A phone call yesterday made me realize that we may not be keeping up with our end of the bargain so to speak.  Our blog has become a way for some who don’t subscribe to social media to hear from us and know that all is well and “hey, what’s happening? We haven’t heard from you in at least two weeks”.  Our response to that is “well, there hasn’t been anything earth shattering.”  Do you really want more amazing sunset pictures and miles and miles of blue ocean because that’s really what’s been happening.

 Do you want updates on our latest trip to the market, and all those fresh veggies and eggs from happy chickens and the support we are giving to local businesses or that thrilling laundry day?

Nature’s Bounty

No,I suppose not.  But then again maybe a recap of our first month here might be what you are looking for.  You know, just to have an idea of where we are in this east coast adventure.

Shining Waters Marine

So to start, we have found a great place to splash R.E.D. After a month here at Shining Waters we are still very happy with our water environment.  The tranqulity, the ever-changing back-of-the-boat views.

Out Our Back Door

As with our last water home in Montreal we still seem to be the only live-aboards.  I suppose there are occasionally those who spend the night but if there are, we never hear them.  We like it so much that a repeat performance for next year is being considered.

House Search Area

Then came the house hunt which opened up a whole new world of local connections.  Our real estate guy is a keeper.  We first met with him via  face time while we sat in our cockpit in Montreal and he, his office in Halifax.  We told him of our criteria.  Poor guy.  We wanted land to build our home or maybe an existing house, on the water or near the water.  Not really sure of the price point. We had it narrowed down to a certain location in Nova Scotia but maybe we could go further. Our specifications were pretty broad.  It wasn’t until we finally met him face to face that he got to know us better and each time we ventured out to view properties he helped us fine tune our needs which led to a solid prioirty list.

Next came bankers, insurance folks, and lawyers.  All those connections that would make our purchase possible and seemless.  My daughter played a key role in recommendations having purchased a home in the area 2 years ago.  So many appointments but we are happy with everyone and again thanks to our agent who acted as our point man, all that legal beagle, financial stuff is in place.

Charm and Good Bones

And for those who aren’t in the loop, we have found our RED by the SEA. A charming 87 year old sea side home. By Goldie Locks standards she’s not too big, not too small, she’s just right. She’s been fully renovated with new foundation, electrical and plumbing to today’s standards but the typical maritime bones have been untouched. And by the time we move in she will also have a brand new septic system in place.  There will be a place for R.E.D. to reside in the off season and a place for a future garage is already in the Francois planning stage.  There will also be a place to receive guests that is already in the design Kat’s planning strategy.  I’m getting back into my domestic groove so expect baked muffins and freshly cut flowers to welcome you.

Through all the negotiating we fell on two gems.  Inspecters.  Home and septic specialitsts who turned out to be worth every penny of their respective fees and will in the future be invaluable resources for future information. We have taken steps to address any potentail well water issues and have found a system that will be both affordable and easily maintained.

Once we had all the house agreement signed and sealed we set out to broaden our local connections.  Medical stuff.  I put out feelers for information and received back comments like ‘well, good luck finding a doctor in this province’ followed by a tirade of politically charged remarks about government incompetence.  I guess by now we should be used to that.  Same almost everywhere.  So hoping for the best but prepared for disappointment we walked into a small clinic in our future community and asked if they were taking new patients.  “Of course we are”, was the response.  Next door was a dental clinic.  “Just let us know when your annual is due”. And we also spoke with a very friendly pharmacist who will take care of requesting all information from Montreal.  Could it get any easier?

That’s about it I think.  A lot for one month in a new province but it’s like a tetris puzzle all carefully fit together to make a solid foundation for our future. There’s still a lot more to handle before RED by the SEA becomes ours officially but she is legally ours when the closing day arrives.  We still need to take care of our water home before returning to Montreal, to finish packing our moving POD and closing our condo for good. Water and rain issues which made us change summer plans was actually a godsend in disguise.  We’ve had the chance to take care of so many things that we would have had to address during a time when we needed to feel calm and in control.  Change is a stresser and we are making a life-changing move so to be able to walk into our lawyer’s office on closing day, take possession of keys to RED by the SEA and drive home….home…love that…home….will make two old-ish sailors very happy.

Two things I’ll close with…

Something Francois said to me the other day that he’s never said before (and no, there was no margerita truth serum involved).  When he was posted here 20 years ago with the military he said he was hoping they would forget about him and leave him here.  He loved it that much.

And when I was writing this post I asked if he had anything to add.  He said with a big satisfied smile on his face: “Yes, tell everyone we are stuck here in paradise.”

Well there you have it folks.  It doesn’t get any more honest than that.  Updates will appear soon when we have more that just sunsets and blue water to share with you.

Sunset on the Bay