Wawa

In the wake of  Superstorm Sandy
I want to talk about
Wawa.

No, not an infant's first words,
hands raised asking
for water, but a small town situated
along Lake Superior
in northern Ontario, Canada.


Just before Sandy,
a record amount of rain
flooded the outlying areas
of this town, collapsing
a huge section of  TransCanada
Highway 17.



I'm really not chasing stories of
loss and destruction.  If I  am
chasing anything it is stories
of hope and resilience.

Meet Mo and John,
owners of Northern Lights Motel.
in Wawa.  Scroll through their photos of the flood
damage to their motel but read
Mo's captions.

"We had plans of landscaping the backyard, 

but this wasn't quite what we had in mind."

In true Northern Ontario spirit
Mo refuses to let disaster dictate
her disposition.

"It's time to rebuild. We've more than LOVED this business

 and this is just another challenge along the way," Mo

writes.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised to find the

following quote on their website.  

"Throw yourself into some work you believe 

in with all your heart, live for it, die for it, 

and you will find happiness that you had 

thought could never be yours." Dale Carnegie (1888-1955)

Thank you Dale (and Mo) for the reminder.

.

The Calm Before The Storm

from Herring Rock Rd in Blue Rocks

Thursday afternoon, in bright
blue skies and brilliant
sunshine Alec and I left Blue Rocks
and drove into Halifax to pick up
Jeff from the airport.
He was flying back home from
a conference in South Carolina.

While waiting in line at the airport
Timmys,   Alec's favourite place in Canada,
 a girl told us that all flights were
cancelled from New York!



Looking up at the departure board
(yes, in Tim Horton's) Jeff's flight
was nowhere to be found.

Yikes Alec,  we may have to return
home without Jeff. 

We drove over to the terminal and lo and
behold, there was Jeff, getting off one
of the last flights from New York.

That was Sunday, in the 60's  with
the trees still wearing the multi-coloured

tresses.

Today, I  braved the 45 mph winds
to walk along the rocky coast here in Blue
Rocks.

We were not in the direct, physical

 path of Sandy, we were spared

her torrential rains and flooding.

In Lunenburg, however, the 

community had special ties

to the HMS bounty, a ship

that was built there 50 years

ago and that sunk off the coast

of North Carolina. 

"The Bounty was a spectacular ship and a 

symbol of Lunenburg's proud tradition of shipbuilding," 

Premier Dexter said.

 "It is a sad loss for the community, but no ship is as

 important as the safety of its crew."

 They are saddened to

hear of her sinking and of the

loss of one of her crew.

The Coast Guard is still holding

out hope of finding Captain

Walbridge.

We can only hope as well.

To all the men and women 

who risk their lives to save

others, I thank you.

The French Connection and Beer

"Let's go to the  LaHave bakery" Jeff said
upon awakening.  Alec chose to stay home
but I am always up for a road trip.

After a 20 minute drive to Riverport we drove onto
the cable ferry which floated us across the
LaHave river.

LaHave Cable Ferry

Coastie, to the right, loves boats!

Upon leaving the ferry, the car

seemed to have a mind of its 

own and drove us to Fort Point,

established by the French in 1632 

on the  LaHave river.  The French

certainly know how to pick their 

properties.  

 

Fort Point LaHave, NS   photo from website http://www.fortpointmuseum.com/museumevents.html

In 1632, Isaac de Razilly, a French noble and  naval
commander built Fort Sainte-Marie-de-Grâce
here in LaHave and established the capital of
the French colony of Acadia.

At one point in the fort's
history, 25 canons protected
this French soil.

 

Gee, I guess conquerors don't

think about the original inhabitants;

 the Micmacs lived here long

before the French founded her new colony.

"What is this you call property?  It cannot be the earth,
for the land is our mother, nourishing all her children,
beasts, birds, fish and all men.  the woods, the streams,
everything on it belongs to everybody
and is for the use of all.  How can one man
say it belongs only to him?"  Massasoit

 

All this history made me thirsty.
What we needed was a tasting.
  Oh, I know that the French are known

for their wine but Jeff and I drove past
the Petite Riviere Winery and
 headed over to Hell Bay Brewing Co. 
 Jeff needed to refill  his growler.    

Hell Bell Brewing Co.  photo from http://www.thepicturehouse.ca/archives/472

Melanie obliged Jeff with a top up of English Ale.
  

We did finally manage to stop
for a late lunch  at the LaHave Bakery,
but really, life is in the detours.

'bsters for the birthday boy

Happy Birthday Jeff!

In this family,
those red, two clawed,
hard shelled cooked crustaceans
that are trapped along
the Atlantic coast
are called
'b-sters.'

before

Apparently Jeff and Monsy,
(best high school bud
of Jeff)   called
them 'bsters after seeing
a sign in Hamilton, Mass
which lost the L and the O!


Today we celebrate Jeff's
birthday with 'b-sters.


Faye, who found Blue Rocks for us

 and Erik, our neighbour

joined us.  It is amazing

that after only 1 1/2 months

we have a wee community  

of friends and neighbours.

Erik says he's lived here for

almost two years and tells me 

I know more about the people in

Blue Rocks than he does!  

Must be the Prashaw

in me.

new friends Faye and our neighbour Erik

Jeff cooked the lobsters

to perfection.  It must have

been a great meal because

we didn't leave the table until

11 p.m., and this is a school

night.  Alec was much more 

sensible and retired to his 

bedroom around 9:30.

"From far to near

it shall all become clear,"

read the tag on Jeff's

gift, a set of binoculars

I found in an antique

store in Halifax a couple of weeks ago.

"I don't mean this in

a positive or negative

way," Faye said to Jeff

"but you seem very

Canadian to me."

"Thank you Faye,"  

Jeff responded,

"I have a great respect

for Canadians."

I think Jeff was referring

to   Canadian's service

in WWI and WWII 

but heh,  I'm Canadian

so I'll grab the credit

for the compliment.

We thank you Jeff

for your life,

your gift to our world,

for your "wanna-be Canadian"

self.

Where are the blue rocks?

It happened again.

Piper and I, on our daily promenade
 along the Atlantic,
a southwesterly wind whipping
the white caps against the rocky
coastline here in Blue Rocks,
when a   sleek, silver toyota  stops,
the window zips down.

"Excuse me."   Two simple
words that make me look like
a local.

"Is this the way to Blue Rocks?"

Sweeping my arm, Vanna White style,
 toward the rocks that hug
the length of our south shore
coastline  I smile, you've arrived.

"But where are the Blue Rocks,"
questioned the driver
 with New Brunswick
license plates.

   
Rocks are everywhere.  
"If you squeeze your eyes
close to closed and squint,
it's amazing what you can
see."



New Brunswick drove to the end of the point,
circled the dead end,
 returned to pass me
a thank you
on his way out of Blue Rocks.



I guess it's all a matter expectation.

I didn't expect to see blue rocks.


All I know is
 as  I walk beside and upon these indigo blue-black rocks
slippery with sunlight and
haired with ochre drenched  sea weed,
as I squint,
I see.

If You Never Did You Should

If you never did you should.

These things are fun

and fun is good. 

Dr. Seuss, I wonder if you ever visited

The Biscuit Eatery in Mahone Bay?

This eatery is oh so fun and good.

This afternoon we joined Faye,

a friend I met online, at The Biscuit Eatery.

 I may need to explain this one. While

 living in the northeast of France last year,

 I was searching online for a place

to live in Nova Scotia for Jeff's

upcoming sabbatical.  I met Faye

on the sabbatical.com website and

we chatted.  Faye eventually 

found us our small, cape cod

house here in Blue Rocks

complete with a stunning view of the bay.

We love Faye!

Today, we finally reconnected

with Faye at The  Biscuit Eatery for a reading from

three, young, up and coming

Nova Scotia writers.

William Kowalski

William Kowalski, an author of 

numerous novels

who lives in  Mahone Bay,

 just 20 minutes

 or so from Blue Rocks, 

introduced us to 

Catherine, Sarah and Rebecca

three Literary Lionesses,                 

Catherine Cooper, Sarah Mian and

Rebecca Slayter who each, in turn,

read from their work.  

All three women are working

on novels, with Rebecca's

due to be published in the Spring

of 2013.

  

After numerous pots of tea, 

fresh biscuits and Nova Scotia

oatcakes, a lovely chat with

Faye and our new "table" friend

Ellen, we left the Eatery

liter-ally filled.

Support the arts, buy a book!

Up, Up and Away

You may think Up, Up and Away
refers to the wild wind blowing
through Blue Rocks today,
60 km/hr wind that dries
our laundry before the
seagulls have a chance
to do a fly-by and drop.

Up Up and Away!

Up Up and Away is our Subaru,

with Piper in the back seat,

inching upward onto McCarthy's

tow truck in Bridgewater.

Eric, the Viking, our next

door neighbour knocked on

our door this morning to

tell Jeff that he can get

beer supplies in Bridgewater.

I don't want to delay

the brewmaster's first

Blue Rocks Batch

so off we went.

Unfortunately the Subaru

only made it as far as the 

Atlantic Super Store when

pop went the engine. Silent

and slow the too quiet engine 

coasted into the parking lot.

Canadians to the rescue!

St. Chris of the parking lot,

on his way back to work 

said he would stop

by La Have Auto Shop

and tell them we were on 

our way.

Jeff and I piled into

the cab of McCarthy's

tow truck while Piper

road in the Subaru;

Piper has been in kayaks

and canoes, on ferries 

large and small, on

a Boeing 747 but this

was her first tow truck

ride.  Don't think she

liked it.

"We may have to do surgery,"

Richard the mechanic told us.

"You'll have to leave it overnight."

So close but so far away we were,

30 minutes from home in Blue Rocks

with no bus service. Richard came out 

to the Subaru, handed us a set of keys

 for his Dodge Caravan and said 

 "see ya tomorrow!"

Jeff fell in love with Canadians

all over again.  

We returned home minus the

beer supplies!  There's always

tomorrow.

Raylene Rankin, We Thank You.

This is the season
of  Celtic Colours celebrated
on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia.

While  fall colours blaze
 their glory Cape Bretoners
 remember their rich heritage and
celebrate their Scottish language, culture,
dancing and especially their music.



In Mabou, Cape Breton, the land
of my Beaton ancestors on my mom's side,
the celebrations have been dampened
this week, not by the weather but by
the loss of one of their own, Raylene Rankin,

Raylene Rankin
1960-2012

A great singer and member
of the famous Rankin Family from Mabou,
Cape Breton, Raylene died after a long
battle with breast cancer at age 52,
leaving behind a legacy of music,
her husband, her 14 yr. old son and
family and friends scattered far and wide.

Raylene has moved on but
her wish was granted.

If my time could end perfectly
I know where I'd want it to be
God's gift of heaven
would be made up of three
My love, Cape Breton and me.
                    Bob Quinn

Raylene  finally came 
 to rest at home in Cape Breton.

\
October is also the month
we are reminded that
breast cancer is still
among us.  We remember                              
our mothers, grandmothers,
sisters, sister-in-laws,
 aunts, cousins, friends
 who have died too young and who
have survived.

We remember Raylene.

Fare The Well Raylene,

Fare thee well, love, 
Fare thee well, love,
Far away, you must go.
Take your heart, love,
Take you heart, love,
Will we never meet, again no more?
Will we never meet, again no more? 


We will meet you again and again
in your voice, your music, your spirit.
Thank you for singing your song.

Happy Thanksgiving Canada

Canadian Thanksgiving

What, my neighbours to the south

shout, Thanksgiving in October?

Well dear ones, the Canadian

Thanksgiving feast came BEFORE

the US of A one and that's for sure!

How It Began

The origins of Canadian Thanksgiving are more closely connected to the traditions of Europe than of the United States. Long before Europeans settled in North America, festivals of thanks and celebrations of harvest took place in Europe in the month of October. The very first Thanksgiving celebration in North America took place in Canada when Martin Frobisher, an explorer from England, arrived in Newfoundland in 1578. He wanted to give thanks for his safe arrival to the New World. That means the first Thanksgiving in Canada was celebrated 43 years before the pilgrims landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts!  http://www.kidzworld.com/article/2614-canadian-thanksgiving

You gotta hand it to those Newfies,

they sure do know how to celebrate.

  Unfortunately for the turkey,

                                                                    this birds is centre stage

                                                                    for the feast.

This October  celebration of  the harvest

makes sense;  I just have to visit

the Lunenburg market on Thursdays, 

which has become a weekly ritual, 

 to see the rich and colourful produce gleaming

from every table.

Lunenburg Market on Thursday morning

What is the biggest difference between

Canadian Thanksgiving and the one

that is celebrated south of this border?;

there is no "black" Friday following the

feast."  In fact, the actual day for

thanksgiving falls on the second Monday

in October when the leaves are mixing

their glorious burnt-orange-yellow-

flaming-red palette of autumn colours.

Seeing that I live with two Americans we

will also be celebrating again in November.

You cannot have too many days in your life

where giving thanks is reason enough to

celebrate.

Happy Thanksgiving!