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This is the return of the red tailed hawk that was here to raise its offspring in the spring. One of his perches is outside our bedroom window where the sun hits him perfectly. I got very lucky this morning as he took off just as I snapped a photo.
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Gorgeous mushrooms from today’s hike. We are certainly lucky to live amidst such beauty.
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The Hoya plant my sister gave me a few weeks ago is doing quite well. I remember tasting their sweet nectar in our childhood.
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How is this for a bunch of Sweet Potatoes! Our yield wasn’t huge but it’s always fun to dig stuff from the garden after waiting since spring planting.
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I finally moved some Doll’s Eyes / White Baneberryfrom our bush to a garden near the house. I just love the fall flowers. The flowers appear for a very short time and they are the only way I can recognize the plant.
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We made tomato sauce today. Sure is nice to have so many beautiful tomatoes and our own basil and onions too!
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The sun came out today to give us a wonderful start to fall colours!
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Bumble bee on sunflower
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I found a puff ball mushroom on the second last night of our trip in St Hyacinthe QC. It’s only the second one I’ve ever found as it’s not very common. We chose to leave this one but the last one, I sliced and cooked like a pancakes, complete with maple syrup of course.
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I was quite impressed by the quality of trails in our national parks. This one is in Gros Morne NP and descends a steep mountain using switch backs. A significant portion had these elevated rock berms to intercept running water, preventing it from eroding the path. Well done.
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Visiting two fromageries today provided us not only with cheese but ideas for our maple products and a chance to see how others transport their bicycles and unique units for camping.
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A fine, frosty, foggy morning to you from Grand Falls NB; 3 C this morning at 7:00. Life is good!
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Today, we went to see the large potato field behind the campground after watching a truck haul out loads of spuds. Three tractors pulling harvesters were parked for the day. A quick search for Vanco Farms told us they grow organic potatoes and tulips; another random discovery
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Fortress of Louisbourg, Monday, September 13, 2021
This National Historic Site is an excellent recreation of the fortress that existed on the same site almost 400 years ago. Costumed re-enactors help you understand the history and make you want to learn more about it.
The photo above shows one of the characters demonstrating his musket. He explained the operation and loading of the powder and ball and then fired it after donning modern safety glasses and earplugs. A count of three warned everyone of the explosive noise to come.
This long building is used for multiple purposes, including a chapel, armoury and housing for the soldiers.
These bunkbeds are for the regular soldiers. There were 8 bunk beds packed into each room. Each bed slept 2 soldiers per level and a soldier would sleep with a different partner each night. Since soldiers worked for one 24 hour day out of three, there were three rotations of 12 soldiers each using every room so it was fully occupied every night. Of course, cloting was not washed very often and food was also traded among the soldiers.
The other end of the building housed the governor who treated himself very well. He had rooms for entertaining and eating as well as a private study.
Like many rooms, the kitchen was used to display food-prpeparation equipment from the era.
This horse was used to punish deserters and other criminal. The perpetrator would have to sit on top of the horse for hours at a time with heavy weights hanging from their ankles. Naturally, the horse was positioned just outside the entrance to the grand hall so everyone coming and going would be deterred from committing any crime.
Sadly, this was the scene outside many of the sites we have visited on this trip. While there were other parking lots for the fortress, there were many, many empty spaces. Tour buses were few and far between and no cruise ships have visited for two consecutive years. We were fortunate to have lots of space for ourselves and contact with the animators but so many people are missing out on the opportunity to visit such a wonderful place.
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We had a special visitor tonight. The moon, the stars and the clouds all aligned and we saw the ISS. It appeared right on schedule where we expected it and then disappeared overhead. The only question was why it disappeared when it did - it entered our night! Spot the Station
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I saw this seagull dive into the ocean and resurface with a crayfish. Once on shore, he started to shake it apart and devour the meat. Before long this crow and then 2 others dropped by to grab what they s Sven repeated itself several times up and down the beach.
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On Sat, Sept 11, we decided to stay put due to Larry’s windy remnants. The local lighthouse provided a lookout onto the ocean’s fury. Surfboards in the parking lot said we were in for a treat. Taking photos was very difficult as the wind knocked us around.
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Arriving in PEI meant another Covid checkpoint where we had to prove a 14 day stay in the Atlantic provinces. If we couldn’t do that, they would have swabbed us. Our gas receipts added up to the proof we needed. Few masks yesterday but mask mandate re-implemented starting today.
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Sept 16, we arrived in PEI on our quest for fine weather. Success - wearing shorts once again!
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Last night we stayed at the lovely Plage St Pierre in Cheticamp. The campground had most sites taken by seasonal campers - a theme that has repeated itself at most, if not all campgrounds we’ve used this trip. Is this a Covid thing or a long term trend?
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Exiting the ferry in NS was a little slow due to the Covid screening checkpoint. Staff had been redeployed from Provincial Fisheries, Environment, Corrections, etc to verify we had our travel permission. There was also a Sheriff standing by…
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The MV Blue Puttees provided a decent crossing from Port aux Basques to North Sydney. We rolled gently until about the middle of the crossing when the journey became very smooth. Nice, pleasant service on board too!
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We used some extra time today for another wonderful hike. This one is Danny’s Trail. Easy walk above a gorgeous shoreline strewn with very interesting rock formations.
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Karen’s steady hands on the wheel got us through Wreckhose NL today. Winds were strong but we barely shook and shuddered as we drove along!
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Score! We have decided to leave NL and spend a few days in better weather in NS and PEI - pending PEI Pass. Rescheduling our ferry meant giving up a cabin. However, wait list to the rescue! Masks are off, shower before we dock in the morning!
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