We hit the road around 10am and head out.  We were looking forward to having a nice little road trip…just the two of us, some 80′s music, and memories.

We were heading to the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia, a place where I lived as a child for a few years (before I turned 10) and where Sunshine went to school.  The plan was to hit some places that I remember from my time as a child, go to a local tourist sight-seeing spot, and then eventually make our way to Sunshine’s mom’s house for my initial meeting.

The weather, unfortunately, didn’t really want to co-operate with us…though Tropical Storm Danny wasn’t due to pass through until later in the evening. We got off the highway in Grand-Pré and used the “back roads” to make our way through the rest of the primary journey.  I remember, as a kid, my parents would always drive this way when we came home from visiting outside of the area…and as we drove through the winding road lined with beautiful houses and amazing landscaping, I could totally understand why as an adult.

As we entered Wolfville, I remembered quite a few things as a kid.  I remembered getting my first swimming lessons as Acadia University.  I remembered my first taste of moon-mist ice cream at the local farm market (it was STILL there!!).  I remembered visiting again as a young 20-something (had a girlfriend going to school there at the time).  I remembered just how beautiful that little village really was.

We then took a right turn and head towards Port William and Canning…two more very small villages that would lead us to a tourist attraction that I had not heard of before: The Lookoff.

Let me say that the build-up was definitely appropriate because the pay-off was spectacular…even in the rain:

The Lookoff: Annapolis Valley, NS - 08-29-09

The Lookoff: Annapolis Valley, NS - 08-29-09

Sunshine & I at The Lookoff: Annapolis Valley, NS - 08-29-09

We then made our way into New Minas, NS.  It was very cool for me because some of my very first memories as a child were from my time living in New Minas.  I was blown away to see just how much it had grown into a commercial/retail beacon for all villages and towns in the area.  I mean, I don’t think there’s much industry in New Minas…but when EVERY business appears to be booming, is it necessary?  It’s one of those villages where there is one main street (the same one we drove on for hours) and for about 5 miles or so, it’s nothing but one long traffic jam and a ton of shopping opportunities.  A little weird seeing how the village had developed over the past 25+ years, but still very cool to reminisce.

The old stomping grounds

Sunshine then indulged me a bit and let me drive through an old subdivision that I lived in as a child. I remembered where it was and what house I lived in (which was almost completely hidden by trees).  I remembered names of a couple of the children who lived in a couple of houses in the area.

My old home in New Minas, N.S.

I even remembered a story where I was hit in the head by a railroad spike (I had thrown in up in the air and run…only I ran into it’s downward path…ouch) and Sunshine says that she can see as mall scar on my head to prove this story of mine.  All-in-all, it was a very awesome trip down memory lane that I wouldn’t have wanted to share with anybody else.

So off we drove through the Annapolis Valley…looking to find a local diner to eat in and then bide our time before making our way to Momma Sunshine’s momma’s house. Along the way, we saw a sign that took us by surprise.  Take a look at what’s offered for your motel room and tell me what you think…

I get WHAT with my room?

It was around 3pm when Sunshine decided it was safe to take the drive to East Dalhousie, Nova Scotia.  Now, to say that this small village is a bit out of the way would be an understatement.  I had taken a picture on my Blackberry and wanted to text it at the time but…as would be the case for the next 5+ hours…there was NO reception whatsoever in the area for any data transfer.  Here is what I wanted to send out on Twitter:

If we break down here, we're NEVER getting out...

Of course, as we continued to drive into the abyss (lol), I continued to make smart-ass cracks about seeing guys in hockey masks or hearing somebody playing the theme song to Deliverance.

Sunshine was only slightly amused at this point.  Sorry baby!!

After the 40-minute back-woods drive in the rain we finally found Momma’s momma’s house. But Sunshine wanted to give me the full tour of the village first.  We drove two minutes and then turned around.

I’m only slightly kidding.

Apparently, East Dalhousie was having their annual community fair.  And apparently, this brings in a lot of people from surrounding areas.  And apparently, the rain kept a lot of people away.

You tell me…

This was the main performance stage. No, the guys playing guitar & banjo didn't appreciate my "dueling banjos" request.

Even Sunshine was less than enthused about the turn-out (she’s gonna hate me for this post…lol):

Sunshine is ALL about the East Dalhousie Community Fair

We arrived at her mom’s home and I was immediately welcomed warmly.  Her mom is sweet…just adorable.  Funny enough, I had each one of Sunshine’s Tips For Meeting Mom memorized and even had to stop myself from saying a “that’s what she said” joke.  Luckily, Sunshine mouthed it quietly and we both had a few laughs (we ended up having about 9 or 10 of those jokes during the next few hours…we love making our own fun). Her mom fed me, talked to me, and really made me feel at ease.

Then two of Sunshine’s sisters showed up.

But y’know what?  They were just as friendly and welcoming. It turned out being a VERY comfortable visit and I’m very much looking forward to visiting again. Sunshine’s family is awesome…just for the record.

We head back on our 90-minute trip to Halifax around 7:30pm.  At this point, Tropical Storm Danny was just starting to make his presence felt…and then it got dark by 8:15pm…and then driving 120kph on the highway eventually turned into 70kph (74mph to 43mph). Traffic was slow-moving and the rain/wind combination was incredibly stressful to drive in…especially in the dark.

Luckily, I had Sunshine with me.

She really is tremendous in every way. It seems that every moment we spend together only furthers my thoughts on us and our future. I’ve never felt this way before…she’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a partner.  I just love spending time with her, regardless of what it is. She can make any situation better.

Life, my friends, is good.