. Our daughter in law Sue, who suffers our general craziness in good spirit.
6. And dinner! 

And while we were away this time I totaled the number of weeks we've been gallivanting in the last year, 16, and we've decided to stay home for a few months instead of going south this winter. Not to mention we are spending money like drunken sailors on various updates to the house, some of which are actually necessary; so the coffers are more than a bit bare. With any luck we will have a mild winter although we are in the midst of an arctic outflow after a month of heavy rain. And still we are luckier to live here than anywhere else I can think of.