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The Gecko Bus

8/23/2016

1 Comment

 
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What’s green and red, has scales, sits on four tires and offers the best burrito in town?   No joke or guessing here, it’s the Gecko Bus!  It’s an oddity, a bit of Mexico in the heart of Halifax, an overlooked gem that I would have missed altogether if the friend with us hadn’t pointed it out. The bus is clever and innovative, marketing at its best.  

Hubby and I and a friend were in the city on a shopping excursion for our boats when lunch time rolled around and are tummies were growling so we started throwing suggestions around on where to eat.  Even though we were shopping at what one might refer to as “men stores” for boat parts, these guys don’t like to shop any more than I do and wanted to get home so we needed something quick.   It was a necessity buying trip, in and out as quick as possible, scratch the items off the list and head home before lunch but all good intentions need to come with a plan B.  All the stops took longer than anticipated and we were running out of steam.     

Several options were suggested, fast food places kept getting a thumbs down until Chris suggest the Gecko Bus.  “What’s that” I said immediately intrigued.  I’d crawl naked over glass for a good Burrito, so the bus it was.  

It was quite the experience to see this big green anomaly as we parked beside it.   Someone had welded metal shaped lizard body parts to an old school bus then painted on the details. Scales, legs, big eyes and a tail that wrapped around the back of the bus and flipped up over the top really transformed the old yellow bus in a giant Gecko.  The lips were bold red and full and you could imagine them holding back a bug eating tongue.  This metal reptile looked out of place in the concrete and asphalt jungle but at the same time, added a bit of interest, the bright green against the grey, drawing your eye in and peeking your curiosity to see what might lie within the belly of this beast.    

You enter into the head area and once inside running along the length of the middle were a couple of tables along the port side and cooler chests were along the starboard containing icy cans of thirst quenching drinks.   

At the back, rump part of the beast, were four guys taking orders and preparing the food.  There were three kinds of rice, I choose curry and raisin and three kinds of meat, I chose the pulled pork.  Once these two choices were made they started heaping on the toppings, handfuls of lettuce, corn, beans, salsa, guacamole, hot peppers, olives, red onion, you pointed to it and it went on the pile.  I looked on as customers ahead of me ordered their lunch, thinking each burrito was a work of art, a smorgasbord of colour, a feast for the eye. 

Like Harvey’s (as in “makes a hamburger a beautiful thing”), the fillings were displayed behind a splash guard and they asked what you wanted and then piled it on.   I had the mango mayonnaise squirted on the top and then they rolled it all in expertly until the flour tortilla encompassed all that wonderful goodness.  The last step was to wrap it in foil. It looked under pressure, like it might blow any second but it held together.    
 
The guys were super friendly, clearly enjoying their work, weaving in and out with one another, working their small space like a fine tuned instrument.   It was such a happy environment that it was almost flirtatious.  When asked if I wanted my burrito  heated, I didn’t know, I’d not been there before so I said, “what would you do?” And he smiled and said “heated” and I said “do it” and winked.   They were so friendly it was contagious. 

Although there were a couple of chairs and tables inside we opted for the picnic table outside and sat with the gecko’s eyes keeping watch.  The burrito was delicious.  I worried I might not be able to get my lips around it without unhinging my jaw but apparently I have a big mouth because I didn’t have a problem.  Hubby had his served in a dish like a giant salad and tackled it with a knife and fork.  I really liked the wrap. It kept the juices in and the ingredients mixed for optimum flavour.      It was a wonderful experience.  The afternoon sun burning down and the fresh food transported to Mexico.
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I love cilantro, a dominant flavour throughout.  All the ingredients were fresh and crisp.  The pulled pork was delicious!  The service and burrito was divine, a ten out of ten and all for $8.00 plus a bit of change!   Why doesn’t Mahone Bay have one of these metal beasts serving amazing food for lunch?  I don’t know when I’ll be in the city next, hopefully they hang around a bit before the weather gets too cold, I really want to give this another whirl.   If you’re in the city check them out.  They park in front of Kent in the Bayer’s Lake Industrial Park.  Two Thumbs up from this foodie!
1 Comment

Attitude of gratitude.....

8/18/2016

2 Comments

 
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It's Wednesday early evening and I'm waiting for hubby to come home to drive me to the shop for tonight’s hook-in.  I thought I should be hooking while I wait but Larry The Cleaning Guy just left and the house is pristine, I hate to mess it up so quickly with wool bits and lint all over the place.  I need to enjoy the clean as long as I can before it’s sucked into the vortex of everyday living and spit out dirty.

I’m waiting for cookies to cool to take to the shop for tonight. Mud Cookies, the no bake fudge ones.   The only problem is leaving them alone; keeping them from falling into my mouth by hands that have a mind of their own.    

At times, not having TV makes me fidget.   What does one do when the house is spotless and there’s time to kill?  I could pull a few handfuls of weeds but at this point it’s too little too late. Besides, the humidity is back so outside isn’t an option; I don’t want to look like a wrung out dishcloth for the hook-in.  So I figured I'd sit and plunk down some random thoughts. 

Thanks for the comments on my cockpit table finish.  That’s 8 coats of varnish baby. Twelve would have produced a mirror like surface but those extra couple of coats will have to wait for next year.   At some point I had to step away from the workbench and put the paint brush down.  That table was slow to varnish because I could only do one side at a time so that was actually 16 applications in total, eight on each side with drying time in between that could take up to three days depending on the moisture in the air.   Hubby was beginning to wonder if I enjoyed the work more than the play and the jury is still out on that.  I like mindless jobs that pay fabulous dividends.  That shine is like money in the bank and every time I look at the table I feel rich.  I must admit the garage feels empty without a project but in a month and a half, the boat will be pulled from the water and I’ll have all the floor boards to sand and redo.

Today I am giving thanks for our many blessings; truly grateful for our wonderful life. Sure, hubby’s been without work for a year this September, our roof is to the point where it might start leaking so there are things to be negative about, but we have each other, are happy and relatively healthy. Recently, we have had bad news from several friends that have been diagnosed with various cancers.  Life can be unfair; as fragile as as butterflies. We have to appreciate the good in every day, see the beauty in ourselves and the world around us and be thankful for our many blessings because everything can change in the flutter of a wing.   


2 Comments

Having the time of our lives.....

8/16/2016

9 Comments

 
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A couple of people have come into the shop to see if I’m okay.  “You haven’t been blogging” they say, “We’re worried something happened to you”.  How wonderfully sweet I thought.  I did have a spill on-board resulting in bruises and bloody knuckles, scraped knee and sore elbow after being dragged down hard onto the bow by the anchor rope, landing on cleats and a winch, but that wasn’t stopping me from blogging….I confess I just can’t fit everything in with a limited 24 hour day. 
 
Fun is the culprit.  I’m experiencing a bit of it and have decided I really like it. Maybe I should have tried it on long ago, got used to the fit in my youth instead of squeezing into it now.  Anyone who knows me will tell you I’m as boring as watching ice melt but I’m coming out of my cocoon like a late blooming butterfly.  This boat is changing my life in many ways, mostly good, some not so good. 

In the not so good category, I haven’t been writing like I should, but this is only temporary and I’ll be back at the helm again soon.  Secondly, I haven’t pulled a weed this year.  My gardens are a freak show and although guilt pummels me as I  go in and out of the back door,  averting my eyes from all the dried death and despair, I’m sieged by remorse as I realize I can’t do it all.  My poor hydrangea bush is being towered by goldenrod's and giant grass and the once beautiful flowers struggle for space in the vicious takeover of unwanted interlopers.  I’ve proudly nurtured my gardens for years and now they lay in ruins after only one season.  I’m so sorry my little lovelies, I’m being selfish this year and have forsaken you……please understand that momma needs to blossom too.   
 
The boat takes a lot of time and effort, displacing all else in its wake and although most would view it as work, I love every minute of it.  She gives back far more than I give her and keeping her fit will guarantee many more years of pleasure.  The reward for this toil is sailing, being out on the water, the wind in my face, anchored at some island, making wonderful memories with my hubby and pups to sustain me over the long winter.    
 
Another downside is I’ve been sunburned recently on a jaunt to Andrew’s Island where we rowed ashore to swim with the pups and although I didn’t think we were out long enough to do damage, my anemic skin that hasn’t seen the light of day since childhood got pretty fried.  You think I should know better but the sun and I aren’t that familiar with one another, I’ve never been outdoorsy; you’d think I have vampire ancestry the way I avoid it.   

On the great side of good, the boat is everything I hoped it would be.  I become a different person out there, the kind I’ve always envied from afar. The kind of gal my hubby thought he married, carefree and adventurous.  We’ve been sailing around the islands of the bay, familiarizing ourselves with the depths and shoals surrounding them, visiting areas I’ve only seen by land, getting to know the best places to drop anchor, time away from home in the cottage on the sea.

We’ve been spending quite a few nights on board whether on the mooring or anchored off our house or beside an island.  All the teak is installed now so we have tables to dine on and I’ve been taking out novels to read, filling the down time with adventure and excitement while I lie around like royalty.  The current read is “I Let You Go” and it’s a page turner.   I read, grow tired and then my book flops on my chest while I cat nap, wake up, yawn, wipe the drool from my chin and read some more.  All our needs are met so it is easy to languish in the peace, serenity and comfort of our rocking womb.  

The other day hubby was napping with me in the cockpit.  The pups were lying beside us, Fiz on daddy’s pillow and shoulder.   We had been chatting but slowly words ceased and we both drifted off.   All of a sudden he started as a warm, wetness fanned out from below Fiz and soaked his shirt and pillow.   He woke me saying, “Poor Fiz wet herself” and picked her up to hand her to me.  I cradled Fiz who was wet underneath and took her to the pee pad to see if there was anything left to flow.  As a puppy she used to pee while in a deep sleep. Her sphincter muscle was underdeveloped but over time she was able to make it through the night without dribbling.  The horror that it might be back was unsettling.  My poor girl would be doomed to wear diapers was all I could think of as she squatted over the pad to drain the rest of her tank.  I hugged her then carried her back to the cockpit all concerned and filled with love for my baby girl.  Daddy took her below to rinse her while I stripped the pillowcase and prepared to wash it.   The pee was darker than usual, browner more than golden which gave me a fright.  What horrible problem did my baby have, was it her kidneys?

I don’t know what possessed me to sniff the stain, don’t ask why, I just did. A smile spread across my lips as all the tension melted away.   My beautiful Fiz was going to live!   I said to hubby who was equally concerned because we all know that the wonderful, red headed Fiz is his unspoken favourite.   
 
I say with a smirk, “Gee, this stain sure smells like Baileys and coffee.” 

He took a whiff and then had to chuckle too.  He’d been drinking coffee with a hit of Baileys and set it above his head on the combing top.  After he’d fallen asleep, the mug tipped and leaked the now warm liquid all over him and poor little Fiz.   Thank goodness for my sense of smell because it saved us a vet bill and poor Fiz a lot of unnecessary probing. 

The dogs seem to love the boat.  They obey and never go up on deck unless we accompany them for pee breaks.  It sure makes life easier than having to row ashore a couple of times a day.   We still take them to land at least once for a good jaunt and sniff, stretch their little legs and explore exciting places they’ve not smelled before.  It’s an adventure filled life for a dog, all this comfort while hanging with mom and dad. We are waiting for netting to arrive to cover the lifelines to prevent them from falling overboard.  It hasn’t happened to date and we want to circumvent it from happening at all.   I don’t think I could be on the boat if something bad happened so prevention is key.   Once it is installed they will be free to roam the deck anytime they choose, except of course when we are out in heavy wind and choppy seas. 

We are still spending a great deal of time on maintenance.  Considering that a boat is surrounded by water I assumed it would remain pristine but they get as dirty as a house.  Sand and dirt from our feet gets walked aboard and food crumbs, ocean salt and dust cover everything.   There’s enough pastry flakes under the teak floor grates in the cockpit from all the butter tarts we're eating to make a pie.  I’m constantly wiping down surfaces and sweeping floors.  I’m glad it finally rained to wash away the salt spray that coated everything on deck, dulling down the stainless and the windows.  Even the hull was covered with a film of dried white residue.  I washed it off the last time we were out by rowing around and wiping it down.  Now the rain will have given her a good freshwater shower so she is gleaming once again.

Preparation to go for a sail takes hours of work.  Menu planning, shopping and precooking meals takes a good deal of time.  Then packing it up and hauling it aboard before any fun can begin.  I’m getting more comfortable with the propane stove and as time goes on I’ll prepare less at home and cook more on board.   On longer hauls I’d have to cook as we go but for now this seems to be the most efficient way to do it.  I’ve been making soups, casseroles, and lasagna, items that freeze well so I can grab meals quickly and heat them on board.    I have been making breakfast on board, bacon and eggs and toast with this wonderful invention that sits over a propane burner and toasts four pieces of bread at once. 

The one thing I’ve discovered...watching the weather is like betting on the horses. Chances of predicting a favourable outcome takes luck.   Even the weather people can’t get it right.  How they can predict anything past what’s happening in the present is a mystery.  It’s seems to be all guess work by the way it changes so quickly.   Tracking a storm is one thing, you can see it coming across the provinces by satellites but pin pointing local weather patterns is like dating someone fickle, you never know what they’ll do next. Sometimes they get it right but are off on the timing.  One evening we rushed to shore as the lightning and thunder pounded around us.  Being on a boat is relatively safe but our pups were home and Honey shakes like a vibrator with each clap.  We thought we were safe doing a bit of work when the experts said it would begin at three in the morning and here was it was only 7:30 pm.   We rowed the dingy at Mach speed as the black clouds chased us, the lightening streaked across the sky getting closer and closer, the thunder roaring in our ears.  I've discovered one of the biggest drawbacks to owning a sailboat is the weather.  Always waiting on the best of times, to experience the best of times. 



9 Comments

Visitor from Quebec

8/4/2016

6 Comments

 
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What an exciting time we had at last evening’s hook-in!  A visitor from Quebec joined us for a “tear down that language barrier wall” to chat about our shared passion. 

Diane Turcotte spoke little English and most of us struggled to remember our high school French.  Heather Gordon saved us by being quite fluent, and Charlene also helped to help keep the communication open.  There was a lot of laughter and we all tripped over our words and exaggerated  our hand gestures. 

Diane first came into the shop in 2014 and was inspired by rug hooking.  We couldn’t chat much but she purchased Shane’s dyed wool to go home and design and hook her first project. 

Yesterday she popped into the shop and after struggling a bit trying to understand what she was saying, I skipped next door to get Deborah Acker who speaks fluent French to interpret for us.    Diane was trying to say that she brought her first piece all the way from Quebec to show me.  I was touched.  Knowing that I help inspire people to take up rug hooking chokes me up every time.  She planned to bring her rug by the shop the following day but I suggested she join our hooking group that evening and Deborah relayed the invitation.  Sure enough she popped by and we all had a lively time. 

Her first project is amazing: three puffins on rocks with a lovely artistic sky and ocean. Back home after being inspired by all the beautiful rugs in the studio, she had a friend help her that had taken instruction from Montreal’s rug hooking teacher Judith Dallegret.  

I think she enjoyed her visit with the Main Street Hookers last evening and we heard a lot of Euh La La’s  as we held up our projects.  That needed no interpretation; the expression on her face said it all. 

Diane is currently working on a Sugar Shack winter scene and promises to send a photo for me to share on Facebook when she’s finished.   She picked out a couple of our Snow & Ice value swatches to take back home to complete the rug.   We all look forward to seeing her future rugs!    


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    Christine Little has been ranked #5​ out of the 60 top rug hooking bloggers by Rug Hooking Magazine!

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    Max Anderson, Australia, recipient of my Nova Scotia Treasures rug.  An award of excellence for promoting Canada through his writing.  
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