Two years ago when I started writing this blog, I wanted to give my friends and family a small window into my and Larry’s new life in Bear River, Nova Scotia. I wanted to maintain some connection with them and I thought that pictures and stories would show them where we were going to and what our next steps were.
Larry, Steven and Barbara walking the red sandy beach near Pugwash, Nova Scotia.
What I hadn’t factored in was that the blog would attract a following of people I’d never met before. From the comments and emails and search term statistics, I see that people land here for a variety of reasons. Over 3,000 people have landed here after searching for ‘tick’ on the internet. That certainly wasn’t my goal – hell, I didn’t even know what a tick looked like before we moved here!
Many of the readers have a Bear River connection. They’ve either lived here in the past, the present, or would like to in the future. Others, like us, have left a city and are also adapting to life in a rural setting. This year, some of the followers are people involved in home improvement pursuits and they are curious about our house updates.
This summer I got to meet a few of the readers for the first time and it was a wonderfully strange experience. It’s wonderful to meet people who are interested in what I have to say and it’s strange to meet people who know so much about our lives this past year.
Audrey flew here all the way from England to visit her son, a good friend of ours living in Bear River. It was wonderful recently to meet with her and her granddaughter and daughter-in-law and to show them the parts of our house that the photos cut off.
Audrey was inspiring and interesting and I wish she would write a blog for me to read!
She stayed for lunch and it was like visiting with a long lost friend because we had so many common terms of reference because of her reading and commenting in this blog.
My Toronto portrait artist friend, Barbara Muir, invited us to stay with her and husband Steven at their very cute Schoolhouse Studio near Pugwash this summer. Barbara and I walked on the red sandy beach and she took photos of me and later painted my portrait.
Low tide Gulf Shore Beach, acrylic on canvas, 8 x 8 inches, Barbara Muir © 2009
The painting is more stunning up close. I know because it’s in my studio now!
Barbara’s blog is a testament to positive thinking and daily writing and painting. She hasn’t missed a day of posting for over a year now!!
Barbara, Greg and I at the Chatterbox Cafe in Pugwash.
Through Barbara’s blog, I discovered the blog of the owners of the Chatterbox Cafe in Pugwash. They’ve been reading my posts, and I’ve been reading theirs and we were able to have a long conversation about our parallel experiences in Nova Scotia. From their blog I knew that Greg’s wife Noreen is a painter. I was very glad to see her work all over their cafe and I took these pictures. They don’t do her work justice, but you can see that she is a colourist with a strong sense of compostion. Wonderful, organic paintings.
Oil paintings copyright Noreen Smiley.
A new friend I’ve made through blogging this winter is an artist Carol Wiebe. Her blog is loaded with reviews of other artist’s sites and wonderful descriptions of their work too. Carol’s own work is inspired by her work with quilts and her pieces are filled with texture and luscious colour. (OK…you see a pattern here that I love the colours in the works by Barbara, Noreen and Carol!)
Carol featured me on her blog this summer. I was totally flattered to be among the interesting artists she’s written about. (I felt like a complete fraud, but that’s another story.)
Silverspring Studio
Carol did not stop by to visit me this summer, but somehow I think that our paths will cross someday.
The internet and blogging create opportunities for people with similar interests to connect. I feel very fortunate to be able to use this technology to connect with people near and far and to continue the conversation with old friends like Barbara and with new friends like Audrey, Greg, and Carol.
5 responses so far ↓
Barbara Muir // September 30, 2009 at 2:54 pm
Hi Flora,
It was sure nice seeing you this summer. The memory is inspiring. I think I am coming up to 600 daily blogs. Come on over and we’ll break out the champers.
xoxoxoxoxoBarb ara
Audrey T // October 2, 2009 at 1:57 pm
Flora and Larry, it was wonderful to meet you both.Thank you for the warm welcome to your Bear River home,especially at this time when you are deep in preparation for the coming winter season.My young grand daughter was enchanted by everything about the village and the good people we met.Both she and her dear mother wanted to stay.They actually paddled up the river on the rising tide and back to the family home later on in one of the tough canoes which made their visit so memorable.We all send greetings to you hard working friends in Bear River.Thank you all for the warmest of welcomes.Audrey,Ella and Debbie.
Flora // October 6, 2009 at 11:37 pm
Barbara, congrats on your DAILY writing for OVER 600 DAYS!!!! I’m sending you a prize for that….3 nights lodging at chez moi!!!!
Flora // October 6, 2009 at 11:43 pm
Audrey,
I so enjoyed our visit together!
I think they were brave to paddle the river and I’m so glad they got to do it!
I’m thinking about your flower garden and I hope you can come back and see my garden when it’s better tended! ;-O
Hugs from Bear River!
carolwiebe // October 8, 2009 at 12:05 am
I can’t meet Barbara’s high standard (writing a post every day for 600 days!!!) but I really cherish the friendship we have forged, Flora. I agree that our paths are going to cross!
I am trying to think of a way to claim that prize of 3 nights lodging . . .