Final Elizabeth Bishop House Update for 2014

Our first hit of real winter in Nova Scotia came on Friday and Saturday: stick on the ground snow and a blast of Arctic air. My most recent visit to the Elizabeth Bishop House was on Saturday, 15 November. I was accompanied by my sister, Brenda Barry, who took the photographs I have included in this post.

First snow in Great Village, 2014. Looking towards the river.

With the arrival of winter weather, we have deferred any further restoration work on the yard until spring 2015, but I am happy to say that the new well pump is installed and purring like a cat. Thanks to Jim Hudson for doing this unexpected job for us.

One of the objects that floated into the yard during the flood, which was deposited there as the water receded, was a large, quite heavy wooden platform. I have no idea where it came from and no one has come by to claim it. It is around 5x3 feet and made of lovely wide boards, in good shape. I decided, since no one has appeared to say they are missing a back stoop, that I would move it to the side of the outhouse (a reminder, this building, decades ago, was literally the last Great Village School outhouse), as a small “deck.” Though it is not the kind of weather to sit and sun one’s self, next summer, it will be a nice spot to put a chair to read.

Sandra on deck.

The work on the bridge is proceeding, but it appears that there is yet much to be done. It seems practical to wait for the spring, when all is said and done to the road, which will need to be reconfigured in some way to accommodate the new trajectory of the bridge.

 View of the new bridge from Station Road.

This post will be the last one I do about the house this year. If something significant happens over the winter, say, for example, we sell the house, I will certainly post any important news; but for now, house updates will take a winter hiatus. So many people have helped set things to rights at the house, and many people at a distance were concerned about the house after the flood, that I wanted to tell our readers what happened there, and to thank all those who have been so supportive.

 Silent remembrance.

Soon, there will be other exciting Bishop news to report about on this blog. For example, on 20 November 2014, we will learn the winner of the Lieutenant-Governor’s Masterwork Arts Award. One of the five finalists is “I am in need of music,” Suzie LeBlanc’s wonderful Elizabeth Bishop legacy recording. As well, I have some news that I will post in December regarding my major work about Elizabeth Bishop, a biographical study that I have called, Lifting Yesterday: Elizabeth Bishop and Nova Scotia. You may notice a new link in the menu of this blog, which is related to this book. Stay tuned for all this important news.

Morning at the EB House, Great Village, 16 November 2014.

 

 Dawn is breaking.

Morning light in the study.

 St. James in the morning light, through the parlour window.