This morning, we're breaking camp, but not before coffee and cereal. We're heading over to Five Islands Provincial Park. I can see it across the Minas Basin, but there is no ferry...no bridge. So...we have to drive three hours east, north and the west to reach our camp.
We set out through the Gaspereau Valley...which is...wine country! We stop at Gaspereau Vineyards and one other friendly vintner's (I buy a few bottles, of course). Along the way to Windsor, we have a chance to see the Minas Basin at extreme low tide...vast stretches of exosed beach, rocks, mud flats...beautiful. Brenda takes us to the Summerville Emporium for lunch...delicious seafood chowder, beef sandwich...and a great ice cream.
Driving further, we have more views of the low tide near Walton. We stop at Burncoat Head Lighthouse...scene of the lowest/highest tides ever ecorded anywhere on earth. A brief film explains how the moon's gravitational pull creates the tides and how the Bay of Fundy's unique characteristics create these enormous tides. How enormous?...well...at high tide, the volume of water flowing into the Bay of Fundy is greater than the combined output of ALL the rivers in the world.
We arrive fairly early at our camp in Five Islands Provincial Park...another beautiful spot. We have time to set up camp, charge our electronics using my new Yamaha generator, and relax with a cocktail (or two). Ed whips up a batch of slivered pork in Indian korma sauce with rice...delicious! And, of course, no meal is complete without some nice wine...in this case, a meaty Carmenere from Chile.
Once again, we're all beat after a long day...early to bed after witnessing a magnificent sunset over the Bay.
Ed's Sidebar, Day 20, July 4th:
Happy Birthday, America! Can only imagine the scene at the Canadian border had we brought our fireworks for Independence Day. --Anything to declare, sir? Yes, eight bottles of booze and some explosives.
Which reminds me, how can you make a false declaration to Customs if the only thing you said at the border was: How can you make a false declaration if you never said a word?
Beautiful day spent mostly relaxing with Bill and Brenda, exploring more of the Yarmouth area, learning its geologic and colonial past. Brenda is our gracious guide and a lifelong Nova Scotia resident.
Ed's Sidebar, Day 21:
Send ice hammers and pietons. That may be our only chance to escape 'The Winds of Blomidon'.
Only three dogs left. No gloves. Unable to determine date or direction. So cold. So near The Pole. Must stop now. This may be my final journal entry.
Ed's Sidebar, Day 22:
George came by on his cane this morning. He gave us a pin that said, 'I survived the night at Blomidon'.
Why this reluctance to speak about flowers? Wildflowers--blue, yellow, pink, purple, white in the sunrise field. These are beautiful. Get lost if you think they are not.
Brenda took us to a quaint little place called Blue Beach. It is old, about 340 million years old, with sloping floors. Bill ordered a double helping of ocean floor, some wormholes in mudstone, and a pot luck entre, pronouncing them all quite excellent. Brenda opted for early amphibian footprints in shale with assorted sides of vegetation. Since I am traveling lightly, I sampled the ample appetizers, tappas-style. My early arthropod tracks were delicate with just a trace of of diplodon. Followed by some compressed raindrops in shale, with a small ocean floor sampling. Lastly a helping of mudballs in vegetation with a calcite garni. Everything was good and we passed several pleasant hours at Blue Beach.
The flower garden park at Grand Pre--site of The Expulsion of 6,000 or more French from Arkadia by British troops in 1755--theme for Longfellow's 'Evangeline'--ancestral home of modern day Cajuns of New Orleans area--site of much tragedy and sorrow--Grand Pre is beautiful today.
Ed's Sidebar, Day 23:
Not much time for writing. A travel day with Brenda from Bromidon to Five Islands. Sampled our way through wine country, walked on ocean floor again, saw site of actually-measured highest tide in world (53'), set up camp in winds (fun), cooked Indian Kormha curry for dinner, followed by drinks and philosophy, then early to bed.
1 comment:
Ed, when you get a chance check ebay under the "fossils" section and look up arthropod tracks. Look for "diplichnites" which is what you have. Obviously, our NS laws against the sale of fossils don't apply to the rest of the world. Or they do but nobody pays attention. There is even a new listing from Nova Scotia on there - looks like a Joggins fossil.
If you go to Point Aconi, not all that far from where you are now and pretty much on your route toward the ferry, there are fossils there too. There's a Cape Breton Fossil Centre in Sydney Mines and they even offer guided tours. http://www.cbfossil.org/
Brenda
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