Heather Harkins

A marigold plant has several flowers still in bloom, despite the chilly weather of November.

Marigolds in November. I like their stubborn cheer.

Three puppets are dancing together. They are a crab in a strawberry costume, a lizard in a bee costume, and a bird dressed as a sheriff.

Gothtober.com is an annual Halloween advent calendar online. Click on Day 11 to see my short animation with these three pals dancing together.

View of wooden ship deck with thin metal railings around the edges, looking over a calm harbor.

Information about the Bluenose II schooner on a sandwich board sign. Owned by the Province of Nova Scotia. Built in 1963 and rebuilt in 2012. A complement of 18 crew. Length overall: 161 feet, 49 m. Twin diesel engines, cruise at 8 knots.

View from the deck of the Bluenose II schooner. I’ll miss these bright summer days.

Beautiful day in the Halifax harbor

Thank you! I was 2 or 3.

Heather, as a toddler, holds an Easter basket and smiles at the camera. She is wearing a matching blue jacket and pants with a red and white checked collared shirt.

Have you ever wondered what I look like in a leisure suit? Maybe I need to start dressing like this again.

Poster for Body Relaxation and Breathing with these tips: while lying down, feel the ground beneath you; breathe like a balloon in all directions and feel the ribs expand out to the sides back and front; imagine the breath pressing down into the pelvis; and scan and soften, notice each part of your body melting.

I just had a very relaxing leg massage! Here are some tips from the masseuse’s office wall.

Big blossoming shrub with white blooms

Some flowers to brighten your Bluesky feed.

Why am I so terrible at keeping in touch with people I like? I just sent a few emails that I’ve been meaning to send for months and it’s just the tip of the friends iceberg.

A sunny summer day photographed from a ferry boat on Halifax Harbour. Lots of blue waves, one skinny white sailboat in the distance, and buildings lining each side of the Harbour.

The cheapest boat ride I know is the Halifax Harbour ferry.

A pair of red lobster-shaped plastic sandals in a display of Nova Scotia souvenirs. The tail is under your heels and the big claws are under your toes with the head in the band that comes over your foot.

The lobster sandal is something I didn’t see much in Saskatchewan.

I have returned to Nova Scotia, and it is greeting me with boiling hot weather. Ugh!

Gonzo, you are adorable!

I have been making images using plants! The Phytogram method of photography (at left) developed by the artist Karel Doing uses plant chemistry instead of a camera to capture images, while Risograph printing (at right) is like a mix of screen printing and photocopying. All the leaves and flowers in these images were picked off a sidewalk after falling free from their roots. Thanks to the Echo Park Film Collective for the artist residency that allowed me to explore these techniques! Thanks also to Heavy Manners Library for making their Risograph printer so accessible!

Thanks to an artist residency hosted by the Echo Park Film Collective, I fell in love TWO new-to-me art mediums: Phytograms and Risograph printing! (Fun details in this picture’s alt text) #art #phytogram #risograph

Heather stands in front of a blue sign that reads “Welcome to Tijuana”. She is wearing a big sun hat but still got a little sunburned anyway.

Spent the morning in Tijuana, Mexico meeting lovely people, buying souvenirs, and eating the greatest tacos I’ve ever tasted.

A pond with a forest of trees behind it. The pond is surrounded with cement walls, and a wooden footbridge spans a little brook that feeds into the pond.

It still has a drab winter look, but this pond is one of my favorite places in Nova Scotia. As a very young person, I decided that if I ever had the chance to hang out with Kermit the frog or Jedi Master Yoda, I’d bring them here.

Happy Trans Day of Visibility!

Small crocus flowers bloom in a patch of grass.

I’m in Nova Scotia! There are crocuses in bloom!

Keep on going and good luck with all the end-of-term stuff! If there’s a potential time you could take a break, let me know and I’m fine if that changes. Whatever works!

On our worst day in February, it was -40C before you factor in windchill. This happened shortly after that. Even now, it’s -10 with a big snowstorm.

Oh my goodness, ha ha! How are you? I’ll be home for the next few weeks- let me know if you have time to share another laugh together.

Indian Head, Saskatchewan. There’s only one in the area, so the town had to wait for it to finish a job in Regina.

“The Ripper” in action, cutting into the frozen ground so the town can reach a busted water pipe.

Bison sighting!

I was surprised, too, when I looked it up!

For sure!

Yes! It is amazing how well some black and white film ages if it’s stored in a relatively cool and dry place. This particular roll is fully shot. It was recently discovered & sent to the lab where I work.

Someone did! I work at a lab that processes lost and found film, and it was sent here for service. Fingers crossed for good results!

A yellow box holding an expired film negative. Black text reads “Kodak Panatomic-X”.

This gets vote for the coolest film stock name. It’s a black and white film discontinued about 30 years ago.

Construction vehicles at work. One is scooping earth from the frozen ground, while the other collects the dirt that piles up.

I still don’t understand how you break ground when it’s -35C/-31F, but when your workplace starts leaking, it’s nice to have the town leap into action.