The Duck Pond

The locals call it the duck pond. It is clear by the picture that it definitely has ducks, and although the signs say to not feed them, it is also clear by their friendliness and the way they approach people that they are fed on occasion. When you look at a Google map it is called “Town Pond” and the park that it is in is Woodland Gardens.

The other day our friends dropped by on bikes, and I joined them for a short ride. They introduced me to the duck pond. There is a 1km trail around it, that is bikeable and walkable. It is surprisingly close to our house (like 200m or a 2 minute walk), so I’ve now taken to walking around the pond rather than walking around the block.

The other day, I booked myself a hair cut – my first haircut since Covid. Well, the first one that Scott didn’t do – and although he does a pretty good job, I was craving the attention of a salon haircut. Fifteen minutes before my appointmented, I looked it up on the map – figuring I needed to figure out parking and how long it would take me to get there. Google maps informed me that it was an 11 minute walk (900m) – and so, instead of getting in the car, I walked to my appointment. The idea that I can walk places directly from our home is a bit of a mental shift.

I also have so say it was a delightful experience. The hairdresser was super friendly. She was excited to be cutting short hair, as most of the ladies here have long hair and generally only come in for trims (at least that is what she told me). She was super friendly, born and raised here, and lives in a rural area outside of town. She welcomed me to Bridgewater, which was delightful. For the most part, people have been super friendly and welcoming.

I’ve also discovered that locals only use seven digits of their phone numbers. When I travelled here, it always frustrated me because I didn’t know the area code and cell phones need 10 digits. Since the first three digits are the same for everyone, there is no need to share it, so you see everywhere that locals use only the seven digits when sharing their phone number. I’m learning to not say the 902 so that I don’t always sound like I’m from away.

This week we are having the insulation in our attic removed. Once it is all cleaned up Scott will install some new soffit ventilation and hopefully a Sun Tunnel. Having lived here for a week now (it feels like we have been in this house for a month already), we are aware now that the hallway between the bedrooms doesn’t get any natural light. I’m hoping a sun tunnel will help brighten up the space.

We are slowly getting settled in our new home. We have Nova Scotia driver’s licenses and healthcare cards. Our car has Nova Scotia plates so we no longer feel like we need to back in everytime we park. We are officially Nova Scotians 🙂