FanningSparks – Page 31 – A DIY and lifestyle blog authored by Peg Frizzell.

Solid as a Rock

My Dad always used to joke that “The best crop to grow in Nova Scotia is rocks!” After years of picking rock to clear farming land, he would have known. Rocks may be a hindrance to farmers and gardeners but they are an integral part of the geological heritage of a place.
Nova Scotia, on Canada’s east coast, “has long been recognized for its rich and diverse geology” say authors J.H. Calder and G.J. DeMont in their article Geoheritage in Nova Scotia. It is “a heritage that defines our landscape, is reflected in our industrial history, and has influenced some of the greatest ideas that have shaped human understanding of our place in the history of life.”
The iconic view of Peggy’s Cove lighthouse sitting proudly on huge granite rocks is a great example. It is a “story of fire and ice: magma cooled deep in the Earth’s crust and 380 million years later was shaped by the last glaciers.”

The rocks along the coastline of nearby Island Rock Head, Nova Scotia are similar. They originate from the Devonian to Carboniferous geological history period and are categorized as “granite batholith”. Wikipedia defines a “batholith” as a “large mass of intrusive igneous rock … that forms from cooled magma deep in Earth’s crust”.

A recent kayaking adventure in Prospect, Nova Scotia provided a different view of the dramatic shoreline. Here the geology is described as an “erosional glacial landscape” originating from the Quaternary period. The view shown below greets the visitor as they enter Lower Prospect.

We kayaked to Hearn Island where we enjoyed a short hike and spectacular views.

The geoheritage of the Digby, Nova Scotia area is noticeably different. On Brier Island, the rocks are columnar basalt, cooled from magma in the Triassic period. The columns along the shores of Seal Cove were eerily visible through the fog.
Fog also shrouded the rocky cliffs in the Nature Conservancy of Canada Reserve on the island’s west coast.

This heart-shaped rock was propped up near the Brier Island Lighthouse. How it came to be is a mystery.

Arguably the most astonishing example of basalt columns is Balancing Rock in Tiverton on Long Island. This 20-foot finger of volcanic rock, estimated to weigh 20 tonnes or more, is balanced precariously on the edge of the rock below.

The basalt column, known as Nature’s Time Post, seems to defy gravity.

The Bay of Fundy, the site of the world’s highest tides, provides yet another perspective of Nova Scotia’s geoheritage. Burntcoat Head, for instance, holds a “fossil menagerie of life in the early days of the dinosaurs including creatures found nowhere else on Earth”. Pictured below are the cliffs of Burntcoat Head in the warm glow of sunset. Check out the post We Dined on the Ocean Floor for more photos and background on Burntcoat Head.

Interestingly, Nova Scotia boasts a UNESCO Global Geopark along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy. The Cliffs of Fundy Geopark is one of only 163 UNESCO Global Geoparks around the world. These geoparks are “single, unified geographical areas where sites and landscapes of international geological significance are managed with a holistic concept of protection, education and sustainable development.”
The Cliffs of Fundy UNESCO Global Geopark celebrates the highest tides in the world, honors the ethical space of the Mi’kmaw people and their oral traditions of cultural geoheritage, and provides evidence of the Earth’s incredible natural history with the massive Cobequid Fault.
On Partridge Island, in the Parrsboro area of the Geopark, visitors can enjoy an eco-tour hiking trail. This is one aspect of the amazing view that rewards hikers at the trail’s lookoff.

It was low tide when we visited nearby Five Islands but the beautiful skies more than made up for the lack of water!

Nova Scotia is not the only Maritime province with an interesting geoheritage. Most of Prince Edward Island’s north shore is rolling dunes and wide beaches of fine sand but Thunder Cove is different. There a visitor will find sandstone cliffs, caves and sea stacks carved and shaped by the ocean and the winds.

The below sandstone sea stack is dubbed Teacup Rock for its unusual shape.

Learning about the geoheritage of the Maritimes has been fascinating. It’s heartening to see my native province of Nova Scotia celebrate its natural and cultural sites of geological significance. But there is much more to learn and I look forward to delving deeper during my next visit.

More Info

You can learn more about visiting Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island on their respective tourism websites or check out these FanningSparks’ posts:
. Watching Humpbacks on the Bay of Fundy
. We Dined on the Ocean Floor
. The Perfect Reminder of Green Gables
. Shutter Therapy in North Rustico
. Beacons of Light
. In Pursuit of Sea Glass
. Falling Leaves and Floating Boats
. First Light at Peggy’s Cove
See the Geoheritage Resources section of Nova Scotia’s Geoscience and Mines Branch website for more information about Nova Scotia’s geoheritage including a virtual tour and the 2009 Report of Activities by J.H. Calder and G.J. DeMont.
Wikipedia is a great place to learn the basics of the geologic time scale.
Check out the Cliffs of Fundy Geopark website for information about the Cliffs of Fundy UNESCO Global Geopark.

Today’s Takeaways

1. Nova Scotia, on Canada’s east coast, “has long been recognized for its rich and diverse geology”.
2. “Geoheritage can be defined succinctly as geological features that inform humanity of its relationship with the Earth.”
3. Consider the geoheritage of the places you live and visit.

Make Other Media Repurpose Tutorials

Old Silver Wind Chimes – DIY Tutorial

There was a time when local newspapers printed a society page with a full accounting of who visited whom in the community. They even reported who poured tea. I’m reminded of this quaint custom when I see tea service sets like the one pictured below.

The days of leisurely afternoon visits for tea are largely past and tea service sets are finding their way into vintage and thrift shops. Many of these silver teapots, sugar bowls and creamers are ready for a new lease on life. One option is to repurpose them as wind chimes. The silver-plated components, like the below sugar bowl, age beautifully shifting from a shiny, clear glow to a soft, weathered patina.
This project is completed with silver-plated cutlery hung from glass-beaded strands. The spoons catch the breeze and produce a pleasant soft tinkling sound. Here’s a closer look.

Today’s post includes full step-by-step instructions for making your own Old Silver Wind Chimes. This project is fully customizable—you can make it as shown or improvise and make your own version. Here are two different versions—one with a creamer and blue and green beads and the other with a sugar bowl and green and purple beads.
Let’s get started.
Supplies Needed
The following supplies are needed to make the Old Silver Wind Chimes:
. A Silver-Plated Sugar Bowl, Creamer or Teapot
. Silver-Plated Cutlery including 1 Fork, 2 Tablespoons and 3 Teaspoons. Alternatively, you can select your own combination of cutlery pieces.
TIP: Thrift stores and yard sales are a good source for old silver-plated items. If you’re uncertain of the metal content, you can use a strong magnet to check. Silver is non-magnetic so if the magnet sticks to the metal it is unlikely to be silver.
. Beads: Approximately 60” of Glass Beads. Glass beads may be more expensive than other materials but they catch the light beautifully and they tend to weather better. Choose an assortment of colors, shapes and sizes. I purchased a variety of beads, as shown below, to make colorful and interesting hangers but I didn’t use nearly as many beads as shown. I found it helpful to include some “filler” beads (ie the white ones) to really let the other beads stand out. Ensure your glass beads will fit onto your beading wire.
. Teardrop Beads: A teardrop-shaped glass bead adds a nice touch to the bottom of the wind chimes. If using a creamer, teardrop beads are the perfect way to end the bead strands coming out of the creamer’s spout (see photo in Step 12).
. Beading Wire: Approximately 100” (9 ft) of Beading Wire. This stringing material is made of multiple strands of thin steel wire coated with a layer of nylon. Surprisingly, this type of wire is available as a beading supply and as a fishing supply. I’ve seen 7-strand Beading Wire in the beading section at my local craft store. But I raided my husband’s fly fishing gear and selected a spool of 40-lb Knottable Wire Bite Tipper from RIO. I reasoned that fishing line would be more durable and stand up better to the outdoor conditions I expected my wind chimes to endure. Ensure your beading wire will fit into your glass beads.
. Snap Swivel Fittings: As with the beading wire, Snap Swivel Fittings are available as both beading and fishing supplies. I used a Sports Professionals Taru Swivel with Interlock Snap in size 50-lb test. You’ll need only one.
. Crimp Beads: Used to secure the Beading Wire. Crimp Beads come in different shapes and sizes. Ensure your crimp beads fit onto your beading wire. You’ll need about 30 crimp beads.
Tools and Equipment Needed
. Wood Block: A scrap block of hardwood for your working surface. I used a 10” x 5” x 2” scrap piece of hemlock.
. Rubber Mallet
. Hammer and Sharp Nail: Used to indent before drilling.
. Drill with 7/64” Bit for drilling metal
. Painter’s Tape
. Pliers: Cutting Pliers, Flat-Nose Pliers and Round-Nose Pliers.
. Crimping Pliers: Used to squeeze the crimp beads onto the beading wire. I purchased a Beadalon brand Micro Crimper Tool for this project and it worked perfectly.
. Tweezers (optional): Used to handle beads.
. Fabric Piece: A square of fabric, approximately 12″ x 12″, to cover your working surface for beading. Ideally, the fabric would be light in color and have a short nap such as velour.
Instructions The below illustration shows the various parts of the Old Silver Wind Chimes. The labels match those used in the following instructions. The measurements indicate the approximate length of each part. Please note the total length is slightly shorter than the sum of the parts due to overlaps between components.
Step 1 – Select Components Select your featured component—it could be a lidded sugar bowl or a creamer as shown in this tutorial. Alternatively, you could use a teapot but the hangers would likely need to be longer so increase the number of glass beads and length of beading wire accordingly.
Select 1 fork for the center of the wind chimes. Select 4 spoons to surround the fork. I chose to use 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons in 2 different flatware patterns. Select 1 spoon to be used as the bottom weight. I chose a sugar spoon, with a large bowl, for this purpose. Alternatively, you can choose any combination of silver-plated cutlery you like.
Step 2 – Flatten Spoons and Fork Work on a block of scrap wood. Hold a spoon firmly against the wood block and hit it with a rubber mallet to straighten/flatten the spoon handle. The idea is to straighten the handle a little so the spoon will hang vertically. Optionally, you may also want to hit the spoon bowl a few times to flatten it a little. Repeat with the remaining spoons and fork.
Step 3 – Bend Fork Use flat-nose pliers to grip one of the fork’s tines. Slowly bend the tine out and into a graceful curl. It’s helpful to use round-nose pliers for the final bending. Alternate the direction of the tine curls. Curling out the fork tines increases their contact with the bowls of the spoons meaning the wind chimes will produce more music.
Step 4 – Drill Holes in Spoons and Fork Start with a spoon. Choose a spot at the top of the handle—centered and about ¼” from the tip—to drill a hole for hanging. Indent this spot with a sharp nail and a hammer. Use the drill with a bit for drilling metal. Drill through the spoon handle at the marked spot. Take care to clear away metal filings since these can be sharp. Use a hammer to knock off and flatten any sharp edges or tear-out on the backside of the drilled hole. Repeat for the remaining spoons and fork. Drill a second hole in the fork just above the top of the tines in the center.
Step 5 – Drill Holes in Sugar Bowl Choose 4 spots on the bottom of the sugar bowl for drilling holes. It’s easiest to align these with the bowl’s feet. As above, indent the selected spots with a sharp nail and hammer. Drill the holes. Locate the center of the bottom, mark and drill. Use a hammer to gently smooth out the backside of the drilled holes.
Next drill holes along the top rim of the sugar bowl. Choose 4 spots at an equal distance from the handles and the top edge. Due to the curved edge, drilling these can be tricky.
TIP: A small piece of painter’s tape covering your target spot will help prevent the drill bit from slipping.
Use a hammer to gently smooth out the backside of the drilled holes.
If using a creamer, drill a hole in the center of the creamer’s spout.
Step 6 – String Beads for Top Hanger Place a piece of fabric on your working surface to keep your beads from rolling away. Cut 2 pieces of beading wire each 16” long. Insert both pieces through the bottom of a swivel snap fitting. Fold wires in half. Slip a crimp bead onto the wire ends and slide it up to the swivel snap fitting. Use crimping pliers to squeeze the crimp bead and lock it into place.
Take a few minutes to plan your bead design. The beaded section should be about 4.5” long. You may want to play around with different combinations of colors and shapes to create a pleasing pattern. Once happy with your design, string the beads onto one of the wires ending with 1 or 2 crimp beads. Then finish with a small crimp bead positioned at the end tip of the wire. Use the crimping pliers to squeeze the end crimp bead into place—temporarily keeping the beads in place while you work on the other sections.
Step 7 – Attach Top Hanger Prepare to attach the beaded wires into the 4 drilled holes on the top edge of the sugar bowl. Snip off the crimped bead from the end tip of the wire. Thread the end of the wire through the drilled hole and back up through 3-5 beads. Ensure beads are snug against the swivel snap fitting at the top.
If using a lid on a sugar bowl, put the lid in place and adjust the wire loops to fit. Lock in place, by squeezing the remaining crimp bead(s) with the crimping pliers. Trim off the end of the wire with the cutting pliers. Repeat for the 3 remaining wires.
Step 8 – String Beads for Cutlery Hangers Cut a piece of beading wire 10” long. Squeeze a small crimp bead onto one end of the wire. Thread a plain bead onto the wire, slide up to the crimped bead, loop wire around and thread back through bead. Place the beaded end of the wire inside the sugar bowl and pull the wire down through the drilled hole. Repeat for the remaining 4 drilled holes.
String the beads onto one of the beading wires in your desired pattern. The beaded section should be about 5” long. Choose 6 small plain beads to wrap around the spoon handle. Add 3 of the small plain beads and a crimp bead to the wire. Then squeeze another crimp bead on the very end of the wire to temporarily hold the beads in place. Repeat for remaining 4 wires.
Step 9 – Attach Cutlery Prepare to attach the spoons and fork to the beaded wires. Start with one of the beaded wires and one spoon. Push all the beads up against the bottom of the sugar bowl. Snip off the crimped bead from the end tip of the wire. Thread the end of the wire through the drilled hole in the spoon handle, from front to back, add 3 small plain beads and pull the wire back up through the crimp bead and the last 3-5 beads above the crimp bead. Lock in place, by squeezing the crimp bead with the crimping pliers. Trim off the end of the wire with the cutting pliers. Repeat for the 4 remaining wires.

Step 10 – Prepare Bottom Weight Hold the handle of the spoon with a set of flat-nose pliers. Then use your other hand to bend the spoon handle into an interesting shape. Work carefully to gradually bend the handle. Drill a hole in the handle of the spoon if not done previously. Drill hole at the tip of the spoon bowl.
Cut an 8” piece of beading wire. String a small single bead onto the wire and center. Pull both ends of the wire through a teardrop bead. String 2-3 beads and a crimp bead onto the double wire. Then separate the 2 wires and prepare to attach to the tip of the spoon. Choose 7 small plain beads. Thread 4 small plain beads on one end of the wire. Thread the same end of the wire through the drilled hole in the spoon’s bowl, from front to back, add 3 more small plain beads and pull the wire back up through the crimp bead and the last 2-3 beads above the crimp bead. Pull the second end through the beads in a similar way. Lock in place, by squeezing the crimp bead with the crimping pliers. Trim off the ends of the wire with the cutting pliers.
Step 11 – Attach Bottom Weight Prepare to attach the bottom weight to the fork. Drill a hole in the fork just above the top of the tines, if not done previously.
Cut a piece of wire 10” long. Pull the wire through the hole above the fork tines. Pull one end of the wire about 1” below the tips of the fork tines. String a crimp bead onto both wires and push up between the fork tines. Lock in place, by squeezing the crimp bead with the crimping pliers. String about 3 beads onto both wires and add another crimp bead. Lock in place, by squeezing the crimp bead with the crimping pliers. Trim off the ends of the wire with the cutting pliers. String beads onto the beading wire in your desired pattern. The beaded section should be about 2.5” long.
The handle of the bottom weight is attached in the same way as the other spoon handles. Choose 7 small plain beads to wrap around the spoon handle. Add a crimp bead and 3 of the small plain beads to the wire. Push all the beads up against the crimped bead near the fork tines. Thread the end of the wire through the drilled hole in the spoon handle, from front to back, add 4 small plain beads and pull the wire back up through the crimp bead and the last 3-5 beads above the crimp bead. Lock in place, by squeezing the crimp bead with the crimping pliers. Trim off the end of the wire with the cutting pliers.
Step 12 – Add Beads to Creamer Spout If using a creamer, prepare to string beads for the creamer’s spout. Cut 3 pieces of beading wire, approximately 6” long. Begin each wire with a teardrop bead using the same technique as described in Step 10 Prepare Bottom Weight. String beads onto the beading wire in your desired pattern. Hold the beaded sections in place on the spout to judge the final length. The beaded sections shown below are 3.5”, 3” and 2.5”. The objective is to create a graceful arch simulating streams of water pouring from the spout. When satisfied with the beaded sections, prepare to attach them to the creamer’s spout.
Insert the end(s) of the wire through the hole in the spout, front to back, slide on a crimp bead followed by a plain bead. Loop the wire around the plain bead and back through the crimp bead and previous beads. Push beads up to the spout for a snug fit. Squeeze the crimp bead to lock in place. If it’s too difficult to thread all 3 beaded wires in this way, you could attach the shortest beaded wire midway up one of the other wires (as shown below).
Step 13 – Hang and Enjoy! Get ready to enjoy the sparkling lights and sweet sounds of your new Old Silver Wind Chimes!

More Info

Please pin this image to share or save for future reference.
Special thanks to Marian, my sister, for crafting along with me on this project. She gets full credit for the beautiful creamer wind chimes shown in this post.
You may also enjoy these FanningSparks’ blog posts featuring ways to repurpose items:
1. A Transformation Worthy of HGTV
2. Teacup Pincushion – DIY Tutorial
3. Vintage Bangle to Keepsake Box – DIY Tutorial
4. Thrifted Frame to Small Tray

Today’s Takeaways

1. Bringing new life to abandoned vintage items is a great way to reuse resources.
2. Enrich your décor by incorporating items with an interesting past.
3. Make your own one-of-a-kind wind chimes with old silver and beading.

Canada Nature Nova Scotia Travel Wildlife

Watching Humpbacks on the Bay of Fundy

Whale watching is always on my travel wish list. Viewing these incredible creatures in their natural environment is simply magical. So I jumped at the opportunity to travel to Tiverton Nova Scotia with my sister for a whale watching adventure. We were not disappointed—we saw 4 humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) and they weren’t just tiny specks on the horizon—one was nearly close enough to touch! Here’s the scoop.
Tiverton is on Long Island, one of the Digby Islands, located at the base of the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia.

It’s a pretty little fishing village.

We booked a whale watching tour with Ocean Explorations Zodiac Whale Cruises. We chose this tour because of Tom Goodwin. Tom is a biologist who has spent his entire 40+ year career studying, guiding and working around whales. He is a native Newfoundlander but has been conducting whale/seabird tours from Nova Scotia for 35 years. He is a founding year (1975) member of the Cousteau Society, has worked with the Calpyso crew, and has been supporting the World Wildlife Fund for 40+ years. On the wall in the Ocean Explorations office, there is a faded 1982 photo of Tom meeting Jacques Yves Cousteau, the world-famous ocean explorer. Tom’s tours are conducted in Zodiac™ boats (ie rigid hull inflatable boats) meaning we would be viewing whales at water-level.

Ocean Explorations’ guests are outfitted in survival suits for safety and comfort.

After getting suited up in our orange finery, we climbed aboard the Zodiac and set off at a fast clip. The fog was so thick it was nearly impossible to see beyond the boat.

Then, like a miracle, the fog cleared and we were sitting on calm waters in bright sunshine. We waited patiently, along with the lobster fishing boat tour shown below, for the whales which had been spotted in the area.
And then they came! A humpback whale surfaced off in the distance!

And then the most amazing things happened! More than one humpback whale surfaced including a mother and calf.

We saw whales spouting, aka blowing, which happens when a whale exhales air as it comes to the surface to breathe. I was fascinated to learn that you can hear the humpback whale spouting as far as 800 feet away.
We saw whales lifting their tails out of the water. Our guide Tom referred to this action as “tail rolls” and explained the whales do this before diving. A whale raises its tail, or more accurately a “cetacean raises its fluke”, to descend steeply beneath the surface instead of descending progressively.

Humpback whales, like the ones we saw, “fluke-up” meaning the tail is brought high in the air clearly showing the undersides.

Then the whales came over to watch us—or so it seemed! Here’s a photo showing just how close the whales came to our boat.

The whale calf seemed the most curious. It swam right along the side of the boat. The next photo shows the whale’s head or “rostrum”. The small bumps that are visible on the humpback whales rostrum are called “tubercles”. According to NOAA (USA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), “Each tupercle has one hair that grows out of it. No one knows exactly why humpbacks have tubercles, but it is thought that they function in some sensory perception.”

Here’s an illustration used by NOAA to explain the anatomy of a humpback whale. You can’t really see the entire whale when it’s in the water so a visual aid is helpful.

The whale calf swam around and under the boat. At one point, it did an amazing backflip. The next photo shows the whale’s underside. The clearly-visible vertical lines are called “ventral pleats”. NOAA explains, “The pleats on a humpback whale run from the chin all the way to the umbilicus (belly-button). Humpback whales are one of six species belonging to the Balaenopteridae family, or rorqual family. All rorquals have ventral pleats on the underside of their throat that allow them to expand their throat greatly while feeding.” Incredibly, an average-sized humpback whale can hold about 5,000 gallons of water in its mouth. That’s about the same amount of water needed to fill a 12-foot x 10-foot x 7-foot swimming pool.
We also witnessed lots of flippering or flipper slapping. NOAA says “Humpback whales are the most famous flipper slapper, as they possess the longest flippers of all cetaceans (around 1/3 of their body size). … A cetacean at the surface rolls onto its side, raises a flipper out of the water, and then hits the surface with it. The whale may do it once or several times in a row.” Check out this flipper action!

A little online research reveals a wealth of fascinating facts about humpback whales. Here are a few other examples.
. Humpback whales are huge! According to iNaturalist, “Adult humpback whales are 11 to 16 m (36-52 ft) long. … Weights of at least 35 t (38.5 short tons) are attained by adults.” Some references suggest that if humpback whales lived on land, they would be crushed under their own weight. A newborn humpback whale calf is 4.5 to 5 m (14.7-16.4ft) in length and weighs about 1.5 tons. The calf consumes up to 52 gallons of milk per day.

. Humpback whales migrate between feeding grounds in polar waters and breeding grounds in tropical waters. Our guide Tom indicated the humpback whales we saw in the Bay of Fundy would likely migrate down to the Caribbean. The whales mate, calve and nurse in the tropics.
. Humpback whales stay in the feeding grounds for only about 120 days. During this time they need an astonishing amount of krill and small fish—about 1.5 tons every day. They gain about 12 pounds per hour during their twice daily feedings. During the remaining 245 days of the year, the humpback whale lives off its fat reserves.
After some time, the humpback whales we were watching decided it was time to move on. For their final bow, they delighted us by breaching. NOAA explains “The whale leaps out of the water head first. Usually, whales and dolphins roll in the air so that they land on their side when they hit the water, creating a lot of noise and a big splash.” I was astonished to learn that the power required for a humpback whale to breach is equivalent to the power needed for a 747 aircraft to liftoff. Incredible!

NOAA continues, “Researchers generally use the word breaching when at least 40% of the animal body clears the water. Despite its important energetic cost, breaching is often carried out in series. It is not clear for scientists why cetaceans are breaching. A breach might be a sign that the animal is physically fit enough to afford energy for this acrobatic display, hence it could be used for ascertaining dominance, courting or warning. Also, as the noise produced is extremely loud, this behavior might be a way of communicating over very long distances with other individuals. Another widely accepted reason is to dislodge parasites. The cetacean will fall onto its side which will bring down a layer of skin along with the attached parasites. The behavior may also be more simply a form of play or an exuberant display of joy.”
Shockingly, about 50 years ago, humpback whales were hunted to the brink of extinction. Global populations had declined by more than 90% before the International Whaling Commission enacted a worldwide moratorium on hunting in 1982. But the good news is, according to NatureServe an organization focused on halting the decline of biodiversity by providing accurate, current scientific information, the global status of the humpback whale is “Apparently Secure”. They report “Large worldwide range extends throughout all oceans; depleted by past overharvesting; population size now exceeds 60,000 and has increased over the past several decades; vulnerable to marine pollution, disturbance by boat traffic, and entanglement in fishing gear, but these are not major threats, and the species is now apparently secure.”
I’ll wrap up this week’s post with a quote from the legendary Jacques Yves Cousteau “Learning science, learning about nature, is more than the mere right of taxpayers; it is more than the mere responsibility of voters. It is the privilege of the human being.” from The Human, the Orchid, and the Octopus: Exploring and Conserving Our Natural World (2007).

More Info

To learn more about Tiverton, Nova Scotia, Canada and why the broader Bay of Fundy area is called “Canada’s Natural Wonder”, check out the Bay of Fundy Tourism website. You may also enjoy the FanningSparks’ blog post We Dined on the Ocean Floor.
Check out the Ocean Explorations Zodiac Whale Adventures website for information about Tom Goodwin and his fantastic whale watching tours.
For lots of educational resources about the Humpback Whale, check out the USA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s Sea Earth Atmosphere (SEA) program and NOAA SEA website.
I’m a huge fan of iNaturalist and their Seek app. See the iNaturalist website for identification tools and reference information about wildlife.
NatureServe “is a U.S. – based nonprofit organization made up of passionate biodiversity scientists who want to apply the best information to decision-making. … As rapid changes threaten our planet and all life that depends on it, someone must keep their finger on the pulse of the planet and its plants and animals whose future depends on conservation action. NatureServe and our Network fill this role. Together, we are on the front lines of halting the decline of biodiversity.”

Today’s Takeaways

1. Watching whales in their natural environment is magical.
2. Take the time to select a tour guide with the knowledge, expertise and values that are important to you.
3. “Learning science, learning about nature … is the privilege of the human being.” Jacques Yves Cousteau

Canada Nature Nova Scotia Travel

We Dined on the Ocean Floor

The Bay of Fundy is one of the many natural wonders found along the coastlines of Canada’s Maritime Provinces. Located between the provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, the Bay of Fundy is the site of the world’s highest tides. Globally, the average difference between high tide and low tide, called the tidal range, is about 3 feet. But in the funnel-shaped Bay of Fundy the tidal range is about 52 feet—more than 17 times the global average! Since the tide changes about every 6 hours and 13 minutes that means the water goes up and down by about 52 feet twice every day. And since the Bay of Fundy is no small body of water—it’s about 250 miles long and has an average depth of about ½ mile—that’s an astonishing amount of water moving in and out of the bay. To help paint the picture here’s the Boar’s Head Lighthouse on a foggy section of the Bay of Fundy viewed from East Ferry, Nova Scotia.
Wikipedia puts it this way “the tides that flow through the channel are very powerful. In one 12-hour tidal cycle, about 100 billion tonnes of water flows in and out of the bay, which is twice as much as the combined total flow of all the rivers of the world over the same period. They are as powerful as 8,000 train engines or 25 million horses.” Imagine—25 million horses!
All that tidal action creates some dramatic shorelines and some astonishing opportunities. At Burntcoat Head, for instance, one can visit at low tide to walk around the ocean floor. The tide was out at the time these photos were taken but we never forgot that within 6 hours this entire area would be totally submerged.

The trees, visible on top of the red sandstone cliffs, provide a strong visual clue as to how high the water will rise.

There were tide pools to observe and rock piles to explore…

…as well as, invertebrates, crustaceans and seaweed to examine.

One might wonder how “Burntcoat Head” got its name. As the story goes “In 1795 … residents Thomas and Robert Faulkner were burning the marsh and hung a coat too close to a fire. Another story tells of the crew of a ship landing to spend the night. One of the men got too close to the fire and set his coat ablaze. His crewmates woke, yelling “Burnt coat!”. As colourful as these stories are, it’s more likely that “burnt coat” is an English pronunciation of “Pointe Cloche”, French for “Bell Point”.“
Exploring the ocean floor during low tide is a pretty amazing adventure but it gets even better than that. Visitors can “experience the ultimate culinary adventure at the site of the world’s highest tides” by participating in a Dining on the Ocean Floor by Food Fantastique event. A local chef hosts the event which includes guided tours, a lunchtime seafood feast, a 3-course sit-down dinner and a beach campfire—all on the ocean floor. It’s a super posh once-in-a-lifetime event. Alternatively, it’s possible to do what I did—host my own ocean floor dining experience.
We cracked open a locally-brewed beer from our fisherman’s lunch bucket. This item was handmade using the same skills practiced by Newfoundland coopers for hundreds of years. These buckets were used to keep a fisherman’s lunch safe and dry at sea.
Later in the day, we enjoyed with a nice glass of white wine…
…followed by cheese, crackers and fresh fruit.
It was a simple meal in an extraordinary setting!

Slowly the sun started to set as the tide returned.

A gorgeous sunset topped off an extraordinary day!

More Info

You can learn more about visiting the Bay of Fundy and the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia, Canada on the Tourism Nova Scotia website.
The Burntcoat Head Park website provides information about the Park, shore life and ocean floor adventures as well as tips for planning your visit.
Special thanks to my sister Marian for collaborating on the Burntcoat Head photo shoot and for taking the below picture.
Tip: Rubber boots are best for traversing the muddy sections along the shoreline—plus they make quite the fashion statement!

You can learn more about Dining on the Ocean Floor by Food Fantastique on their website.
You may also enjoy these FanningSparks’ posts about picnicking and dining out-of-doors:
. Picnic Under the Wisteria
. A Colorful Backyard Picnic
. Sunrise Breakfast Picnic
. The Ultimate Picnic Blanket – DIY Tutorial.

Today’s Takeaways

1. The Bay of Fundy, located between the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, has the highest tides in the world.
2. Explore, observe and relish nature’s wonders.
3. Sometimes a do-it-yourself version of a packaged experience is a great alternative.

Fiber How Tos Make

From Classic Jacket to Wearable Art

Denim is a true classic. Whether it’s a worn pair of jeans or a favorite jean jacket, denim garments have staying power. That’s why a denim jacket seemed like the perfect foundation for my latest project. The jacket is embellished with hand-painting and accented with cotton thread embroidery. It’s my first project using this technique but I suspect it won’t be my last—especially since this one was a gift and now I want one for myself! To that end, I decided to jot down a few instructions while it’s fresh in my mind. Today’s post will explain how to embellish a basic denim jacket with fabric paint and hand embroidery.

The starting point is a simple denim jean jacket. Be sure to choose one that’s comfortable and fits well. Look for a jacket back with a yoke and a back panel without a center seam. You’ll be investing a fair bit of time to turn this jacket into a one-of-a-kind garment so don’t skimp on the foundation. Once you’ve found the perfect jacket, be sure to wash it at least once before starting your project.
Take your time to choose a design and color palette you like. I selected a mandala design for my jacket and adjusted the pattern to fit the back panel. In hindsight, it would have been easier to select an asymmetrical design for my first attempt. Trying to mirror the design between the two sides, first when painting and then again when embroidering, was a challenge.
I purchased a set of Jacquard Textile Color fabric paints in 8 colors. This was ideal because any color can be mixed from the set of primary and secondary colors. I used matching gel pens to plan the design on paper.

Once I had an idea for the color palette, I made a color swatch to test the colors on denim. My original plan was to follow the colors of the rainbow. But when I saw the sample, I decided to narrow down the number of colors to the below palette of Yellow-Orange, Yellow, Yellow-Green, Green, Blue-Green, Blue and Blue-Violet.

To begin, find the center of the jacket and mark with a white chalk pencil. Then find the center of your pattern and align with the center line of the jacket and the bottom of the yoke.
Next transfer the outer edge of your design. Don’t transfer the entire design at this point—instead work in layers, tracing and painting, from the least detailed to the most detailed. This approach allows for flexibility as the work progresses. Originally, I used Saral Wax Free Tracing paper in white to trace the design but I found a white chalk pencil works better. Simply cut out a paper version of your design, carefully position it into place, and trace around the outside of the template with the chalk pencil. The chalk is much more forgiving than tracing paper since it can be rubbed off easily. This means you can recover more easily if you deviate from your design lines while painting.

After tracing the outline, block in your background with Jacquard Textile Color 123 White paint. Alternatively, you could use Jacquard Textile 200 Super Opaque White. The white base is needed to make the other paint colors show on the dark denim fabric. Block in the design’s outline with a small angled brush; I used a Royal & Langnickel gold taklon size 8 angular brush. Fill in with a larger flat brush such as a size 14 Flat. A wider brush reduces the number of brush strokes that will appear. Allow to dry. Add a second coat if needed.

The next step is to block in the major color elements. Cut out paper templates for these shapes, position carefully and trace around them with a dark-colored chalk pencil. Mark only the outlines for the major elements that will be painted different colors. Don’t trace the interior design lines as I did and as shown in the photos. The reason is twofold 1) the tracing paper lines can’t be removed and 2) it’s easier and more accurate to position individual design elements as the painting evolves.

Working in the same way as before, block in each color element using a small angular brush and then fill in with a larger flat brush. Take care not to smear painted areas as you progress. Allow paint to dry before starting the next set of color elements.

Continue until all color elements have been painted.

After all the major color elements are painted, it’s time to paint the details and add shading. Once again, use a paper template and chalk pencil to draw the design lines. You may wish to first test your technique on a sample. I used the piece of denim pictured below to try shading the outside edges with white paint. I applied a thin line of white paint along the outline with a small angular brush and then blended it into the base color with a dry flat brush. It took a little practice but worked quite well.

Here’s how the white shading turned out.

After all the paint has been applied and dried, apply a coat of Jacquard Textile Color in 100 Colorless Extender. This clear finish will help protect your work. Allow to dry overnight. Then heat set the piece as indicated on the Jacquard instructions “Heat set by ironing on the reverse side for at least 30 seconds at the temperature best suited for the fabric.”
Here’s how my jacket back looked at this point. I’m quite pleased with the color palette and the mandala-inspired design. The white shading around the outlines seems to work. But I wasn’t crazy about the painted design lines in the yellow section. It might have looked better to not paint those lines but I had to cover up the tracing paper lines. Luckily, I was able to disguise the painted lines with embroidery in the next step and it turned out fine.

The final step is to embellish the painted design with embroidery. I used DMC Pearl Cotton (Size 5) with a sturdy needle. Look for a slim needle strong enough to work through the denim fabric and an eye big enough for the pearl cotton. The heavy cotton embroidery adds dimension and volume to the design.

It may be tempting to skip the embroidery but perhaps this side-by-side comparison will convince you it’s worth the effort.

As before, I found the best way to transfer the design lines for embroidering was to use the paper cutout technique described above.

A row of French knots add texture and interest.

I tried several different stitches to outline the design elements. But in the end, a simple straight stitch made with very short stitches, positioned just inside the white shading worked the best.

A threaded straight stitch covers those painted lines in the yellow section that I mentioned above. And to finish it off, a few detached chain stitches accent the center orange petals.

In addition to the mandala design on the back of the jacket, I added small design elements to the flaps of the front pockets. I pulled a sub-section from the mandala design.
Then painted and embroidered them in the same way as the back.

Voilà… a simple, classic denim jacket becomes wearable art!

More Info

See the Jacquard Products website for more information about Jacquard Textile Color fabric paints. The site explains that “Textile Color leaves fabric as soft as possible and holds up exceptionally well to washing.” I’d recommend washing with care and using the delicate cycle.
Gathered.How, publishers of Mollie Makes and other fine craft magazines, provides helpful instructions in their Library of Embroidery Stitches for Beginners.

Today’s Takeaways

1. A classic denim garment can be transformed into wearable art.
2. Add personality and style with a design and color palette you love.
3. Combine fabric painting and hand embroidery for an impactful design.

Agritourism Nature Plants Southeast Travel USA Wildlife

In the Sunflower Field

Who can look at a field of sunflowers and not break into a smile? Not me. The minute I saw Farmview Market’s U-Pick Sunflowers field my mood brightened.

There’s something uplifting about the vibrant yellow colors and the jaunty, face-like blooms.

But sunflowers are more than just a pretty face! In his book “The Sunflower”, Charles B. Heiser noted the following: “Frequently overlooked in the uses of some plants is their important role in teaching and in pure research. Probably no other plants—unless it is the cocklebur—has been used more in plant physiology than the sunflower. The ease with which the sunflower can be grown and its rapid growth make it a favorite experimental plant. Few courses in botany are complete without a study of its seed structure. Countless biology students have looked at slides of cross sections of the sunflower stem in an attempt to understand the internal structure of plants. The flower head, because of its large size, serves as an excellent example of the structure of the composite type of flower.” Heiser was a professor of botany and a leading expert on the sunflower genus Helianthus.

Heiser explains “One of the important characters … is that a sunflower … is not a single flower at all, but a whole bouquet. If one examines a sunflower closely, he will find that there are many—perhaps a hundred or more—small flowers packed together in a structure known as a head. … On the outside of the head is a series of greenish bracts. One who knows a little about flowers might regard them as sepals, but actually they are phyllaries, or little leaves.”

Heiser continues, “Next to the phyllaries are found the ray flowers, usually yellow in the sunflower. Although normally flowers serve to produce seeds, the ray flowers of the sunflower are sterile, and apparently their sole function is to attract insects.”

Based on my observations at the U-Pick Sunflower field, the ray flowers do a stellar job of attracting insects! Bees were in abundance.

Butterflies, those beloved winged beauties, were also plentiful. This is my favorite shot from the day—an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail AND a bee on a single perfect sunflower head in front of billowing grass seed heads and a soft blue sky. I couldn’t ask for better staging!

I spotted several other butterflies for the first time. The stunner pictured below is the Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia). The spectacular markings on the Common Buckeye include 4 pairs of eyespots, 2 on the forewing and 2 on the hindwing. In general, eyespots are eye-like markings which can be explained in at least 3 ways. Eyespots can deceive predators by making a butterfly appear to be a different insect. Eyespots can intimidate predators by making a butterfly appear inedible or dangerous. Or eyespots can deflect attacks away from a butterfly’s more vulnerable body parts. Whatever the reason, the Common Buckeye’s colorful eyespots are splendid!

While not quite as flamboyant as the Common Buckeye, the Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) also has eyespots. Here a Painted Lady with her wings closed shares a sunflower with a bee.

This next butterfly with its gorgeous orange markings is a Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia). It’s perfectly camouflaged on the sunflower head.

It’s actually quite stunning to see these 3 butterflies side by side. Here’s a screengrab from my iNaturalist observations.

Returning to Heiser’s description of the sunflower, “The flowers in the center of the head, called disk flowers are smaller and quite different in shape from the ray flowers and sometimes even of a different color.” Interestingly, according to Wikipedia, “The disk flowers are arranged spirally. Generally, each floret is oriented toward the next by approximately the golden angle, 137.5°, producing a pattern of interconnecting spirals, where the number of left spirals and the number of right spirals are successive Fibonacci numbers. Typically, there are 34 spirals in one direction and 55 in the other… This pattern produces the most efficient packing of seeds mathematically possible within the flower head.” The spiral pattern is quite visible in this sunflower head.

Heiser says “If one examines one of the disk flowers closely, he will find a tubular five-lobed corolla which represents five fused petals.” The various components of the disk flower work together to bring about pollination. Pollen is produced and positioned “to be picked up by any insects that happen to visit the flower in search of pollen or nectar.” In reverse, the stigmatic surface prepares to receive pollen. “Although bees are the most common visitors, almost any insect that brushes against the stigma or walks over it may leave pollen.” When this happens, a seed sets and begins to grow. Open disk flowers are visible in the below photo.

The seeds, or more accurately the “achenes”, are the fruit of the sunflower. The sunflower begins to “dry down” as the achenes mature. The ray flowers wither and the head droops. Some references indicate the sunflower head faces down to prevent damage to the ripening seeds.
Despite getting distracted by beautiful butterflies and carried away by all-things-sunflower, I got back to my original purpose in visiting the U-Pick Sunflower field. The timing was ideal as the fine folks at Farmview Market were running a promotion to showcase their cheerful sunflowers. I was able to cut 6 stalks, with numerous sunflower heads, for free!

I love my wooden garden trug. It’s so useful and it makes everything, including these sunflowers, look pretty.
Speaking of pretty, isn’t this vintage, white enamelware perfect for this bouquet?

More Info

For more U-Pick fun, check out the FanningSparks’ posts Peach of a Day and Blueberry Zaniness. If you like butterflies as much as I do, you may also enjoy the posts Chasing Butterflies or A Flutter of Butterflies in the Closet.
Farmview Market is located in Madison, Georgia, USA. This is not a sponsored post but I don’t mind sharing that we shop there regularly. As described by Farmview Market, they offer “a wide selection of unique and delicious foods from the very best local farmers and producers, including a specialty grocery with lots of local artisan gifts and crafts, a full-service butcher shop, casual café and seasonal farmers market.” See the Farmview Market website for more info.
The book, The Sunflower by Charles Bixler Heiser, was published by Norman: University of Oklahoma Press in 1976. It is available online on Archive.org.
I’m a huge fan of iNaturalist and their Seek app. I frequently use these tools to identify plants and wildlife including insects and birds. See the iNaturalist website for more info.

Today’s Takeaways

1. A field of sunflowers can be educational and entertaining.
2. Where there are flowers, there are insects and wildlife.
3. Consider supporting your local U-Pick businesses.

Solid as a Rock

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Old Silver Wind Chimes – DIY Tutorial

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Watching Humpbacks on the Bay of Fundy

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We Dined on the Ocean Floor

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From Classic Jacket to Wearable Art

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In the Sunflower Field

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