It was only 4 degrees Celsius when I woke up this morning with frost on my ass. Ok, not really...but it was damned cold. Today was a pretty lousy day. It started out very badly when the derelict town official in Chester failed to open the public washrooms at the appropriate posted time. At the time it was the only public washroom I knew of and I drove 20 minutes to get to it on a full morning bladder! I later found that I was only 5 minutes from another public washroom the opposite direction where I had not yet traveled. Ultimately I popped into the local Subway sandwich shop to their loo. That pretty much set the tone for the rest of the day. Next I left Nyxy's stainless steel water bowl at a park-- and within 1/2 hour it was gone ....but what was upsetting was that the bowl was actually Maverick's bowl (my beloved cocker spaniel and companion of 16 years), he passed away last year so it struck a chord with me and I was a little teary eyed, but convinced myself that there was absolutely nothing I could do about it and had to chug on with my day... and I did even though I was truly upset enough that I considered driving straight home. I was suppose to catch the ferry to Tancook Island, but felt sick to my stomach after losing the water bowl and decided against it.
On my way to Blue Rocks I saw a Common Loon and got a few nice photos and then I spotted the absolute perfect photo opportunity of a Belted Kingfisher perched nicely on a wharf post. I circled back and he was still there posing very handsomely for me.
A Common Loon for you Beverly.
Belted Kingfisher
After that we drove out to Blue Rocks.
A display in a professional sign makers yard at Blue Rocks.
A view from Blue Rocks.
Objects in mirror may appear....... Nyxy?
Then I had a gorgeous day in Lunenburg and Nyxy walked the entire town with me all day without a leash. It was great because she stays right with me and attracts so much attention...people just really love her. When I went into a restaurant for pizza I told her to wait at the door for me.....and she did stay right there keeping an eye on me through the glass door. I saw the Bluenose II which is scheduled to launch September 29th. Sorry to say I will miss that as it is to be the biggest event in all of Canada this year. I overheard a conversation in Lunenburg today that they are expecting 100 thousand people and every hotel and B&B up the coast is booked. Honestly,I don't think 100k people would fit in all of Lunenburg. I think the guy may have embellished that figure somewhat. If you don't know the significance of the Bluenose to Canada ---you should know that it is on every Canadian dime ---so pretty important. You should Google it just for fun...it is a really neat story! The architecture in Lunenburg is breath taking; I took some photos for you dear.
At the Bluenose II Shop
The Bluenose II under restoration.
Lunenburg from across the harbor.
Beautiful bright colored shops line the streets of Lunenburg.
The Lunenburg Academy on Gallows Hill. Architectural inspiration from the Second Empire and Queen Anne Revival. Note the mansard roof, projecting bays, offset towers, dormers, bracketed eaves, and varied window shapes. (1895).
Architect Harry H. Mott.
Typical Georgian Architecture.
High Victorian Gothic style (1891).
Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church. Founded 1772. The oldest continuous Lutheran congregation in Canada.
Gothic Style (1763)
St. Johns Anglican Church
The second Anglican church built in Nova Scotia (St, Paul's in Halifax is the first).
After an absolutely brilliant day in Lunenburg....I hit the road for Kejimkujik National Park Seaside near Port Mouton but ended up 68 kilometers to the north at the Kejimkujik National Park (2 totally separate parks, same name, 2 totally different locations). I'm not even going to mention how the road signage (or the lack of) in Canada is so not tourist friendly - let's just say that when I texted Ruth the other night that I was lost in Halifax -- she said "give me the name on a sign....any sign", I replied "Petro Canada". She laughed and said a street sign would help and I said "YES, WOULDN'T IT??!!!!" I did get some photos of a couple Pearl Guineas while getting lost....I thought they were pretty cool.
Pearl Guineas
So I had thought the park had just a small, little campground and that I had the run of the park to myself when I exposed my wobbly bits, right? But on the way out, I wanted to drop some trash off at the recycling center which was down by the campground.....I looked at the sign in front of me and it said camp sites 1-156 that way and group camping the other way. LOL! 156 campsites? I felt really uneasy there and I don't know why, but I never second guess my intuition --I just left immediately. I jumped in the truck and decided I was heading for Digby....until.......
......the gas light came on! Damn it! So I found a gentleman tending to his gardening just outside the park and asked him which direction to the nearest gas station...he replied Caledonia (opposite direction of Digby)- 10 km that way he said. Oh yeah - I know Caledonia, the town where the nice police officer showed me on the map just how lost I really was. Yep -- so I head back to Caledonia just a mere 10 km away (no sweat what is that? 5 miles?). I roll into Caledonia and can't find the gas station....so I ask a couple ladies walking along the street where the service station is and they told me, but added that it closed half an hour ago.....SERIOUSLY! It's only 7:30pm - they closed at 7:00? But they said that they might have stayed open late on account of some event at the county fairgrounds, so I drove down to the service station, which is directly across the street from the county fairgrounds. NO - not open - It is closed! I'm watching the computer display as the miles until empty quickly drop from 42 initially to now 32. Just then two (not-quite-ambiguous) gay men pull into the service station. Yippee Family!!! I asked them how far to the nearest "open" gas station......and they were very kind. They gave me directions to Liverpool 45km away. We debated the kilometers versus miles to get there and whether or not I would make it. 45 km we figured was at least 30 miles and I had only 32 miles to empty on the computer. They gave me their business card and told me to call them, toll free nonetheless, if I needed help and they would come right away.
Just as I hop back into the truck the mileage on the computer disappear and the "LOW FUEL" light starts flashing. "Are you flippin kidding me with this"? "Has this day not sucked enough already"? Half an hour away from a gas pump and I've gotta look at "Low Fuel" flashing on the display all the way. For a split second I considered staying in Caledonia at a B&B.....but that really would not have made me happy at all, so I pushed on....in the dark for Liverpool with "Low Fuel" flashing violently in my face the whole way. Anybody want to hazard a guess as to whether or not I made it?
Well, I was certain I wouldn't make it, but wanted to get close enough to the city that when I called AAA to come with a can of gas, I wouldn't have to wait for days on the side of the road listening to banjos in the wind. Just as the truck was converting the last fumes of gasoline to energy, street lights appeared on the horizon. Yipppee! The theme to Mary Tyler Moore Show comes to me....."you're going to make it after all"! The truck gasps and chokes and lurches and belches out it's last breath as we sputter into the service station (ok, that's a slight exaggeration).
Keep the figures mentioned above in mind and then look closely at these photos:
3750.2 ending -3713.8 beginning = 36.4 miles
The last 'miles to empty' reading prior to "Low Fuel" was 32 miles. Yikes!
That's life at Mach III and without safety restraints .....ooops! Busted by the dash light.
Ok --all kidding aside --I'm just talking tough now, but truly I was very nervous!
Filled the truck up with gas....95 liters at 1.46 a liter...let me help you with that math. $139 plus a couple bags of ice and sodas....$154.78. I can't afford to stay in Canada much longer.
Then I see him.....my very best Canadian friend since arriving three weeks ago.....Tim Horton...right across the street. Coffee, donuts and free WiFi all night! Yippee!
So you see......traveling isn't always shitz and gigglez....but I do try to make the best of it!
Isn't Lunenberg gorgeous? We loved it! But what impressed me was the loon. When I lived in Canada, I was not tuned in to birds, so if I saw one, it got past me. Now I would truly love to see one in the flesh and, in particular, would love to hear one. Thanks for the photo.
ReplyDeleteYes....truly it is. Went back yesterday and enjoyed every minute there! Glad you like the loon, Beverly loves them too, so I try to get a photo of one for her when I can find them. They are not as abundant as one might think.
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