New Brunswick - Bay of Fundy

Because it was the end of the tourist season in Canada there were very few people on the beach. It was a bit intimidating being among these towering formations. I felt a bit anxious as I irrationally imagined that the ocean would come rolling in on us at any moment.

This is low tide at the Bay of Fundy and these are called the Hopewell Rocks. The tides rise sixty feet in this area and they undercut the landmasses leaving flowerpot formations. You can walk on the beach for about five hours at low tide. Apparently people occasionally get trapped out in the water and are cut off from the shore and have to swim when they realize what has happened.

Cape Breton Highlands and the Cabot Trail

Cape Breton Island is the northern most part of Nova Scotia. The Cabot trail is named after the explorer John Cabot. The hills drop off dramatically into the ocean and you can hear the waves pounding even from high above. Every turn you take reveals another glorious scene. It takes the better part of a day to drive the whole road. We saw a moose eating shrubbery just back off the road but could not get a decent picture as she was well camouflaged.

It was dark and stormy periodically but the sun broke through the clouds here and reflected brilliantly off the water.

Greg

Jude

Lighthouses are everywhere - You could spend a lifetime photographing them.

Fishing shack and lobster traps.

House on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia

On our way to Cape Breton

Leaving Brier Island in the morning. We took a hike to seal harbor but the fog was so thick and it was blowing so hard that we weren't sure where we were going. The light house was behind us and sounding the fog horn regularly so we knew we couldn't get lost plus we were on a path. It was the strangest mixture of sound with the fog horn, the wind, the waves and this constant eerie howling. I almost expected some wild animal to come charging out of the brush.

On our way to Cape Breton we passed through Saint Bernard. This cathedral was built by the locals one row of bricks per year for decades. It is known for it's outstanding acoustics and they have a classical music festival there every year. http://www.musiquesaintbernard.ca/welcome.html

Another day of blessings!

Whale watching

We went on a Zodiac to see some whales. Zodiacs are really fast and low to the water and really bumpy. During the trip we also saw a Harbor Seal and some HUGE tuna. We saw two Humpback whales and then we saw a Fin whale. The Fin whale was entangled in a long rope and was in distress. The captain said he looked thin as if he had been entangled for a while, perhaps days. We assisted the rescue operation by sitting with the whale along with another boat. We were able to gaff the rope and pull the end of the rope out and attach a buoy to it so that when the rescue team arrived they would be able to locate him. The captain promised to give us an update if we sent him an e-mail. Hopefully it had a good ending. More to come.

Another day of blessings.

Rolling for the plunge - these whales come up and breath four or five times in a row before they dive for about another seven or eight minutes.

Before getting into our flotation suits

We look like big pumpkins!

There were eight of us on the Zodiac plus Captain Tom

All in this tiny boat

To see two beautiful humpback whales

Brier Island - another piece of heaven

This morning we awoke to the most gorgeous sunrise. All we had to do was open our eyes and there was the sun rising right out the window over the water. We didn't even have to get out from under the covers to see it. We are staying at the Brier Island Lodge. We ate breakfast in the dining room surrounded by windows that faced the water. We went outside and all we could hear was the sound of a rooster crowing behind the lodge, the sound of the ferry motor running softly as it crossed the inlet and the water gently washing against the shore. In the yard next to the lodge an alpaca was grazing. It was cold and clear and the air was fresh. Another day of blessings.

Greg petting a goat at the lodge

Path to Seal Cove

View from the lodge

View from the lodge looking across the inlet

The sheep were friendly

Consulting with a sheep "should I lead, follow or get out of the way?"

Fishing Boats

On the ferry to Nova Scotia on Thurs 10/8

We got up Thursday morning and shortly after breakfast and a brief morning nap headed down to the dock to take the ferry over to Digby, Nova Scotia. These are pictures taken from the deck. There was a lot of wind and the boat was rocking a lot. It was a three hour ferry ride and we arrived in Digby about 3:30.

On the way to Canada Wed 10/7

We were sad to leave Pemaquid Point and the Bradley Inn but also excited to be on our way to Nova Scotia. The fall colors were magnificent. On the way up route 1 we passed a sign that said handmade knives. We met Lamont Coombs and bought a beautiful hunting knife for Greg's uncle Ed. http://www.knivesby.com/coombs-knives.html We just pulled up this driveway and the dogs started barking and we saw a truck with a bumper sticker that said something like a "A safe America is a well armed America" He was quite a character. We drove for most of the day in the rain and arrived in Saint John after dark. Greg accidentally pulled too far through the border entry and a siren went off - the border gaurd did not have a sense of humor.

Pemaquid area Maine

This is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. Today was a day that I can truly count among the best days of my life. I just soaked in the surroundings and relaxed. After a lovely breakfast at the Bradley Inn B&B we walked five minutes down the road to the Pemaquid Lighthouse and state park. We returned to our room a short while later so Greg could do some work on the computer and I returned to the park with my sketchbook. One way to meet people is to sit in a park and open a sketchbook. I met and chatted with a couple from Fla. who were both artists. I later returned again to our room for a snooze and then coffee and biscotti served to me on a silver tray with a linen napkin on the back porch while lounging in an Adirondack chair. What did I do to deserve this!? We then went to lunch at a fisherman's wharf and tore into some lobster. Here are a few pics from the day.

Burp!

Yummmy!

Pemaquid Point New Harbor, ME

Pemaquid Lighthouse

Pemaquid Lighthouse

Bradley Inn

Bradley Inn

Coffee and biscotti brought to me on a silver tray with linen napkin.

Having coffee on the back porch. This is the view.

A few more pictures at Harvard

There was this beautiful church. Harvard Old Baptist Church. On my walk there were tons of buildings that were just so beautiful.