Producers of the new big budget remake of Moby Dick have commissioned local chairmaker John Fowler for a very special project.  Read all about this good news story!

When you were a kid, didn't it seem as though something magical happened every single day? Watching a bright orange sun set over the fields on the longest day of the year ... having a butterfly land on your arm and rest awhile ... watching puppies roll each other around in those big ice cream containers:  That's the way I remember my childhood.

Sometimes, as adults, we still get those moments.  And I seem to have them more frequently here than I did when I lived in Toronto.  It's part of life here in Annapolis Digby.

Last night, I saw a flock of hundreds of birds  in a single tree, merrily chirping away to each other.  Of course, it's impossible to know what they were discussing.  But, coincidentally, a few minutes later, I heard an item on CBC Radio's 'As It Happens' -- about a gathering of birds on a series of telephone wires.  A photographer captured the event, observing how the scene resembled sheet music.  Then, a composer, upon seeing the photo, transcribed the melody that was depicted.

It's true -- when I came here 18 months ago, I made a sacrifice, one that is perhaps not uncommon for those who have chosen to move back here 'from away.'  It's all about salary expectations.  There, I said it.

The Chronicle Herald recently published a must-read piece called 'Landing a real job' by Kelly Toughill.  She articulated a very important thing:

The limited op­portunity of this place has left a residue of community values.  That commitment to community val­ues shows up in hard numbers put together by Statistics Canada, the federal agency that measures everything from pork belly production to religious affil­iations across Canada.  Its studies show that Nova Scotia has lower divorce rates than the national average, higher levels of charitable giving, tighter ties to local community and a very strong base of social support when times get tough.

If you're a reader of the Calgary Herald, you may have noticed an article in yesterday's paper with this headline.

Many thanks to writer Kim Gray, who attended our Test Drive the Community event in Calgary last month, and has clearly fallen under the spell of Nova Scotia.

It's not at all unusual that people find themselves a new home here after just one visit.  They see the beauty of our region, experience our gentle climate, and quickly realize how our real estate offers great value for money.

Urban studies theorist, professor and author, Richard Florida, today spoke with Jillian Findlay on CBC Radio's The Current.  A transplanted American, and now a permanent resident of Canada, Florida talked about the differences between the economic situation here versus the US. He began by remarking that he is "happy that our little nest egg is all in Canadian banks."

We are indeed fortunate that the banking system in this country is stable, and that while we can justifiably gripe about bank fees, I would also argue that our national banks did not succumb to the grandiose greediness that has run rampant in the US. 

Most certainly we are witnessing the decline of the old industrial economy.  However, we are perfectly positioned to benefit from the emergence of the knowledge based economy.  The key is creative energy:  identifying it, investing in it, and harnessing it, with the goal to build a stronger, sustainable future.

According to the Globe and Mail's Karen von Hahn, 2009 will see us once again 'cocooning':

Think hand-knit sweaters, fireside board games, do-it-yourself projects and the homey pleasures of the crockpot.

Doesn't sound so bad, does it? In fact, reminds me a great deal of growing up in Nova Scotia. I still harbour a rather large collection of board games which turn out to be the go-to suggestion when family visits. There's nothing like a good game of monopoly to really get the sibling rivalry going, not to mention a great deal of laughter.

Always at the ready for my late night reading pleasure is The 100-Mile Diet by Alisa Smith & J.B. MacKinnon.  It's incredibly soothing, thoughtful and indeed, hopeful.

Last night, I came across this beautiful Vietnamese proverb tucked between Chapters 6 and 7:

When eating fruit, remember who planted the tree;

The Globe and Mail recently published an article in the Report on Business section about how Canadian Tire has plans to test sell groceries at two Ontario stores next month.

As much as I love Canadian Tire, I really don't understand how one would feel inclined to buy food there.  Further, I can't imagine that the offerings are sourced locally so perhaps it's just a canned goods section.  Either way, it's likely just this retailer's attempt to tap more cash from their male customers' wallets rather than allowing them spend that money in a grocery store.

This move seems counter-intuitive to an international trend toward buying local and a newer trend surfacing in Vancouver that's been referred to as 'inefficient shopping' ... otherwise known as visiting the butcher for your meat then to the local grocer for fruit 'n' veg, then perhaps making a trip to the hardware store to buy a hammer.  Hmmm, sounds vaguely like the olden, golden days of small town shopping to me.

An article published recently in the Globe and Mail by Leah McLaren caught my eye. 'Maybe square dances are the kind of bailouts we need,' she writes from her new perch in the UK. In Toronto on business and a family visit, apparently Leah's mother shamed her into attending a community fundraiser - a square dance, no less - which she first laments, then lauds.

Considering Leah's position as the Globe's resident fashionista, could it be that the good old-fashioned square dance is poised to make a comeback?  Perhaps, in the face of economic downturn, it simply reflects our desire to get back to basics, hold hands with loved ones, and forget our troubles for a few hours.

Whatever the reason, when you're planning your next community fundraising event, consider a square dance -- it's just retro enough to be guaranteed fun!

The idea of life in the Maritimes seems to stick with a person. I know this from experience. I was born here in Nova Scotia and spent much of my youth moving between this province and Ontario.  After graduation, I spent many years building a career in Toronto, much of the time dreaming how and when to make the move back, and then...

One summer day, I was driving back to Toronto after spending the weekend at a friend's cottage in the Muskokas. What should have been a two hour trip had become a three hour hassle, and -- ughhh -- sometimes a four hour nightmare! Worse, as we passed Barrie, I could see three distinct layers of yellowish gray smog on the horizon. It was time to get out of there.

We can help you become an urban refugee too! Check out our Test Drive the Community program to learn about relocating to Annapolis Digby. We also encourage you to visit Nova Scotia Come to Life -- we're a proud Charter Member of the program!