Late Summer Fishing Trip

It seems summer just left Cape Breton without any notice.  One day it was hot and sunny and every day since it has been chilly and damp.  I'm hoping for another hot summery spell later in September but for now, I've traded my ocean swimming days for fishing, biking and hiking days and the weather is just right for these activities. On Friday, the forecast called for warm temperatures and mostly sun so Dad and I headed to Framboise to do some fishing and hiking.  

We took our time getting there, stopping for coffee and breakfast along the way and stopping at all the brooks between Forchu and Grand River to try our luck at catching some trout.  It took most of the day, but we got five good-size ones and a few smaller ones that we released.  

When we reached the road to Ferguson Beach, we took our chances on the gravel road that, fortunately, wasn't washed out after the big rain storm we had last weekend. The beach was covered in tonnes of seaweed but we managed to get a walk in by walking on the grass above the beach until we reached an area that wasn't covered in seaweed.  We walked all the way to the brook but it was too full of water to cross so we turned back and headed back to the main road where we fished some more brooks. 

Eventually, we reached grand river and kept driving until we reached route 4 and headed to St. Peters. We stopped at Battery Park to have lunch by the canal and drove up the main street of the little village to see if anything was going on for Pirate Days. There wasn't much going on at that time so we grabbed some coffees to go and headed back to Grand River. This time we took the long way through L'Ardoise and onto Point Michaud Beach, where we stopped and took a little walk.  It was a long drive along the old gravel road back to Grand River but we finally made it back with plenty of daylight to spare.

We fished the brooks some more until we reached our limit and went for a drive through Sterling looking for deer and other wildlife that come out at that time of day.  We didn't see anything but it was a nice drive through the country before heading home.  

A Chilly Late Spring Day Along the Coast of Framboise

They keep saying we are in for a hot summer here in Eastern Canada but we haven't seen much of that in Cape Breton yet! It's early June and I'm still wearing a winter jacket and mittens with rechargeable heaters in them. I even wore a toque on my walk the other day! But being cooped up in the house and at work all winter means I am itching to get outdoors and do some hiking so that's exactly what I did this past Friday. 

The forecast called for warm temperatures and sun but that's not exactly how the day went. Sure, it was quite warm when Dad and I left New Waterford and headed for Framboise but by the time I arrived and got out of the car, I had to trade my T-shirt for a heavy sweater, jacket and gloves. It was sunny, but that north wind off the water was relentless. 

The main goal of the trip was for Dad to do some fishing and for me to meet up with an old friend for a hike along the shore. We started the morning fishing the brooks along the stretch of highway between Forchu and Grand River. It was warmer up there away from the ocean but the black flies were quite hungry. Only one fish was caught and released. The last spot we tried, no fish were caught but we spotted something interesting in the water below. There were hundreds of Gaspereau swimming up river! I'd never seen this before and, I must say, it was worth getting eaten alive by flies to watch this amazing natural phenomenon. A few hours later when I returned to show my friend what we had seen earlier, they were all gone.  I guess it was just pure luck that they happened to be going upstream at that very moment in time. 

After we finished fishing, we drove down the long dirt road to Ferguson Beach to do some hiking along the ocean.  The beach was full of seaweed and it was high tide so we walked for quite a distance along the old, grassy trail above the beach.  When we reached the river, we had to turn back because the water was too high to cross.  In warmer weather, I would have just taken off my shoes and waded across but it was way too cold that day.  

When we reached the car, it was still too early to call it day and the sun was coming up and warming the air a bit.  So we just kept walking down the beach in the other direction until we reached another river crossing that was too high to cross.  

By this time, the wind had shifted and it was so warm, we took off our sweaters and jackets and lay down in the soft sand for a rest.  It didn't take long for the wind to shift back to the north and we were reaching for our sweaters and jackets again.  

We took a different route back to the car through a grassy meadow and onto an old wood road.  There were signs that wildlife had passed through, but all we saw were the footprints of coyotes and deer who had passed through not long before us.  

At the car, we sat and watched the ocean with some hot tea and muffins and headed back to the main road.  Of course, no day in Framboise is complete without a scenic drive to the little village of St. Peter's for some coffee, something to eat at Jigg's Takeout and a relaxing drive along the Bras d'Or Lakes. 

Sunburnt and tired, I must say, despite the flies and cold wind, it was a good day.  The more I think about it, world travel is not as much of a priority for me at the moment.  I'm sure I'll want to go back to exploring far-away places in the future but, for now, my little island has everything I need.  

 

 

To Travel or Not to Travel

Well, the day I thought would never come has arrived. I never thought I would say this, but I think I am sick of traveling.  For now, at least.  

I still love everything about travel.  I love hanging out in airports, arriving in a new destination, learning about new cultures, hanging out with locals, exploring off-the-beaten places and just being somewhere I've never been before. But lately, travel just seems like a huge hassle.

When I last left the country before Covid-19, international travel was a breeze compared to what it is now.  I got to my destination with very few delays and hitches and had the time of my life.  

In comparison, the last time I traveled far from home was last year and the getting there and getting home part of the trip was disastrous and the trip itself was spent with the flu due to a woman sitting across from me on my flight who thought it was a good idea to board a plane with the plague, refuse to wear a mask and make half the plane sick.  

I planned to travel this past fall.  I didn't end up going.  I procrastinated because of everything going on.  Airlines threatening strikes, high prices for everything, illness outbreaks, flight cancellations...then I got Covid.  Good call.  I would have spent a week in Iceland hoping to see the Northern Lights but shivering under the covers in a hostel dorm instead. 

I still have it in the back of my mind to go somewhere this spring but....more strike threats, more airline drama and prices rising even more.  AND I get sick every time I travel now.  Nothing worse than being in a foreign country alone and sick. Spend all that money to go on vacation only to spend it in bed and miserable. 

There are still several places I'd love to see in the United States (San Francisco, Hawaii, Nashville) but with everything going on down there with political unrest, border nightmares and violence, I think I'll wait that out for a few more years at least.  

Elsewhere in the world, it's the threat of illness, flight cancellations and all the regular travel hiccups I'm used to but times 10.  I just can't be bothered. Travel seems like more of a hassle now and a hassle that just doesn't seem worth the trouble.  The reality of booking a vacation and only being able to enjoy a fraction of it due to cancellations, delays and strikes and who knows what else these days, seems like too much of an emotional and financial gamble right now.  

Don't get me wrong.  I still want to see many places yet. Just not right now. Well, I'm still debating whether to go somewhere in the next year.  Japan or Iceland are the two destinations I'm eyeing.  But really, I just love it here so much in Cape Breton that I'm starting to feel like I don't really need to travel much anymore.  I have everything I could need and want here.  The beaches on this island are more beautiful than any I've seen anywhere else I've been.  The Cabot Trail makes most of the places I've traveled seem mediocre. The culture and history is more colorful than any others I've explored and summers here are incredible.  I will never leave Cape Breton Island in summer ever again.  If I do travel again in the future, it will be in any other season but summer!

So what will the future bring? It's hard to say.  As I write this, I'm perfectly content sticking around Cape Breton.  But that trip to Iceland is already almost planned out so it feels like I might as well go at some point.  And Japan is calling my name.  And New Zealand has been a dream since childhood.  I'm healthy and in no hurry to depart this world yet, so there's still plenty of time to make those dreams come true.  I also change my mind a lot so really, who knows! 

 

 

 

A Late Summer Trip to the Mainland

I know I should explore the rest of Nova Scotia more.  I love Cape Breton so much that I rarely leave it to see the rest of the province.  This past summer, I got the chance to go to the South Shore for a weekend getaway.  I wouldn't normally plan a getaway like this this time of year because summers are so amazing in Cape Breton, but someone gave me a gift certificate for a bed and breakfast in Mahone Bay.  Since it would otherwise go to waste, I called up the property and made a reservation for a weekend in mid-September.  Then I called up a good road-tripping friend and off we went on a journey to the other end of the province. 

The drive from Cape Breton to Mahone typically takes about six hours but it took us much longer.  When you take into account that we got lost, took a few wrong turnoffs, stopped for food and bathroom breaks and made a detour to visit Peggy's Cove, it took closer to nine or ten hours. 

By the time we got to Peggy's Cove, it was late afternoon.  I was expecting it to be deserted due to it being so late in the day and late in the season.  But that wasn't the case at all.  There were people everywhere.  They were in the shops, lined up to eat, wandering around the lighthouse itself, walking down every street in the little village.  I could barely get through the crowds at times and I was only able to get one decent picture of the lighthouse and it still had strangers in it.  

Peggy's Cove was not how I remembered it.  I was very young the last time I was there and all I remembered was a few shops and the lighthouse.  Maybe it was a huge tourist trap back then too, but I just never noticed as a child.  The shops are nice and there are good options for food and drink and some interesting things to look at, including the lighthouse, of course.  But, in all honesty, I can go down to Low Point Lighthouse five minutes away from my house in New Waterford and see one that is just as beautiful, if not more so. 

We headed straight for the lighthouse first and then headed back to the village where we grabbed something to eat, browsed the shops and admired the scenery. When we were done in the village, we drove to a spot a few minutes away where there was a monument set up for the people who were lost in the Swissair disaster that happened in the waters just off Peggy's Cove in 1998. 

From Peggy's Cove, it was smooth sailing all the way to Mahone Bay except for one construction zone where we were stopped for a while. 

We arrived at River Ridge Lodge around 7:00 PM and the owner Frauke came right outside to greet us and get us settled in.  We retreated to our room, unpacked and organized a little before heading out to find somewhere still open to grab something to eat. Unfortunately, that didn't happen as planned.  Everything was closed, so we grabbed some food from the grocery store and just had snacks back at our room. After the long drive and running around looking for food, we were ready to hit the sack fairly early that night.   

The next morning, we got on the road early with somewhat of a plan for the day.  Our first stop was Oak Island and the setting for the popular television reality show centered around finding the treasure that is said to be buried there. 

We crossed the causeway and pulled up to the gate where a woman was waiting.  As it turned out, we wouldn't be seeing much because the cast and crew were inside the area filming and the interpretation centre was closed.  We parked in the parking lot and just took some pictures of the memorial and kept going towards downtown Mahone Bay. 

It was a pretty morning to take a short stroll around this pretty little town.  After speaking with some nice ladies with Tourism Nova Scotia and getting some directions on how to get on the scenic route everyone was telling us about, I grabbed a coffee for the road and off we went toward Lunenburg.  Of course, we got lost but eventually found our way.  I have the worst sense of direction, even when a GPS is guiding me along!

The drive to Lunenburg was a nice, relaxing one.  We arrived in the colorful little town to discover that some festivities were going on and The Bluenose was in town and open for free tours. We parked quite far away from the waterfront because there were very few parking spots left anywhere.  The walk to the waterfront was all downhill and the fact that that meant the walk back would be all uphill wasn't lost on me. 

There was music, food and face paintings and a number of antique cars were lined up for everyone to see.  After a tour of The Bluenose, some hotdogs and a rest overlooking the water, we walked up and down the streets for a bit checking out some of the shops and then headed back to the car to continue our journey.   

We were told that we would have to board a car ferry at some point to cross to LaHave.  We arrived when the ferry was on the other side loading cars so we had a little wait.  According to several people we have spoken to since our arrival on the South Shore, we needed to stop at the LaHave Bakery which is only about a minute from the ferry dock on the other side. 

We pulled into the parking lot and were both surprised at the size of the place and the fact that it appeared to be more than just a simple bakery. The first thing that hit me was the smell of freshly baked goods and the second thing that hit me was the old-school look and feel of the place.  It was like I stepped back in time. There were artifacts, ornaments and pictures all over the walls and any space that could hold something.  There being so much to look at made it seem more like a museum than a bakery!

I took my place in line to get some goodies and settled on a slice of vegetarian Mediterranean-style pizza and a Nanaimo Bar.  Both were delicious and the price was right for something made on-site from scratch. 

We took our food outside and ate on the deck overlooking a view of the harbour. When we were done, we went back inside and looked around the gift shop and bookstore.  I was on the hunt for something suitable for my 3-year-old nephew for his upcoming birthday but everything was too breakable for his rambunctious age.  

I'd heard about Crescent Beach and its sandy shore and crystal clear water and always wanted to go there and see it for myself.  As we pulled into the parking area and I gazed at the expansive stretch of coastline before me, I was impressed with the width and length of the beach and the fact that the water felt quite warm even for that late in the season.  I was not, however, impressed with the fact that cars are allowed to drive on the beach.  I like my beaches quiet, natural and car-free. 

We didn't stay long.  I contemplated going for a swim but the air was a bit too cool and I didn't want to catch a chill.  We next stopped at a beach called Resser's Beach Provincial Park and this one was more like my kind of beach.  Wild, remote, natural and surrounded by nice scenery.  

We walked the beach from one end to the other and moved onto the beautiful boardwalk and walked the entire length of it as well.  There was a food truck set up by the common area where the bathrooms and other facilities were and I thought what a great idea that would be if someone could do that at my favorite beach back home.   

By the time we left Resser's Beach, it was getting close to supper time.  I didn't want to be driving around the area at dark because I'd already almost hit a deer on the way into town the night before.  Also, since we didn't get to have a very good supper the night before, we wanted to get back to Mahone Bay to find a nice restaurant to sit down and have a hot meal before everything started to close.  It was Sunday after all and I didn't know what time anything closed on Sunday evenings. 

We drove straight to where we were staying and got changed and headed to town.  It was quite late and by the looks of it, many things had already closed.  We drove around downtown looking for an interesting place to eat and once we decided on a place that had been previously recommended to us, we parked the car and started walking in the direction where we had been told the restaurant was.  

We were told Betty's at the Kitch was open late and it was only a few minutes on foot from where we were parked.  The part about being open late was true but it took more than a few minutes to walk there!  More like 15 minutes and being as hungry as we were by that point, we were not too happy having to walk so far.  We just kept walking and walking and at one point, I thought we had gone the wrong way because we still get to it.  Finally, I saw people standing outside a building and then I saw the sign.  

We were given a seat for two by a window where we could look out onto the night street.  The place was cozy, warm, quiet and inviting.  Everything one could want in a late-night meal.  The service was amazing and the food was perfect!  Delicious, well-portioned and served at just the right temperature.  We took our time eating and savouring our first meal of the trip.  The walk back didn't seem to take as long.  It never does when you're going back. 

After such a long day of exploring, I fell asleep not long after getting back to our room.  The next morning, I awoke early, packed, had a quick breakfast and took a walk around the grounds and across the street where there was a little boat house on the river.  

Before check-out, we took one last drive into town to get coffee and visit a bakery that had been recommended to us.  I had some quiche and a cinnamon roll before taking a drive to the other side of the harbour to get some pictures of the Three Churches.  Before long, we were checked out and back on the highway for the long drive home.   

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

Some Fall Hiking in Sterling and Framboise

I never know where I'll end up when I go to Framboise with Dad.  There's always a new place to hike, a new beach or lake to see or a road I've never been down before.  

Last week, the weather called for a nice day on one of my days off and with winter approaching, I wanted to get out and enjoy the great outdoors.  That's why I said "yes" when Dad asked me to join him for a day of hiking in Framboise.

I love these little day trips with Dad.  We leave early, grab some breakfast and coffees somewhere along the way and make the long drive to this remote part of the island where it's just coastline and forest as far as you can see.

It was a little windy and cool that day so Dad suggested we do a hike in the Sterling which is away from the coast.  I haven't done a whole lot of hiking in that area and a walk in the woods with the leaves changing color sounded good to me!

We parked the car a little ways up a dirt road and started walking from there.  It was a nice, easy walk through some thick forest and at one point, we crossed a stream lined with colorful trees.  There wasn't a whole lot of water as we are going through a drought but it still made for a nice picture.   I stopped for a few minutes and took in the picturesque scene before me.  

About twenty minutes into the hike, we reached an old, abandoned farmhouse.  I love coming upon these sites and exploring the grounds while I imagine what it must have been like so many years ago when a young family thrived here.  It's sad to think that they are all gone and this is the legacy they left behind.  Somewhere, there are descendants of those people still living who likely don't even know that their distant relative's old homestead still stands.

The trail kept going a little ways beyond the homestead and when the brush became too thick to keep going, we turned around and headed back to the car.  

It was still early enough to do another hike so we went down the road to one that we had attempted a few years ago.  The last time we did this hike, the bridge was washed out.  This time, it was rebuilt and intact so we were able to cross and keep going much further than we did before.  In fact, we went so far that it was almost dark when we decided that we should turn around before we got caught hiking at night without flashlights.  

We were going to head home the way we came but I convinced Dad to go to St. Peter's and take the long way home via Route 4 along the Bras d'Or Lakes.  We grabbed some coffee for the road and made the long drive home.   

It's not a True Cape Breton Summer without at least one Visit to the Fortress...or Two!

Many years ago, when I first moved back to Cape Breton, my family started a tradition of going to the Fortress of Louisbourg every Canada Day.  This year, we thought about doing something different for a change and we did.  But before the day was done, we ended up at the fortress like we always do.

The day started off with some indecision on everyone's part.  At first, I was going to go to Ingonish to attend a concert at Cape Smokey.  When no one else wanted to travel that far, we thought it might be nice to stay close to town and take my little nephew to some festivities at Colliery Lands Park. 

 We did end up at the park and it turned ok.  Little Liam was nervous of the crowd at first but he warmed up to it and took a liking to the duck pond area.  We stayed there for about an hour or so and when Liam got tired and cranky, him and his mom headed home, leaving me and Dad wondering what to do next, if anything. 

It's like the car knew just where to go because we ended up in Louisbourg. There was a good crowd and the weather was decent.  We walked around the fortress, took some pictures, watched some musket firings and wandered around some of the buildings before heading back home.  

Some summers, I don't get the chance to visit the fortress a second time but I did end up back there again in late July when my other sister was home visiting from Alberta. Her boyfriend is from Quebec so the whole French aspect of the Fortress and its history is of particular interest to him.  

There was a lot going on that day at the fortress!  We got there at a good time to see many demonstrations.  We got to watch a public shaming of a thief, some musket firings, some cannon firings and a lively dance. And we had time leftover to walk around and explore the grounds a bit more. 

 

 

 

Sleeping in a Tent is one of my Summer Highlights

Nothing really ever changes at Broad Cove campground except one thing...how much harder it's getting to book the site I want!  I always book between my two favorite sites and for over 20 years, I've no issue booking one of the other. But, the last two years I either had to book months in advance or I had to book at another site. This year, I wasn't able to book well in advance so I had to make do with a site I wasn't familiar with.  I was disappointed but in the end, it worked out perfectly and now I have a third site that I can add to my favorites!

Another big change to my camping trip this year was I didn't have to worry about drafts and leaks.  My old tent had both but this year, I had a brand new tent to test out and it works perfectly.  In fact, I love it!  For one, it's huge.  Secondly, it has a "porch" separate from the main part.  It's big enough for my beach chair so I could sit in there away from rain and flies and read a book or go through pictures I took earlier in the day.  To make it even more cozy, I just hooked up a few little lights and it was like having a living room in my tent!

That camping trip couldn't have been more perfect.  I love the new tent, I loved the new site and the weather was amazing.  The site, by the way, was grassy, level and close to amenities such as washrooms.  The weather was hot and sunny the entire time and the flies weren't too bad.  I spent my days at the beaches, evenings eating takeout while watching the sun go down and nights walking around the campground and admiring the beautiful night sky filled with stars. 

There was no dew inside my tent the next morning which was something I wasn't used to.  Tear down was easy and I was packed up and ready to go in no time.  Not that I wanted to but I knew in a few weeks, I would be back.  Other adventures were awaiting me at home.  The only thing I don't like about busy summers is how quickly they fly by!

 

 

 

Time with Family is Always the Highlight of Summer

There are so many things I look forward to every summer but it's the visit from my sister and her partner that I look forward to most!  Sometimes it's a year or more since the last time I saw them so heading to the airport on that day every July or August when their flight from Calgary lands in Sydney is something I truly look forward to. 

This year, they were home for a long stretch.  The main difference between this year and last year is that our little nephew is speaking and picking up on new things like a sponge so he really bonded with them.  

For the first few days, we hung out at the house in Glace Bay and spent hot summer days swimming in the pool, going for drives, walking along the beach and catching up on what's new in each other's lives.  

They headed to Cheticamp for just over a week to take in some of the Acadian festivities that were taking place there.  They intended to do some fishing on the Margaree River but the river was closed due to the woods ban.  

I headed to the west coast myself that week and was able to meet up with them a few times for coffee and supper one evening.  When they returned to Glace Bay, we spent the last few days hanging out on the deck and by the pool.  Their time here went all too fast and before I knew it, I was back at the airport to see them off again.  That's the thing I look forward to the least. 

 

A Night in Beautiful Baddeck

Quite a few years ago, not long after I moved back home, I discovered a festival that takes place every August in the little village of Baddeck.  I love Baddeck and I love cultural events where I can try local food, buy local products, see local art and hear local music. 

 

The first time I attended, I had such a wonderful evening that I decided to make attending the festival a yearly tradition.  It usually falls on a Monday so I always drive straight to Baddeck right after work and get there just in time to enjoy the best of it.  Of course, it runs late and the drive home is long so I usually request the day off the next day.  My friend has her camper trailer parked at a nearby campground so we meet in Baddeck to attend the festivities and then I follow her back to the campground, where I stay the night. 

This year, Festiville was quite lively with several great bands playing and many vendors selling everything from homemade jewelry to homemade fudge.  We walked up and down the street several times, listening to the music and checking out the many vendors while eating ice cream and fudge. 

When it was all over, we weren't quite ready to leave so we just hung out on the docks admiring a huge yacht parked amongst the many smaller boats with the sparkling waters of the Bras d'Or Lakes lit by a full moon and sky full of twinkling stars. It was so calm and peaceful that I could have just slept right there with the sound of the water and trees rustling in a light, warm breeze. 

Back in the parking lot of the Alexander Graham Bell Museum, we walked to the deck attached to the museum and admired the moon shining over the lakes.  It was quite the sight.  I could live in a place like that.  Maybe someday.

The drive back to the trailer took about 30 to 40 minutes.  There was hardly any traffic by that point as everyone had already left town and headed back to wherever it was they were spending the night. It was equally as beautiful in Jersey Cove where the moon shone its beams down on the beach near the trailer.  I took a little stroll down there just sat and listened to the water rolling over the beach.

The next day, we drove to Ingonish hoping to enjoy a swim at Black Brook Beach.  The water was rough but I made an attempt anyway.  I didn't stay in long.  I prefer to swim in calm, clear water.  Being tossed around in the surf isn't all that enjoyable!  We left and drove to The Point in Ingonish and went for a much calmer dip in the water at the little sandy beach by the wharves.  The water was so clear and calm there that I even got to try out my new waterproof action camera!  

After dinner at the Seagull Restaurant, we headed back to the trailer where we parted ways and I headed home.  These are the moments that make summers in Cape Breton so memorable and why I have no desire to be anywhere else but here during those long summer days and nights.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Family Time on the Banks of the Bras d'Or Lakes

I love Iona and the areas around the Bras d'Or Lakes, but I don't spend a whole lot of time there.  Perhaps that will change since my sister moved home and her little family has a summer place there.

I was looking forward to finally seeing her place the day I hopped in the car and made the long drive there.  Actually, the drive is usually not that long but I took a little detour because I had to stop at my friend's trailer in Jersey Cove to pick up something I forgot there a few days earlier. 

Instead of taking the 125 and exiting towards Boisdale or St. Peter's, I exited onto the Trans Canada Highway.  After my stop at Jersey Cove, I turned right onto the TCH and took the exit to Little Narrows.  After a little ferry ride, it was a short drive to Iona.

I was given directions on how to get there and they didn't sound too complicated.  I found the road I had to turn down or at least I thought it did.  I found out later that there were two roads with similar names.  I took the wrong one, of course.  I got lost, made some wrong turns, ended up back on the main road and had to call someone to meet me and lead me to where everyone was waiting for my arrival.  

 My little nephew was the first to come greet me. A little game of run around the tree and peek-a-boo and it was off to the nearby beach where we spent the rest of the day.

It was a warm evening and I had my swimsuit so I went for a dip.  No one else wanted to come in with me because there were so many jellyfish but I didn't really care.  I just brushed them away and kept an eye on them to make sure they weren't getting too close. 

That day was the first time I used my underwater action camera.  And yes, it worked perfectly!  I got some pretty neat pictures of those jellyfish from underwater.  

When the sun started to dip towards the horizon and the air started to cool, I retreated back to the beach to dry off .  I sure tired out quickly running after my little nephew.  He just never stops.  He's back and forth to and from the water's edge, back and forth to the edge of the forest, rolling around in the sand with his dinkies and just being a little ball of energy.  I got a little break from the action when I took a relaxing stroll down to the end of the beach with Dad.  

When it was almost dark, we piled back into the cars to go back to home base.  Everyone had an SUV except me.  Everyone pulled out of the sandpit just fine except me.  First, I got stuck and had to be pushed out.  That was fine until I was driving down the gravel road and started hearing a scraping sound that sounded like something was being dragged beneath my car. One look under the front end and I could see that I had torn off the engine shield.  A "perfect" end to what was a perfect day up to that point!

Long story short, we temporarily tied the flimsy metal up as best as we could and I drove home with no issues except for when the low-hanging piece hit a high part on the road.  I took it to my backyard mechanic and he had it fixed in no time.  Nothing like car repairs when you least expect them!

 

 

Summer's Beginnings

Summer seemed to creep up gradually.  It seemed like one day I was still wearing my heavy jacket and jeans complaining about the fog, rain and cold and than one day, all of a sudden, the layers came off, I got a sunburn, the water warmed up, the lifeguards showed up at the beach and it was officially summer!

One of the first real summer things I do every July is head out to Rendell's Farm in Bras d'Or and pick enough fresh strawberries to last the winter.  This year the strawberries weren't as good as they usually were and my schedule didn't work out very well with the sunny days (it rained every weekend at the start of summer) so I only got half of what I usually pick.  As I write this, they are almost gone already!

It seems the jellyfish don't stick around as much as they used to and by the second week in July, they were all gone!  The water was a little late warming up but it was still tolerable in the early days of summer.  Any nice day when I wasn't out of town, I was on Dominion Beach in the afternoons and again in the evenings for a walk and sunset viewing.  Oh and there were some endangered piping plovers nesting on the beach too.  That added some excitement especially after the little ones hatched.  There were also three baby eagles born in the nest alongside the road I drive on to get to the beach so that made my drive a little more enjoyable!  I even saw a baby bobcat in Lingan on my way home from the beach one evening but that was a one time thing.  Elusive as they are, I've only seen maybe three bobcats in my whole life. 

Something that was missing at the beach this summer was fox kittens. There were none.  Several adult foxes were hanging around the beach all summer, but no little ones were born.  

Most mornings before heading to the beach, I'd drive to Dad's and go biking along the shore to the lighthouse.  That was sometimes followed by a visit to my sisters to see her and my little nephew or we would meet them at the beach so he could play in the sand and out his feet in the water. 

 As summer went on, the days got hotter and, unfortunately for me, my air conditioning broke in my car.  Of course, right in the middle of summer!  After a hard time trying to get someone to fox it and honor the warranty, it was back up and running but I was having to roll down the windows and sweat out any long drives for almost a month. 

Those hot days lingered and there were no more rainy weekends come late July.  As good as this sounds, it wasn't good for our forests.  Huge fires broke out elsewhere in the province and there was a high risk of one starting here so the province shut down the woods.  No fires, no hiking, no doing anything if it involved walking through any woods.  That smoke from the wildfires up the line drifted this way a few times and one evening, I captured the perfect sunset behind a haze.   

 Despite that woods ban, I made the best of summer and it turned out to be another amazing one filled with memories and adventures. A long drive to along the coast to Main-a-Dieu and through Louisbourg, sunsets, meteor showers, beach walks, ocean swims....and that's just the beginning of it all!