Summer is Over, And So Is My Bucketlist

Summer is officially over, and so is my Summer Bucket List. I'm so happy that I made it, and even though I wasn't able to check everything off, I was able to check off quite a bit.

The Zoo - We didn't make it to an actual zoo, but we did go to a small petting farm, a large petting farm, butterfly house, and an aquarium. I think I can say that this was a success!

Kings Landing - This was a fail. We didn't get to Kings Landing, but there is still hope. We may get there before it closes for the year, or maybe in the spring. I guess it's still on the to do list.

Eat at Ossie's Lunch - Check! It was even better than I remembered it to be!

Make Pickles - Another fail! I'd like to say that there is still time to do this, but if I'm being honest with myself, there is NO TIME! I'm currently fighting my first cold of the season, and I'm swamped with work. On top of that, I have a first birthday to plan and (hopefully) a Halloween costume to make! That takes priority!

Playgrounds - Check! We've been to at least 6 playgrounds - From St. Andrews to Prince Edward Island. I'd say this was a success, and Little C still loves the swings!

Uptown Self-Guided Public Art Tour - Check! Little C and I managed to do this on one of the final days of my maternity leave. We had a good time, wandering around uptown Saint John, looking at art that we may not have stopped and taken a good look at before. It's nice to slow down and see the beauty in your own city. Here are some pictures. I'm sure you can tell that my favourite art pieces in Saint John are the John Hooper displays. I've loved them since I was a kid, and they remain my favourite today. They are so detailed, that every time I see them, I notice something else.

"People Waiting" by John Hooper
St. Andrew's Bicentennial Square (Barbour's General Store)

"Timepiece"
by John Hooper
There is so much to see
in this piece.

"The Moosehead Challenger"
by Forest Hart
This is a life-sized bronze moose.
Fun fact from the brochure?
 There's a can of Moosehead Lager
inside the statue for good luck!

 The following are inside, at Market Square. The Trade and Convention Centre is being renovated, so there were many pieces in storage, but we were able to spot some.

I think this one is called "Ocean Bone"
by Marie-Helene Allain.
As a kid, I thought this was the coolest thing.

Another John Hooper - "People Apart Moving Together"
Everyone seems to stop to pose, pretending they're
on the move with the crowd.

This really shows the detail of the Hooper pieces.
Check out the reflection in the woman's glasses. So detailed.

We stopped at a lot of places on our tour, but the spot I can't wait to return to is the Saint John Arts Centre.  It's in the area of Peel Plaza, which is new. It looks like there's lots of room for more public art to be added.



The picture is missing something.
I think (and hope!) there will be something added here soon.
It's just begging to be the new home of something special.

"Fiddlehead" by James Boyd

"Figurehead" by Carol Taylor
Inspired by the city market and
the figureheads of historic ships.

This is just a small sampling of what you can see in uptown Saint John. If you're interested in taking the Public Art tour, check out the Discover Saint John website.

Farmer's Markets - We've only been to two, but there have been many repeat visits. The Sunday Queen Square Markets in Uptown Saint John are great, because they are so close - very little driving necessary. I'm sure we'll get there a few more times before they end.  We also made it to the Kingston Farmer's Market a couple of times. Hopefully, this fall, we'll make it to Fredericton for the Boyce Market.

Visit St. Andrews - Check!

Buskers Festival - Check! I still can't believe it's taken me all these years to attend the Buskers Festival in Saint John. It was great! Lots to see and do, and I love seeing the uptown busy with locals.