Tag Archives: roadtrip

My Adventures in Thunder Bay, Winni*eg, Ajax !

What I've Been Up To, , , ,

Alert: This blog *ost, and it’s annoying lack of the letter * may be offensive to some. It was offensive to me to ty*e. I’d really love to know why the * key on this keyboard isn’t working, but I don’t. And until I do, you are left with it’s re*lacement – the * character.

What a tri*!

I was sent by my em*loyer to a technology conference in Winni*eg last week. I jum*ed at the chance to go to Winni*eg again after all these years. I think the last time I was there was for a whirlwind s*ring break tri* in 1996 with two roommates on the *ursuit of $1/shot mixed drinks. I think chea* drinks was how *eo*le kee* warm in Winni*eg in February.

Even better, I got *ermission to de*art the *lane early, in Thunder Bay!! I lived in the Lakehead for 6 years and many of my friends and classmates are still there. I’m sure I’m not alone – there is something about Thunder Bay that gets into your soul. You can move away, but you’ll take a *art of it with you.

I ate lunch at the Hoito, had Thanksgiving dinner with old and new friends, got to talk Forestry, and I discovered my newest favourite beverage – hot al**le cider with rum! Good call Jen!

And that weekend was stocked full of JUST what I’ve been missing while living out here in Nova Scotia. Girl Talk! I stayed with my good friend Jen – who was my old roommate and classmate. I’ve missed her so much and have been watching her kids grow u* on Facebook! They are so adorable. And Jen is such a good Mom. Her son even let me *lay with his Lego. The last time I saw him, he was the adorable cute baby at our wedding, and now is 3 and has is such a character. Were we that funny at 3?

The weather was summer-like in Thunder Bay for Thanksgiving. Who would have guessed? I *acked sweaters and jeans and I could have worn shorts and t-shirts!

To get the rest of the way to Winni*eg, I decided to take the Greyhound bus. That way I could see northwestern Ontario again – and all the *laces I worked and visited. Sidenote: If you ever need to book a Greyhound ticket, the fare is drastically reduced if you buy at least 21 days in advance. My ticket was only $64.

If you’ve ever travelled by bus before, you must be able to relate when I say that everyone on a bus seems a little down on their luck. I had to sit in the bus station for 90 minutes or so until it was time to de*art Thunder Bay. Then we had to wait a few minutes for the first real meth addict I’ve ever laid eyes on to get her luggage together and on the bus so we could get on our way. The first driver of the tri* was very *atient. Okay, you’re right, I don’t know for sure that she was a meth addict, but she was definitely high on some substance, and she dis*layed every characteristic of a meth addict shown on Co*s & on Intervention. Including the face scabs.

She sat near the back, but I was sitting u* front. I wanted the full view – including the front window. There was no way I was doing to miss a moment of the tri*.

I saw 3 bald eagles and 1 buck with nice antlers during the drive. It only rained for an hour or so, the hour my eyelids got heavy when the rain started falling, but for the rest of the drive it was sunny and I was alert!

Oh, and get this! Near Vermilion Bay, the bus was flagged over by the *olice!! The driver, who was oddly enough, wearing latex gloves, got out to talk to the officer for a few minutes. Everyone on the bus was dead silent and still. Almost like every one of us had something to hide. 88|

But nothing came of it, and we continued on.

I got into Winni*eg just as the sun was setting. The conference was in the Hotel Fort Garry. Ever heard of it? It’s a big old railway hotel. Very Canadian looking. I *ost *ictures soon and tell you about the hotel se*arately.

The conference didn’t end until Saturday afternoon, and there was just no *ossible way to make it all the way home on Saturday from Winni*eg. I had to either stay at the hotel for another night, or have a sto*-over on the way home.

And since my ne*hew was just two weeks old, it was an easy decision to lay over at the Hamilton air*ort. My brother and sister *icked me u* from the air*ort on Saturday night, and before the flight continued back to Halifax the next day, I had visited with them, held my new ne*hew Easton, visited with my sister-in-law Leanne and my neice Hadley, and my Mom, and even got to squeeze in a visit with Dad at the air*ort on Sunday before I flew back. :p

When I finally arrived home Sunday night, just as darkness was setting in, Jeff had a roast beef dinner and a blueberry dessert ready for me!

Bird Islands with Dad

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Dad and I went up to visit the Bird Islands on a boat cruise.

The Bird Islands are a couple of hours from here, off the coast of Cape Breton Island.

Here are some of my photos:

Bird Islands

The tour boat was similar to a lobster boat, only a cabin had been built to keep us mostly inside, with big windows.

Bird Islands

Not the easiest boat to step into – more like step down on, and duck and squeeze your way in – but we all made it!

Bird Islands

Here are our hosts, Captain John MacAskill and his wife Donelda. Dad said they were the best boat tour guides he ever had. What hard working folk though – Donelda said she was up at ten to three in the morning because they fish lobster with one of their sons before their scheduled tours to the Bird Islands!

Bird Islands

Donelda said the bald eagles in the area know their boat and the sound of her voice on the speakers. Why? Well because she tosses them a fish if they come down to visit the boat!

Bird Islands

A fog cloud kept coming in and off shore, but luckily it mostly lifted by the time we got out to the Bird Islands (about 40 minutes from shore). It was quite rough to get out there, so Donelda put sea sickness bands on several of the passengers. The bands velcro around your wrist and have a pressure point that works like acupuncture on a nerve in your wrist. It seemed to work – no one puked!

Bird Islands

Here are some grey seals!

Bird Islands

At this time of the year, the small rocky islands are home to Atlantic Puffins, Black Guillemots, Great Cormorants, Double Crested Cormorants, Razorbills, Great Black Backed Gulls, Black Legged Kittiwakes, Herring Gulls, Great Blue Herons, and Bald Eagles. Donelda did an excellent job at pointing out each species to us, and making sure we all got to see them.

Bird Islands

Bird Islands

Puffin!

Bird Islands

We went out to the back of the boat with all the other photographers. The ocean was really rocky most of the time, so getting good photos was tricky! For every photo in focus, I have about 10 that are duds.

Bird Islands

The cormorants like to flash people! Actually they are just drying their wings, but it is neat to see them stretched out.

Bird Islands

There were nests everywhere. Everytime a bald eagle came by, all the gulls went nuts and flew around in swarms.

Bird Islands

Bird Islands

Bird Islands

Bird Islands

Bird Islands

Bird Islands

Bird Islands

Bird Islands

Bird Islands

Bird Islands

Bird Islands

Bird Islands

The seals are really cute. There were lobster traps EVERYWHERE around the islands and the coast. Jeff said the seals can rip open the lobster traps to help themselves to lobster!

Bird Islands

Heron!

Bird Islands

Bird Islands

Immature bald eagle. They don’t get their white head for a couple of years.

Bird Islands

Bird Islands

Bird Islands

Bird Islands

I snapped a picture of this heron just before it took off, so I kept taking photos as it elegantly flew away.

Bird Islands

Bird Islands

Bird Islands

Bird Islands

Bird Islands

Two kinds of cormorants:

Bird Islands

Bird Islands

Bird Islands

Bald Eagle!

Bird Islands

Bird Islands

Bird Islands

Puffins are SO cute. They are quite little and have to flap their wings extremely fast to get anywhere.

Bird Islands

Bird Islands

Bird Islands

Bird Islands

Bird Islands

Bird Islands

The boat was full! I highly recommend this tour. For more information, visit their website: http://PuffinBoatTours.ca

Our hike through Abraham Lake’s Old Growth Forest

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A few months back when I was at a forestry conference, I heard about an old growth forest in Nova Scotia. Since we moved here, we’ve been amazed at just how little all the trees were here, but then we learned there has been forest harvesting here for centuries!

At the conference, I heard there was a stand of old growth red spruce near Abraham Lake, but because of the spruce bark beetle infestation, the old growth red spruce would all be gone in a couple of years.

I told Jeff about it and he checked out his maps. Since it looked like the area was accessible by bush roads only, we waited until later in the spring for the roads to firm up.

Today we took at a stab at finding the area, and not only did we find it on our first attempt, it turned out there were two hiking trails through the old growth forest!!

Abraham Lake

Abraham Lake

Abraham Lake

In 1971, the forestry company in charge of the area took the old growth area out of its operating plans and gave it to the Nature Conservancy of Canada.

Unfortunately, forests can not be preserved forever. The red spruce are the biggest spruce I’ve ever seen – maybe the biggest trees I’ve ever seen in Eastern Canada. But the spruce bark beetle (Dendroctonus rufipennis) – the same beetle responsible for all the dead white spruce around our house – has hit every single one of the old trees that we saw. Even the hemlock were attacked. There is no doubt that within 1-2 years there won’t be a single one left standing.

Spruce beetle leaves holes ALL over the bark of the tree:

Abraham Lake

The adult beetle bore through the bark and lay their eggs inside of the tree. When the larvae hatch, they feed inside of the tree, burrowing tunnels through the tree that quickly girdle and kill the tree.

This tree, a giant red spruce, is recently dead, but still standing, so I gave it a hug!

Abraham Lake

The tops of the trees die, and because they become so hollow, they often either blow completely over, or are snapped in half by the wind.

Abraham Lake

Abraham Lake

Abraham Lake

The forest was quiet and really dark in places. A rain storm was on its way, but luckily it held off AND the black flies and mosquitoes weren’t very active!

Look at all the green moss everywhere. Many forests in the Acadian forest have a bed of moss because it is so moist out here.

Abraham Lake

Abraham Lake

Abraham Lake

See how hollow this one is before it snapped in half?

Abraham Lake

We also saw many hemlock trees, and a few white pines.

Abraham Lake

Abraham Lake

Abraham Lake

Abraham Lake

I was trying to trick you into thinking this log was so tall that only my head was poking over the top, but, well, it didn’t work.

Abraham Lake

Abraham Lake

I was hugging this big dead one tight to my chest and you can still only see my hands. These are big trees!

Abraham Lake

The trail we took stopped at the lake half way through its loop. Abraham Lake is a beautiful calm clear lake.

Abraham Lake

Abraham Lake

Abraham Lake

Here is a nice big yellow birch:

Abraham Lake

Abraham Lake

Abraham Lake

Mandatory self portraits!

Abraham Lake

Abraham Lake

Joggins’ Fossil Cliffs – UNESCO World Heritage Site

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On our road trip last Saturday, we ventured to Joggins, Nova Scotia to see the newly designated, World UNESCO Heritage site.

Joggins is on the Bay of Fundy and has world famous cliffs full of fossils from the coal age.

We knew we had to hit the site at low tide, because the tides there are over 15 feet and the fossils are under the way for a portion of the day! We got there shortly before 10am and ventured along the beach to search for signs of prehistoric life!

Bay of Fundy

There was a group of children staying over at the site for the weekend, and they had signed out all of the hard hats, so we were on our own! But warned to not go within two car-lengths of the cliffs or we stood a good chance of being hit on the head by falling rocks and boulders.

Oh! And don’t forget to get back to the stairs by 3pm or you’ll get caught by the rising tide!

Bay of Fundy

Bay of Fundy

Bay of Fundy

There was a coal mine at the site before that closed up for good in the 1960′s. There is evidence of an old wharf near the stair case going down to the beach level, and coal pieces are still scattered amongst the rocks on the beach.

Bay of Fundy

Bay of Fundy

Here is an entire vein of coal.

Bay of Fundy

Bay of Fundy

The fossils we found were all of plants and trees. They were 300 million years old, but some of them you could feel the texture left from the imprint of the vegetation.

Bay of Fundy

Bay of Fundy

Here is a dead fish that didn’t make it out with the tide. Jeff said it is a skate.

Bay of Fundy

Bay of Fundy

Who knew that Christopher Columbus even walked along this beach? :D

Bay of Fundy

Bay of Fundy

The trees were tropical trees – as big as 30 metres high they think. The bark is similar to a palm tree:

Bay of Fundy

If you ever visit Joggins, be very leery of these green, algae covered rocks. They are as slippery as ice.

Bay of Fundy

Bay of Fundy

Bay of Fundy

Bay of Fundy

In case you thought I had odd dimensional hands, that quarter should clear up any photo scale confusion. ;) That is a fossil of a stick of some sort.

Bay of Fundy

Plant or amphibian? I am not sure, but you could feel the texture like it was just imprinted.

Bay of Fundy

The one on the left was a cookie slice of a tree – way way cool. If there was any fossil I would want, it was that one. But you aren’t allowed to take any so when you go, see if you can find it!

Bay of Fundy

Bay of Fundy

Bay of Fundy

Bay of Fundy

I do declare… spring is coming!

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We took a drive today northwards around Cape George. It was a lovely day, cold wind, but gorgeous sunshine.

We tried to get to the Cape George lighthouse, but the road is really snowed in with ice so it was a “no-go”.

There aren’t many places you can actually get to the ocean because it is all private land.  Here is a place we caught a glimpse of the waves on the Northumberland Strait. It’s been really windy this week and the water close to shore is really brown.

Spring is coming!

I love pictures of old houses and barns. I should make a point of photographing them more often:

Spring is coming!

Spring is coming!

Cute little paw snow prints:

Spring is coming!

We found a quaint little wooden bridge on a snow covered gravel backroad that was crossing this creek.

Spring is coming!

Spring is coming!

Spring is coming!

Spring is coming!

Some ugly wind turbines are going up in this area, ruining the scenery. These turbines are about 10 minutes north of town and we can see them from 10 minutes south of town on a  clear day.

Spring is coming!

Dad’s Visit

What I've Been Up To, ,

Dad visited for the long weekend. I had a GREAT weekend! We did so much, and hopefully I will get a chance to post specific stories and photos.

What we did:
-visited Peggy’s Cove
-visited ThatDuchmen’s Cheese store and bought some gouda
-attempted to reach White Hill, Nova Scotia’s highest point
-planned our next attempt to reach White Hill
-attended to our wounds, sunburns, broken muscles (not so much mine – I bailed out of the adventure early)
-played a lively game of Trivial Pursuit
-enjoyed lobster, fish & chips, bbq’d chicken, bbq’d shrimp, bbq’d steak, Jeff’s smoked salmon, and not mussels
-visited a couple more lighthouses
-planned our garage
-met with the county’s building inspector
-saw 4 moose
-saw 100 dead porcupines (more or less)
-shocked Dad with the price of fresh produce out here (I’m not talking about the porcupines anymore)
-patched Dad’s flat tire
-drove all around to Pictou, Wreck Cove, Antigonish, Sherbrooke, Peggy’s Cove, Halifax, Lower Economy, Cape George, and Arasaig
-watched countless hours of Cottage Day on HGTV in front of our warmish fireplace while it poured outside

Arisaig, Groceries, Caledonia church again, and Deer everywhere!

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We had never been to Arisaig so today we went! It’s on the northwestern coast between Pictou and Cape George – for those of you who we’ve driven around last summer. I’m pretty sure we could see PEI across the water (full of ice chunks!)

Here is a shot from the wharf along the coast:

Arisaig

There is a lighthouse restructure here with several historical plaques on the rocks. One says “The steeple of St. Margaret of Scotland Roman Catholic Church can be seen from this point. Arisaig is the site of the oldest parish of the Catholic highland settlers in Nova Scotia and the second oldest parish in the Diocese of Antigonish. The first log cabin church was built nearby. A cairn commemorates the church and the community’s ancestors. A second church was built near the existing Glebe House in 1816. The present church was completed in 1878 and dedicated to St. Margaret of Scotland.”

Here is the small lighthouse that has been rebuilt on the wharf with the year 2007 above the door.
Arisaig Lighthouse

(I *love* our new camera.)
Jeff behind the lighthouse

Did I mention how FREEZING it was?
me freezing

Here’s the Arisaig church:
Arisaig Church

Lobster season isn’t too far off!
Lobster boats

We ended up near New Glasgow so we went into town for groceries. Groceries are INSANELY expensive, but at least the bigger town had a bigger selection. Heads of iceburg lettuce – $2.69 ! No baby spinach leaves under $4.50. You would keel over if you saw the amount of money we pay for groceries here in Nova Scotia.

We took a long drive back and ended back in the Caledonia area where we were a few weeks ago. I couldn’t wait to stop and see the old church we saw last time with our new camera.

Lower Caledonia Church

I’ve never seen stained glass peel off before! I don’t think it was real stained glass!
old church window

Here is the out house for this old church:
church outhouse

I can’t wait to see this place again when the snow is gone. I’m too shy to peak in the old windows, but I just love the history of the place.

I wished we had taken photos last time of this orchard we saw that had electric fences and there were deer inside the fence. Well we drove by it again, and there were still deer inside the orchard – with two layers of electric fencing!!

deer

deer

More deer across the road. We saw MANY MANY deer today.

deer

I just can’t get enough of the old farmhouses. I always have been so intrigued by them. I always think of someone like Charles Ingles building a beautiful house for their wife and growing family and how proud they would be of what they built with their hands. And think how sad they would be to see their beautiful workmanship today:

old house

old house

There was a bit of open water on the lake one south of ours. Here are a couple ducks.
ducks

And more deer!
deer

First time out with new camera

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We are giddy with our new camera – a Nikon D90! I haven’t even read the manual yet but today we took it for a ride to town, bought a case for it, and then took a little drive over to the Canso Causeway to look for seals.

We saw several! The first one was a dead road kill on the side of the road :( We saw 3 dead ones by the end of the drive.

The Causeway connects mainland Nova Scotia with Cape Breton Island. It is less than an hour from here. One side of the causeway is frozen and the other is open water. On the ice side there were a number of seals all spread out over the ice. Exciting! I hadn’t seen so many seals!

There isn’t a place to stop on the Causeway, but just past it there is a little pull off. From there we saw a seal that was close to shore so we tried out the new zoom lens and snapped away. It was very frigid – the winds there are so cold it feels like they’re trying to take a bite of your flesh.

Speaking of taking a bite of your flesh, we didn’t want to get too close to the seal because they have big teeth and will bite! Another woman was stopped taking a photo and she was getting close enough to make him growl. Jeff warned her to not get too close but she said she was sure she could out run the seal.

(Have you seen how fast these guys can move? I was impressed)

Here are a few photos.

Seal

Seal

Seal

Seal

Seal

Seal

Seal

We think that she/he was trying to get up and over the Causeway to get to the water so I hope it wasn’t the next roadkill seal. We left so we didn’t have to watch that happen.