by the sea: through Mahone Bay to Lunenburg

Well, how-d'ye-do! I'm back already.
I knew I had a lot of pictures to process from our travels with Connie so I though I'd devote some hours to fixing up my pictures from November 3rd:

our trip through Mahone Bay to Lunenburg

We started out from a balmy day of summer weather and arrived on the south shore to the cool damp of the Atlantic. Across the bay to the village of Mahone Bay.

The tide was somewhat out, coming or going I don't remember.

I thought I'd try out a panoramic shot of the bay.

Just beyond the parking lot something like sedge seemed to be growing in the loose soil.

We didn't stay long in Mahone Bay. Most places were closed and Lunenburg was calling us.

a grand old mansard-roofed house in Lunenburg as we approached the docks.

As soon as we got there I found my favourite picnic bench to eat our lunch. It was pleasant if you don't mind the salt spray of the fog rolling in in your face. Connie did, and turned her back to the wind. A dog walker found me changing my sandals over to socks and shoes and commented, " A little cold for a picnic."  It was a funny understatement.

As we strolled along the docks we found real fishermen doing repairs

and more sailors also doing repairs,

the latter two on the deck of...

the Theresa E. Connor.

looking back at the dock in the last picture

more boats moored

a boat launch overgrown with seagrass

a bird, probably a seagull, flying over the foggy harbour

boats in the mist 

and more

Connie found a whalebone on the dock; there were a few more laying about.

Quintessential Maritime colours of Adams & Knickle

Founded in 1897 by Harry W. Adams and Captain Alexander Knickle, the company quickly established its niche in the booming salt-fish trade. The company began as the partnership of Knickle & Co. and changed its name to Adams & Knickle Ltd. in 1907. On April 21, 1943, their fishing schooner, Flora Alberta,collided with the Fanad Head  about 140 kilometers from Halifax. ThFlora Alberta sunk within a few minutes of the collision and twenty-one crew members died as a result. The company was incorporated on July 30, 1945 and continues under this name as of 2009. 

During the early 1950s, the salt-fish trade began to dwindle, and a new scallop fishery emerged. In 1954, Adams & Knickle purchased Lunenburg’s first deep-sea scallop dragger, the Barbara Jo, and within the next five years, the company launched eight more wooden scallop vessels. By 1962, the offshore fleet had grown to 44 vessels, and to 77 by 1980. On July 31, 1980, their fishing trawler, Margaret Jane, collided with the Cape Beaver about six kilometers from Lunenburg. The Margaret Jane sunk within two minutes of the collision and four crew members died as a result.

thank you Wikipedia

I thought it was important to remember what a dangerous business the fishing trade can be as much a I enjoy the colourful beauty of this designated World Heritage fishing town. There is a memorial to fishermen on the Lunenburg docks.

Across the street there is a large old inn called Smuggler's Cove Inn. 

We began a walking tour of the next street up before it started to rain. I'll share that another day.

thank you as always for caring to visit and share your comments. So appreciated.

snuggling in on a rainy afternoon here

peace

the road home from the south shore

Well here we are on Chapter 4 of our afternoon holiday a week ago Sunday.
Welcome back. If you've been along with me for the trip, you can well understand why I've had to break it up into 4 parts. But at least this is the final one, a souvenir of our drive home from Second Peninsula Park.

The grasses across from the park exit warranted a picture of their own.

It's always with a combination of reluctance and sweet delight that we hit the road home.

(Reminds me of how I used to feel about a Saturday night bath when I was a child.)

Rounding a bend on one of the sheltered bays, this Queen Anne's Lace strikes a pose.

A stop in Mahone Bay to browse one of the few shops still open held some temptations, but nothing compared to this bough of tree blossoms.

up close

This pretty view of the bay across from our parking.

I'm slipping in this picture of Jo-Ann's that I showed you 3 posts ago, though it is earlier in the day, as it gives a reference for where we went next as it was just across the street.

 I'd never actually been in before

and it was certainly worth a browse. The name of the oatcakes cracks me up.

If you've never heard a "Newfie" (Newfoundlander) accent and the hilarious expressions they use...

here is a video that will give you a taste of it- Lord Tunderin'.  I giggle every time I watch this.

We do hear this accent here from time to time here in Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia has various accents of it's own.

An old stove with homemade pita chips, baguettes and what appear to be cheese buns at Jo-Ann's

two pretty profiles

decisions, decisions

yes, still at Jo-Ann's

and a small produce section on the way out to the patio where folks are nursing their goodies

next door, an old Victorian

the view from the front

and next to that the charming double peaked Teazer, a gift shop

side entrance to the Teazer

Back on the road we make our way to our junction, Chester Basin,

that will take us on a direct route home.

I have to do this to you every now and then, sharing a poorly exposed and blurry shot, 

this time of a particularly charming house in Chester Basin 

The road home goes through some pretty wild country with twists and turns as we climb the ancient mountain that forms the backbone of this part of Nova Scotia.

This enormous cloud sat at the crest of the mountain and as we got nearer to it,

It began to look like the head of a Highland Terrier to me

Woof!

morphing into an elephant fish

closer to Murphy Lake Road, I asked Wally to stop

On our way out 6 hours earlier, we came upon this little chapel for sale

and my imagination went into overdrive as I imagined the swell little art shop it would make.

I imagined the seasonal lifestyle it would make to run a little business

and began to dream up names for it

then reality set in as I remembered the nature of a transient clientele with me, a woman alone, the money it would cost to bring it up to par, gutting it with new floors, new roof, electricity, plumbing, septic, well water and probably filtering, and the shelving and picture hanging apparatus,  the crazy amount of work it would take to fill it and the bookkeeping, taxes, and... have I left anything out?

I was surprised by how disappointed I got after such a short emotional investment. Another case of the old horse plodding the old track, but those days are over for me and rightfully so as being in business never really appealed to me.

We came home to our pretty gardens and our home sweet home.

Wally placed our new twig trellises against the wall of Forget-Me-Not Cabin

and I remembered to feel grateful for all that I have.

gratitude

for the here and now

follow your breath

to pull yourself in

houses of Mahone Bay part two- outskirts

What an odd week I'm having. The "lazy, crazy, hazy days of summer" do that to me, and I slow down to a crawl. Stuff gets done, but more drawn out somehow. I really should have posted yesterday as I haven't even reached our destination yet- Second Peninsula. Here, in the meantime, are more of the quaint old houses of dear old Nova Scotia.

You want day lilies? Flying the Canadian flag to the left and that of Nova Scotia to the right, 

this house was built in the 1920's judging from its style with a wrap around verandah for shaded summer living. Glorious!

This simple house with its outstanding shed dormer has added character with its old stone path, perennial gardens and, of course, that orange door.

This little honey with its steadfast symmetry has a froggy charm- so much character.

Unusually large, I'm guessing that the back is a more recent addition. With porches on each level but the top, it looks like a house made for big family living.

Just outside of town, this quaint, refurbished fisherman's cottage lays on a narrow strip between the road and the ocean, its gardens extending to either side.

Clearly, people are anxious to live here and the modern renovations can be quite extensive.

But then you find an old charmer like this with nothing but the windows and doors updated.

Now we are more rural as we can see by the pasture to the left. The road from Mahone Bay to Lunenburg is only 10 kilometres (a little over 6 miles). Clearly some people love their privacy.

It's rare to find a coastal town as level as Mahone Bay, but here on the outskirts, the hills can get pretty steep. This old pyramid roof home, similar to ours but so much more gracious with its open porch, has stepped front lawns for easier management. It appears to have a back addition making it a rather grand home, set so high and clearly well-maintained.

This house almost appears to have had and earthen platform made for it to perch so precariously on yet another stepped hill. To keep folks from driving on the new driveway, what else? A lobster trap.

Here's a sweetie with a side addition.

This is what I like to call a captain's house though, of course, I have no idea who it was built or originally. I'm pretty sure, however, that it was built in the 1800's

I will wind up here at this barn shaped house with its shed dormer and symmetrical windows.

I love a side approach driveway that leaves an expanse of lawn in front of a home. Very classy.

And yes, I have been drawing. I hesitated to share this as it is so typical of the work from my past.

I made this on Friday during that burn out when I was feeling quite uninspired, hence the "old horse" plodding its old course, or as a onetime friend used to say, "When in stress, regress".

Well, I've since thought better of it, having added some white for contrast.

This close up shows the shine of the gold Sharpie pen I used plus the sheen of the wax pencil crayons. It was a pleasant distraction.

These lazy summer days are bringing in less viewers just at a time when my creative habit is taking off. I am so grateful to those of you who care to keep dropping by. My statistics show faithful viewers from Romania, the States (as we say here in Canada), Canada, France and Germany. It's not easy to distinguish the "bots" statistics from the truly interested sometimes. Bots are automated hits from sites that are hoping you'll link back to them. I learned my lesson after hitting a few graphic sex sites, hardly the thing I want to view over "tea and crumpets" (that's how I see myself in my sheltered little life  haha)

Do enjoy this precious day wherever you are

We are so lucky in so many ways

The trick to keeping that focus is

Conscious Presence and Gratitude.