Spellcheck, people!

Lunenburg, NS

Dec.11, 2012

Oh, folks do love to throw around apostrophes with wild abandon, don't they?  

It's as if people turn in to Oprah when they are unsure how to use a plural form of a noun.

YOU get an apostrophe...and YOU get an apostrophe!!! EVERYONE GETS AN APOSTROPHE!!!

Occupy Keji!

Kejimkujik National Park

Jan. 19, 2013

Here's a shot of a band of skiers at Keji out for a tour during the Occupy Winter/Keji event on January 19th. I tagged along with them until we reached the turn off to Big Dam Lake. If you squint, you can see two additional skiers in the background.

The 'event' was part of a national campaign to have people participating in winter events at national parks across Canada. These parks are all affected by the Conservative cuts to the department, cuts which have closed all but 3 national parks for the winter season.

These park closures are extremely disappointing to those who enjoy using the parks throughout the year, including our 4th season.

Turnout was excellent, organizers tallied ~120 visitors on Saturday and ~100 on Sunday, despite the warm and rainy conditions.

Participants came from all over the Western end of the province, including Halifax, Digby, Yarmouth, Shelburne and various communities through the Annapolis Valley and South Shore.

Ski conditions on Saturday were near perfect, with temperatures hovering around the freezing mark and fresh snow falling for most of the morning and early afternoon.

The atmosphere in the Mill Falls picnic shelter was jovial as skiers and snowshoe'rs stomped inside to dry off and warm up. Rick Swain entertained with tall tales and a local painter read poetry to the attentive crowd.

It was heartening to see Eric LeBel, park superintendent, in attendance. He was chatting up the visitors and also helped supply the firewood for the wood stoves in the shelter. Park staff helped make the event possible by plowing the road to the shelter as well as unlocking it so the participants had a place to gather and stay warm.

More pics to follow from a great day of enjoying winter and showing support for our national parks system.

Still Good

Hwy. 103

Chester (?), NS

Dec. 01, 2012

Another 'snap out the window' shot taken from highway 103.  

I'm trying to take shots of things I find interesting before they get torn down or covered up.  I figured this one was an easy target, especially since it's my blog's namesake.

Indian Path Common Trail: On Frozen Pond

Indian Path Common

Blue Trail Pond

Riverport, NS

January 12, 2013

A brave trekker ventures out on the frozen pond at the end of the blue trail.

If you haven't checked out these trail, you are missing out!  Here's a map to help guide you along your way.  It's a short drive from Lunenburg and Riverport.  The lookouts provide stunning views of Lahave and the Lahave river!

Snow Day! (Wish I were skiing)

Kejimkujik National Park

Maitland Bridge (?), NS

Jan. 19, 2013

This is what the park looked like on the weekend.  Deserted, snow covered roads and lots of cross country ski tracks!

More shots to follow from the weekend's Occupy Winter/Keji activities!  

In the meantime, please read and sign this petition, calling for winter services to be restored to all national parks!

Ice Fishing in Sherbrooke, NS

Found this ice fishing video via http://novascotiafishing.com/
According to my fishing buddy, looks like the odd tommy cod gets thrown back into the hole.
Fishing gear used: Gibbs Minnow with a #2 Big eyed Hook with a snap swivel attached to the jig and the hook.
Now if only we could get some consistent ice conditions, I'll be trying my luck fishing for smelt once it's safe to venture out on the ice!

Highway Cube

Hwy. 103 (Upper Tantallon?)

Dec. 01, 2012

If you have driven on the 103, chances are you have seen this bit of rubik's cube graffiti on the side of the road.  I hope it makes other folks smile, I usually grin when I see it.

Christmas Lights

New Germany, NS

Dec. 22, 2012

High power rates be damned, folks across Lunenburg County were hanging up Christmas lights with wild abondon.  Check out this display on a garage/workshop in New Germany....Merry Christmas, indeed!

Bayport: Under Construction

Bayport, NS

Dec. 27, 2012

If you have driven the road through Bayport in the last 2 or 3 years, you might have noticed a house with one corner wrapped in grey tarps and wooden scaffolding.  I'm assuming it has either been a permanent construction zone or....a sporadic construction zone.  At any rate, the tarps have remained for the duration, I'm sure the neighbours looove staring at it every day.

I'm glad I finally managed to snap a shot of it illuminated at night.  They must be doing 'something' inside, right?

House Show: Rachael Cardiello and James Burrows

Lahave, NS

Oct. 23, 2012

Soft light, warm voices and bare feet were the themes of this excellent house show I attended last October.  

Rachel was kind enough to help me stack my firewood in the barn, thanks Rachel!  Check out her myspace page and the Warm Electric Winter page for more great tunes.

Here's a video I found 'on to the interwebz' of the Lahave house show, go figger: