almost unpacked

our 1/2 duplex
the boys school
our street. we are the last house on the straight stretch on the left

Our place is to the left of the blue house. We walk down this path to get to school; the boys think it is less than 100m from door to door.

Inside Pics coming soon...

Just a few more boxes to unpack and we are officially moved in and organized. I have enjoyed some peace and quiet this week with the lazy dogs around to keep me company. Wrestler is still getting into trouble: eating food off the counter getting 2 breakfasts out of B and D. B says he is looking like a sausage again :)

J and D are getting settled into school and I went to a PAC meeting our first day, just to get a feel for what goes on there. There are some similar and some different issues than I experienced with the 'big city' school. Lots to figure out and learn.

B is at work usual hours. I brought him hot leftovers one day and I have stopped by to say hi every day on my dog walk around town. Never been able to do that before.

Masset has all the usual necessities available within a 5 min walk from the house. Main street has a bank, post office, 2 grocery stores, a few restaurants, a cute cafe (I got a tea 'to-go' the other day), the volunteer fire stn, RCMP building with 4 vehicles, the cable shop, a home hardware store where I believe you can order from 'the Source' flyer to get electronics, a library, an Autoplan agent, recycle depot.... any thing else you need?

The dr/hospital/pharmacy is in an old CDN military building and is quite dated and looks kind of like a M*A*S*H clinic. Masset is getting a new health centre about 2 mins out of town towards Old Masset. It is supposed to open the end of the month.

Next week one day I plan to take a drive south to Port Clements to see what is around there. I heard there was a good local produce store and I want to look for this Cedarview Community Church address. See what I can find! There is also a book club that meets next week at a cafe in old Masset, got to check that out.

Since the rec centre closed the end of Sept, QCI recreation programs are all over the place at different sites. Tues/Thurs pm is aerobics at the boys school and there is 4hr surfing clinic one weekend at north beach I want to check out!

We are adjusting well to the slow paced lifestyle around here. Everyone we have interacted with is friendly and helpful. Drivers give the 2 finger off the steering wheel wave and walkers say 'hello'. Still not sure if totally gives us away that we are newbees when we walk around with dog-poop bags :) I don't see anyone else with bags?

my observation of the week:

There are grassy rolling hills around the base houses, the old barracks, high school field and they look great: freshly cut, no ruts, can even see the lines of the mowers. So we decide to take a short cut across some grass and quickly find out why no one else walks on there... the ground is totally saturated and every step you sink into the mossy 'grass' and even when you walk up to the top of a hill to stay day, it is still WET. The lesson is "always walk on sidewalks"

I have also done a duck and cover maneuver at least 3 times. The ravens sometimes fly really close and their wings are VERY LOUD: it actually scared me the first time. Maybe because there are no other background noises or because they are so much bigger than birds in the south? idunno.

There are always puddles even if you did not see it rain. The rain may have dumped when you were inside for a few hours and with the storm windows you can not hear any rain through them. Then when you look outside the sun is shining again! We have had fantastic weather this week, just a bit colder than we are used to.

till later,
nicole