Tomorrow is the last day of work in Nova Scotia and we will leave Wednesday with mixed feelings. I have loved it here...a quiet, beautiful place with great people; but we are ready to go home after such a long time. we will leave for 2 days at Prince Edward Island, then stop by friends,the Armstrong's, near Bangor, Maine and then by Sunday night we will be home.
Work camping has been a rewarding and fun adventure and we will treasure our experiences always.
Local managers, Pat and Patsy:
So after 7 straight days of work, we bolted towards the most northern tip of Nova Scotia, despite the cloudy, dreary weather. Long day but worth it! It is so isolated there...hours from anywhere...just felt like the edge of the world..and there was a single campground Right there on that edge.
(After getting back, our campground owner said several have died on these cliffs. The last camper got disoriented at night when he went out to pee and went over the edge:( )
And couldn't resist taking a pictures of these herons we saw on the way home. .Also have seen many eagles and hawks in this lovely country.
So it was another rainy day and Don's birthday, what to do? We decided to go to the Cape Breton Miners Museum near Sydney and we were so glad we did. coal mining was the main industry here from the 1800s to 1991. It stopped due to the expense of drilling under the ocean and due to numerous accidents and deaths. the museum is a small mine which is coordinated by retired miners. Our tour guide worked in the mines for 35 years. It was an hour tour showing a replica of the mine set up of the way it used to be in the 1800s, when many died from coal dust, gases and explosions.
It was so hard to hear the stories and actually feel the conditions: it was dark,damp, dirty and narrow. The ceilings went from about 5 feet + to 4.3 feet. both of us came out with hurting backs and knees from crouching most of the time. I can't believe in Africa and other 3rd world countries they still have those conditions, still with child labor...just like here. glacé Bay really was a Company Town...no money was given as pay but "checks" towards rent, groceries and other supplies all owned by the company town... hey never got ahead, but really " owed their souls to the Company Town".
We love the traditional Cape Breton fiddling music. Went to a Ceilidh the other day and heard some great fiddling. then the next we went to the Gaelic College near by to learn its history and forms and were treated to another concert over fish and chips. Just thinking this would be a great OLLI program....
Needed to get the car fixed so had to drive to Pictou area. his is a picture of nearby Ballanyne Cove:
a couple photos near St. Ann's where the college is:
Louisbourg was such a fascinating place. People dressed up in period costumes and you really got to feel what is what like there in the 18th century.. We enjoyed it with our friend Ski who was visiting for a few days.
I especially enjoy my Sundays after what often are very hectic Friday and Saturday nights in the campground. Sophie and I really enjoy quiet afterwards swimming and looking out on the lake.
Corinna and Lin VanderVeer visited for a few days and we had so much fun exploring the area. the first morning there were gale like winds and lots of rain so we ventured out to the Alexander Graham Bell Museum. I had no idea he was such a champion of the deaf. such a wide variety of inventions. Then off for Don's quest for the best seafood chowder..good one at the Bell Buoy Restaurant.The next day we did the Cabot Trail in reverse from what we had already done. It was so much better, especially since Lin drove and the weather was perfect.
Yesterday we hiked the Skyline Trail which was spectacular ( the hike was between 2 pastry runs led by Don of course) and we ended with a lobster dinner...nothing better than that AND we even bumped into a moose on the trail!
What a wonderful stretch of perfect weather. Off to work now after a great bike ride along the beautiful shores of Bras Dor Lakes! Must remember to take the camera next time.
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