9.30.13 Sherbrooke to Halafax

9.30.13Monday

This morning there was smoke on the water.  The fog burnt off soon after sun up.

Smoke on the water

The southeast coast becomes lowland with gentle rolling hills.  There is cove after cove along the way and every mile is picture postcard.  How can anyone not fall in love with Nova Scotia?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Falls on the West River

Where the West River flows through the town of Sheet Harbor there is a pull off and a path through the woods that make for some good shots.  The falls really are loud for no bigger than they seem but the water is really swift.

  
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Two of a kind

 

 

 

There were several construction areas on route 7.  There is a flagman to hold the traffic but no one proceeds until the Follow Me Truck arrives from the other direction.  This ensures that drivers cannot speed through the construction.  A good idea since the two lane road is narrow with only about a two foot shoulder.  While waiting for the Follow Me Truck we saw some displays of local talent.

 

The Myers' House

Fisherman’s Life Museum is unique from other fisherman’s museums. It’s not about how they worked but how they lived. As we walked in we could smell the soup cooking on the wood stove that living history guide Linda was making for her supper.  Jannette walked us through the first floor and told the Myers’ life story to us.  You could tell they both really liked reenacting the lifestyle.  They baked cookies and did needlework and many other housework activities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Situated in Jeddore Oyster Pond, Fisherman's Life Museum once was the home of Ervin Myers, his wife Ethelda and their 13 daughters.  Built in the early 1900s, this charming homestead was typical for an inshore fisherman and, like many other families who resided along Nova Scotia’s shores, the Myers made their living off both the land and sea; fishing throughout the summer and working the woods in the winter.

Jannette and Linda



  
 
 




Ervin and Ethelda

 

 

 

 

 

 

 In the summer Ervin would row his dory through the inland water and fish the coastline using a hand line to catch Mackerel, Herring and Cod.  Gone for a week at a time he fished using hand lines and would spend nights in a fishing shack on one of the islands.  With thirteen daughters he would fish alone because having a female along was bad luck.  On a typical fishing trip he would have rowed the dory about 25 miles.

 

Of the thirteen daughters twelve live to be adults.  Four became nurses.  Ida contracted tuberculosis while working for a local doctor and stayed bedridden for eighteen months in an added on room with no doors leading into the house. Ervin and the doctor were her caregivers and she recovered.

Ida Room

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Late afternoon we arrive at Shubie’s RV Park in Halafax.  The forecast was for rain to start around sundown and last through Tuesday midnight.  We set the screen room up over the picnic table and hung tarps inside in an attempt to make it more like a tent. 

Shubie's Campground

 

Linda emails inside the "tent"

 

 

 



 

9.29.13 Sunday Cheticamp,Cape Breton to Sherbrooke

It’s another day of beautiful weather to continue down the west coast to Cape Breton Island.  As we continued on the Cabot Trail the mountains slowly moved to the east.  Ok, they didn’t really move, but became farther inland. 

  

The church tower in the town of Cheticamp was visible for 30 miles.  It was a prominent feature on the horizon when we would reach a hill top along the coast.  Cheticamp is a natural harbor that is over three miles long and ¼ mile wide.  There are fishing boats of just about every size, and they can be seen from the main road.

 We needed some bread so a stop at Charlie’s in Cheticamp seems like the thing to do.  Who needs a Walmart when you have Charlie’s?  Charlie's has everything!  Shopping goes easier if you speak French, but English will work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the town of Maragree Forks we left the Cabot Trail because it turned inland and crossed the mountains and would put us back on the same road we were on the first day we arrived in Cape Breton.

 Now the town names change from French to Scottish.  Dunvagan, Inverness, MacCormick’s Corner, Glengarry.  At Inverness I found a pull-off for lunch next to some dunes along the beach.  Being the curious individual I am, I climbed the dunes to find a golf course that must have stretched a mile long.

 

Remember the McLobster sign from a few weeks ago?  Well, we arrived back to Port Hawksbury and I had to try one.  I love lobster but it was like a cold sub and not quite what I had expected…Ok, but once was enough…Well twice…Linda only took one bite and put it back in the box and said it could be for my lunch tomorrow. The McLobster is available in all the Atlantic Canadian McD's.  Then it was good bye to Cape Breton Island.

 

In an hour we were headed down route 7 toward Stillwater and Sherbrooke. The terrain became low rolling hills with lush green farms.  There were many dairy farms and the Holsteins looked really healthy. 

 

We found a campground on a lake and enjoyed a quiet evening.  Four rental motor homes pulled in together and all took spaces alongside each other.  All were couples from Germany and it was somebody’s birthday.  It was interesting to hear “Happy Birthday to You” sang in two languages at once!